How has Obamacare effected you or your family?

[Juddog]

Really the problem boils down to insurance companies being complete dicks.

We need to put in a single payer system instead of this bullshit middle man business that's soaking up all the cash. I can't believe we're letting Canada trounce us in terms of healthcare.

 

[Brainonska511]

Really the problem boils down to insurance companies being complete dicks.

We need to put in a single payer system instead of this bullshit middle man business that's soaking up all the cash. I can't believe we're letting Canada trounce us in terms of healthcare.

It's not just insurance companies. Hospitals have consolidated in many areas which allows them to force higher prices on insurance companies. And then you have simple economics: companies want to squeeze the most out of their workers at the least cost, and the ACA gives them a convenient scapegoat for squeezing their workers dry.

 

[Juddog]

It's not just insurance companies. Hospitals have consolidated in many areas which allows them to force higher prices on insurance companies. And then you have simple economics: companies want to squeeze the most out of their workers at the least cost, and the ACA gives them a convenient scapegoat for squeezing their workers dry.

Yeah true; we really have 3 factors at play here:

* Hospitals not being consistent with their rates, not allowing patients to see the direct success rates of various procedures via data analytics, and can't even see the price half the time versus another hospital
* Insurance companies just soaking up money in between patients and hospitals, which just adds a huge layer of unnecessary administration; really this entire layer could be removed and costs would take a dive
* Companies using this as an excuse to screw their employees out of benefits, so that executives can buy another hummer to park in their driveway or buy that new rolex

 

[Atreus21]

It's not just insurance companies. Hospitals have consolidated in many areas which allows them to force higher prices on insurance companies. And then you have simple economics: companies want to squeeze the most out of their workers at the least cost, and the ACA gives them a convenient scapegoat for squeezing their workers dry.

Sounds like we need price controls.

 

[nixium]

Depending on what my then-diminished income would be I would qualify for subsidized insurance or Medicaid, so yes. People without such pre-existing conditions will never understand what a nightmare our old system was.

The ACA is nowhere near perfect, but it's such a massive improvement over what we had before it's almost unbelievable. Hopefully this is only the first of many steps.

I agree, I was pissed off first about rising premiums to the young...

But then I realized my friend, who doesn't make that much a year, doesn't have to go through things like avoid having her broken ribs looked at and gritting through the pain for months at a time because she couldn't afford the insurance plans she had going.

It's *far* from perfect but does address the needs of a significant chunk of people who can't afford to get sick.

Too bad the rabid tea-party types can't see it, but then sociopaths do lack the ability for empathy, so maybe it's not really their fault. Hopefully they'll now be able to afford proper psychological counselling by using the plans on the exchange and have that problem fixed (doubtful though)

 

[sactoking]

A note or two on "Cadillac" plans: Cadillac plans are defined in the ACA solely by premium. For self-only coverage the premium threshold is $10,200 and for other than self-only it is $27,500. These are combined premiums paid by the employer and employee. They're also in 2018 dollars. There is an inflation peg, it's the GEHA BCBS plan. Basically, if the premiums of the GEHA BCBS plan increase more than 55% from 2010 to 2018 then the excess increase becomes the inflation adjustment for the Cadillac threshold.

 

[dphantom]

My daughter hours at work went from 32-36/ week to never more than 29 hours/week

 

[WackyDan]

As a cancer survivor the ACA means that I no longer have to worry that if I lose my job that I won't be able to get health insurance. My brother is a diabetic and he will similarly benefit. It is amazing.

Have fun with the out of pocket expenses you are still on the hook for that are still significant enough to bankrupt you.

 

[WackyDan]

Depending on what my then-diminished income would be I would qualify for subsidized insurance or Medicaid, so yes. People without such pre-existing conditions will never understand what a nightmare our old system was.

The ACA is nowhere near perfect, but it's such a massive improvement over what we had before it's almost unbelievable. Hopefully this is only the first of many steps.

Medicaid? Good luck. If you have a 401k or any other assets - like a house with equity, you are going to find that Medicaid is going to give you a big middle finger.

 

[WackyDan]

I have yet to see our open enrollment options as they haven't opened that up yet. I work for a large corporation, so I don't suspect I'll have a major shift in coverage options or cost.

That said, my FSA being capped to $2500 is already costing me the $900 in taxes I would have saved... and yes I used to use all $5200 of my previous FSA cap before the ACA on primarily my Daughter who born 13 weeks premature has high medical needs... So Obamacare fucked me hard on that one costing me more out of pocket.

 

[sactoking]

Medicaid? Good luck. If you have a 401k or any other assets - like a house with equity, you are going to find that Medicaid is going to give you a big middle finger.

I don't know this for a fact as Medicaid is outside my area of expertise, but I thought that the ACA removed the asset tests from Medicaid eligibility so that income was now the sole factor.

 

[fskimospy]

Medicaid? Good luck. If you have a 401k or any other assets - like a house with equity, you are going to find that Medicaid is going to give you a big middle finger.

The ACA eliminates the Medicaid asset test.

EDIT: Although I believe that does require your state to approve the Medicaid expansion.

 

[nanette1985]

My son also lost his job. Of course now that he's not employed, he qualifies for medicaid. His new job kicks in the end of the year. No idea what their insurance situation is.

I have medicare. That shouldn't change.

 

[fskimospy]

Have fun with the out of pocket expenses you are still on the hook for that are still significant enough to bankrupt you.

BTW there are out of pocket payment caps in the ACA as well. They are unlikely to bankrupt you.

I get the feeling that you might be getting some bad information about this law.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Our PPO healthcare plan option was just eliminated...still waiting on if our "consumer-driven" plan will be affected or not.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

My son also lost his job. Of course now that he's not employed, he qualifies for medicaid. His new job kicks in the end of the year. No idea what their insurance situation is.

I have medicare. That shouldn't change.

Did he lose his job as a direct/indirect result of ACA?

 

[Attic]

Small increase in rates, but that goes along with slightly worse coverage characteristics in my insurance plan.

If I change jobs I may get to pay substantially lower insurance premiums, so there's that.

 

[werepossum]

It hasnt affected me just yet. My employer's rates have gone up significantly. However after listening to what was said in our meeting yesterday. Apparently our plan is real close to a cadilac plan(2500 deduct single, 4000 family hsa, company kicks in half the deductible). The way the system is setup within a few years we will see our insurance planned reduced or risk having our plan taxed at cadilac rates. Eventually it sounds like our plan should be what can be purchased on the exchanges.

We are also introducing a secondary plan that will have a more limited network but cost less in premiums.

Our plan is similar, with $1300 & $2700 deductibles and the company kicking in $500 & $1000. However, the ACA required us to raise our deductibles to comply, so our two-person deductible is now $3700. We also received a cancellation notice based purely on the extra costs of the ACA and our small company size; however, a demographic change saved us for at least one more year and our cancellation was cancelled. If as expected we are cancelled next year, the exchanges should be up and we probably won't provide insurance at all. At this point I'm not sweating it since I don't anyone knows where the ACA will be in a year. Hell, rates might even come down.

My hope is this, yes. Eventually I hope we are able to get to something more like Germany with a minimum level of insurance provided for all along with the ability to get private insurance on top if you can afford it.

I wouldn't have a problem with that, but I'm not sure it will satisfy many people. Seems to me that Americans want premium care and want someone else to pay.

my wifes hours got cut from 38, down to 28. so yea thanks government for fucking with my families income.

I've seen a LOT of that. I'm not sure if it will be self-defeating since the ACA is now in the hands of the bureaucracy rather than Congress. Consequently the bureaucracy may well require company-provided insurance for EVERY worker no matter the hours, or else make the penalties apply to all part-time workers. In either case, the company that cut back hours to avoid Obamacare's costs may well face sudden cost increases much greater than those they avoided.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I have tricare for life so it's not really affecting me. However, my parents are getting raked over coals right now because of their particular situation so it's going take a huge burden off of them.

 

[Absolution75]

Considering the company used to pay 100% of all healthcare costs... I'd say a large increase ($1000 deductible for the year, but $1500 HSA contribution).

 

[smackababy]

Obamacare effected my job choice like 7-8 months ago. I had a chance to work for a company that did risk analysis for insurance companies, but the interviewer was talking about the insurance companies not being able to adjust rates or deny coverage. I figured the company probably wasn't going to be operating at nearly the level it was, so I went elsewhere.

 

[ZaneNBK]

No idea which way it'll go for me until 10/1 when the healthcare exchange opens in this state. I was on a state insurance plan (CHIP) due to being considered self employed and being turned down by private insurance. My current plan, and the whole CHIP program, shuts down at the end of the year so I have to get a new plan through the exchange.

So I guess I find out Tuesday if I can keep the same level of benefits, or better, without paying more.

 

[sactoking]

No idea which way it'll go for me until 10/1 when the healthcare exchange opens in this state. I was on a state insurance plan (CHIP) due to being considered self employed and being turned down by private insurance. My current plan, and the whole CHIP program, shuts down at the end of the year so I have to get a new plan through the exchange.

So I guess I find out Tuesday if I can keep the same level of benefits, or better, without paying more.

Just a FYI- you were enrolled in PCIP, not CHIP. PCIP is the Preexisting Condition Insurance Plan, for those who can't get other coverage, and is out of money. CHIP is the Children's Health Insurance Plan and is a medicaid program for kids.

 

[PrinceofWands]

No poll options fit me, sry. So far it's had no direct impact, but next month I file my lawsuit to have it amended and bring it in line with other legislation. Should that fail then I will accrue permanent debt to the government until I am incarcerated for refusal to comply with the law.

 

[fskimospy]

No options fit me, sry. So far it's had no direct impact, but next month I file my lawsuit to have it amended and bring it in line with other legislation. Should that fail then I will accrue permanent debt to the government until I am incarcerated for refusal to comply with the law.

Be sure to tell us how that all works out for you.