Heeeeeeere's Obamacare!

[Newtons Bit]

I found the rates of the new ACA plans on my carrier's website. At a minimum, my insurance costs will go from $61/month to $166/month. I will be losing benefits in doing so. My out-of-pocket max will go down from $8000/year to $6350/year, which doesn't exactly mean much since I'm paying almost that much extra every year.

you, Obama. I'm not a 1%er, I'm not a 10%er, I'm not even a 50%er. I will no longer be saving any money year-to-year.

 

[Kestrel]

I found the rates of the new ACA plans on my carrier's website. At a minimum, my insurance costs will go from $61/month to $166/month. I will be losing benefits in doing so. My out-of-pocket max will go down from $8000/year to $6350/year, which doesn't exactly mean much since I'm paying almost that much extra every year.

you, Obama. I'm not a 1%er, I'm not a 10%er, I'm not even a 50%er. I will no longer be saving any money year-to-year.

Did your previous insurance cover everything that the ACA plan does. For example prescription drugs, physical therapy and mental health?

 

[Dr. Keith]

Did your previous insurance cover everything that the ACA plan does. For example prescription drugs, physical therapy and mental health?

And birth control?

 

[Dr. Keith]

On the plus side you made it farther than me!

Just because we are having weather down here that would be friendly to your fair skin I went ahead and set up an account in your honor last night. Don't worry, I still can't see any plans or pricing yet, but as you say, at least I made it further than you! Sorry mate.

 

[Fudbucker]

I found the rates of the new ACA plans on my carrier's website. At a minimum, my insurance costs will go from $61/month to $166/month. I will be losing benefits in doing so. My out-of-pocket max will go down from $8000/year to $6350/year, which doesn't exactly mean much since I'm paying almost that much extra every year.

you, Obama. I'm not a 1%er, I'm not a 10%er, I'm not even a 50%er. I will no longer be saving any money year-to-year.

That link didn't include the subsidies. What do you make a year?

 

[Newtons Bit]

That link didn't include the subsidies. What do you make a year?

I make just enough to not get subsidies, according to the kff calculator.

 

[Newtons Bit]

Did your previous insurance cover everything that the ACA plan does. For example prescription drugs, physical therapy and mental health?

My current plan covers prescription drugs and physical therapy. I do not know if it covers mental health. If given the option to buy a plan with it, or one without it, I would not add it. It's not something I care to pay for.

 

[Fudbucker]

My current plan covers prescription drugs and physical therapy. I do not know if it covers mental health. If given the option to buy a plan with it, or one without it, I would not add it. It's not something I care to pay for.

Did you mean the coverage you happen to already have is going up? So is mine ($100 a month more, like yours). It's been going up for the past decade now. The ACA was not designed for people like us.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Same company, both Independent Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Then lacking any better information, I'll go out on a limb and guess that they're using non-Essential benefits and other add-ons to drive membership to one plan over the other, or to disproportionately attract a particular demographic or consumer profile. Of course, not being privvy to their detailed benefit designs, pricing practices, marketing plans, and financial situation... I could be completely out of the tree.

 

[Kopji]

Arizona is actually supposed to be one of the less expensive states because we had a fairly competitive healthcare market already. AZ is letting the feds run the site though. Good to hear California is going well, they are a benchmark that the rest will try to meet.
I must hand it to GOP governor Jan Brewer for sticking her neck out to expand medicare here, the Teaparty contingent was mad about it but she showed some courage.

I don't think that it is correct that even if you have company insurance you can't go to the marketplace and get insurance there instead. You would lose your corporate contribution though, making it much more expensive. Would not be eligible for gov subsidies either. We were sent a corporate letter warning us of this, they would not bother if we can't choose poorly.

 

[Newtons Bit]

Did you mean the coverage you happen to already have is going up? So is mine ($100 a month more, like yours). It's been going up for the past decade now. The ACA was not designed for people like us.

Well, my current plan won't exist on Jan 1, 2014. I'll have to switch over to something else that is ACA acceptable.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Seems that Obamacare is actually more popular now than before the government shutdown.

From the article:


Thanks, Republicans!

This might be missing the joke and stating the obvious... but I sincerely doubt it has anything to do with the shut down. More likely just the coincident timing of the exchanges opening... which was unaffected by the shut down. I suspect that it would have increased in popularity by about the same margin if the government hadn't shut down at all.

 

[Biscuit]

On my lap top I get a "hurry up and wait message" and on my iPad I get a blank screen after logging in.

It's not like this is the first website ever built. Get it together.

 

[MattusMaximus]

I found the rates of the new ACA plans on my carrier's website. At a minimum, my insurance costs will go from $61/month to $166/month. I will be losing benefits in doing so. My out-of-pocket max will go down from $8000/year to $6350/year, which doesn't exactly mean much since I'm paying almost that much extra every year.

you, Obama. I'm not a 1%er, I'm not a 10%er, I'm not even a 50%er. I will no longer be saving any money year-to-year.

Why don't you go with a different carrier? The ACA allows for that; hence, the marketplace.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

One thing that confused me about Illinois's implementation is that (from what I saw) they have a site whose sole purpose is to check if you qualify for Medicare/aid. Then it bumps you to the federal site. Or you could just skip it. Couldn't that have been implemented in the federal site?

 

[MattusMaximus]

You're in the minority. Still not working for me and most other people.

Evidence?

 

[Kestrel]

Arizona is actually supposed to be one of the less expensive states because we had a fairly competitive healthcare market already. AZ is letting the feds run the site though. Good to hear California is going well, they are a benchmark that the rest will try to meet.
I must hand it to GOP governor Jan Brewer for sticking her neck out to expand medicare here, the Teaparty contingent was mad about it but she showed some courage.

The medical providers of Arizona figured out how much revenue they would lose if Medicaid expansion was blocked. Brewer didn't want the lose the support of the doctors of Arizona, so she fixed the problem. Unfortunately, the governors of certain other states are not nearly as bright as Brewer.

 

[MattusMaximus]

One thing that confused me about Illinois's implementation is that (from what I saw) they have a site whose sole purpose is to check if you qualify for Medicare/aid. Then it bumps you to the federal site. Or you could just skip it. Couldn't that have been implemented in the federal site?

I stopped trying to figure out Illinois state governance and politics a long time ago.

 

[Stimpson J. Cat]

Well, my current plan won't exist on Jan 1, 2014. I'll have to switch over to something else that is ACA acceptable.

It's unfortunate, but pretty much inevitable, that some people who previously had extremely coverage will end up having to pay more now (although still less than most). But if the fact that an awful lot of people are going to benefit greatly from the new system isn't enough to make you feel better about it, consider this:

You are currently on a so-called "catastrophic" coverage policy, meaning that the primary benefit your coverage provides is not for ordinary medical costs that people typically incur, but for the possibility that you might end up with serious medical problems that would otherwise bankrupt you, or even worse leave you unable to obtain the care you need at all.

So even if the level of coverage of the minimal bronze policy is not any better than your current policy, under the new system you will benefit from an additional level security against financial ruin from catastrophic health problems that is not even specific to your policy. And that is the fact that if something catastrophic does happen, you won't have to worry about being dropped by your current policy and then having to pay through the nose to get your pre-existing conditions covered (if you are lucky enough to get coverage at all).

And of course there is also the fact that you won't always be in the young low-risk category that could get cheap insurance under the old system. People who are exceptionally low-risk may end up paying more now, while higher risk people end up paying less. But even if you avoid any serious health problems your whole life, it's just a matter of time before you end up in a higher risk group.

 

[Kestrel]

My current health insurance policy existed before the ACA became law. I have the option of keeping this policy under a grandfather clause in the ACA, but that may not be the best choice. My current plan has a $5,000 deductible, a lot of coverage gaps and does not cap my out of pocket costs. The Bronze plans available on the exchange all have higher premiums, but are far better insurance.