health insurance - Obama care cost questions

[Patch'sD]

I can no longer comment on this thread as my views were considered Political.

 

[ez]

I'm not sure exactly how the health care in England works but my daughter hurt her foot while doing study abroad last year and the care she received was phenomenal compared to what she would have gotten here in an er imo. Even though her foot wasnt broken she saw an orthopedic surgeon on a weekend visit to an er and they put a full cast on it for a week for optimum healing. So that was in a public ER. So the next week was a holiday when she had to get it off and she went to a private facility which was very posh (she said it looked like a fancy hotel) and they took the cast off and did xrays. So because it was private I had to pay in full and wait for reimbursement from her student health coverage. I thought it would be a fortune but it was under 200 bucks for posh office visit, cast removal, and xrays. I couldnt believe it was actually "reasonable".

 

[mnrose]

I'm not sure exactly how the health care in England works but my daughter hurt her foot while doing study abroad last year and the care she received was phenomenal compared to what she would have gotten here in an er imo. Even though her foot wasnt broken she saw an orthopedic surgeon on a weekend visit to an er and they put a full cast on it for a week for optimum healing. So that was in a public ER. So the next week was a holiday when she had to get it off and she went to a private facility which was very posh (she said it looked like a fancy hotel) and they took the cast off and did xrays. So because it was private I had to pay in full and wait for reimbursement from her student health coverage. I thought it would be a fortune but it was under 200 bucks for posh office visit, cast removal, and xrays. I couldnt believe it was actually "reasonable".

Yes, my friend spent hours in a Dutch ER last spring, saw the doctors, had various lab tests run, and received a diagnosis, sent home with instructions to return in the morning, and did so, with MORE lab tests run to reconfirm diagnosis. Total cost about $250, cash pay. When's the last time you visited the ER for any reason and had THAT as your total bill? The lab tests ALONE would have run into the many hundreds of dollars.

 

[Bec3b1g]

I'm not sure exactly how the health care in England works but my daughter hurt her foot while doing study abroad last year and the care she received was phenomenal compared to what she would have gotten here in an er imo. Even though her foot wasnt broken she saw an orthopedic surgeon on a weekend visit to an er and they put a full cast on it for a week for optimum healing. So that was in a public ER. So the next week was a holiday when she had to get it off and she went to a private facility which was very posh (she said it looked like a fancy hotel) and they took the cast off and did xrays. So because it was private I had to pay in full and wait for reimbursement from her student health coverage. I thought it would be a fortune but it was under 200 bucks for posh office visit, cast removal, and xrays. I couldnt believe it was actually "reasonable".

My co insurance for something like that would have been way more than $200. Crazy!

 

[longboard55]

This might be a little political, but here goes. There are two major groups against Obama care. There are the die hard we hate it and lets go back to where we were before, and the other group is the we do not like premiums and deductibles and what we really want is nationalized health care. Its an interesting marriage. My view is if you want the system we have with private doctors and insurance, Obamacare was needed to fill a huge gap in the system.

 

[rajak73]

This might be a little political, but here goes. There are two major groups against Obama care. There are the die hard we hate it and lets go back to where we were before, and the other group is the we do not like premiums and deductibles and what we really want is nationalized health care. Its an interesting marriage. My view is if you want the system we have with private doctors and insurance, Obamacare was needed to fill a huge gap in the system.

You missed the group I'm in that says, "FIX IT!" I think that there is some good things in the ACA, I don't know as you should be turned down for pre existing condition, take someone, (and I know some) that have been cancer free for years, why shouldn't they be able to get insurance? On the other hand, they were in such a hurry to rush it through, I think 26 is a little old to be carrying you children on your health insurance, I think 24 would have been a better number but THAT'S JMO and I know others are going to disagree and that's fine. I don't know as I don't like it as much as I wish they would have told me the truth. Now I would like to see them FIX IT!

 

[longboard55]

Not saying it could not be made better, I would like to see the subsidies expanded to a higher income. For the middle it is still unaffordable. But how can you say it was rushed through, democrats have been working on reforms for 50 years. They basically had a 2 year window with a super majority. There was no chance of working together.

Speaking of prexisting conditions, I had prostrate cancer and it was removed, testing has shown it was removed 100% and after 5 years still no sign of return, this still qualifies as pre exsting. Just about anything does, I also get asthma about twice a year, yikes that will get you for sure. I really do no know how anyone over 50 could qulaify as non pre existing

 

[dadtoagirl03]

Not saying it could not be made better, I would like to see the subsidies expanded to a higher income. For the middle it is still unaffordable. But how can you say it was rushed through, democrats have been working on reforms for 50 years. They basically had a 2 year window with a super majority. There was no chance of working together.

Speaking of prexisting conditions, I had prostrate cancer and it was removed, testing has shown it was removed 100% and after 5 years still no sign of return, this still qualifies as pre exsting. Just about anything does, I also get asthma about twice a year, yikes that will get you for sure. I really do no know how anyone over 50 could qulaify as non pre existing

I would say the sponsors of the bill admitting they hadn't even read it before it was voted on to be rushed thru. Don't you??

 

[disneyfirsttimer18]

The UN-Affordable Care Act closed no gaps. It just shifted the gap to a different group.

While I do believe that insurance companies should not be able to deny a person based on pre-existing conditions, they also should not be able to gouge those of us without pre-existing conditions.

My premiums more than doubled and my deductible went up 5 times what it was before the Un-ACA. That's not affordable to me.

I had hopes that Obama would do something good with the health care coverage in this country, but IMHO he made it so much worse.

 

[sam_gordon]

The UN-Affordable Care Act closed no gaps. It just shifted the gap to a different group.

While I do believe that insurance companies should not be able to deny a person based on pre-existing conditions, they also should not be able to gouge those of us without pre-existing conditions.

My premiums more than doubled and my deductible went up 5 times what it was before the Un-ACA. That's not affordable to me.

I had hopes that Obama would do something good with the health care coverage in this country, but IMHO he made it so much worse.

Here's a question... could insurance companies have absorbed the cost increases with the ACA (and take a smaller profit)? Is it POSSIBLE insurance companies are pointing at the ACA and saying "this is why we have to increase premiums/copays/etc", and while technically true, the ACA is not the total reason for the increase?

 

[disneyfirsttimer18]

I shouldn't have to pay $1000/mo for insurance, only to have to pay out of pocket for all doctor's visits until I've paid $5000(which isn't going to happen barring a catastrophe).

The UN-ACA may not be the the only reason for the increase, it is A reason for the increase. Like I said already, insurance companies need to be reigned in.

 

[rajak73]

Not saying it could not be made better, I would like to see the subsidies expanded to a higher income. For the middle it is still unaffordable. But how can you say it was rushed through, democrats have been working on reforms for 50 years. They basically had a 2 year window with a super majority. There was no chance of working together.

Speaking of prexisting conditions, I had prostrate cancer and it was removed, testing has shown it was removed 100% and after 5 years still no sign of return, this still qualifies as pre exsting. Just about anything does, I also get asthma about twice a year, yikes that will get you for sure. I really do no know how anyone over 50 could qulaify as non pre existing

First off congrats for being cancer free for 5 years and hope you have many more years of health. As I stated, I don't think you should be turned down for pre existing conditions like this. Neither side wants to work with the other any more. The reason it was rushed through was Sen. Kennedy's replacement had said he would vote against it and they had to pass it before he was sworn in. He would have been a swing vote. There are some good aspects of the bill but please, JUST FIX IT!!

 

[TLSnell1981]

This might be a little political, but here goes. There are two major groups against Obama care. There are the die hard we hate it and lets go back to where we were before, and the other group is the we do not like premiums and deductibles and what we really want is nationalized health care. Its an interesting marriage. My view is if you want the system we have with private doctors and insurance, Obamacare was needed to fill a huge gap in the system.

I disagree with you. You are soooo far off base, regarding the reasons many oppose this law. This was DIScussed in depth, when it was allowed. It's impossible now because of current guidelines.

 

[Simba's Mom]

OP- - how many years before you can get Medicare ?
Sometimes people work just to get insurance

DH almost did that. He was in a similar position to the OP, until he learned that his company paid all but 30% of health insurance for retirees. So then he was out of there! But now we're paying $750/month (up from $450 last year). We didn't realize that the company pays nothing for me. We'd like to find a policy for less than $750 a month, but don't even know where to start looking. The Affordable Care Act website was no help to us, partly because of their prices.

 

[longboard55]

I understand the cadillac tax for people with really expensive group insurance, but why do so many people with group plans blame their problems on the ACA, what did the ACA do to hurt group plans, Am I missing somehting. Do you really think your employer is just gonna keep eating these massive cost increases forever.

 

[ez]

OP here- Do you think more people are going to go without insurance and take the penalty instead? It's hard to imagine having to pay twice a mortgage payment for insurance. I cant get medicare for 12 more years and care for a disabled child. My husband will be eligible for medicare in 3 years or so.