Sew Sumi July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 See, I don't think he got severance, but hope that the FRC had the heart to cover Anna's insurance as Churchie outlined above. It was just to sudden and too big of a story to sweep under the rug for him to quietly sneak away with compensation to just go away. Smuggar's announcement implies that he resigned, but the FRC might have allowed him to say what he wanted in return for immediate termination. 1 Link to comment
OpieTaylor July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 5 hours ago, birkenstock said: I would hope that the FRC would still cover a 7-month pregnant woman. For being so pro-life and pro-family, leaving a woman without insurance so close to her due date is really shitty. While it 100% falls on Josh and the FRC has the right to do so, it's sad that Anna was the one who had to face the consequences of having the backwoods homebirth. Would Anna and the kids be able to get Samaritan insurance even if Josh was prohibited? Also, does TLC have healthcare they can buy into? SmugAnna and family were likely able to continue their insurance through COBRA, which is offered to just about everyone, I think, when they lose their job. SmugAnna would have to pay for it themselves, but it exists so that people don't end up suddenly uninsured. I think it's available for at least 6 months. Hopefully they had enough money to buy it. It occurs to me that now they should be eligible for Medicaid, shouldn't they? Unless Anna is making quite a bit of money from being on Counting On, they are basically unemployed. 2 Link to comment
Churchhoney July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 7 hours ago, OpieTaylor said: SmugAnna and family were likely able to continue their insurance through COBRA, which is offered to just about everyone, I think, when they lose their job. SmugAnna would have to pay for it themselves, but it exists so that people don't end up suddenly uninsured. I think it's available for at least 6 months. Hopefully they had enough money to buy it. It occurs to me that now they should be eligible for Medicaid, shouldn't they? Unless Anna is making quite a bit of money from being on Counting On, they are basically unemployed. Yeah, the TLC money definitely determines whether they can get Medicaid. I have no idea what TLC would be paying Anna for this show, though, and do we know that Josh isn't working at all? The kids and Anna when pregnant are fairly likely to be covered, I would think, but who knows? Here are the current Arkansas eligibility criteria for their Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act: "Who is eligible Children from 0-18 with incomes up to 211% of FPL; pregnant women with incomes up to 209% of FPL; parents with incomes up to 133% of FPL; non-elderly adults with household incomes up to 133% of FPL; certain elderly and disabled individuals." If TLC takes them above the Medicaid thresholds, though, they could still get relatively affordable coverage under the Affordable Care Act, if they chose to accept it, since I can't imagine that they're making very much from the network, with Anna being only a bit player. But who knows what Duggars will do? Here are some of the costs in Arkansas for lower-income people: "88 percent of Arkansas consumers who were signed up qualified for an average tax credit of $280 per month through the Marketplace. 58 percent of Arkansas Marketplace enrollees obtained coverage for $100 or less after any applicable tax credits in 2015, and 85 percent had the option of doing so." http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts-and-features/state-by-state/how-aca-is-working-for-arkansas/index.html 2 Link to comment
kokapetl July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 But TLC just love the Duggars, especially when they reproduce. And surely anyone with half a brain would have their health insurance included in their contract, rather than buy it themselves. 1 Link to comment
lookeyloo July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 Would the Duggars even apply for a federal/state program? Wouldn't they find that intrusive where they would have to share financial information with the evil government? I know it worked out for snowflake Josie but it seems like they knew the costs were beyond them and Scamaritin but in general? When the home births work out Just Fine? Eventually. 1 Link to comment
Arwen Evenstar July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 12 hours ago, Sew Sumi said: A shit ton, other than Scamaritan, where in both instances, they could pay only $400/mo. BUT you have to play by their rules, and they are strict as hell. http://samaritanministries.org/costs/monthly/ Guidelines. Relevant rules stuff starts on p.14: http://samaritanministries.org/how-it-works/guidelines/ WHAT in the ever loving fuck is that? So if you're divorced or a widow with no kids, you're on your own? Sounds like if you're really sick, you're screwed. It's basically worse than any other insurance, but I could see how the grift angle might appeal to the Duggars and their ilk. Their convoluted idea of responsibility....and they get other people not really with much capacity to help their own families pay your bill??? WHO makes this shit up? We've got to be very careful who we choose as our elected leaders if this is going to be more commonplace. 4 Link to comment
Arwen Evenstar July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 Nope, Smuggs wouldn't qualify ...not sure if that would disqualify Anna...I guess she's covered if she gets a divorce, but only because she has kids. Supposing he Dave her the clap, since she was blameless would they pay for her treatment, but not his? To the CDC, STDs are a public health concern. They won't quibble about who is at fault...boggles the mind.... 2 Link to comment
DangerousMinds July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 44 minutes ago, lookeyloo said: Would the Duggars even apply for a federal/state program? Wouldn't they find that intrusive where they would have to share financial information with the evil government? I know it worked out for snowflake Josie but it seems like they knew the costs were beyond them and Scamaritin but in general? When the home births work out Just Fine? Eventually. You only have to share financial information if you want to see if you qualify for a subsidy. Otherwise, you can just pay full price for whichever plan you prefer. Link to comment
Sew Sumi July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 3 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said: WHAT in the ever loving fuck is that? So if you're divorced or a widow with no kids, you're on your own? Sounds like if you're really sick, you're screwed. It's basically worse than any other insurance, but I could see how the grift angle might appeal to the Duggars and their ilk. Their convoluted idea of responsibility....and they get other people not really with much capacity to help their own families pay your bill??? WHO makes this shit up? We've got to be very careful who we choose as our elected leaders if this is going to be more commonplace. I know, right? That's why I noted the rules were strict as hell above. The Maxwells are all members. Link to comment
OpieTaylor July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 (edited) 5 hours ago, Churchhoney said: do we know that Josh isn't working at all? Isn't he supposedly selling used cars parked on a piece of Duggar land? KJB is probably employing him under some Duggar Enterprises umbrella, along with Bin. Oh, and there's the house flipping too - Smugs may be working on those (if they even exist). Edited July 30, 2016 by OpieTaylor 1 Link to comment
BitterApple July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 I hope anyone interested in buying a Duggar-renovated property hires one hell of a home inspector first. 7 Link to comment
Absolom July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 I'm in the no severance package camp. Josh was either fired for cause or let to resign gracefully. There was zero reason for FRC to give him a dime after that. I don't think they would have experienced any blow back from their followers on the insurance issue either. It was ALL Josh's fault after all. Severance packages are usually used in situations where there is a staff reduction or someone needs a little nudge to exist sooner than expected. They are much less common than it seems people tend to believe that they are. Jim Bob talked about in the past where they had regular insurance. He bragged about having a family plan that covered them no matter how many children they had. It seemed to be a standard BCBS plan where once you pass two family members in addition to self you're covered for however many. My insurance is the same. 1 Link to comment
kokapetl July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 (edited) Josh was never actually charged or arrested, so I suspect there was nothing he was obliged to disclose. Then again, I have no idea how the minds and hiring practices of the FRC works. They could've had Chachi! Edited July 30, 2016 by Kokapetl Link to comment
Churchhoney July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Absolom said: I'm in the no severance package camp. Josh was either fired for cause or let to resign gracefully. There was zero reason for FRC to give him a dime after that. I don't think they would have experienced any blow back from their followers on the insurance issue either. Oh, of course they wouldn't get blowback from their followers. But I'm talking about their many very determined critics and enemies, who are always on the lookout for family-values-related hypocrisy coming out of FRC. There's no way they wouldn't have gotten major blowback from those critics, who are many and determined because they view FRC as a potent political enemy that they must take down. Such a story would have blown up in the press, at least in the Washington political press -- which matters a lot to FRC -- for some of the same reasons the Josh story did -- because it would have been a flashpoint political story that also was an entertainment story, a people story and a story of big-time hypocrisy from a major political player. They would definitely spend some thousands on an extension of insurance coverage to forestall that. And they didn't need to consider it pay to Josh. They would have considered it as both a means to cover FRC's ass and avoid bad press -- a massive consideration in DC -- and a way to help a young pregnant mother and her kids who weren't at fault in the matter. In my opinion, there's no way they'd be so silly and pinchpenny as to cut off that insurance when a simple and really quite cheap six- to eight-month extension of it would buy them protection from eagle-eyed liberal groups and the press jumping up and down on their ass for risking a childbirth healthcare tragedy that they might have prevented. Edited July 30, 2016 by Churchhoney 1 Link to comment
Micks Picks July 30, 2016 Share July 30, 2016 My insurance was the same. One price for an individual and a huge jump for 2 and however many more you had. Pissed me off. Only remedy was to get my own insurance for self only and leave husband's plan. Link to comment
Vaysh July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 I admit that my knowledge of US medical insurance is extremely sketchy and I find it somewhat confusing but I thought that Obamacare would sort of mean that everyone would have affordable insurance for medical needs. Like it would be impossible to refuse having coverage? Wouldn't Anna have had access to decent medical care through Obamacare even if the FRC cut off their work-related insurance plan? 1 Link to comment
Sew Sumi July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 Absolutely, but that doesn't mean that a Duggar would avail themselves to the open exchange. They would get Anna covered under Scamaritan before doing anything associated with the ebil Democraps (tm Rush Limpballs). 2 Link to comment
Micks Picks July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 It's a good deal if you keep your income off the records, work for pay not declared. Then it is cheap or free. Others would rather pay the fine than $300 a month with a $6000 deductible. 1 Link to comment
Vaysh July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 If I believed in a god I'd thank it for universal health care every single day of my life... 13 Link to comment
kassygreene July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 (edited) The Affordable Care Act means that now insurance is available at comparatively affordable rates (compared to the individual rates that you could "get" before). My rate went down last year, but I have the minimal plan ($485) with an annual $6250 deduction. I am also sixty damn years old. If you have insurance you get lots of things at a group rate instead of the extra gouging that individuals get. It's usually a difference of 40% - 50% in cost. You also have an easier time being examined in ER, being admitted to a hospital, and getting take on by a new medical practice. And I am sixty damn years old, so there are lots of tests and things. The ACA also means that certain categories of pre-existing conditions (like a fully functioning female reproductive system) cannot be used to deny me coverage. My lady parts are also sixty damn years old. People who want to pay that small fine can gamble as they wish, but not having insurance in this country will still screw you when you need it. As to the Smuggars, while I'm sure they would have been able to get COBRA, as I remember the premiums were about twice what my employer-subsidized premiums were. And you have to write a check and get it in on time every month. With a baby on the way it would have been absurd not to do it, but they like absurd chances. Edited July 31, 2016 by kassygreene Decided to add an on-topic paragraph. 3 Link to comment
Barb23 July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 I worked for an OB/Gyn group but not in the billing dept. IIRC pregnancy office visits & the labor & delivery charges were billed to the insurance company as a lump sum early in the pregnancy & paid for by ins company by the 7th or 8th month. If the mom changed insurance companies during the pregnancy, charges were prorated back to the original ins co & then partial charges were billed to new ins co. I don't know how it worked if mom lost old ins but had no new ins (being a self pay patient) as was Anna's case. I guess she would be responsible for prorated charge like new ins co would be. The labor & delivery charges were for the doctor. There would be separate additional charges from the hospital. I could be wrong but think this how it worked. I'm in Maryland. Link to comment
Sew Sumi July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 If the Smuggars did lose their insurance, I am wont to believe that they gambled with Anna's pregnancy. After all, she'd had three successful homebirths already, etc. Yes, I am giving them no credit for brains or sense. Anyone wanna take the bet that they have actually vaccinated their kids? That's easy money for me! :D 1 Link to comment
BitterApple July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 (edited) Changing directions for a moment, I wonder how the TLC crew is going to film around Smuggar at Jinger's wedding. Assuming the family sticks close together that might be somewhat of a challenge. I'm split pretty evenly on whether or not they work him back into the storyline. I don't know how many more of Anna's Sad Clownface TH's they can do before they're forced to address the elephant in the room. Edited July 31, 2016 by BitterApple clarity 2 Link to comment
bigskygirl July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 Keep the conversation on Josh, Anna and the kids and not the ACA aka Obamacare/health care in general please. Posts going off topic will be hidden at the discretion of the mods. Thank you. Link to comment
Sew Sumi July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 28 minutes ago, BitterApple said: Changing directions for a moment, I wonder how the TLC crew is going to film around Smuggar at Jinger's wedding. Assuming the family sticks close together that might be somewhat of a challenge. I'm split pretty evenly on whether or not they work him back into the storyline. I don't know how many more of Anna's Sad Clownface TH's they can do before they're forced to address the elephant in the room. I've heard that TLC has said that Smuggar will NOT appear in the upcoming season. But that doesn't include the wedding, which will likely be shown as a VSE over the holidays. I speculated that in different circumstances, Jeremy and Smuggar would have been best buddies, being the same age and all, shoving Ben aside. As it stands now, I don't think Smuggar has a relationship with either of his current brothers-in-law and Jeremy likely cuts a wide swath around him. I mean, dude molested your now-fiance! Sure, the girls "forgave" him, but did they really have a choice? I also wonder how the brothers REALLY feel about him. JD seemed pretty disappointed and let down in his THs during JJ:CO. But Boob is pretty much forcing Smuggar to work alongside his brothers. Talk about awkward. 2 Link to comment
kassygreene July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 I think all TLC has to do is tell him to get out of a shot. If that fails, they can tell JB to tell him to get out of the shot. They are the ones writing the checks, and they should have control of the shoots; they definitely have control of the editing. The Duggars do not own these shows, they just make money off them. 2 Link to comment
JoanArc July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 I kind of love how these famewhores are painted into a corner: they lose if they show Josh or if they don't show Josh. Good. Now if I see his parent's I'll throw a brick through my TV. I think there will be a backlash of them appearing. 3 Link to comment
Barb23 July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 They shouldn't have trouble keeping Smugs out of filming. Thinking back & having rewatched Jill's wedding recently, he was barely in that even tho he was the Master of Ceremonies. He was basically just another guest at Jessa's. I think being in a large family helps TLC, there are plenty of other folk to dwell on for story lines. 1 Link to comment
kokapetl July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 7 hours ago, kassygreene said: I think all TLC has to do is tell him to get out of a shot. If that fails, they can tell JB to tell him to get out of the shot. They are the ones writing the checks, and they should have control of the shoots; they definitely have control of the editing. The Duggars do not own these shows, they just make money off them. If he just must be in the wedding, they should put him on the very edge of group photos etc, so TLC and People can crop him out. 2 Link to comment
Churchhoney July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 1 hour ago, Kokapetl said: If he just must be in the wedding, they should put him on the very edge of group photos etc, so TLC and People can crop him out. Makes me wonder how many Duggars actually want him to be in the wedding and the photos. I'm thinking .... Anna, the M kids, and Michelle? Link to comment
BitterApple July 31, 2016 Share July 31, 2016 18 minutes ago, Churchhoney said: Makes me wonder how many Duggars actually want him to be in the wedding and the photos. I'm thinking .... Anna, the M kids, and Michelle? That's probably pretty accurate. I can't imagine the older kids want anything to do with him, and Boob would send Josh on a one-way ticket to the moon if the option was available. Maybe the victims have genuinely forgiven him and moved on, but it sickens me to think of these girls walking down the aisle with their portly, arrogant molester sitting in the audience. 6 Link to comment
Malvina August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 No girls allowed: http://www.duggarfamily.com/eaa-oshkosh-airshow Link to comment
Sew Sumi August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 ^^^ Talked about in the Boob/Mechelle thread. :) Link to comment
Malvina August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 24 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said: ^^^ Talked about in the Boob/Mechelle thread. :) Is it Josh on the left in the first picture? If so he looks huge. 2 Link to comment
Pachengala August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 55 minutes ago, Malvina said: Is it Josh on the left in the first picture? If so he looks huge. Ugh, you made me look twice! Yes, he of the mighty mighty man boobs is over there in the brown shirt. Am I right in thinking he's always tended toward the portly? And now, I mean, what else has he got going on but food? Not to mention, maybe he's trying to turn Goody Smuggar off his jock so as to avoid more blessings. 5 Link to comment
Sew Sumi August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 1 hour ago, Malvina said: Is it Josh on the left in the first picture? If so he looks huge. Yes, and yes. He's in the third picture (guys walking next to a plane) holding a little one's hand. None of his brothers have ever been that large, and JD, the one closest to him in height, is shown in the first picture in the middle, not in the brown shirt. He looks like crap; his Jesus Jail self-control has apparently deserted him, and his body is again no longer a temple. 1 Link to comment
kokapetl August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 Could be Josh. Are those the male M kids? Link to comment
Sew Sumi August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 Looks like two different days, but definitely Smugs in the front of the pic on top in the gray shirt and baseball cap. Note that the M Boys are right next to him. Well, Marcus drifted a little back there in the orange. But that's definitely Mikey at Smuggar's feet. 1 Link to comment
Marigold August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 Josh does not look good. He looks so so much older than his age. jim Bob actually is in better shape than Joshley. I believe Jim Bob just turned 50 or 51? Well, when you don't have a smart phone to pass the time, you make a lot of trips to fast food? 4 Link to comment
Sew Sumi August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 He was much more slender in pics we saw of him not long after his release from Jesus Jail. It looks like he's gained back all that weight (30? 40 lbs?) in less than 5 months. That's NOT healthy. He's 28 and a heart attack waiting to happen. 3 Link to comment
DoctorWhovian August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 Is that sweat or shadow on Josh in the second pic? Who's the kid with the football? Link to comment
Sew Sumi August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 (edited) Definitely looks like Smuggar next to Boob (in orange) wearing the baseball cap (again) and a stupid Benham Bros. teeshirt. I agree that he's doing his best to be incognito. Edited August 1, 2016 by Sew Sumi Link to comment
Arwen Evenstar August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 Goody Smuggar! It's been a while since anyone called Anna that, but I love it. I'm still catching up on the posts I've missed... Link to comment
Pachengala August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 1 hour ago, Arwen Evenstar said: Goody Smuggar! It's been a while since anyone called Anna that, but I love it. I'm still catching up on the posts I've missed... TM the brilliant Kokapetl! I love it too; it's just inspired. 1 Link to comment
emma675 August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 Holy sweaty man boobs, Smuggar. Wow, he not only looks awful, he looks like he smells awful, too. It seems like he's been sucking down the fast food since being released from Jesus jail. 4 Link to comment
Malvina August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 4 hours ago, emma675 said: Holy sweaty man boobs, Smuggar. Wow, he not only looks awful, he looks like he smells awful, too. It seems like he's been sucking down the fast food since being released from Jesus jail. Sweating for Jesus? 1 Link to comment
drafan August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 5 hours ago, emma675 said: Holy sweaty man boobs, Smuggar. ....well, if he isn't allowed to get his mitts on any, he's gotta grow his own. 14 Link to comment
JoanArc August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 2 hours ago, drafan said: ....well, if he isn't allowed to get his mitts on any, he's gotta grow his own. Probably touches them lightly, over the clothes, too. 8 Link to comment
cdp73 August 1, 2016 Share August 1, 2016 12 minutes ago, JoanArc said: Probably touches them lightly, over the clothes, too. But only while he's sleeping. 11 Link to comment
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