Facebook meme: normal person reaction vs YMer reaction

[beergut]

I think the differences in reactions is telling. 



'Normal' people say: "Oh, that is terrible!! Greedy pharmaceutical companies!! This is unjust, and someone should do something about it!! Who do we write to in order to fight Trumpcare?"

YMers say: "The top 5 pharmaceutical companies made $58 billion in profits last year? Holy cow!! I need to find out who those companies are, and buy some stock!! $5.6 billion in tax breaks for each of them should really help their earnings the next few years." 

[busymom]

Not necessarily.  Some of us DO have standards.  And no, I do NOT approve of drug companies robbing people blind for conditions a patient has no control over.

[beergut]

 At some point I will become old and sick and have to pay outrageous prices for medication. I might as well make money now while I'm healthy-ish so I can afford to pay those prices later. 

[gooddecisions]

I probably read on this board a hundred times that health insurance companies only had a 4% profit margin. Only ym could defend the insurance pricing gauging tactics.

[hoops902]

Jun 25, 2017 21:27:48 GMT -5 busymom said:

Not necessarily.  Some of us DO have standards.  And no, I do NOT approve of drug companies robbing people blind for conditions a patient has no control over.

Just to clarify your point, do you make a distinction between conditions that patients did have control over?

[hoops902]

Jun 26, 2017 0:44:48 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I probably read on this board a hundred times that health insurance companies only had a 4% profit margin. Only ym could defend the insurance pricing gauging tactics.

Are we talking about insurance companies or pharma companies?

[resolution]

Jun 26, 2017 0:31:05 GMT -5 beergut said:

 At some point I will become old and sick and have to pay outrageous prices for medication. I might as well make money now while I'm healthy-ish so I can afford to pay those prices later. 

I hate the system that we have, but that's not something I can control. So you can bet I stay fully invested so that I will be able to pay all those prices later.

[giramomma]

Jun 25, 2017 21:07:18 GMT -5 beergut said:

YMers say: "The top 5 pharmaceutical companies made $58 billion in profits last year? Holy cow!! I need to find out who those companies are, and buy some stock!! $5.6 billion in tax breaks for each of them should really help their earnings the next few years." 

Actually, most people here don't actively support trying to market time the purchase of individual stocks.

Our taxable portfolio is in individual stocks. I don't bring that up here, most of the time, because it's a pretty big no-no.

When we do buy stock, we also tend to buy stocks in companies that provide products that folks of all economic backgrounds use. The last time we had good chunk of extra, we bought P&G stock. Unfortunately, we missed the split. But, overall we have been pleased with it.

[giramomma]

I think a good YMer would get more excited that the HSA contribute limits are going to double under the new plans.

An HSA offers me far more future flexibility than buying a single stock does.

[Opti]

Jun 26, 2017 0:31:05 GMT -5 beergut said:

 At some point I will become old and sick and have to pay outrageous prices for medication. I might as well make money now while I'm healthy-ish so I can afford to pay those prices later. 

Don't you think that some price changes easily outpace stock earnings? The 500% increase for Epi Pens just because? From 2007 to 2017 the opioid induced constipation drug Amitiza doubled from $173 to $350.

[Deleted]

I have a problem with shady methods that milk the system while banking a fraction of their gains because they know the 'fines' they will have to pay some day for bad actions will be minimal compared to the short term profits they reap on the backs of the public. 

[busymom]

Jun 26, 2017 8:33:56 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Jun 25, 2017 21:27:48 GMT -5 busymom said:

Not necessarily.  Some of us DO have standards.  And no, I do NOT approve of drug companies robbing people blind for conditions a patient has no control over.

Just to clarify your point, do you make a distinction between conditions that patients did have control over?

     I must admit, I have a bit more sympathy for folks with health problems that they did nothing to cause.  However, I don't like seeing ANYONE get gouged on health care.  (For example, my Dad got Type 2 diabetes.  He never took his weight gain seriously until that happened, but that was the wake up call he needed to start taking care of himself.  And, he did do a lot better job after the diagnosis.)

[justme]

I dunno, my thought is more - yea but what percent is that to revenue?

Would you start a business where you have 10,000 in revenue but you only bring home 300 a month? Probably not worth the effort for that small of return.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I assume my 457 and dh's 401k have pharmacy stock in them. I'm not digging into it to find out for sure. Am not selling either.

[quince]

I would actually want to know what the % of revenue is profit rather than flat numbers with no backing info to calibrate any outrage. 

[beergut]

Jun 26, 2017 11:38:54 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I assume my 457 and dh's 401k have pharmacy stock in them. I'm not digging into it to find out for sure. Am not selling either.

 Do you only have index funds or mutual funds in your 457 and 401k?

[thyme4change]

I definitely have funds that have the health care and pharmaceutical sectors included. Frankly, I'm not sure how you could avoid it if you are using index funds. I'm always excited to see my portfolio go up.

[beergut]

Jun 26, 2017 8:44:29 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jun 25, 2017 21:07:18 GMT -5 beergut said:

YMers say: "The top 5 pharmaceutical companies made $58 billion in profits last year? Holy cow!! I need to find out who those companies are, and buy some stock!! $5.6 billion in tax breaks for each of them should really help their earnings the next few years." 

Actually, most people here don't actively support trying to market time the purchase of individual stocks.

Our taxable portfolio is in individual stocks. I don't bring that up here, most of the time, because it's a pretty big no-no.

When we do buy stock, we also tend to buy stocks in companies that provide products that folks of all economic backgrounds use. The last time we had good chunk of extra, we bought P&G stock. Unfortunately, we missed the split. But, overall we have been pleased with it.

I don't believe in timing the market, I believe you find companies you like and want to own, start buying their stock, and never sell. Buy-and-hold-forever is my strategy. 100% of the time it makes money for me. 

Memes like this are just reminders there are more companies and stocks I need to research and consider adding to my portfolio. 

[empress of self-improvement]

This normal person would just be looking at it going, Oh Sam Elliot. Now I want to go watch "Roadhouse". The rest of it, you don't want my comments as the spouse of someone who used to take a $6000/month prescription. Didn't do shit.

[beergut]

Jun 26, 2017 22:48:32 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

This normal person would just be looking at it going, Oh Sam Elliot. Now I want to go watch "Roadhouse". The rest of it, you don't want my comments as the spouse of someone who used to take a $6000/month prescription. Didn't do shit.

You didn't think he was better in The Mask?

Current Sam on The Ranch:




Roadhouse Sam:




Mask Sam:

[thyme4change]

Grace and Frankie.

[Anne_in_VA]

Jun 26, 2017 23:13:45 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Grace and Frankie.

Love Sam!  He can stick his shoes under my bed anyday!

[Cookies Galore]

I could watch that hair gif all day.

[Lizard Queen]

Yeah, I   me some Sam Elliot.  Weird, he seemed ancient back in the 80's, and he hasn't aged much since.

[Anne_in_VA]

I think he's one of those people who look old fairly early then never seem to age much until they get really old.  

[Anne_in_VA]

And his voice!  Oh my!

[thyme4change]

Jun 27, 2017 12:10:23 GMT -5 Anne_in_VA said:

I think he's one of those people who look old fairly early then never seem to age much until they get really old.  

That is how I felt about Steve Martin. Because he has gray hair early, I thought he looked old. Now he still has a full head of hair, pure white instead of gray, and I wonder why he has only aged a little.

My husband went gray not super early, but fairly early. I told him to suck it up on the comments now, and reap the rewards later.