Obamacare - I Must Be Doing it Wrong

[Ben]

So with the free time on my hands right now ( :) ), I decided to look and see what the Affordable Health Care Act was all about. Either i did it wrong, or my findings are that it's very expensive for what you get.

I've poked around on ehealthinsurance.com quite a bit because I'm pretty sure that I'm going to separate from the .gov before I'm old enough to take my insurance with me. So I had some background information on what a decent health care plan would cost for me. Basically around $350-400/mo for a somewhat middle of the road PPO plan with around a $3000/yr deductible, around $20 copays, and decent prescription coverage.

So I went to the gov healthcare site that started yesterday and followed the directions for a plan in CA. It sent me to a CA health exchange because CA is one of the states that has its own exchange. I was offered four plans. They all basically suck compared to what I could get on the private website. Their top of the line plan was $770/mo, and is barely better than the ehealthinsurance $350 option. The exchange plan comparable to what I could get privately is $550/mo. My current plan through work is considered a high end plan, and even if I were to go COBRA with it, at $650/mo, it would be cheaper than the CA exchange "platinum" plan with WAY better benefits.

I then figured I should try another state since it may just be CA (although according to data from Obama's team, health insurance would go down in CA). So I tried Oregon. OR also has its own exchange. It had many more options than CA, most of them cheaper, but not by much, and again for the same meh coverage.

Then I figured I'd try a plan serviced by the federal exchange, so I chose Idaho. That was last night. I still can't get to the federal page for Idaho health insurance because I'm taken to a "we are experiencing high traffic, please wait to be taken to the login page" page.

Oh and on the CA plan, I put in an initial annual income of $50K, figuring it as an "average" income. This of course did not qualify for an "assistance credit". I then changed the income to $30K, and low and behold, I could get the $770 "platinum" plan for $370/mo. So somebody else (i.e., taxpayers) would be paying the other $400/mo, or the majority of the monthly premium. Nice. I don't see how this cannot fail to collapse in on itself within 5 years. the taxes to cover those supplements are going to be enormous.

[lee n. field]

I kind of figure I'll end up making too much for medicaid, but not enough to afford insurance (the price of a decent pistol, each and every month).

[MillCreek]

Did the policies on ehealthinsurance cover pre-existing conditions, preventative care, no lifetime maximum and the other areas covered by the policies sold on the ACA exchanges?  So that you were making a true apples to apples comparison?  All of those things will tend to make the ACA policies more expensive than policies sold on the private marketplace that have more restrictive coverage.

[Ben]

Did the policies on ehealthinsurance cover pre-existing conditions, preventative care, no lifetime maximum and the other areas covered by the policies sold on the ACA exchanges?  So that you were making a true apples to apples comparison?  All of those things will tend to make the ACA policies more expensive than policies sold on the private marketplace that have more restrictive coverage.

I don't have pre-existing conditions, and I made sure to check for no lifetime max as that's one of the most important things to me. I actually don't like the "free" preventative care model. I'd rather pay $200 for a physical once a year, and a bigger copay on other office visits and labwork, and have better coverage on the hospital stay type items, with less out of pocket, if I end up with something serious.

[Nick1911]

Did the policies on ehealthinsurance cover pre-existing conditions, preventative care, no lifetime maximum and the other areas covered by the policies sold on the ACA exchanges?  So that you were making a true apples to apples comparison?  All of those things will tend to make the ACA policies more expensive than policies sold on the private marketplace that have more restrictive coverage.

So, lets talk about this.  When I was doing IT for the health insurance division of my self-insured company, I recall hearing that pre-exisiting condition denial was already legally disallowed.  This would be at least one year ago, in the state of Missouri.  Is this not the case?  Can private insurance companies still deny coverage for per-exisiting conditions?

[vaskidmark]

Can we go back a step?

You are getting health insurance currently that costs a grand total of $650/month (your contribution + employer's contribution)?

I ask because when I retired and took COBRA coverage I was paying the aggregate total (my contribution + employer's contribution) for my old insurance until I qualified for retiree group coverage.

stay safe.

[Cliffh]

...............

I don't see how this cannot fail to collapse in on itself within 5 years. the taxes to cover those supplements are going to be enormous.

I don't think it'll fold.  Instead, I envision a massive increase in our Federal income tax rates.

[MillCreek]

So, lets talk about this.  When I was doing IT for the health insurance division of my self-insured company, I recall hearing that pre-exisiting condition denial was already legally disallowed.  This would be at least one year ago, in the state of Missouri.  Is this not the case?  Can private insurance companies still deny coverage for per-exisiting conditions?

I believe so.  The insurance offered through the ACA exchanges cannot deny for pre-existing coverage.  But I think other individual and group insurance plans can.  I may be wrong on this, though.

http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/individual-health-insurance/resources/coverage-preexisting-conditions/

[MillCreek]

So I just checked my Premera policy through work, and it still shows a lifetime max of $ 1 million and exclusions for pre-existing conditions.  Washington state law must allow for this.  I wonder if that will go away when the policy renews in 2014.

[Ben]

Can we go back a step?

You are getting health insurance currently that costs a grand total of $650/month (your contribution + employer's contribution)?

I ask because when I retired and took COBRA coverage I was paying the aggregate total (my contribution + employer's contribution) for my old insurance until I qualified for retiree group coverage.

stay safe.

Correct, employer contribution of around $450 plus the ~$200 a month I pay for my share (off the top of my head). At least this year. The 2014 premium rates were just released I think, but I haven't looked at them. This is for GEHA. My understanding is that if one separates and takes the COBRA, paying both employer plus employee shares, that it's actually a little higher because of an administration fee or some such.

[Monkeyleg]

I'm paying $304 a month for Blue Cross Blue Shield, $1500 deductible, $30 co-pay, $4000 max out of pocket per year, $1,000,000 lifetime. I'm worried that I'll get forced into Obamacare and have to pay more for less coverage.

I can't remember if AL passed a law opting out of Obamacare or not, or if the law is even enforceable if it did pass.

[Boomhauer]

Back before I got on with the state full time/permanent I had my own insurance...120/month with a $2000 deductible. My doctor visits cost an average of $65 (say I had strep and needed the doc to get me a perscription). Flight/DOT physicals cost me $100 when I needed to renew them, plus I got a free physical through the fire department. Pray, tell me, why I needed Obama & Co. sticking their nose into my healthcare business?*




*(Yes I know it's to *expletive deleted*ck over the American people while pretending to do good things for them)

[Scout26]

Yes, but now you guys will get free, mandated maternity and well-baby care with your new ACA policies.  What's not to love.

[Monkeyleg]

I was looking forward to the free contraceptives myself. One can never have enough IUD's.

[charby]

Ok, this was on the drudge report (I'm emulating AZRedhawk4w right now with his copy paste of the drudge report links)

http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/03/need-health-care-coverage-just-dial-1-800-fuckyo-to-reach-obamacares-national-hotline/

This pretty funny how the ph# for Obamacare spells how much of us feel.

[vaskidmark]

 

Was there any doubt that this would be sent to everybody on my contact list?

When is the party for the moran who vetted the number?  They are being promoted from intern to senior advisor, aren't they?

stay safe.

[Gewehr98]

Any validity to this? 

[K Frame]

That one has been all over the net since early yesterday morning.

I don't buy it for one reason.

Driver's licenses are issued by the STATES. Not the Federal government.

There's no law, code, title, etc. that I can find that gives the Fed. Gov't any authority to suspend a driver's license issued by a state.

[Gewehr98]

I knew the IRS was tasked to exact the punitive levy for those who had no policy, but it sounded counterproductive. You can't afford health insurance, so we're gonna fine you...   

[Scout26]

I knew the IRS was tasked to exact the punitive levy for those who had no policy, but it sounded counterproductive. You can't afford health insurance, so we're gonna fine you...  

Welcome to the heart and soul of Obamacare.  You have to pay.  One way or the other.

[brimic]

So, hypothetically, if a person (who already had insurance) went on to the ghettocare website and went through the entire registration/quoting process (I say hypothetically, because of of 3 days now, there seems to be noone in the US that signed up successfully), the IRS sends you a notice about impending fines, you can just reply to them with an 'Eff You' in all-caps in 30 point font?

[HankB]

I don't think it'll fold.  Instead, I envision a massive increase in our Federal income tax rates.

Nah, they'll just raise the debt limit and borrow more. Or print more. Same way they're paying for Bush's medicare prescription drug program.

[bedlamite]

you can just reply to them with an 'Eff You' in all-caps in 30 point font?

Apparently, that's the number you call for the national hotline.


  

[RocketMan]

Does anyone actually believe the government will not eventually take more draconian measures against those that fail to obtain health insurance?
Heavier fines than are listed currently in the law, or even jail time at some point?

eta: left out word

[bedlamite]

or even jail time at some point?

That's one way to get free healthcare ...