Can somebody explain to me something about the Affordable Care Act?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Let me preface my remarks by saying the Republicants have done a deviously good job of poisoning the waters.

We are in California. My girlfriend told me the insurance broker has told her company that premiums will rise greatly because of the Affordable care Act. I asked her why. She said the broker said it was because of the mandate, expanded Medicaid, and the fact that medical insurance companies will now have to accept people with pre- existing conditions.

I don't understand what Medicaid (public insurance) has to with private insurance. And since employer based insurance was never medically underwritten I don't see how it's affected by the pre-existing condition provision.

Single payer would been the way to go...Everybody gets, say a Ford plan. If you want a Lexus plan you can go out and buy one.

[LaydeeBug]

1. Tell your girlfriend, nay, tell the insurance broker that the MARKET WILL TAKE CARE of their

exorbitant premiums, because he is not the only insurance broker in town.

This is capitalism, Jack. We vote each day with our dollars and if those brokers try to postulate fear and loathing, there will be others that won't.

Guess who wins?

Dude must be pissed because these companies, previously profit driven, are being told that their days at the troff are numbered.

[denverbill]

2. What a load of crap.

Medicaid doesn't have anything to do with private insurance. Expanding that, if anything, will make private insurance rates go down because hospitals have fewer uncovered patients, so insured people don't have to make up the cost of covered uninsured people. It sounds to me like this insurance broker either doesn't know shit about health insurance or is lying to blame Obamacare for her company jacking up it's rates.

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. Covered California opens up soon. (Link Below)

http://www.coveredca.com/

If the dick weed wants to raise premiums, she should seek insurance elsewhere. There have been stories elsewhere here in DU of other states that have already seen Health Care Insurance rates go down.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. I did a cursory look at the premiums and they didn't look bad.

But the Republicants are doing a great job of poisoning the water.

[geek tragedy]

4. His commissions must be going down, nt

[Puzzledtraveller]

5. She's more right than you'll ever want to know.

The fix is in. ACA=Health Insurance Industry Bailout

[geek tragedy]

7. so you must favor repeal then nt

[Puzzledtraveller]

8. Yes

and I'm a medicaid caseworker. I received the ACA and HBE training last month.

[geek tragedy]

9. A, a saboteur then

Because there's no other term for a Medicaid case worker who wants people to go back to dying because of pre-existing conditions, as well as rolling back the Medicaid expansion under Obama, thus depriving millions of people health care.

[Puzzledtraveller]

10. Exactly

I support medicare for all, beginning at birth.

[geek tragedy]

12. But in the mean time you support slashing Medicaid

and letting people die because they have pre-existing conditions.

I wonder how many people will suffer and even die from untreated medical conditions because you discourage them from enrolling in the exchanges.

Do you tell them to at least die quickly and save the taxpayers some money?

[Puzzledtraveller]

14. So, expanding medicaid and reforming health insurance

Could have only been done this way? Attached to the a huge insurance industry bailout?

[geek tragedy]

16. So, are you going to do your job faithfully and help implement the ACA

or are you going to discourage people from signing up for the exchanges?

[cilla4progress]

6. My premium is doubling in Washington under ACA!

I volunteered to help with implementation as an In-Person Assister. At a training last week, and using my state (Washington's) exchange website, I have learned my premiums are doubling under ACA.

Here's why, I think:

Our family earned over 400% of FPL last year. I was just laid off, so it will be something under that, this year and next.

My husband works for a local governmental unit. He pays @ $50 month for a really good plan. He opted not to cover remaining family members -myself and our 20 year old daughter - at the cost of $800 / mo. under this same plan.

I purchased an individual policy offered by our state government at a cost of $350 / mo. which I've had for the last 3 years. It's a pretty good plan. 80/20, or a "Silver" plan under ACA. I will definitely credit ACA with requiring some of the coverages, e.g., all preventive.

This plan is going away. No info yet on what will supplant it, but utilizing all currently available info on our state exchange websites, etc., our new premium - even calculating family income based on my layoff, will be @ $700.

Talk me down!

[peace13]

13. We have a small business in Ohio and our premiums have risen in huge jumps over the last five years.

Last year my insurance agent told me that this next annual increase would be a whopper. At our last renewal we doubled our deductible and set copay at $40 a visit just to keep the premiums from going up. I have no idea what we will give up in February. Our premiums are $900 dollars PER PERSON per month. I can tell you that this can not go on indefinitely.

My guess is that businesses like ours will have to drop insurance altogether. Pay the fine, wait the waiting period while uninsured and then join the government program.

Wish I had a better report for you!

[Puzzledtraveller]

15. I'm a state worker too

and facing a similar situation.