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To OP: I don't know if your wife has any hobbies she can turn into a part-time business, but I myself started an LLC (I work contract work as a therapist) and can now deduct my premiums. If there's anything she can do, consulting or whatever no matter how part-time, this may be a way to take some of the sting out of the increased premiums.
The solution is to repeal the employer's ability to spend pretax dollars on health premiums. This would push the healthcare costs onto the employees shoulders.
The problem with our healthcare system is that it is inefficient due to the fact that employers purchase the insurance rather than the individuals. If individuals purchase their own insurance the market forces will reduce prices and maximize utility.
This is how all markets work and how all markets create the most efficiency
This has been stated again and again
Problem is that when you run health care through even the most basic market models it simply doesn't work. There are huge barriers to new entrants in the form of cost of entry and skills required. There is no real threat of substitute products or services. Buyers have very weak bargaining power partly due to lack of transparency but mainly because when you are sick you need treatment and don't generally have the luxury to shop around. And suppliers are both constrained and protected by the regulatory environment. What this has created is a quasi-monopolistic health care system but were the public interest is only partially protected by government.
And, in our current setup, if you push real healthcare costs onto employees then what you will get is irresistible political pressure to extend Medicare into an NHS type system. Same reason you will never get rid of Medicare. Seniors are the biggest healthcare consumers and seniors vote.
The free market mantra sounds good but it is not a realistic option.
I voted for McCain in 2008, but voted for Obama in 2012 when I woke up and smelled the coffee with what's happening to our country in terms of economic wealth inequality and social issues.
There's a 99% chance that the Democratic candidate will win the 2016 presidential election, for the following reasons:
(1) the older generation is dying off and the younger generation is becoming more relevant and tend to vote Democrat.
(2) 30 million people will be hooked on Obamacare and won't want to repeal it.
(3) The U.S. is rapidly becoming less white, and minorities tend to overwhelmingly vote Democrat.
(4) More often than not, people and politicians switch from being a Republican to being a Democrat. RARELY the other way around. This includes myself.
(5) Blue states are getting bluer and red states are getting redder. That means Democrats have the upper hand.
(6) Republicans CONTINUE to oppose gay marriage and abortion rights, which is a gateway issue for a LOT of people.
(7) The Democratic party has many more high profile potential candidates such as Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
(8) In 2008, only 35% of Democrats said they wanted Hillary to be president. Today, that figure has risen to 65%.
(9) Traditional "swing" states are almost ALWAYS going blue in every general election now, such as Ohio and Florida.
(10) Republicans bet their lives that Obama would be a single term president. They were wrong.
The default party of the United States is now the Democratic Party and I'm proud to support them going forward.
However, I acknowledge that Obamacare is a mixed bag and would prefer single payer healthcare to co-exist with private insurers.
But many are still on the hook for deductibles that can top $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for families — the trade-off, insurers say, for keeping premiums for the marketplace plans relatively low. The result is that some people — no firm data exists on how many — say they hesitate to use their new insurance because of the high out-of-pocket costs.
My deductible is $2,500 and I can (and have) blow that on one set of tests.
I voted for McCain in 2008, but voted for Obama in 2012 when I woke up and smelled the coffee with what's happening to our country in terms of economic wealth inequality and social issues.
There's a 99% chance that the Democratic candidate will win the 2016 presidential election, for the following reasons:
(1) the older generation is dying off and the younger generation is becoming more relevant and tend to vote Democrat.
(2) 30 million people will be hooked on Obamacare and won't want to repeal it.
(3) The U.S. is rapidly becoming less white, and minorities tend to overwhelmingly vote Democrat.
(4) More often than not, people and politicians switch from being a Republican to being a Democrat. RARELY the other way around. This includes myself.
(5) Blue states are getting bluer and red states are getting redder. That means Democrats have the upper hand.
(6) Republicans CONTINUE to oppose gay marriage and abortion rights, which is a gateway issue for a LOT of people.
(7) The Democratic party has many more high profile potential candidates such as Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
(8) In 2008, only 35% of Democrats said they wanted Hillary to be president. Today, that figure has risen to 65%.
(9) Traditional "swing" states are almost ALWAYS going blue in every general election now, such as Ohio and Florida.
(10) Republicans bet their lives that Obama would be a single term president. They were wrong.
The default party of the United States is now the Democratic Party and I'm proud to support them going forward.
However, I acknowledge that Obamacare is a mixed bag and would prefer single payer healthcare to co-exist with private insurers.
Obama blew it. He had the chance and the majority to give the country a proper health care reform. Instead we got the ACA which is a sell out to special interests and which does not address the affordability issue that so many Americans face. For me, Obama is an empty suit.
However, it is an indictment if the GOP that they have utterly failed to come up with any kind of coherent alternative. Maybe because the ACA is essentially their plan.
Whats the problem? Just enroll in your new employers health plan.
I haven't changed jobs yet (and might not do so for a while), but I hate even the possibility of having to reject an employer for health insurance reasons (although it is unlikely, it might happen).
Obama blew it. He had the chance and the majority to give the country a proper health care reform. Instead we got the ACA which is a sell out to special interests and which does not address the affordability issue that so many Americans face. For me, Obama is an empty suit.
However, it is an indictment if the GOP that they have utterly failed to come up with any kind of coherent alternative. Maybe because the ACA is essentially their plan.
How much do you think health care ought to cost?
If you include the amount covered by employer subsidy, my health insurance costs about $610/month. It sucks, yes, but I deal with it (for now). (If you look at only what's taken from my paycheck, though, it's much less, about $110/month).
I don't mean to be ignorant here but are there big differences in cost of Obamacare by state? I went to the California exchange, Covered California, and entered single household with income of $65,000. My plan costs would be $340 a month for Gold Kaiser 80 plan with no individual deductibles. It seems only the bronze/silver have the 5k deductibles. Since I qualify for no subsidies how are people paying more? Is it because of my age (25) ? I thought the ACA didn't allow insurers to rate based on age?
In any case my employer still offers me great coverage but I'm happy that at least I can receive affordable coverage through the exchange.
My wife is paying $179 for her health insurance until the end of this year and then her coverage is going to be cancelled due to Obama Care rules and now for pretty much the same coverage, her premium is going up to $650 a month. (Adding her on my coverage would be even more!)
Before Obamacare she was perfectly happy with her private health insurance and it's reasonable premiums. We make $65K between us, so we are struggling middle class but don't get any federal subsidies.
Yes, we shopped for something cheaper but could not find anything.
Advice?
I smell BS. You say they are the same plans, no way.
If you include the amount covered by employer subsidy, my health insurance costs about $610/month. It sucks, yes, but I deal with it (for now). (If you look at only what's taken from my paycheck, though, it's much less, about $110/month).
I would look at 'high-cost' countries like Switzerland or Germany and who deliver health care on an average per-capita basis at about 60% of what we are paying.
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