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What I don't understand about the ACA, is that people who make more money get subsidized more. I'm self employed and my income has jumped around the last few years and it's been crazy to watch my insurance cost jump around. 2 years ago I only made about $15K and my insurance was through the roof, now my insurance has dropped by half after my income more then tripled this year.
If you make less then $19-20K you are exempt from paying no insurance penalties. So in reality, there is no reason poor people should get insurance and I thought that was the whole point of the ACA, to get poor signed up for health insurance.
I'll modify my statement to say that the flexibility Obamacare gives to entrepreneurs and small business owners is of no *immediate* consequence to large corporations. And therefore Republicans simply don't care.
I hear you, but even Republicans have friends and family who are now able to access health care coverage that they were not able to before.
Oh, wait, Republicans, friends and family, maybe not...
I do have one staunchly conservative friend who had no patience for the notion of government assistance, that is of course until he lost his job and his wife got MS. Then, guess what? (And that was BEFORE Obamacare).
Iunno, I've been hearing a lot of these nightmare stories that always turned out to be either false or blatant lies.
Care to share some evidence that you got offered a 1700/mo plan from the exchange?
You can look at the exchanges. Prices for us ranged from about $900/mo with super high deductible that would affectively started paying a portion of our health care costs after we had paid mid $20K first or a low deductible plan that was almost $1700/mo (we don't qualify for a subsidy). Our Medi Share Plan costs us $1300/mo less than the one we were considering in the unaffordable care act.
Yes, I do. Before Obamacare companies had a lower premium for young males. No, young males did not subsidize the rest of us.
Amazing the things liberals know that just ain't true.
Yes, what you are saying is true. Before Obamacare, a college age kid could buy a catastrophic policy in the $50/mo range. Of course, the difference back then was that stringent underwriting kept adverse risks (high dollar sick ppl) from getting insured. This kept it reasonably balanced. Obamacare policies demolished that system, so enter the "young invincible" crowd that the insurers are depending on to get coverage. This young guy should take his chances and avoid Obamacare. The odds of him getting hurt (or pregnant) are not significant.
Yes, what you are saying is true. Before Obamacare, a college age kid could buy a catastrophic policy in the $50/mo range. Of course, the difference back then was that stringent underwriting kept adverse risks (high dollar sick ppl) from getting insured. This kept it reasonably balanced. Obamacare policies demolished that system, so enter the "young invincible" crowd that the insurers are depending on to get coverage. This young guy should take his chances and avoid Obamacare. The odds of him getting hurt (or pregnant) are not significant.
You misunderstand the fundamental concept. Again, the young don't pay according to their risk. They pay during their strong income-earning years to finance those no longer as able, just as I did when I was young to pay for gray hairs at that time who were getting on into their retirement years; for their social security, their Medicare, and for all the rest our tax dollars were spent on back then. This is nothing radical or new or even optional. This is how it has worked for a long time, how it has to work, or it doesn't work at all.
Now I'm approaching retirement age. I don't make as much as I once did, and my wife and I can't be considered as healthy as we once were. We're still healthy, knock on wood, but of course we're in for more visits to the doctor as we get older than we did before. At least that seems the case given what we see happening to our parents...
So now that I am closer to retirement, with less income-earning opportunity than when I was younger, staring at higher medical bills, I am supposed to accept this rationale from "young invincibles" that they don't really see how paying into medical insurance suits them? Is really right for them? Hello?
Set aside the lack of understanding in general, I also have to worry about covering their medical costs (through the medical premiums I am still paying) in the event they are struck with illness or injury? Kidding me?!?
That's why it's called "insurance." We don't know what's going to happen to us, young or old. My brother-in-law in his 30's, healthy as could be, until diagnosed with blood cancer. Doing better today, thank goodness, but was that when he was supposed to consider contributing toward our general cost of health care?
True. As it stands, they can raise the fines as high as they want but the only collection method they have is taking away your tax refund if you have one. That is the law. I wonder if they will resort to more drastic collection measures in the future.
The only way the IRS can collect the Obamacare penalty is by deducting it from the refund you'd otherwise be due. If you don't have a refund coming to you, then the penalty amount simply carries forward to future years, presumably accumulating interest but otherwise being practically unenforceable. Congress could theoretically change those provisions in the future and allow collection of back taxes owed, but for now, IRS power to enforce penalties is quite limited.
When enough people adjust their withholdings they will simply pass a law to make it illegal to NOT have taxes withheld.
The affordable Obamacare Sux plan for wife and I was $1700/mo so we opted out and went with Medi Share for under $400/mo. The only reason to go with ObamaIdon't care is if you can get a subsidy paid for by working taxpayers.
^ is worthy of a separate thread.
There are several Christian Medical Sharing Plans in operation in the US. Two Democrat House Reps ( Montana and Virginia) and one Republican ( Iowa) fought with Congress to carve out an exemption / waiver from the ACA building on the same argument the Amish made to exempt themselves from Social Security and the ACA.
These Sharing Plans are not insurance although they operate in a similar way. Generally speaking, Sharing Plans may be a better option than insurance for some of the people, some of the time.
All require a Christian testimony ( may require a sign off from church) and promise to live in accordance with biblical principles including abstaining from alcohol, smoking, recreational substances, sex outside marriage. Weight, BMI waist size and cholesterol matters with most plans. Some plans outright exclude those who are overweight/ obese while others require a higher monthly " gift" ( premium).
Preexisting conditions are generally excluded. Cancer screening, routine doctor visits, wellness care, substance abuse treatment/ rehab and mental health care are excluded.
These plans negotiate with in network healthcare providers, no different than insurance companies and networks may be very narrow in some areas.
Maximum annual payouts are a variable and may be capped as low as $125,000 per year with the lowest cost plans in some areas.
Not all plans are legal in all states.
Medi- Share is the largest and operates like a credit union. Monthly " gifts" are made and used to help pay qualifying expenses of members as determined by a peer review committee. Samaritan requires monthly " gifts" to be paid directly to other members. If monthly " gifts" are not adequate to cover expenses, all monthly disbursements are reduced across the board.
Unlike healthcare insurance, these plans skim the cream off the top of the population in terms of healthcare risks. By excluding preexisting conditions, unhealthy behaviors and expecting members to take personal responsibility for their health results in a healthy pool of people less likely to be diagnosed with otherwise preventable diseases.
Healthcare costs and thus premiums would substantially decline if/ when the general population took personal responsibility for themselves.
Smokers have been required to pay higher premiums in the individual plan market for at least 15 years. Why not do the same for those who are overweight/ obese.
You can look at the exchanges. Prices for us ranged from about $900/mo with super high deductible that would affectively started paying a portion of our health care costs after we had paid mid $20K first or a low deductible plan that was almost $1700/mo (we don't qualify for a subsidy). Our Medi Share Plan costs us $1300/mo less than the one we were considering in the unaffordable care act.
^ makes no sense.
There are annual out of pocket limits, $ 6,850/ individual and $ 13,700/ family which includes the deductiable, co- pays and what not. How is it possible that the deductible is higher than the maximum out of pocket limit.
Just curious what your Medi Share "event" limit is.
There are annual out of pocket limits, $ 6,850/ individual and $ 13,700/ family which includes the deductiable, co- pays and what not. How is it possible that the deductible is higher than the maximum out of pocket limit.
Just curious what your Medi Share "event" limit is.
^ Good question, and why I have so much trouble tracking with all manner of claims from posters about this or that related to Obamacare...
By the time you really sort through the details, specifics, options, etc., well..., nobody does that, but needless to say, nobody can calculate the savings, from no-cost preventive care, for example, along with the premium expense, deductibles and the rest.
I had a medical procedure that would have cost me a good penny before the ACA, didn't cost me a dime after the ACA, because it was preventative. Anyone you know ever factor that sort of "savings" into the more or less we are paying with the ACA now?
PS: Is the "^" serving some purpose beyond repeating the obvious? Just curious...
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