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"The trend toward high-deductible plans comes as insurers and employers grapple with the cost of health care, whose growth continues to outpace the general rate of inflation, despite slowing in recent years. By shifting more costs directly onto insurance enrollees, plan designers hope to encourage more cost-conscious shopping."
The growing cost of health care is not a result of the ACA, since we should all know the costs were rising at an alarming rate before the ACA became the law of the land. Again, if anyone thought those costs would magically reverse even before the ACA was fully implemented, or that higher deductibles would not be likely for low premium plans, then please pass that drink around!
If it also cannot be understood that shifting to high deductibles for low premium plans helps to encourage more cost-consious shopping and/or less in the way of unnecessary visits to the doctor, then you simply don't understand one of the significant ways in which the ACA is working to reverse the trend of run-away health care costs.
Health care insurance is meant to cover medical expenses that go beyond the means of the average American to pay, expenses that can run into the hundreds and thousands of dollars. The ACA is not meant to provide everyone health care coverage at little to no cost.
January 28, 20146 things to know about deductibles in the Health Insurance Marketplace
Deductibles, premiums, copayments, and coinsurance, are important for you to consider when choosing a health insurance plan. You can compare health plans and see if you qualify for lower costs before you apply. Most people who apply will be eligible for help paying for health coverage.
Here are 6 important things to know about deductibles:
Having health insurance can lower your costs even when you have to pay out of pocket to meet your deductible. Insurance companies negotiate their rates with providers and you’ll pay that discounted rate. People without insurance pay, on average, twice as much for care.
A health insurance deductible is different from other types of deductibles.Unlike auto, renters, or homeowners insurance, where you don’t get services until you pay your deductible, many health insurance plans provide some benefits before you meet the deductible.
All Marketplace plans cover preventive care.Screenings, immunizations, and other preventive services are covered without requiring you to pay your deductible. Many health insurance plans also cover other benefits like doctor visits and prescription drugs even if you haven’t met your deductible.
In 2014, there’s a $6,350 maximum for individual out-of-pocket costs for in-network services. The maximum for families is $12,700. Even if you choose a high deductible catastrophic plan, your out-of-pocket costs should not exceed this limit.
Over 70% of Marketplace plans have deductibles under $3,000. When youchoose a health insurance plan, it’s important to understand what your insurance company covers without requiring you to pay your deductible. Then you can decide whether you want a plan with lower monthly premiums and a higher deductible, or one with a higher monthly premium and a lower deductible.
Silver plans can save you more. If you qualify for lower out-of-pocket costs and choose a Silver plan, you can save more with a lower copay and a lower deductible. If you qualify, you'll get the out-of-pocket savings benefits of a Gold or Platinum plan for a Silver plan price. You can choose any category of plan, but these out-of-pocket savings apply only if you enroll in a Silver plan.
"Low health literacy continues to be a barrier and many consumers still struggle with the complexity of health insurance terminology."
Pay the lowest premium possible and you end up with a high deductible. What's new? Makes sense does it not? Maybe even common sense...
Plan Basics
The below information is for families and individuals. This information does not include the two types of federal subsidies: premiums and cost-sharing, click here if you want to learn Are You Qualified for Premium Subsidies? or if interested to learn, Are You Qualified for Cost-Sharing Subsidies?
Or, we can simply agree that if you were anti-Obama and anti-Obamacare in the first place, none of the facts really matter. At a minimum, unless the confirmation bias is extreme (as it truly seems to be here), one should be able to recognize all the facts for what they are, the good as well as the bad. Call me reasonable...
Actually, most of the country is anti-Obamacare, and always has been.
The right choice would be to withdraw every US serviceman and every piece of equipment from the area immediately and let these two festering piles of dung bleed one another to death.
I generally agree, but I think we need to at least recognize the tremendous human cost of the Syrian Civil War and understand the role of the Iraq War in creating it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Gringo
The middle east has been a cesspool of mindless violence for millennia before Iraq or the USA ever existed. Today's senseless slaughter is nothing more than the current incarnation of this never-ending cycle.
I don't agree with this. The Middle East was a beacon of civilization during the European Dark Ages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Gringo
Agreed.
The Iran deal is our best bet for reducing the current boiling-over violence to a simmer.
Agreed. And letting the Iranians work with Assad to gradually beat ISIS is the easiest and safest route.
"Actually, most of the country is anti-Obamacare, and always has been."
Fact: Obama was elected POTUS by a handsome margin and then re-elected. Obamacare was one of his main campaign promises.
We can always Google for all the articles to suit our fancy without end, always something for everyone, but the facts are stubborn things...
As also demonstrated here in this discussion, lots of people don't even understand the ACA, how it works or what time it will take to be fully implemented. Over and over it has been shown that what people don't like about Obamacare is largely born from what they don't know about Obamacare or what has scared them as a result of all the propaganda designed to do exactly that - scare them.
Nevertheless...
"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." -- Buddha
"I don't agree with this. The Middle East was a beacon of civilization during the European Dark Ages."
Yes, true, but always violent as well. Unfortunately we live in a violent world, and in some parts of the world, it sure seems like the ignorance and backwardness will never end, leaving little hope for peace.
Hard not to feel lucky to be born in the United States and somewhat immune to that sort of violence on a large scale, but also hard not to feel somewhat responsible for all too many misguided meddlings where we really didn't or don't belong...
1. NO-ONE should be discriminated against...NO-ONE should be forced to pay a higher rate than others
2. that is why a flat tax would be better....and no more than 15% (10% would be even better)
a person making 10k/yr pay 1k
a person making 40k/yr pay 4k
a person making 400k pay 40k
a persom making 40 million pay 4 million
of course that is based on '''taxable'' income minus deductions/credits, etc
3. right NOW, the so-called wealth or mire correctly termed higher earners pay the majority of taxes to begin with
4. even better would be to eliminate the income tax, corporate tax, estate taxes, sin/excise taxes etc...and replace it with a consumption tax...the rich/wealth would pay way more since they are the spenders..... Pass the Fair Tax | FAIRtax.org
5. but of course you will dismiss and attack , because you disagree
The idea that one shouldn't discriminate for any reason what-so-ever is different than discrimination based on sex, race, religion, etc.
We rightfully discriminate all the time. Only persons over 62 can receive Social Security and over 65 to receive Medicare; those under 18 can't vote; blind people aren't eligible for driver licenses, etc.
Discriminating on the basis of income is no different. Those with higher incomes have a better ability to pay taxes, as most lower income people have little disposable income left after expenses and the amount they can contribute is small as a total.
Your claim --- "better would be to eliminate the income tax, corporate tax, estate taxes, sin/excise taxes etc...and replace it with a consumption tax...the rich/wealth would pay way more since they are the spenders," is laughable. Those in America that are pushing the FAIRtax are among the richest families in the country. They support the FAIRtax because the math shows it will lower their taxes. BTW, rich people save most of their income, not consume it.
Actually, most of the country is anti-Obamacare, and always has been.
Yes and No. Polls have shown that when the word "Obamacare" is used, the respondents are far more negative than when the words "Affordable Care Act" is used. People like the ACA and don't like Obamacare, even though they are the same thing.
"Actually, most of the country is anti-Obamacare, and always has been."
Fact: Obama was elected POTUS by a handsome margin and then re-elected. Obamacare was one of his main campaign promises.
Most people don't like Obamacare. Period. That's a FACT. Obama promised one thing, and delivered something very different altogether. Remember the "If you like your healthcare plan; you can keep your plan" and "If you like your doctor; you can keep your doctor" lies? Might have a LOT to do with the majority's persistent disapproval of Obamacare. The middle class is rightly angry about losing their plans and having them replaced with FAR more costly plans, and losing their doctors and hospitals on top of that, as well.
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