I just got a quote off of healthcare.gov, want to know what it is?

I have an individual health insurance plan in Ohio.

The previous 12 months I've paid $120.23.

My renewal letter received last month says "Your current plan does not follow all the rules of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The government has set a deadline of January 1, 2018 for when these plans can no longer be offered. You can maintain your existing coverage until that time. Then, when you receive your next renewal notice from Medical Mutual, you will be mapped into an ACA-compliant plan that will be effective on January 1, 2018".

My renewal for the current plan is $146.47 for the next 12 months.

It is a $5000 deductible plan that I've had for several years. Just 4 years ago the same plan was $60 a month.

I'm early 40s, 5'10" 205 lbs with no preexisting or ongoing medical issues.

This is not a "junk plan" as the President used to talk about. I can get annual physicals. I have visited the ER (unfortunately) under this plan. Due to the high deductible, I pay more out of pocket, but the net amount due is always reduced significantly from the actual billed amount due to my inclusion in my health insurance plan.

Today I went onto healthcare.gov to see what their market place offered. This is the open enrollment period if anyone wants to submit an application online.

I selected "low" anticipated need for medical services in the upcoming year (that included 1 doctor visit, 2 prescriptions).

A bronze plan (highest deductible) has an average monthly cost of $274. Silver $329. Gold $364 (lowest deductible).

The deductibles in the bronze plans range from $6400-7100. Mine currently is $5000. A deductible in a Gold plan is $4700.

I'm looking at some of the details here. Some of these plans offer vision and dental, some do not. I don;t have that now. I know what some of the ACA provisions are, drug and alcohol rehab, maternity benefits, etc. I don't need or want any of that.

Thankfully, I am grandfathered in for one more year on my affordable current health insurance plan. Next year in an Affordable Care Act compliant plan, my cost becomes less affordable (ironic isn't it), it goes up 140% for a comparable deductible plan. Or my deductible can go up 30-40% for my premium to only go up 80-90%.

THIS IS NOT AFFORDABLE.

See the problem?

This is real world. This is actually what I pay now and what the .gov website says I would pay this year if I choose one of their plans. And that is what I can expect to pay next year. How do you think I should feel about this? ACA is good?

Edit - healthcare.gov said the threshold for premium "assistance" was annual income under $67,500.

[Edited on 12/1/2016 by nebish]

We'll see what Trump & Co. replace it with. TBD - preexisting conditions, children covered until 26, birth control pills covered, premiums, deductibles, etc.

After all is said and done, don't be surprise that those who cheered to rid the country of Obamacare may end up with less for more or left out in the cold. Awaiting details and what the GOP Congress approves. Remember that Trump campaigned on repealing it and the GOP legislators have attempted to do this like 50 or so times. Now is their chance to show that they can do better. Batter up.

Next up - The Paul Ryan Medicare Voucher Plan? Details?

Next up - The Paul Ryan Medicare Voucher Plan? Details?

Nope, no details, we have to pass it in order to see what's in it.

Nebish,
for an even bigger kick in the pants, just change your income level on the website portal to less than 20,000 /yr and you will see that you will get offered a silver or gold plan...... The bronze plans disappear.

Under the democrats, you get rewarded for not working and peanalized for working. Someone not working should only be offered a bronze plan.

Nebish,
for an even bigger kick in the pants, just change your income level on the website portal to less than 20,000 /yr and you will see that you will get offered a silver or gold plan...... The bronze plans disappear.

Under the democrats, you get rewarded for not working and peanalized for working. Someone not working should only be offered a bronze plan.

goob,

We know that Trump always uses grandiose words when describing anything related to or proposed by him. When we see the greatest healthcare plan ever unveiled by Trump & the GOP, will you come on here and do a cost benefit analysis of the new plan in comparison to Obamacare?

Do you expect that we'll see greater coverage for less costs? If so, where will the savings come from, and who will be impacted? What will the impacts be?

Nebish,
for an even bigger kick in the pants, just change your income level on the website portal to less than 20,000 /yr and you will see that you will get offered a silver or gold plan...... The bronze plans disappear.

Under the democrats, you get rewarded for not working and peanalized for working. Someone not working should only be offered a bronze plan.

The rationale behind that is people without good income can't pay high deductibles. What is more upsetting to me is that I wasn't even offered the opportunity to purchase silver or gold.

As a health care provider these high deductible plans are a nightmare. People don't seek care and then often have no resources (or claim they don't) to pay their bills. A large portion of the country lives paycheck to paycheck at best. Medicaid and the basic health plans have very few physicians who take them because the re-imbursement is lower than the costs of providing the service (staff; etc)

I can't stomach Hillary; but she was right years ago re; the need for universal health care. We are the only civilized nation I believe that doesn't have it. Face it; you have no resources and you're sick you go to the ER and get it - and the physicians get stiffed. The hospitals get emergency Medicaid.

I think we need a basic level of universal health care - with the options to buy into higher levels. A workplace driven insurance system like we currently have is nuts - if you get sick you can't work - you loose your healthcare.

Our current system is a patchwork shell game. If you keep moving the shells hopefully no one will notice. And btw - the administration has lied through its teeth. One of my offices is in a largely immigrant area - tons of illegals already have health care. And they are sicker; more non-compliant; etc.

It was never about what the ACA has done,it's about what it has never been able to do. Not detailed enough, not broad enough, horribly communicated and woefully and simply not enough.

Granted, that's if one thinks that all citizens should have access to healthcare in the first place.

We don't think about heath issues, we react to them. We care nothing about general wellness.

Lets work to find affordable care for the poor and uninsured legal citizens as step 1. Obamacare had to much impact on those already insured and also on employers and imposing universal taxes or fees on every person.

Lets work to find affordable care for the poor and uninsured legal citizens as step 1. Obamacare had to much impact on those already insured and also on employers and imposing universal taxes or fees on every person.

The problem is someone needs to pay for it. The government somehow needs to fund it. But we can't have a system like the current one which is like three card monte

The government somehow needs to fund it.

You do realize this means You and me?

I have trouble managing and funding my own healthcare much less someone else's as well.

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

Do ya think you'll be paying less for health insurance under Trumpy-care?

I really have no idea, We all thought the ACA would lower rates.....and

[Edited on 12/4/2016 by BIGV]

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

Do ya think you'll be paying less for health insurance under Trumpy-care?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Anything will be better than what Obama and the 'Crats shoved down the tax-payers' throats starting with only proving healthcare to American Citizens.

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

Do ya think you'll be paying less for health insurance under Trumpy-care?

I really have no idea, We all thought the ACA would lower rates.....and
______________________________________________________________________________________

That is what Obama, Reid and Pelosi told us - They lied.
Obama told us families would save $2,500/year. - He lied
Obama told us that people would have choices under the ACA - He lied.

Nancy Pelosi told us they had to vote for it so that we could find out what was in it and the liberals bought it.

The American People just hired a President who will repeal that garbage and replace it with a solution that will work and that The American People actually want.

 

V - not one for wanted to pay more; but the current system is a mess. If someone shows up without insurance at an Emergency Room they by law cannot be denied treatment. Until that changes how can we have a system that doesn't require people to be insured? So those costs we need to assume are already built into the system. Lots of corporations already contribute to employee health care - it would be a lot better if that money was still collected/taxed some way and the insurance was not tied to employment

She's already got a plan for Medicaid reform, one can only shudder at what she will want to require from Medicare beneficiaries.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/04/seema-verma-trump-centers-medicare-medicaid-cms

Other countries provide coverage for their people, using tax dollars paid by the people to the govt. why can't this country do that?

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

Do ya think you'll be paying less for health insurance under Trumpy-care?

I really have no idea, We all thought the ACA would lower rates.....and

[Edited on 12/4/2016 by BIGV]

And the promise was "you can keep your current plan" didn't work out, did it.

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

Do ya think you'll be paying less for health insurance under Trumpy-care?

I really have no idea, We all thought the ACA would lower rates.....and

[Edited on 12/4/2016 by BIGV]

And the promise was "you can keep your current plan" didn't work out, did it.

It DID for me.

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Of course it did pops. You are the poster child for subsidies.

If congress and capitol hill were denied the ability to exempt themselves from Obamacare I would bet that none of the current problems would exist.

Lets work to find affordable care for the poor and uninsured legal citizens as step 1. Obamacare had to much impact on those already insured and also on employers and imposing universal taxes or fees on every person.

The problem is someone needs to pay for it. The government somehow needs to fund it. But we can't have a system like the current one which is like three card monte

I agree with both sentiments. Everyone should have affordable health care, which means that everyone pays into the system. A set fee of 1% of your annual salary, 3% of families of four or more, should help get it going. The money should not go into the general fund, but be a separate account. Fees paid on a strict schedule. If you went to the Mayo Clinic, the doctors, diagnostic, and surgical fees would be the same as if you went to Black Water Bayou Community Hospital. U. S. citizens of legal age and legal immigrants (those applying for naturalization) only may register.
BigV, I think the question on the tax form is a good idea, but do it in 5, 10, 20, and on up donations. Tying a national lottery into it would also make a good source of income. Have it set so 25 cents of each dollar goes into the payout, with a limit of 15 cents on the dollar for administrative fees, which would leave 60 cents on the dollar going into the fund.

There could be an option on your Tax return that states:

YES!... I wish to donate $500 of my own money to help insure those less fortunate than myself!

That will fix it immediately, because all Liberals will want those w/o insurance to have it and will show their support by chipping in with parts of their yearly income. No more taxes, just donations from those who really care!

Do ya think you'll be paying less for health insurance under Trumpy-care?

I really have no idea, We all thought the ACA would lower rates.....and

[Edited on 12/4/2016 by BIGV]

And the promise was "you can keep your current plan" didn't work out, did it.

It DID for me.

As far as I know, you are one of the few exceptions.

Fees paid on a strict schedule. If you went to the Mayo Clinic, the doctors, diagnostic, and surgical fees would be the same as if you went to Black Water Bayou Community Hospital.

For that to happen, the process would require a level of governmental involvement that far, far exceeds the ACA.

The damage Obamacare has wrought is not limited to un-affordable rates, extreme deductibles, and coverage problems for those who have to purchase individually. Modifications to plans offered to employees have also been dramatic and expensive.

I was on a call with our HR department, covering the changes in our health care benefits for 2017. None of the changes are offering more, or becoming less expensive. All were in the other direction. And a statement from the presenter stuck in my mind: "these changes were made necessary by new regulations, which if we didn't make them, would cost the company $20 million in fines". We employ about 6,000 people in the US.

Personally, I've had some recent experiences that show how much things have changed. I finally lost a tooth that was damaged in childhood and took about 50 years to fail. I need a bridge made to replace it, which will end up costing about $6,000-$7,000. Only $2,500 will be covered because of limits that were never part of our program in years past. I also recently passed a kidney stone for the first time, and since I hadn't previously experienced that, I went over to the emergency room and checked myself in. The resulting costs were over $5,000, of which I'm being hit for about $1,000. I'm not complaining, but in the past, any emergency room visits were covered 100% by our plan.

So as all the critics noted; Obamacare has saved no one on costs, and has damaged the care and expense for all to cover a small percentage of the population. And it hasn't done that to the degree expected either.

We'd be better off with a hybrid approach, where those with pre-existing or permanent conditions are covered under tax-payer a supported program like Medicare, and the healthy portion of the population is covered by traditional insurance in a more free market, competitive approach. I worry about Trump's comments about requiring insurance companies to accept pre-existing conditions, as that's a big factor in what's killing Obamacare. If we're all going to pay for that, then I'd rather see those individuals covered under Medicare and spread the expense to everyone.

It gets complicated Fujrich

As people get sick and have pre-existing conditions they then need to get transferred to the government system; which gets more burdened and taxes need to go up. It is what I referred to above as the three card monte game. It is the sick people that cost money; someone has to pay the piper.

And sick people (really sick) don't work; so it either gets transferred to the healthy workers in taxes; to healthy people buying health insurance (like Obamacare) so on and so on. Everyone (Obamacare; national health care; private insurance) can make money off healthy 25 year olds

It gets complicated Fujrich

As people get sick and have pre-existing conditions they then need to get transferred to the government system; which gets more burdened and taxes need to go up. It is what I referred to above as the three card monte game. It is the sick people that cost money; someone has to pay the piper.

And sick people (really sick) don't work; so it either gets transferred to the healthy workers in taxes; to healthy people buying health insurance (like Obamacare) so on and so on. Everyone (Obamacare; national health care; private insurance) can make money off healthy 25 year olds

That's the point of my comments about a hybrid system - simplify the complication by creating two classifications of health care consumer.

We're all going to pay for the pre-existing conditions, permanently sick, and end-of-life illnesses that most of us eventually succumb to. We'll pay for them whether through higher insurance premiums or higher taxes. So if we agree that those are going to be shared costs, why not remove them from what the insurance companies have to deal with?

Let insurance companies do what they do best: offer coverage for the general population with average health conditions. Let them operate in market conditions that are as free as prudent, and optimize the competitive forces that keep most costs down when numerous companies are chasing for customers.

Then take the potential customers who drive the costs insanely high and agree to cover those via taxpayer programs. Seems to me that those are better suited for the worst case problems, while traditional insurance can maximize the product offering to most of the population with average health.

It would end the battle about coverage.

I see what you're saying; but whomever ends up paying for it the costs will be the same. People will complain about their taxes rising rather than their health care premium

Fees paid on a strict schedule. If you went to the Mayo Clinic, the doctors, diagnostic, and surgical fees would be the same as if you went to Black Water Bayou Community Hospital.

For that to happen, the process would require a level of governmental involvement that far, far exceeds the ACA.

Like Medicare or Medicaid?