VGC's Anonymous/"General" Topic:

[desocietas]

I nearly fainted when I saw that my employer is ramping up our medical premiums by nearly 400%.

$1,200/month just to get coverage for me and my wife.  No coverage until we hit a $5,000 deductible.

Time to look for a new job... blows my mind that ACA is better even with no subsidies 10/10 than what my work offers.

We were notified to check our mailboxes in the next week for the 2018 Open Enrollment information packets. I'm already on the FSA option and that requires me to clear a $4K deductible and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if they upped the deductible while at the same time curbing what coverage they do provide. I don't know how anyone else feels, but to me the concept of insurance doesn't really feel like a "benefit" anymore. 

Hell, I even work for the gov'ment.  Our insurance is high too.  So much for all those "government job benefits".  At least I still get all my days off and a fantastic retirement.

My wife just went from non-government job to a State of CA government job. I don't know how much worse they've gotten, but it's still MUCH better than the insurance we had through her old job. We were pretty much paying out of pocket with our ridiculously high deductible.

From what I've seen my bf have to go through for his various insurance offerings from several jobs, it's pretty terrible out there. Makes me thankful about my insurance being fairly affordable at the end of the day. I can't complain about Kaiser - they cover a surgery I needed that apparently would've cost over $10k with another insurance.

[ignition365]

With premiums totaling around $14k, I could have no insurance and go full out of pocket and still not spend $14k.  But having $14k in premiums PLUS another $10k in deductible before any coverage... it's a freaking scam.  With what I was paid when I started here, that was LITERALLY half of my pre-tax income.  So any junior level staff certainly couldn't afford insurance.

I believe in 6 states in 2018, there is an insurance company called Oscar.  They are, as far as I can tell, the only insurance that still does Co-pays.  Meaning coverage before you hit your deductible.  You know, like how insurance was before the government stepped in.  $10 doctor appt, free generic prescriptions, etc.  Plus other benefits like free doctor on call phone calls and Amazon gift cards for meeting step goals a la Fitbit/Misfit/GoogleFit.

It's just such a shame that I can go out and buy 3rd party insurance and get better coverage than what my company can offer me.

[kashell]

I'll have to look into this Oscar thing.

At this point, having """""BENEFITS""""" doesn't sound like a benefit at all.

[Warmsignal]

My cat is on suicide watch. We have to keep him in all of the time now because when he goes out, he gets torn up and infected so bad he gets sick and starts withering away. He can't stand being in all of the time. I caught him hunkering over the kitchen knife today. 

[burningdoom]

Do you have any video game habits that you can't break?

I have a habit of holding down the button next to the jump button on platformers, just because I started on and played so much Mario.

[azure]

When I tend to save a game, I do it a few times just to make sure it saves. Not really sure why I do it to be honest, just a habit.

[kashell]

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was pretty cool. I got to sing on-stage with Patti LaBelle.

[burningdoom]

Sorry, thought this might make a better topic than random post.

[ignition365]

So, finally got my Steam Link in the mail and I can already tell that it won't be usable.

I'm on a 5G bandwidth wireless network and it isn't fast enough to stream properly.  I'm going to test with direct ethernet connection and see how bad it is and if it is usable maybe I'll run and ethernet cable up to my computer room.

[karyann]

Do you have any video game habits that you can't break?

I have a habit of holding down the button next to the jump button on platformers, just because I started on and played so much Mario.

Ha, I do that as well!

Also, for 3D platformers, when I jump over a pit I always come back a bit once I reach the other ledge, if that makes sense. Like... before the end of the jump, I start going back the way I came from. Sometimes that causes me to fall. This goes all the way back to the N64 where I was so bad and always tried to overshoot so that I could correct my course, so now even if I'm right on point I still tilt the joystick back. 

[turf]

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was pretty cool. I got to sing on-stage with Patti LaBelle.

No big deal though.  Folks sing with legends all the time. 

Maybe this will be your big break!  Fame and fortune here you come.  Can I ride on your coattails?  Did you give here a card and try to get her on the show?

[desocietas]

Do you have any video game habits that you can't break?

I have a habit of holding down the button next to the jump button on platformers, just because I started on and played so much Mario.

Ha, I do that as well!

Also, for 3D platformers, when I jump over a pit I always come back a bit once I reach the other ledge, if that makes sense. Like... before the end of the jump, I start going back the way I came from. Sometimes that causes me to fall. This goes all the way back to the N64 where I was so bad and always tried to overshoot so that I could correct my course, so now even if I'm right on point I still tilt the joystick back. 

Haha, I do that thing where I sway my body around when I'm playing platformers. I'm just sooo bad at them. Like Azure, I save multiple times all the time. I don't think it's a bad habit though, haha. Though, once games started counting how many saves you made... that made me a little paranoid.

[burningdoom]

Happy Halloween everyone!

[desocietas]

Happy Halloween everyone!

ahhh the yeti from the skiing game! hahaha

Happy Halloween, everyone! I submitted a pumpkin for a FFXIV carving contest:

[pacpix]

That pumpkin is awesome Deso!