Anyone canceling insurance because of Obamacare?

[charlesmartel]

Thanks to Obamacare and TUCA (The Unaffordable Care Act) my insurance plan will be illegal come next year. The cheapest replacement is almost 100% higher with a higher deductible.

I'm considering getting rid of health insurance, at least until the tax penalty is higher than the sub-par coverage. From what I've gathered, you can only buy insurance on the exchanges during the open enrollment period. However, you can buy a policy outside the exchange whenever you want but without a subsidy, which most of us wouldn't get anyway.

If I ever need major medical care, I'll just buy an insurance policy then or use the money saved at a free-market surgery center like this:

Procedures | Surgery Center of Oklahoma

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[SEO Monkey]

From what I can tell the new exchanges are offering lower priced plans for me and my wife than what I was getting through my former employer (self-employed now, and haven't gotten around to buying an individual plan). However, I have no idea if this has anything to do with the ACA. These individual plans might have already been better than the deal I was getting through my employer.

I'm curious to hear how this shakes out for other people.

 

[charlesmartel]

From what I can tell the new exchanges are offering lower priced plans for me and my wife than what I was getting through my former employer (self-employed now, and haven't gotten around to buying an individual plan). However, I have no idea if this has anything to do with the ACA. These individual plans might have already been better than the deal I was getting through my employer.

I'm curious to hear how this shakes out for other people.

I have a catastrophic plan that will be illegal in January. I was paying $144/month. The cheapest alternative is $255/month. I eat mostly organic and paleo, so I'm in good health. I go to the doctor so infrequently that I don't even have a regular one. The TUCA regulations are insane. Men and women pay the same rate, which means men are now overcharged, and each plan has to cover stuff like drug rehab.

 

[Netphase]

My wife and I had to change plans. We now have a higher monthly payment, less coverage, and a new $6000 annual deductible.

 

[Netphase]

 

[mikeshinobi]

So why are there people who defend this again? Are they just stupid?

 

[Netphase]

So why are there people who defend this again? Are they just stupid?

 

[JarredLv]

If I ever need major medical care, I'll just buy an insurance policy then

This. Unless getting a plan is cheaper, just wait until you need something major done and get a plan then. With that whole preexisting condition clause and what not.

 

[Andrey]

Because Obama:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sdO6pwVHQ]Help Kickstart World War III! - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JakeStratham]

Politicians are in the business of selling lies. It should be a given to any reasonable man that nothing a politician says can be trusted. Nothing a politician asserts is credible.

Trusting a politician at his word is like trusting a child rapist who claims he will protect your child while you and your wife are out to dinner. It is utter foolishness.

A politician's lies do not faze me at all. That he lies is an expectation. But I am completely baffled by those who trust those of his ilk. They are like the optimistic (delusional) woman who hires a child rapist to care for her children in her absence.

Utter foolishness.

Here is my response when I hear someone say, "He lied!"...

 

[BlokBlok]

Im just happy my premium went up so every American get get health insurance that is rightfully theirs. Can you imagine living in a world where these poor people couldnt afford health insurance?

 

[contract]

LOL.

I'm not signing up for shit.

Fucking fools, signing up for ANOTHER TAX willingly out of some made up penalty "fear".

+ Giving out ALL your medical history, etc to the government, fuck don't they have enough data on you?

I will pay cash for my health care and stay in the shadows.

 

[Moxie]

So why are there people who defend this again?

82% favored banning insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
61% favored allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26.
72% supported requiring companies with more than 50 employees to provide insurance for their employees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act#Public_opinion


The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 48% of Americans who buy individual insurance today would be eligible for subsidies. They would receive an average of $5,548, which would cover 66% of the price.

Obamacare subsidies: How much will you get? - Aug. 21, 2013

Are they just stupid?

Maybe, but sports team owners and their fans who want tax payer money to help pay for arenas aren't necessarily "stupid" either.

 

[charlesmartel]

My wife and I had to change plans. We now have a higher monthly payment, less coverage, and a new $6000 annual deductible.

That's so outrageous. With just your deductible alone, you can have almost any of the surgeries listed below done:

Procedures | Surgery Center of Oklahoma

I'd rather sock away some of the money wasted on insurance for cash medical services and then use the rest for grass-fed beef, etc.

 

[charlesmartel]

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 48% of Americans who buy individual insurance today would be eligible for subsidies. They would receive an average of $5,548, which would cover 66% of the price.

Obamacare subsidies: How much will you get? - Aug. 21, 2013

I'm guessing the Kaiser estimates are based on people actually signing up for the plans. However, when most people see that the rates are higher after subsidy than pre-TUCA rates, they will balk. Even if I got a 50% subsidy, the cheapest exchange plan would be about as expensive as my current plan. But... I have a lower deductible by a couple thousand!

If someone couldn't afford cheaper pre-TUCA rates, I doubt they will be able to afford subsidized TUCA rates.

Another thing. These rates are just the beginning. If not enough suckers sign up, rates will go up.

 

[vikingred]

So why are there people who defend this again? Are they just stupid?

 

[profitmotive]

Be interested to know what state you all are in.

Some states are getting the shaft because of local laws and uncooperative state legislators.

Anyway, irregardless of state, I've seen success stories too, specifically from self employed folks who were receiving anal from their insurance companies with super high rates being paid for high deductible insurance with yearly caps.

Not arguing either side, just saying a handful of stories here and there don't really help explain anything and really only serve to support the side they are meant to. I'm more interested in why the plan is failing for some and not others so we can fix that.

P.S. The "Obama voters are stupid" stuff makes me giggle like a gay webmaster. Because literally just a couple of days ago no one was coming out in support of his nemesis, the Tea Party and their dope government shut down moves. Remember, someone voted for them too

 

[charlesmartel]

Be interested to know what state you all are in.

Some states are getting the shaft because of local laws and uncooperative state legislators.

Anyway, irregardless of state, I've seen success stories too, specifically from self employed folks who were receiving anal from their insurance companies with super high rates being paid for high deductible insurance with yearly caps.

Not arguing either side, just saying a handful of stories here and there don't really help explain anything and really only serve to support the side they are meant to. I'm more interested in why the plan is failing for some and not others so we can fix that.

I'm in CA. The plan is failing because it's a pantload of regulation. The stupid law essentially wiped out all low-cost catastrophic plans. Now each plan has to cover a lot more things, like drug rehab, men and women pay the same, etc. It's like mandating that every hamburger sold has to come with fries and a drink and then wondering why the prices of hamburgers has gone up.

Here's some of stupid details:

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-does-marketplace-health-insurance-cover/

Note how all plans cover maternity and newborn care, EVEN if you're a man and cannot get pregnant!

Note this idiocy:

Yearly Limits

Insurance companies can still set a yearly dollar limit of $2 million on what they spend for your coverage for plan years or policy years starting before January 1, 2014. No yearly dollar limits on essential health benefits are allowed for plan years starting January 1, 2014.

 

[mikeshinobi]

82% favored banning insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

But...

 

[profitmotive]

I'm in CA. The plan is failing because it's a pantload of regulation. The stupid law essentially wiped out all low-cost catastrophic plans. Now each plan has to cover a lot more things, like drug rehab, men and women pay the same, etc.

That I didn't know -- and it flies against all they've been putting out about how you can keep your plan if you're happy with it.

Granted, most people have more than just catastrophic coverage because, though you pointed out the silly stuff, there's quite a lot that you omitted. The wellness stuff that helps you catch things early so it doesn't become catastrophic in the first place, or stuff that the average median/middle class income earner couldn't afford to pay for out of pocket like WF ballers can. For them, everything is catastrophic because a trip to the emergency room can cost several thousand dollars for something like a broken arm or sprained ankle.

Still I agree, not letting people keep their low cost catastrophic coverage who want to is NOT what was promised.

Note this idiocy:

You do understand that all that quote is saying is that pre-ACA, they can set a $2m limit and after 1 jan 2014 when ACA goes into full effect they can't do that anymore. Right?