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Obamacare data point

Fast Eddie B

Philosopher
Fast Eddie B
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
8,417
Location
Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA
Karen's rate for next year will be going up what appears to be 40%:

30556363192_495e7f5382.jpg


That's for her Bronze Plan in GA, and includes a bit of a subsidy. Without that subsidy, it would have been $723.56.

I'm already on Medicare, so not directly affected. Still, a bit of a hit to our discretionary spending.
 
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I think in one state the rates went up 171%.

Just in time to get Trump elected?
 
I don't think killing Obamacare would help unfortunately.
I don't see the insurance companies lowering their rates for any reason, except competition.
So if Obamacare went away, and they all leave the rates high, they all win.

Not sure how to fix the cost issue at this point. Colorado is voting for an in-state health care for all. It will likely lose, but I'm voting yes just because it's the only chance I see for lower rates.
 
Actually, obamacare was an excuse to raise all rates, including emploer paid. Blame it all on Obama.

Nothing in Obamacare really lowers rates, it just controls the relative rates of one group vs another. Old-young mainly.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Karen's rate for next year will be going up what appears to be 40%:

[qimg]https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5569/30556363192_495e7f5382.jpg[/qimg]

That's for her Bronze Plan in GA, and includes a bit of a subsidy. Without that subsidy, it would have been $723.56.

I'm already on Medicare, so not directly affected. Still, a bit of a hit to our discretionary spending.
Click to expand...

I paid $900 per month 10 years or so ago. Long before ACA, and BCBS had a fine print that said they would cover nothing to do with my skin since I had had a basal cell area scraped off. I've paid for private coverage all my life, as insurance to prevent becoming destitute, but have claimed nothing other than the difference between my copay and what the doctors charge for checkups (which is more than my copay).

I have nothing but contempt for, first the young welfare mooches who think they are immortal and won't pay their share, even after they end up in the emergency room; and second for the entire medical industry which exists only to pay dividends to it's shareholders and speculative investors.

Capitalism I agree with, but anyone who thinks, like dumbass Republicans, that health care is a competitive industry must be in the same low IQ range as Trump supporters.
 
Denver said:
I don't think killing Obamacare would help unfortunately.
I don't see the insurance companies lowering their rates for any reason, except competition.
So if Obamacare went away, and they all leave the rates high, they all win.

Not sure how to fix the cost issue at this point. Colorado is voting for an in-state health care for all. It will likely lose, but I'm voting yes just because it's the only chance I see for lower rates.
Click to expand...

The only solution is to make the most cost effective system of all available to all; namely Medicare (which is not to say that this doesn't need improvements and reduced shackles).

Anyone who thinks that "competition" exists in health care is an idiot who has never asked for rates while in an ambulance, or checked every specialist in a hospital to verify their participation in your health plan before they open their mouth and bill for consultation.

We have the stupidest most corrupt health care system on the planet.
 
Regardless, making health insurance "affordable" and "saving the average American family $2,500 a year" both seem to have been pipe dreams.

Let me add that Karen's "Bronze" coverage ain't great, with over $6,000/yr deductible.
 
Elind said:
The only solution is to make the most cost effective system of all available to all; namely Medicare (which is not to say that this doesn't need improvements and reduced shackles).
Click to expand...

Agreed. Making Medicare only available above a certain age almost seems like age discrimination.

Make it an option, maybe dropping the eligibility age steadily over time.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Agreed. Making Medicare only available above a certain age almost seems like age discrimination.

Make it an option, maybe dropping the eligibility age steadily over time.
Click to expand...

No, I mean allow people to pay for it when they are no longer on their parents' policy, and make them pay for it if they don't have any other coverage, like the ACA is supposed to work if allowed to.

In short, have a national option which is non profit and the most efficient of all. That is how to make the others realize they have competition.
 
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On NPR they have said that fewer young, healthy people have signed up than were expected. Possibly unrelated, fewer employers have ditched employer-provided plans.

Allegedly there are adjustments that can be made that would help, but I haven't seen the maths or what the end picture would be.
 
the ACA was a band aid at best. It was too watered down. I'm not saying it wasn't a big step forward, but it was never going to fix the real issues.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Agreed. Making Medicare only available above a certain age almost seems like age discrimination.

Make it an option, maybe dropping the eligibility age steadily over time.
Click to expand...

Medicare is extremely expensive. You can't afford the part c monthly payments.
 
Tsukasa Buddha said:
On NPR they have said that fewer young, healthy people have signed up than were expected. Possibly unrelated, fewer employers have ditched employer-provided plans.

Allegedly there are adjustments that can be made that would help, but I haven't seen the maths or what the end picture would be.
Click to expand...

It's cheaper to pay a "fine" than to pay for coverage (assuming even that is enforced). Seems like that would be an easy fix, which by itself would reduce overall premiums; but what can one expect from a GOP do nothing congress?
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Karen's rate for next year will be going up what appears to be 40%:

[qimg]https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5569/30556363192_495e7f5382.jpg[/qimg]

That's for her Bronze Plan in GA, and includes a bit of a subsidy. Without that subsidy, it would have been $723.56.

I'm already on Medicare, so not directly affected. Still, a bit of a hit to our discretionary spending.
Click to expand...

My bold. With Obamacare, it's 422.56. Without, as Trump and the Republicans want, it would be 732.56.
 
BobTheCoward said:
Medicare is extremely expensive. You can't afford the part c monthly payments.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you're getting at.

I paid into the plan my entire adult life.

I currently "pay" $104.90/mo for Medicare and $37.40/mo for Part D Prescription Drug coverage.

"Pay" is in quotes, because it's actually deducted from my Social Security payments.

Now I'm going to go look up what "part c" refers to.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Not sure what you're getting at.

I paid into the plan my entire adult life.

I currently "pay" $104.90/mo for Medicare and $37.40/mo for Part D Prescription Drug coverage.

"Pay" is in quotes, because it's actually deducted from my Social Security payments.

Now I'm going to go look up what "part c" refers to.
Click to expand...

Your care is heavily subsidized.

Part c is referring to the medicare advantage plans.
 
Trebuchet said:
My bold. With Obamacare, it's 422.56. Without, as Trump and the Republicans want, it would be 732.56.
Click to expand...

Well, to be fair, before Obamacare Karen and I were paying about $300/month for a high-deductible plan for BOTH of us, which is all we wanted.

No doubt that would have gone up over time. But Obamacare clearly did NOT make health insurance more affordable, which was kind of touted as its raison d'etre.
 
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