One-third of US won't have a choice between Obamacare plans in 2017

[Atreus21]

How did Americans get healthcare before government got involved? Or for that matter before insurance companies got involved?

 

[Thump553]

AEtna and Humana are playing hard ball politics. The Department of Justice stepped in and blocked their planned merger. Both companies then "decided" to step out of ACA claiming it was unprofitable for them-something exactly the opposite each had claimed before.

Rather than declare the death of ACA I'd love to see the GOP step in and make some concrete proposals for reform. ACA is an extremely complicated law and the government has been unable to fine tune and improve it since the initial passage because the only thing the GOP is interested in is repealing it-for political purposes. Put in geekspeak its the exact same situation as a major program suite remaining as version 1.0 with no patches years after it's rollout.

I'm self employed. Before ACA health insurance was my family's single highest bill, even more than the mortgage even though my wife and I are both in fine health. I'm disgusted by the games the GOP and these corporations are playing with people's health and well-being.

 

[theeedude]

Insurance company CEOs want to play hard ball with the DOJ? The DOJ should play hardball right back.

 

[werepossum]

So I guess its back to going to the ER and not paying for some people in between medicaid and making a wage that supports a family's insurance premiums.

That's largely already happened. I know a fair number of youngish people (thirties and younger) who are waiters, bartenders, independent contractors in the construction industry, and such who no longer have health insurance because it's gotten so expensive. And it's rapidly getting worse. And while Tennessee has an expanded Medicaid program, it's limited to what the state can pay for, not whatever the federal government can borrow.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/...th-exchange-rates-bluecross-next-year/382624/

Tennessee regulators have approved the full amount of the rate increases requested by the three health insurers still offering exchange plans under ObamaCare, pushing up rates by the biggest amount since the program began three years ago.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the state's biggest health insurer, will raise individual rates by 62 percent in 2017, or nearly double the 36 percent rate increase adopted this year by BlueCross. Small group rates in the marketplace exchange will rise by only 6.5 percent, however.

Cigna got state approval to raise its individual rates for its ObamaCare plans by 46.3 percent, while Humana got the OK for a 44.3 percent jump in premiums for individual plans next year.

The increases for the marketplace plans were the biggest of the rate increases approved by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, according to an announcement released this morning.

 

[Jaskalas]

How did Americans get healthcare before government got involved? Or for that matter before insurance companies got involved?

Many people decided to go without, got sick and died from treatable ailments.
The difference today is the people may have decided that healthcare shouldn't just be a privilege of the rich or healthy.

You see, we believe that “we’re all in this together” is a far better philosophy than “you’re on your own.”

 

[Svnla]

Even the startup trying to disrupt health insurance can't figure out Obamacare - http://www.businessinsider.com/oscar-obamacare-new-jersey-dallas-exchanges-2016-8

Slow death spiral ? - http://www.businessinsider.com/obamacare-is-in-slow-motion-death-spiral-2016-8

No one left - http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-time-ever-county-america-140800724.html