ObamaCare Info

[dhardawa]

We too have the "Cadillac" plan, kiss that good bye. Your not alone. Work harder and smarter because Robin Hood needs more to give more. I didn't even get a free dinner before I got screwed. I don't think people are getting it. Just because you have insurance doesn't mean you can now afford to go to the doctors or have medical treatments done. Here's the loop hole don't pay the bill to go to doctors when you get sick again go to next doctor and the next and who gets to pay for all the doctors eating the bill? hello they are already doing it by going to the er. Or better yet the new tax is cheaper then insurance woo hoo the federal government has found a new way to tax people. and still no insurance.

My doctor's office has been requiring $50 upfront for anyone who has not met his/her deductible. I expect to see more and more of that to avoid exactly what you described.

 

[lauradis]

My doctor's office has been requiring $50 upfront for anyone who has not met his/her deductible. I expect to see more and more of that to avoid exactly what you described.

lol so back to er then oh the madness

 

[leahjade]

Originally Posted by Robbi

Not everyone who is poor doesn't know about healthy eating. There are lots though who do not. Is it wrong to educate them? Is it wrong to want them to have a healthier lifestyle?

Oh give me a break! My six year old nephew comes home from school and says "let's not go to McDonalds -french fries are bad for you." And who in the past thirty years doesn't know that smoking is not good for your health - not to mention crack and alcohol. People do what they want to do no matter how much money you throw at more education.

 

[Nancy F]

Smartest post I've ever read on here. Double whammy for me because I'm a small business owner .. Wish I was an illegal immigrant or a member of Congress so I could get some decent healthcare.

I'm right there with you. Hoping for the best but really expecting the worse.
Nancy

 

[johde]

You know I've always wondered about all these "Canadians" jumping the border for "quality" health care.
the Gallup poll and the Pew foundation both ran polls (now I don't know their polling system, so I can fully believe there maybe some flaws) of Canadians and a whole bunch seem pretty satisfied especially with the cost.
According to Pew 25% of Americans are satisfied with the availability of affordable health care as opposed to 57% of Canadians. So some one across the border is happy.

The Availability of Affordable Healthcare

One-fourth of American respondents are either "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with "the availability of affordable healthcare in the nation," (6% very satisfied and 19% somewhat satisfied). This level of satisfaction is significantly lower than in Canada, where 57% are satisfied with the availability of affordable healthcare, including 16% who are very satisfied. Roughly 4 in 10 Britons are satisfied (43%), but only 7% say they are very satisfied (similar to the percentage very satisfied in the United States).

Looking at the other side of the coin, 44% of Americans are very dissatisfied with the availability of affordable healthcare, and nearly three-fourths (72%) are either somewhat or very dissatisfied. The 44% in the United States who are very dissatisfied with healthcare availability is significantly higher than corresponding figures in either Canada (17%) or Great Britain (25%).

On a less relative basis, the fact that 72% of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable healthcare, and 50% are dissatisfied with the quality of medical care are cause for concern. Regardless of how these numbers measure up to those in Canada and Great Britain, they indicate that the U.S. healthcare system has considerable room for improvement.

*Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,000 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 13-16, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3%.

**Canadian results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of approximately 1,000 Canadian adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Feb. 3-9, 2003. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3%.

I am finding a lot of comments here to be proof that media can sway "sheepeople"

An a competing pool can prove the point from Dec. 2012. A Gallop Poll:

Slightly fewer Americans rate their healthcare coverage as either excellent or good, at a combined 67%, down from 72% last year. Despite the decline, 40% still rate their coverage as good and 27% as excellent.

Most Americans (82%) continue to rate the quality of the healthcare they receive as excellent or good. The 40% who rate their care as excellent ties for the highest since Gallup started asking the question annually in 2001.


So we have 2 polls, when asked about their personal health care situation, the vast majority of Americans (82%) rate their quality of healthcare as excellent or good. And a sizable Majority (67%) rate their healthcare coverage as excellent or good.

By contrast when as about the nations healthcare situation, that 72% of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable healthcare, and 50% are dissatisfied with the quality of medical care.

We have a situation where most people are satisfied personally, but because of the media people are dissatisfied with the system as a whole because the media focuses on the uninsured and suffering. So, people are concluding that "I'm OK but EVERYONE else is suffering so the system must not be any good".

Stories like mine don't make the news. As I mentioned before, I buy my own High Deductible Health Care Plan. A few years ago, I went into the ER with "discomfort" in the chest and arm. Obviously fearing the worst, I we put in a room hooked up an EKG machine, had blood work done, Didn't find anything. They scheduled a nuclear stress test for a few days later as a precaution. As it turns out, fortunately, it was basically nothing. A combination of acid reflux and a sore arm from carrying too heavy of a book bag by a handle instead of distributing the weight across the shoulders. My total bills were nearly $15,000. My insurance paid wonderfully. At the time I had a $1,500 deductible then 0% after that. I paid my $1,500, actually slightly less because the hospital offered a discount if a paid quickly. My insurance picked up EVERYTHING else basically no questions asked.

I will agree with most people here. Americas healthcare system is the highest quality in the world. Americas healthcare coverage system needs some improving. Obamacare feels like we're trying to do a heart lung transplant on a patient that needs a nitro patch. It may fix the problem, but it's a whole lot riskier than it needs to be.

 

[Robbi]

An a competing pool can prove the point from Dec. 2012. A Gallop Poll:

Slightly fewer Americans rate their healthcare coverage as either excellent or good, at a combined 67%, down from 72% last year. Despite the decline, 40% still rate their coverage as good and 27% as excellent.

Most Americans (82%) continue to rate the quality of the healthcare they receive as excellent or good. The 40% who rate their care as excellent ties for the highest since Gallup started asking the question annually in 2001.


So we have 2 polls, when asked about their personal health care situation, the vast majority of Americans (82%) rate their quality of healthcare as excellent or good. And a sizable Majority (67%) rate their healthcare coverage as excellent or good.

By contrast when as about the nations healthcare situation, that 72% of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the availability of affordable healthcare, and 50% are dissatisfied with the quality of medical care.

We have a situation where most people are satisfied personally, but because of the media people are dissatisfied with the system as a whole because the media focuses on the uninsured and suffering. So, people are concluding that "I'm OK but EVERYONE else is suffering so the system must not be any good".

Stories like mine don't make the news. As I mentioned before, I buy my own High Deductible Health Care Plan. A few years ago, I went into the ER with "discomfort" in the chest and arm. Obviously fearing the worst, I we put in a room hooked up an EKG machine, had blood work done, Didn't find anything. They scheduled a nuclear stress test for a few days later as a precaution. As it turns out, fortunately, it was basically nothing. A combination of acid reflux and a sore arm from carrying too heavy of a book bag by a handle instead of distributing the weight across the shoulders. My total bills were nearly $15,000. My insurance paid wonderfully. At the time I had a $1,500 deductible then 0% after that. I paid my $1,500, actually slightly less because the hospital offered a discount if a paid quickly. My insurance picked up EVERYTHING else basically no questions asked.

I will agree with most people here. Americas healthcare system is the highest quality in the world. Americas healthcare coverage system needs some improving. Obamacare feels like we're trying to do a heart lung transplant on a patient that needs a nitro patch. It may fix the problem, but it's a whole lot riskier than it needs to be.

Polls are always suspect because questions are sometimes phrased in a way to slant answers to the polling groups needs or wants.

 

[Robbi]

Smartest post I've ever read on here. Double whammy for me because I'm a small business owner .. Wish I was an illegal immigrant or a member of Congress so I could get some decent healthcare.

Maybe we should all renounce our citizenship. We'd get healthcare and we can still vote.

 

[Judyat]

Obamacare is a good start. They say half of us have pre-existing conditions and now everyone can be covered regardless of having them or not. Now none of us can be denied coverage or dropped and no lifetime caps. Those are biggies for most of us. I retired with great healthcare and it's paid for. I never had to worry about pre-existing conditions because my plan protects me and my family. For those wanting healthcare that's not provided by an employer they will no longer be discriminated against because they have a pre-existing condition and they cannot be dropped. Rates are also more affordable. Where I live in New York they will be half in many plans. That's a big savings for many. I look forward to what the state health exchanges have to offer my daughter who turns 26 later this year. This is great timing for her and millions of others who need affordable coverage.

 

[Narnia_girl]

It has already directly cost us money this year (Flexible spending account limitations=tax increase).

On Wednesday of this week we got a letter from husband's employer detailing the Health Insurance Marketplace. On Thursday, they sent out a company wide email telling employees they could disregard the letter. It was mandated by the government that they send it out, but it didn't apply to any employees.

 

[leahjade]

We have a situation where most people are satisfied personally, but because of the media people are dissatisfied with the system as a whole

You are so right! A co-worker who recently lost her husband said his healthcare couldn't have been better during his long illness. The cost was over $1 million yet she only had to pay a few hundred out of pocket.

Maybe we should all renounce our citizenship.

I would just like to split the country in two, and half gets Obama care and the other half keeps their private healthcare. It wouldn't be long till the Obama half would be sneaking over the border.

 

[Robbi]

You are so right! A co-worker who recently lost her husband said his healthcare couldn't have been better during his long illness. The cost was over $1 million yet she only had to pay a few hundred out of pocket.



I would just like to split the country in two, and half gets Obama care and the other half keeps their private healthcare. It wouldn't be long till the Obama half would be sneaking over the border.

There are so many unknowns about this and all the press releases have been for healthy 20 somethings at the most basic plan rate.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

You are so right! A co-worker who recently lost her husband said his healthcare couldn't have been better during his long illness. The cost was over $1 million yet she only had to pay a few hundred out of pocket.

I would just like to split the country in two, and half gets Obama care and the other half keeps their private healthcare. It wouldn't be long till the Obama half would be sneaking over the border.

Better yet, split the country in two and one gets run by Obama, the other by a more conservative individual.

 

[johde]

Obamacare is a good start. They say half of us have pre-existing conditions and now everyone can be covered regardless of having them or not. Now none of us can be denied coverage or dropped and no lifetime caps. Those are biggies for most of us. I retired with great healthcare and it's paid for. I never had to worry about pre-existing conditions because my plan protects me and my family. For those wanting healthcare that's not provided by an employer they will no longer be discriminated against because they have a pre-existing condition and they cannot be dropped. Rates are also more affordable. Where I live in New York they will be half in many plans. That's a big savings for many. I look forward to what the state health exchanges have to offer my daughter who turns 26 later this year. This is great timing for her and millions of others who need affordable coverage.

Obamacare is not a "good start" unless what you want a single payer governmental healthcare. A "good start" would have been a small bill that helped people with preexisting conditions; helped the working poor afford insurance, maybe a standard tax deduction or credit. What was passed was what was going to be the first salvo from a power hungry congress who had filibuster proof majorities in both houses of congress. The Senate bill was supposed to be modified in the house, then in conference. But the democrats losing their filibuster majority in the senate during the time the house had the bill caused them to pass a bill they didn't even want and to do in under questionable means.

In you're curious about the exchanges have to offer for your daughter the list of options are available on this website http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/...ts-and-out-pocket-costs-standard-health-plans , assuming she's also in New York. The New York state government decided to have 1 plan at each metal level with your income giving you one of 4 silver plans. In all but the platinum plan that doesn't have a deductible, going to the Dr. for a cold is a co-payment after deductible. In fact, everything except for the federally mandated preventative benefits are after deductible, and $400 a year towards a Gym membership.

 

[ZoeBell]

Better yet, split the country in two and one gets run by Obama, the other by a more conservative individual.

Last year around this November I hurt my shoulder. I knew something was wrong, even though I kept putting off going to the doctor. This was on top of female issues. I knew I was going to need surgery for one or both of my issues.

I had a decision to make. I could keep my husband's high deductible/then 80/20 coverage and high co-pays that would kick in again at the 1st of the year. Or I could pick up coverage for myself at my employer at a higher biweekly cost/ and low co-pays..but after that everything is paid for as long as I stayed within the "network" of physicians/hospitals and outpatient labs.

Guess which one I chose? I recently had a hysterectomy and everything was covered. All my doctors and MRIs and lab work for every issue has been covered.

My coverage is great for me. Unfortunately I can't afford it for my whole family. My kids and husband are still on his insurance.

 

[Colleen27]

Obamacare is not a "good start" unless what you want a single payer governmental healthcare. A "good start" would have been a small bill that helped people with preexisting conditions; helped the working poor afford insurance, maybe a standard tax deduction or credit. What was passed was what was going to be the first salvo from a power hungry congress who had filibuster proof majorities in both houses of congress. The Senate bill was supposed to be modified in the house, then in conference. But the democrats losing their filibuster majority in the senate during the time the house had the bill caused them to pass a bill they didn't even want and to do in under questionable means.

In you're curious about the exchanges have to offer for your daughter the list of options are available on this website http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/...ts-and-out-pocket-costs-standard-health-plans , assuming she's also in New York. The New York state government decided to have 1 plan at each metal level with your income giving you one of 4 silver plans. In all but the platinum plan that doesn't have a deductible, going to the Dr. for a cold is a co-payment after deductible. In fact, everything except for the federally mandated preventative benefits are after deductible, and $400 a year towards a Gym membership.

No smaller bill has ever gained any support, largely because of problems inherent to doing things piecemeal... For example, if you do away with the pre-existing condition clauses without mandating coverage, people can simply save their money unless/until they develop a serious medical issue and then buy in to an insurance plan. But insurance can't operate that way; without the healthy to offset the claims of the ill, the entire system collapses.

And refundable tax credits are political poison, have been for as long as I can remember. So a "tax credit" to help with the cost of health care helps only those who have enough money to pay for the plan in the first place and high enough income that they have tax liability for the credit to offset. In other words, it does nothing for the working poor or lower middle class families who are most likely to go without health insurance because of the costs.

As far as the copays, I think that's reasonable. With an OOP max in place, that's the only logical way to handle it. Cover sick visits and testing 100% and you encourage overuse. Subject preventative care, which is inherently limited by its scheduled nature, to the same copays and you discourage people from getting those check-ups. A copay combined with a cap that protects against running up catastrophic levels of medical debt offers the best balance between those two excesses.

But I think universal, high deductible insurance coupled with preventative care coverage is really the ideal solution - let people who want more extensive coverage (vision, dental, etc) pay for supplemental plans, let the people who want to see a doctor for every sneeze pay for that themselves, but at the same time protect American citizens (and by extension, medical professionals) from medical bankruptcies and catastrophic levels of debt incurred for treatment. The problem with that is that it would be impossible to pass - any successful reform in this day and age needs to pass muster with the insurance lobby, and that rules out any plan that weakens the demand for their services.

 

[SinceDay1]

Just a quick question I heard asked, if this is so good for all Americans, why doesn't the President, congress, their aides, and the Supreme Court want it, they all want to be exempt, plus why are the unions now backing off after more of the fine print is coming out? Could have been something more simple in place. Oh well, we will see how this works out.

Richard

 

[Judyat]

Thanks for link Johde. I had seen the rates for each county and plans but no details. This gives more information and as you say only the platnium plan is exempt from a deductible. Interesting that all the other plans you have to meet the deductible before the copay for a primary or specialist visit kicks in. The Gold plan offers a $600 deductible which is OK but most healthcare plans do not make you meet the deductible for primary visits. Also I did not see info on going to an out of network doctor. Is that where the out of pocket is involved?
I'll look forward to see details from different insurance companies. I do not want an HMO. Just curious also do you know what the silver plan with cost sharing reduction variation at different percentages is all about? I didn't find anything specifice when I googled it. one of the links was to the NY State health exchange site but I didn't find it there.

 

[Colleen27]

Just a quick question I heard asked, if this is so good for all Americans, why doesn't the President, congress, their aides, and the Supreme Court want it, they all want to be exempt, plus why are the unions now backing off after more of the fine print is coming out? Could have been something more simple in place. Oh well, we will see how this works out.

It has been answered many times... This isn't a replacement for private insurance, and all of those people you mention have private insurance. They aren't "exempt", they just aren't in need of exchanges or subsidies to obtain insurance coverage for their families.

And the unions are seeing themselves losing a competitive edge - "cadillac" health insurance is a big reason workers are happy to organize and pay union dues, and with those plans now subject to taxation and access to insurance no longer being a selling point for unionization the unions are likely to see their political and social influence decline further as a consequence of this law.

 

[SinceDay1]

It has been answered many times... This isn't a replacement for private insurance, and all of those people you mention have private insurance. They aren't "exempt", they just aren't in need of exchanges or subsidies to obtain insurance coverage for their families. And the unions are seeing themselves losing a competitive edge - "cadillac" health insurance is a big reason workers are happy to organize and pay union dues, and with those plans now subject to taxation and access to insurance no longer being a selling point for unionization the unions are likely to see their political and social influence decline further as a consequence of this law.

Thanks for the info, but we will all have to wait and see. I just am not a fan of government involved in everything, but thanks! I still think there is a lot in there we all do not know about.

Richard

 

[lauradis]

Thanks for link Johde. I had seen the rates for each county and plans but no details. This gives more information and as you say only the platnium plan is exempt from a deductible. Interesting that all the other plans you have to meet the deductible before the copay for a primary or specialist visit kicks in. The Gold plan offers a $600 deductible which is OK but most healthcare plans do not make you meet the deductible for primary visits. Also I did not see info on going to an out of network doctor. Is that where the out of pocket is involved?
I'll look forward to see details from different insurance companies. I do not want an HMO. Just curious also do you know what the silver plan with cost sharing reduction variation at different percentages is all about? I didn't find anything specifice when I googled it. one of the links was to the NY State health exchange site but I didn't find it there.

October 1 this coming Tuesday you should be able to hope on the state runs exchange site fill in all info and get quotes.