health insurance - Obama care cost questions

[TLSnell1981]

editing error

 

[longboard55]

Did you read the posts about people who needed chemo therapy, then found their pre ACA insurance did not cover it. These are the types of things that Obamacare fixed. That could be part of the reason your insurance went up. There was a lot of junk insurance out there. You really can not compare prices if you do not compare policies. BTW my data is from the US center of disease control and is official us data

 

[TLSnell1981]

Did you read the posts about people who needed chemo therapy, then found their pre ACA insurance did not cover it. These are the types of things that Obamacare fixed. That could be part of the reason your insurance went up. There was a lot of junk insurance out there. You really can company's, not compare prices if you do not compare policies. BTW my data is from the US center of disease control and is official us data

I'm quite aware, that you can't compare apples to oranges. I also know why, we pay more for less coverage...via premiums, copays, coinsurance, deductibles, etc.

Healthcare hasn't been fixed, nor will it be in the foreseeable future.

 

[manning]

My SIL just tried to go through affordable Care Act, but the cheapest policy was going to cost her $1400 a month with a $12,000 deductible. NO way could she afford that!!! She finally find a company called CompanionLife and went with their health insurance policy. It is going to cost her $700 a month and zero deductible. I don't know the entire details, but it was a relief she found something she could semi-afford.

That's affordable? Hello P.T. Barnum

 

[Callie]

The plan I have thru the ACA is around $280 a month before my tax credit for a silver plan. $1800 deductible, and $5 medications. I can't complain. My coverage thru work when I had it was worse, and I paid just a little less. I'd rather pay a bit more for better coverage.

 

[pryncess527]

The American Medical Association's official report is now in. Here is the Abstract, link to full article at bottom.

Importance The Affordable Care Act (ACA) completed its second open enrollment period in February 2015. Assessing the law’s effects has major policy implications.

Objectives To estimate national changes in self-reported coverage, access to care, and health during the ACA’s first 2 open enrollment periods and to assess differences between low-income adults in states that expanded Medicaid and in states that did not expand Medicaid.

Design, Setting, and Participants Analysis of the 2012-2015 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a daily national telephone survey. Using multivariable regression to adjust for pre-ACA trends and sociodemographics, we examined changes in outcomes for the nonelderly US adult population aged 18 through 64 years (n = 507 055) since the first open enrollment period began in October 2013. Linear regressions were used to model each outcome as a function of a linear monthly time trend and quarterly indicators. Then, pre-ACA (January 2012-September 2013) and post-ACA (January 2014-March 2015) changes for adults with incomes below 138% of the poverty level in Medicaid expansion states (n = 48 905 among 28 states and Washington, DC) vs nonexpansion states (n = 37 283 among 22 states) were compared using a differences-in-differences approach.

Exposures Beginning of the ACA’s first open enrollment period (October 2013).

Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reported rates of being uninsured, lacking a personal physician, lacking easy access to medicine, inability to afford needed care, overall health status, and health-related activity limitations.

Results Among the 507 055 adults in this survey, pre-ACA trends were significantly worsening for all outcomes. Compared with the pre-ACA trends, by the first quarter of 2015, the adjusted proportions who were uninsured decreased by 7.9 percentage points (95% CI, −9.1 to −6.7); who lacked a personal physician, −3.5 percentage points (95% CI, −4.8 to −2.2); who lacked easy access to medicine, −2.4 percentage points (95% CI, −3.3 to −1.5); who were unable to afford care, −5.5 percentage points (95% CI, −6.7 to −4.2); who reported fair/poor health, −3.4 percentage points (95% CI, −4.6 to −2.2); and the percentage of days with activities limited by health, −1.7 percentage points (95% CI, −2.4 to −0.9). Coverage changes were largest among minorities; for example, the decrease in the uninsured rate was larger among Latino adults (−11.9 percentage points [95% CI, −15.3 to −8.5]) than white adults (−6.1 percentage points [95% CI, −7.3 to −4.8]). Medicaid expansion was associated with significant reductions among low-income adults in the uninsured rate (differences-in-differences estimate, −5.2 percentage points [95% CI, −7.9 to −2.6]), lacking a personal physician (−1.8 percentage points [95% CI, −3.4 to −0.3]), and difficulty accessing medicine (−2.2 percentage points [95% CI, −3.8 to −0.7]).

Conclusions and Relevance The ACA’s first 2 open enrollment periods were associated with significantly improved trends in self-reported coverage, access to primary care and medications, affordability, and health. Low-income adults in states that expanded Medicaid reported significant gains in insurance coverage and access compared with adults in states that did not expand Medicaid.

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2411283

 

[mnrose]

I hate it when things work. LOL

 

[littleblackegg]

Medicare reimbursement for doctor/patient end-of-life discussions = "death panels". Perfect example of why we can't have rational discussions about health care economics.

To put the ACA, which has significant benefits despite its flaws, ahead of lies like "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction" or "we need to forcibly incarcerate over 100,000 Japanese Americans for the safety of the country" is ludicrous.

The whole death panels thing would have cracked me up if people weren't so serious about it. Like I have time for ANOTHER meeting?

 

[AndyLL]

I actually think high costs were an issue. They contended that by adding more insureds to the pool, everyone's rates would come down. Remember the promise that costs would decrease by $2500/year for the average family?

That was if a public option was available and if the exchange was at a federal level instead of a state level. Neither of those passed.

The goal of the current implementation of the ACA is to slow the increase of rates and insure more people... both of which has happened.

 

[mom2rtk]

That was if a public option was available and if the exchange was at a federal level instead of a state level. Neither of those passed.

The goal of the current implementation of the ACA is to slow the increase of rates and insure more people... both of which has happened.

I must have missed the asterisk in all the speeches.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I must have missed the asterisk in all the speeches.

What was promised:
20% huge improvement
80% no change

Reality:
20% various levels of improvement
40% no change
40% took it right up the bum

 

[disneyfirsttimer18]

Under the Un-Affordable Care Act, our premiums increased from $480/mo to $1042/mo, deductible went from $1000 to $5000. Much cheaper for us to pay out of pocket for doctor appointments for now.

 

[AndyLL]

I must have missed the asterisk in all the speeches.

Perhaps next time you'll listen closer

 

[wilkeliza]

It really sucks for small businesses. My fiance is apart of a family business and they use to provide health care at no cost to all their employees. When ACA happened they couldn't afford it any more. They couldn't even afford to subsidize. All they could do was offer the amount they use to pay as a raise and then set up their company in the market and forwarded that to their employees.

 

[rickybobby]

No astericks.

 

[mom2rtk]

Perhaps next time you'll listen closer

Oh, I was listening. Very closely.

 

[TLSnell1981]

The American Medical Association's official report is now in.

Conclusions and Relevance The ACA’s first 2 open enrollment periods were associated with significantly improved trends in self-reported coverage, access to primary care and medications, affordability, and health. Low-income adults in states that expanded Medicaid reported significant gains in insurance coverage and access compared with adults in states that did not expand Medicaid.

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2411283

More have been forced to purchase insurance. I hear, it's pretty great, as long as, they don't get sick. Well care usually has decent coverage....just don't get sick.

 

[rajak73]

No astericks.

I'm listening close...did it miss anything about the reducing premiums $2500? How about "If you like your insurance you can keep your insurance" The first letter I got from my BC/BS, first sentence, "your current policy is being cancelled due to the ACA. If does not meet guidelines." Uh, yes, I wasn't covered for maternity! Male, over 60...Thanks.

 

[Shmily1]

What was promised:
20% huge improvement
80% no change

Reality:
20% various levels of improvement
40% no change
40% took it right up the bum

I'm in the last 40%. Thanks ACA!

 

[rajak73]

I'm in the last 40%. Thanks ACA!

Me too!!