45 minutes to open my ACA account, select a plan, and finalize the transaction.

[Lex]

The website worked like a breeze for me yesterday so that was a surprise given everything I read.

I was going to wait until open enrollment comes around again in November since I am insured, but when I checked the plans I'd be saving close to $200 per month (!) if I switched from my current plan (I'm self-employed, no employer offers a plan) to a new ACA plan. I was even able to add a dental plan, and STILL save around $200 per month. Whoa.

I chose one of the Silver plans that is head and shoulders above the plan I had. So I'm saving money AND getting a better plan.

Whew, glad that's done. Learned a lot here at DU about how the plans worked and that helped me so much when looking over the plans. Thanks!

[PoliticAverse]

1. Make sure you check the doctors and hospitals that are included in the new plan.

Is your current Doctor included? If not make sure you can find a doctor that is actually
accepting new patients under the plan.

[Lex]

3. I made sure my BP med is covered and my doc accepts the plan of course.

Easy to look up on the site while choosing a plan.

[PoliticAverse]

4. Excellent. n/t

[Lex]

6. I also called my existing insurance about how

to properly cancel their policy once my ACA policy takes effect in May. I didn't want to just stop paying, but go through the proper steps to cancel it.

[MineralMan]

8. That's a wise thing to do.

My wife had to fax them a letter to officially cancel the policy as of the date her new policy kicked in.

[Nye Bevan]

24. How about your local hospitals?

Did you check which of them participate in your network?

[Lex]

29. Yep. It's all right in front of you to check easily.

I have 3 major hospitals close by (within 10 miles) and they are all listed.

[Nye Bevan]

31. Excellent.

Always good to hear about positive ACA experiences.

[Marrah_G]

2. Mine was really quick too

I live in Rhode Island now and I qualified for the state medicaid

Now if I could just get my records transferred to the new clinic, I could actually see a doctor.

[Lex]

5. Great!

[newdemocrat999]

42. Same here , I tried to buy a plan but the site said I couldn't be subsided for it

It automatically sent me to medicade

I work and I'm single so I never knew I was able to get medicade.
I always thought it was for families so I never applied.

I just went without health insurance.

[MineralMan]

7. Excellent! I'm glad you found a plan

that works for you, and saved money, to boot.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. That's great news! For all of us!

[Lex]

11. Yes it is

because there's so much out there to discourage people from even trying the site.

[KittyWampus]

10. DU really excels at gathering useful information. Glad you got a better deal.

[MANative]

12. Congrats, and good for you!

My corporate health care sign-up took longer than that!

[riqster]

13. Faster than it took me at my job!

[Iliyah]

14. Congrats!

Obamacare!

[Garion_55]

15. uninsured here. not signed up yet

45 years of age and never a medical issue. never saw the need.

but im almost certain ill sign up before monday mostly cuz its probably a good idea but another reason to tell the right wingers to go fuck themselves even if i would have preferred a single payer system.

[Lex]

16. I'm 48 and have been very lucky not to have many health issues

just take a daily BP generic med that controls my BP beautifully. I figure the older I get the less my luck will hold out on not having medical issues. The ACA will allow you to get your yearly physicals and standard age-appropriate screenings at no extra cost. (Like colonoscopies after 50, mammograms after 40, and routine paps for women and screenings for prostate cancer for men).

I did want to be in the ACA as a relatively healthy person because the more healthy people in, the better it will work for everyone.

[No Vested Interest]

19. PLease let us know when you have accomplished the sign-up.

We all learn from one another's experiences.

[drm604]

20. Can you explain the meaning of this post?

It sounds like Lex thinks he's getting a good deal. Do you think he's wrong, or what?

[Lex]

22. Sorry if it pisses you off that it works

but have a nice life, sunshine.

[Arugula Latte]

30. Sounds like you are heavily invested in people not using Obamacare to buy good, affordable insurance

That's pretty un-American of you. You prefer your fellow countrymen and countrywomen have bad, expensive insurance or none at all, thus not receiving proper care or any care at all? 45,000 Americans have been dying annually due to lack of insurance. That's fifteen 9-11s every year. Is that okay with you?

Just because you don't like that millions are benefiting from Obamacare doesn't mean that it's not a success.

[polichick]

18. That's good to know! Did you happen to notice if you can sign up now...

with a start date later in the year?

[Lex]

23. The sign up period now will start coverage in May. nt

[polichick]

25. Thanks!

[okaawhatever]

21. Thanks for sharing the good news. nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. There are dental plans out there? n/t

[CottonBear]

27. I need dental coverage too.

Last edited Thu Mar 27, 2014, 06:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm going to go om the ACA website tonight. I am in a state that did not expand medicaid & I don't qualify for a subsidy. Hopefully, there is a federal exchange plan that is affordable. An ACA navigator gave me advice by phone. I have not had insurance for 5 years.

I hope I can afford something.

edit: spelling.

[Tarheel_Dem]

34. Best of luck to you. I have dental through my employer, but it has a yearly cap of $1000.

I've always wondered why dental isn't covered under major medical. I've spent thousands on dental procedures over the past few years, and bad dental health can certainly lead to other health issues.

[CottonBear]

38. Most dental has the same cap.

Most dental insurance usually covers 2 checkups plus $1,000.

My endodontist told me that the $1,000 cap was standard when dental insurance was first introduced BUT has never been raised.

A root canal used to cost about $300 when dental insurance was first introduced not $1,400-$2,000 like today.

[Tarheel_Dem]

39. Yup. A single root canal, and you've already blown your benefit for the year. I've usually had....

to pay for the crowns out-of-pocket.

[CottonBear]

41. I've never had dental insurance in my whole life.

My endodontist thinks that all dental care should be covered under health insurance because bad dental health causes many other illnesses.

[Tarheel_Dem]

43. I may be in the minority, but I heartily agree with your endodontist. n/t

[Lex]

28. There were I think 4 to choose from here

in NC. None of them are super great but one was affordable.

[Tarheel_Dem]

35. Typically, dental insurance through an employer has an annual cap of about $1000. Some of us need..

more. Having been a smoker for years, adversely affected my teeth & gums, so I've spent thousands on root canals, crowns, etc.

[Lex]

36. It seems like you could

agree to their best dental plan for a year and get the work done, and then step down to one that covered less? You sign up for a year and then you can rework your plans.

[Tarheel_Dem]

37. I'm definitely gonna check it out. I've got several thousand dollars of work still to be done.

[bvar22]

32. Also, it is YOUR responsibility to "check the formulary".

Nothing you find on the Healthcare.gov website will tell you to do this.
Nothing in the hours and hours of Media Coverage of the ACA ever suggested this.
...but, if you check this thread,
THAT is ALL on you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024685964

[Lex]

33. There is a place that says check to see if your meds and doctors and

hospitals are covered.

[pnwmom]

40. It's not true that people weren't informed. I was shocked that so many

other otherwise intelligent people had missed this important point. It's on the website and was mentioned in many media accounts that people should make sure their doctors and drugs were covered.