10 things you now get to keep w/ Obamacare

[ashling]

[WinkyDink]

1. "Lower premiums," my Aunt Fanny.

[shcrane71]

22. Yeah, still not seeing the lower premiums.

[steve2470]

26. not seeing them yet either and have no hope of it

Unless something changes, I have to hang on for dear life until Medicare kicks in.

[shcrane71]

36. Best of luck. I just heard that we all need to eat more fiber.

It's just best to stay away from the medical extortionists.

[lynne]

2. Reduction in work hours = Lower paycheck

Got word last week that I'll not be allowed to work more than 29 hrs. per week. More than that and my employer would be required to offer me health insurance. FWIW, I don't even need the health coverage, have it through my spouse.

But I sure as hell could use the work hours and a decent paycheck.

[CreekDog]

7. you're blaming Obamacare for that?

did you support single payer then?

[lynne]

14. That's the reason my employer is doing it -

- it wasn't a requirement previously but is now. How can I not say that Obamacare is the reason?

I thought single payer would have been better, yes.

[lynne]

18. Hahahaha -

- glad you think so. Still can't go to Dr. with high co-pays and deductibles. Lost our eye and dental coverage some time ago and husband needs all his lower teeth pulled. I was laid off 3 yrs. ago from full time job I'd had 20+ years, have only been able to find part time work. Son - young adult - laid off after Christmas - 3rd time he's been laid off in 18 mos. - finally found a job last week. Young adult daughter in household, part time work only. Kids can't afford to move out of household. Husband is long past retirement age but still works part time when he can find it. Sadly, he hasn't had any type of work in quite some time.

I need the hours. No, it's NOT all good.

[CreekDog]

27. you have coverage in a system that excludes many, many people

and you are arguing against reforms designed to change that fact, and include those people.

i would normally have sympathy for you in your situation, but i'm not going to because your first target is the law that would expand what you have to people who don't have it.

bad karma or something.

[Cha]

3. Yes, my sister is so happy her daughter can be

on her insurance plan for now.

And, in 2014..

When will the Affordable Care Act allow me to purchase health insurance?
"Obamacare" or otherwise known as the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted into law on March 23, 2010. It puts in place a requirement that all citizens must have a minimum level of health insurance coverage in place by 2014. Starting on January 1, 2014 , all citizens will be able to purchase a qualified health plan through their state's Health Benefit Exchange or through the private market. All states are required to either have an exchange in place by that date or the HHS department will set up one for them. On that date, you will be able to purchase a qualified health insurance plan through your state's exchange that provides the essential health benefits package under Act Sec. 1302(a) of the law.

thank you, ashling

[Zax2me]

4. You lost me on number one-lower premiums.

If the first one is a lie, why even bother reading the other nine.

[CreekDog]

8. community rating should lower premiums on the individual market

[peace13]

12. When does this take effect ?

Ours went up $1000 a month to a full$3600 a month for three people. They said it will be another big jump in January. Go figure!

[CreekDog]

16. 2014

community rating under Obamacare means that if you try to get insurance:

1) you cannot be denied.
2) all your preexisting conditions must be covered
3) there is no cap on your medical coverage
4) the cost of insurance must be based on your community and the one of three age bands that you fall into.

disabled people will be able to purchase individual insurance for the same cost as people without disabilities. the same goes for people with preexisting conditions.

[CreekDog]

20. enjoy your stay

seriously.

[uppityperson]

23. Is the 80/20 rule a scam? I'm trying to figure out how you can deride that or claim it's good for

insurance companies.


http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/27/checks-come-as-surprise-under-obamacare/

The "80/20 rule" in the ACA mandates that health insurers spend at least 80% of their customers' premiums on health services, leaving no more than 20% for administrative costs and advertising. That means if an insurance company spends 78% of the money it collects on health benefits for customers, it has to send rebate checks for the additional 2%.

[uppityperson]

32. My dog, you are even more cynical than I am. Congratulations as that is not an easy thing to be.

Insurance companies exist for 1 reason. To make money.

However, I am glad for Obamacare, esp next yr when my rates will drop due to my income. It does not go far enough to take the massive profits out of the hands of the insurance companies, but is better than nothing. I wish, I wish, I wish. If I were Queen of the Universe, things would be different.

[CreekDog]

17. yes the law says that since we are going to have an insurance system, it must cover all people

the disabled, those with preexisting conditions, young people who aren't offered insurance at their own jobs.

even though a single payer system would have been more efficient, politically, that didn't happen and we're left with half our healthcare system in private hands.

but the excesses of the private side of our system are getting reformed.

the assumption that your private insurance can maintain your rate by excluding people's healthcare, people with preexisting conditions, by charging the sick more --those things are changing.

[SoCalDem]

6. "Wiggle words" abound

accessible...available...affordable...discounts...investments..ability to purchase

perhaps a bit better than before, but health care insurance was never NOT any of the above...IF YOU WERE RICH..

and unfortunately, many people will STILL not be able to "afford" it..

The ONLY thing that works is for a MANDATORY all-in approach that is covered by TAXATION..and where insurers are strictly for GAP-COVERAGE..

If insurance was only to cover the 20% of UN-covered cost, it would be affordable to all...

[RantinRavin]

9. #7

Insurers can't charge women substantially more, so they raise the men's premiums to comply...

[CreekDog]

21. limits on profits have been built into the law

and a host of other reforms.

it has been done in other countries and can work here as well.

i wish the regulation was more extensive, but these are important steps.

[Tobin S.]

24. It's all or nothing with a lot of people here

I forget where I saw it (it might have been here), but there is a calculator that shows about how much your insurance premium would be under the Affordable Care Act if you have to buy insurance on your own. My wife and I are lower middle class so our premiums would be subsidized to a certain degree. Our cost would be about $70 more a month than what we pay currently through our employers.

When you consider that I have bipolar disorder and I cannot even get coverage for it right now on my own, that's a pretty good deal. And even if we were both totally healthy the premium is still much lower than we'd pay trying to get insurance now on our own especially at the same level of coverage.

[ellisonz]

28. +1000

[Poll_Blind]

10. The problem with that graphic is people hit #1 and think the rest is bullshit, too.

As someone already pointed out, there are a ton of wiggle words in there.

PB

[HereSince1628]

13. To what extent do items 1, 6 an 10 overlap?

I guess I'm not sure that there are really 10 separate things listed

[hobbit709]

25. 0-10 in my case

[MannyGoldstein]

30. 11. Health care costs that are double those in other similar countries

Which is one reason why our President was trying to raise the age for Medicare eligibility.

Fabulous.

[LWolf]

31. Lower premiums...

a not very funny joke. My premiums have skyrocketed every year since the ACA was signed into law, at a much higher rate of increase previously. I'm now on the least expensive plan my employer offers, which costs as much as the most expensive plan did before ACA, and my deductibles and copays have skyrocketed.

I don't get a lot of care because I can't afford the deductibles and copays.

[DirkGently]

34. Yes, the ACA is a nice plug for the sinking ship of private, employer-subsidized insurance.

It was worth doing, if we assume nothing better was possible. NOW, on to the universal healthcare system we so obviously need, please.

[doc03]

35. I had an insurance salesperson in my home tonight to explain my options for

Last edited Fri Mar 8, 2013, 01:28 AM - Edit history (1)

a Medicare supplement or a Medicare Advantage Plan. It is a nightmare trying to
sort thru all the different insurance plans. She said that she looks for premiums to go thru the
roof next year and many companies that carry Medicare Advantage Plans will just be forced out of business. So I am not all sure Obamacare is any great shakes. After haveing a union job that provided me with good health insurance all my life Medicare is a big let down.