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The funniest, though unfortunate, story I saw today is about a lady Obama mentioned in his speech who wrote him a letter thanking him for Ocare because she could buy insurance for $169/month. Turns out the Washington exchange site botched her enrollment and she was Not entitled to a $462 tax credit; she's not getting any credit. In fact, she's worse off than before.
I keep telling people this. Those making more than 400% of poverty are really screwed especially if they are under age 50.
Those making between 250-400% of poverty are realtively screwed if under age 50.
The winners of the ACA (those over age 60) who are self employed or have no employer sponsored insurance
Those over age 50 with serious pre existing conditions who are self employed or have no employer sponsored insurance
Those really poor who qualify for expanded medicaid in states that opt for it regardless of age.
Yup, that a lot of the country who DO NOT get any help from the ACA.
Your posts have a lot of good insights and information, but you are giving the ACA too much credit. We're over 50, pre-existing conditions, self-employed, so we thought we would be big winners under the ACA.
Wrong! We have sticker shock over the deductibles and coinsurance in Obamacare-compliant policies that cost about what the fine but cancelled policy offered to us. ObamaPolicy will pay just $3,750 on a $10,000 bill; cancelled policy would have paid about $6200. And the slur that our old policy could be cancelled based on our claims history is total crap. That's been against the law in our state for more than four decades.
Bottom line, there are not nearly as many winners as proponents would have you believe, and a lot of those supposed winners will STILL not be able to afford actual care due to high deductibles and coinsurance.
Obamacare has been so ineptly handled that the majority of Americans who believed in a federal role for health care in 2008 has morphed into a majority that says healthcare is not a federal government responsibility. Astounding turnaround: Obama lost the hearts and minds of the people. Majority in U.S. Say Healthcare Not Gov't Responsibility
Your posts have a lot of good insights and information, but you are giving the ACA too much credit. We're over 50, pre-existing conditions, self-employed, so we thought we would be big winners under the ACA.
Wrong! We have sticker shock over the deductibles and coinsurance in Obamacare-compliant policies that cost about what the fine but cancelled policy offered to us. ObamaPolicy will pay just $3,750 on a $10,000 bill; cancelled policy would have paid about $6200. And the slur that our old policy could be cancelled based on our claims history is total crap. That's been against the law in our state for more than four decades.
Bottom line, there are not nearly as many winners as proponents would have you believe, and a lot of those supposed winners will STILL not be able to afford actual care due to high deductibles and coinsurance.
Obamacare has been so ineptly handled that the majority of Americans who believed in a federal role for health care in 2008 has morphed into a majority that says healthcare is not a federal government responsibility. Astounding turnaround: Obama lost the hearts and minds of the people. Majority in U.S. Say Healthcare Not Gov't Responsibility
That is an interesting poll. It pretty much reflects the aging of the country and the growth of Medicare enrollees who, while sucking at the teat of heavily-subsidized government care, now feel that it is no longer their responsibility to be concerned about anyone else. Boomers, dontcha love 'em?
You have 60/40, 70/30 and 80/20 plans.
The cheapest is the 60/40 (Bronze) which the Kaiser calculator isn't even showing any more..they show the Silver plan (70/30).
The people going to enroll in Obamacare are the ones that can't afford insurance on their own for one reason or another or can't get insurance.
They are going to most likely get the cheapest one where the subsidy covers the most.
The sticker shock will come later next year when they actually have bills they have to pay.
My high deductible retiree plan is better. Sure I have to pay out of pocket ($3-5K max) but that's a choice I made.
I think many people thought they were getting 90/10 or 95/5 plans with subsidized premiums and low to no out of pocket.
But that is impossible since there are no more restrictions, limits, caps, etc. and insurance providers now have to account for lifetime coverage for high risk subscribers.
That is an interesting poll. It pretty much reflects the aging of the country and the growth of Medicare enrollees who, while sucking at the teat of heavily-subsidized government care, now feel that it is no longer their responsibility to be concerned about anyone else. Boomers, dontcha love 'em?
They are not all boomers but go ahead and label all seniors over 65 "boomers".
Heavily subsidized....FICA revenue had a surplus until 2 years ago. Did they put that surplus to use..investing it for a better return ? No, Congress "borrowed" it and spent it each and every month.
And they did that for the past 30 years. That's why there's no more money.
You have 60/40, 70/30 and 80/20 plans.
The cheapest is the 60/40 (Bronze) which the Kaiser calculator isn't even showing any more..they show the Silver plan (70/30).
The people going to enroll in Obamacare are the ones that can't afford insurance on their own for one reason or another or can't get insurance.
They are going to most likely get the cheapest one where the subsidy covers the most.
The sticker shock will come later next year when they actually have bills they have to pay.
My high deductible retiree plan is better. Sure I have to pay out of pocket ($3-5K max) but that's a choice I made.
I think many people thought they were getting 90/10 or 95/5 plans with subsidized premiums and low to no out of pocket.
But that is impossible since there are no more restrictions, limits, caps, etc. and insurance providers now have to account for lifetime coverage for high risk subscribers.
You might be singing a different tune if your employer were not paying for that plan. My employer pays nothing for mine. It costs my family $15000 per year with NO tax deduction for premiums like working people get. ACA has a better plan (lower copays, coinsurance etc) for $300 per month less though I must admit that the employer plan has a much, much better network than the narrow networks we are seeing in Obamacare. I have to decide if having a large network is worth $4K to me. Next year, from what I read, the narrow network will be coming to even employer plans as they try to reduce costs. Looks like the 80s all over again! So it might not matter anymore.
You might be singing a different tune if your employer were not paying for that plan. My employer pays nothing for mine. It costs my family $15000 per year with NO tax deduction for premiums like working people get. ACA has a better plan (lower copays, coinsurance etc) for $300 per month less though I must admit that the employer plan has a much, much better network than the narrow networks we are seeing in Obamacare. I have to decide if having a large network is worth $4K to me. Next year, from what I read, the narrow network will be coming to even employer plans as they try to reduce costs. Looks like the 80s all over again! So it might not matter anymore.
I'm not singing any tune. That is what Obamacare is offering people, is it not ?
Narrow networks can sometimes end up in long waits for appointments so be mindful of that when you make your choice.
A Washington state single working mom named Jessica Sanford was so overjoyed when she signed up for Obamacare that she broke down in tears.. She signed up for a Gold plan offered by Premera Blue Cross on Oct. 3. The premium was to be $169/mo. She was so ecstatic that she sent a letter of thanks to Pres. Obama. "So much stress lifted," she wrote.
His speech writers found the letter, and called to ask if they could use her story. On Oct. 21, Obama read parts of her letter at a Rose Garden event. She said it was the proudest moment of her life.
Last week she got a letter from the state saying it was all a mistake. She did not qualify for a subsidy. With her $50K income as a freelance court reporter, she is one of the rich that needs to pay her fair share. After weighing her options she decided that the only viable one was to remain uninsured. Not only is she still without coverage, now she gets fined $95 for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Washington wire
“They have to own up to what is going on,” Sanford says. “They have to fix it. They can’t just go around and say this is working great. In my opinion they ought to shut it down and just get all of it straightened out.”
I'm not singing any tune. That is what Obamacare is offering people, is it not ?
Narrow networks can sometimes end up in long waits for appointments so be mindful of that when you make your choice.
I can get a 90/10, $0 deductible, but no 95/5. There are 14 different platinum plans in my state. So can anyone else regardless of their health status. The 90/10s cost about 50% more than the 60/40s. For young people that 50% is less than 100 bucks a month more which is why reports out of Kentucky are showing that platinum plans are much more popular with the under-35 crowd than bronze which are only attracting 12% of enrollees. For geezers like me, though, that platinum upgrade is 3 times that. Decisions, options.
Can these people not do math ?
That Kaiser calculator has been available for near 2 years now.
She's not "low information"..she's "no information".
And she needs to complain to her state which put their own exchange together.
The Fed is not responsible for the mistakes her state made.
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life of Jessica: a low information voter learns the hard way.
