Obamacare success stories please

[AndyLL]

Don't know if it was this thread or another one. I posted that I feel coerced and I don't like it. I might be the only one who feels this way but I do. So, on principal, I will refuse ACA. I also found out that since we never have refunds, we won't have to pay the penalty because the only way they can take penalty money is by withholding money from tax refunds.

So you don't have insurance now?

 

[HeatherC]

WOW! A 29 page thread! Having trouble finding all those success stories...

 

[pocomom]

Uninsured doesn't equal poor AND deadbeats. And poor doesn't equal deadbeat regardless of what FOX is telling you. I was one that couldn't get private health insurance when my husband started consulting and we lost our other insurance. We are not poor, I haven't failed to do the recommended appointments, nor did I ever stick anyone with my bills.
Before last year my daughter would have been uninsurable as well. Thanks to Obamacare she is now included in my husband's plan along with the rest of the kids. She is probably the healthiest of our kids because we monitor her so closely. The way the system was before we (and she ) were basically penalized for looking into and preemptively treating a genetic issue. If we had ignored it she probably would be fine until her 20's and had qualified for insurance. Then she would have had a massive heart attack or stroke which insurance would pay for, and continue to pay for, but because we identified it and treated her (and hopefully will avoid the heart attack/stroke) we couldn't get insurance.
There is something broken in a system which will deny insurance to someone being proactive and responsible about their health. No Obamacare isn't perfect, but I feel a lot more secure knowing my daughter will not be denied coverage now.

On the flip side, as an uninsured person I experienced some interesting things from my doctors.... $30 visits (same as my insurance co-pay when I had it) including getting stitches out, doctor opting not to do an xray and just treating pneumonia with a cheaper antibiotic than she prescribed before she knew there was no insurance. My healthcare costs were low, because when the doctors knew it was me paying (even though it was me all along anyway) they were more frugal with their choices.

 

[Colleen27]

Which is exactly the scenario today, pre ObamaCare.
What makes you think that this situation will be eliminated with ObamaCare?

Actually, that's not the scenario today. Most states don't extend medicaid to adults today unless they're pregnant or disabled, so even an unemployed individual with no income at all can't turn to medicaid to help with the bills following an accident or illness. They just don't pay. And without insurance, they lose the benefit of lower insurance-negotiated rates and as such end up billed for "sticker" price.

 

[Colleen27]

The US ranked 16th out of 23 countries in literacy proficiency, 14th in problem solving in tech environments and 21st in numeracy proficiency.

But how much of that is testing methodology? Or sociological factors that other countries take out of play with stronger social programs?

I'd put the best and brightest in the US up against the best and brightest of any other nation, and my money would be on the American kids performing as well or better than their foreign peers. Where our system fails is what we do with the rest - the kids who don't have at-home support, who live with poverty and danger as a daily reality, etc - and that certainly can't all be laid at the foot of our educational system when it relates so intimately to other social problems facing our culture.

 

[chobie]

Don't know if it was this thread or another one. I posted that I feel coerced and I don't like it. I might be the only one who feels this way but I do. So, on principal, I will refuse ACA. I also found out that since we never have refunds, we won't have to pay the penalty because the only way they can take penalty money is by withholding money from tax refunds.

Well, as long as you don't literally cut off your nose to spite your face, you should be ok.

 

[daughtersrus]

The US ranked 16th out of 23 countries in literacy proficiency, 14th in problem solving in tech environments and 21st in numeracy proficiency.

The US is only one of very few countries that allow ALL children with all albilities and disabilities to attend public school. The majority of students with an IEP are required to take the same test as non-disabled students.

 

[Robbi]

The US is only one of very few countries that allow ALL children with all albilities and disabilities to attend public school. The majority of students with an IEP are required to take the same test as non-disabled students.

Children in the countries the US was up against all allow disabled children to attend schools. They are all industrialized and have humane attitudes.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Children in the countries the US was up against all allow disabled children to attend schools. They are all industrialized and have humane attitudes.

Really? What are the countries?

And even if they allow disabled students to attend school, it doesn't mean the children are required or even allowed to take the tests.

I know I had a student who moved here from Japan and his parents said he was stuck in a room at school in Japan and everything he learned (reading, writing, math) he learned either alone of with his parents at home. He had Autism. They were terrified he would be deported, so they didn't want to have him formally diagnosed and medicated in the US.

 

[daughtersrus]

Children in the countries the US was up against all allow disabled children to attend schools. They are all industrialized and have humane attitudes.

Do you have a link to the study? It will be interesting to see if the test score for all students were included. Disabled students have been allowed to attend schools in the US for a long time but their test scores only recently started to count on standardized tests.

 

[Robbi]

Do you have a link to the study? It will be interesting to see if the test score for all students were included. Disabled students have been allowed to attend schools in the US for a long time but their test scores only recently started to count on standardized tests.

Here's a link to the article:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/...-average-global-survey-basic-education-skills

Here is the link to the study:
http://www.insidehighered.com/sites...lume 1 (eng)--full v8--eBook (01 10 2013).pdf

 

[MsDunny]

I haven't read this whole thread, so I am not sure what theme seems to prevail, but no happy story here.

My husband's insurance, through work, for the very same coverage, will increase 114%. That is just our cost - not the employer cost, which will increase also.

And I am not sure what will happen to the budget at that point - I can tell you that future Disney trips will likely be on hold for a few years.

 

[disneymom3]

I suggest we move out of NJ and go to MN. With the money we save on insurance we can buy lots of warm weather clothes, boots and a car heater.

MN offers a plan with a $ 300 deductible, out of network benefits, silver level for $ 800 which is better than the silver plan for me in NJ for over $ 1232 with a $ 2500 deductible. Not only that, they have tons of plans, not like BCBS offers in NJ, 4 lousy EPO plans.

Well, MN has had a health ins plan for families with children for a very long time and single adults can also qualify for Medicaid depending on oncoming here as well. And hey, you probably already have a heater in your car, right?

 

[Robbi]

Those expecting a tax had better hope their states have not chosen to opt out of opening an exchange if this case is won.
In order to receive the credit, the law twice says they must buy insurance "through an exchange established by the state." In the lengthy bill, this was something that was either glossed over or not noticed-until now. The IRS tried to change it but opponents have seized on the glitch and have filed 4 law suits. One came before a U.S. District Judge in Washington, and he has refused a request to dismiss.Federal judges in Oklahoma, Indiana, and Virginia also have the cases before them.
The opponents are pushing for strict adherence to the letter of the law. This means, if the case is successful, that people in 36 states will not qualify for the tax credit because those states chose not to open exchanges. At the very least, if one judge agrees, implementation will probably be delayed because it will have to come before the SCOTUS.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-healthcare-glitch-20131025,0,5402697.story#axzz2ikXKbZPp

 

[AndyLL]

Those expecting a tax had better hope their states have not chosen to opt out of opening an exchange if this case is won.
In order to receive the credit, the law twice says they must buy insurance "through an exchange established by the state." In the lengthy bill, this was something that was either glossed over or not noticed-until now. The IRS tried to change it but opponents have seized on the glitch and have filed 4 law suits. One came before a U.S. District Judge in Washington, and he has refused a request to dismiss.Federal judges in Oklahoma, Indiana, and Virginia also have the cases before them.
The opponents are pushing for strict adherence to the letter of the law. This means, if the case is successful, that people in 36 states will not qualify for the tax credit because those states chose not to open exchanges. At the very least, if one judge agrees, implementation will probably be delayed because it will have to come before the SCOTUS.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-healthcare-glitch-20131025,0,5402697.story#axzz2ikXKbZPp

You mean subsidy... not tax.

And sorry to burst any opponents of the ACA law but this has no chance in heck of winning this case. It's hard to believe a judge has allowed it to get this far.

Text of the ACA can be found here: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr3590/text

The actual text in question is:

through an Exchange established by the State under section 1311

Notice the 'under section 1311' part of the text. (this seems to be left out of all the blog posts about this)

section 1311 is what defines what a 'state exchange is'

One of the 1st things section 1311 does is REQUIRE that states setup an exchange.

Section 1311 also allows for exchanges to be inter-state... meaning 1 exchange can service mutliple states.

Section 1311 allowed the federal government to setup the state exchanges if HHS determined that the state would not have their exchange ready in time.

And finally... the kicker is...

Even though the states are running on Healthcare.gov... the federal website... all the policies offered are state specific and approved and regulated by the individual states.

So even though the website is run by the government all the plans are supplied by the state so it is a 'State Exchange'

Any judge that allows these lawsuits to go forward are playing politics and wasting taxpayer money.

 

[Robbi]

You mean subsidy... not tax.

And sorry to burst any opponents of the ACA law but this has no chance in heck of winning this case. It's hard to believe a judge has allowed it to get this far.

Text of the ACA can be found here: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr3590/text

The actual text in question is:

through an Exchange established by the State under section 1311

Notice the 'under section 1311' part of the text. (this seems to be left out of all the blog posts about this)

section 1311 is what defines what a 'state exchange is'

One of the 1st things section 1311 does is REQUIRE that states setup an exchange.

Section 1311 also allows for exchanges to be inter-state... meaning 1 exchange can service mutliple states.

Section 1311 allowed the federal government to setup the state exchanges if HHS determined that the state would not have their exchange ready in time.

And finally... the kicker is...

Even though the states are running on Healthcare.gov... the federal website... all the policies offered are state specific and approved and regulated by the individual states.

So even though the website is run by the government all the plans are supplied by the state so it is a 'State Exchange'

Any judge that allows these lawsuits to go forward are playing politics and wasting taxpayer money.

I meant tax credits.

It isn't a judge, it's 4 judges.

Never say never.

 

[AndyLL]

I meant tax credits.

It isn't a judge, it's 4 judges.

Never say never.

It's up before 4 judges... 1 judge has agreed to rule on it.

Frivolous lawsuits are filed every day... not sure why one about the ACA is in the ACA success stories thread.

 

[Spankadoodle]

As a Canadian, I am completely baffled by the US health care system. The fact that there is such a huge fight over a basic human requirement like health care is something I simply don't understand.

I'm all for our system. A 24 pack case of beer costs about $50, a pack of Cigarettes cost $10, and health care is free.

 

[johde]

As a Canadian, I am completely baffled by the US health care system. The fact that there is such a huge fight over a basic human requirement like health care is something I simply don't understand.

I'm all for our system. A 24 pack case of beer costs about $50, a pack of Cigarettes cost $10, and health care is free.

As an American, we see articles like this about 12-18 month waits for a"free" MRI's and are equally baffled. Also, unless all of your Dr, Nurses, pharmaceutical companies etc. are working for free. Your healthcare is not free, It's just paid for differently.

 

[Robbi]

As an American, we see articles like this about 12-18 month waits for a"free" MRI's and are equally baffled. Also, unless all of your Dr, Nurses, pharmaceutical companies etc. are working for free. Your healthcare is not free, It's just paid for differently.