8 Big Changes Under Tom Prices Obamacare Replacement Plan (AKA "You're on your own, good luck")

[Miles Archer]

8 Big Changes Under Tom Price’s Obamacare Replacement Plan

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/healthcare/8-big-changes-under-tom-price%C3%A2%E2%82%AC-tm-s-obamacare-replacement-plan/ar-AAkXhse

-- Obamacare would be scrapped, including the government-run insurance markets in every state, the mandates on individuals and businesses and federal tax credits to subsidize the insurance of lower income Americans. Price’s plan instead would offer fixed tax credits – pegged to a person’s age rather than their income -- so that they can buy their insurance policies in the private market.

-- Those tax credits would be fairly modest, ranging from $1,200 a year for people 18 to 35 years of age to $3,000 for those 51 and older. In many regions of the country, that would hardly begin to cover the premiums and out-of-pocket costs for a relatively comprehensive health insurance plan.

-- In one of the biggest blows to poor and low-income Americans, Price would repeal the expanded Medicaid coverage in 32 states and the District of Columbia for able-bodied single people and leave those current beneficiaries to fend for themselves on the open market, using other tax credits and benefits.

-- Price’s approach matches that of GOP President-elect Donald Trump in one notable way – by allowing health insurers licensed to sell policies in one state to offer them to residents of other states. This approach would allow consumers to shop around for health insurance across state lines just as they might for any other insurance product.

[WhiteTara]

1. vicious and hateful too. nt

[ibeplato]

2. selling across state lines won't work

Insurance companies would have to set up networks in any state they want to expand into, that's costly and it's the reason why few will do so.

[MineralMan]

3. The plan is, "Better stay healthy, folks!"

"You could die if you don't."

[jmowreader]

4. People wouldn't be able to "shop around for health insurance" if this comes to pass

Rather, the insurance companies are going to huddle in the state, or handful of states, with the highest prices and most customer-hostile laws, and everyone will be forced to buy their insurance from those states. We have very hard evidence this will happen - look at the credit card industry. Federal law says the terms of a credit contract can be set according to the laws of the state the bank is in, not the state the borrower is in. By lifting its usury rate and deregulating its banking industry, South Dakota drew pretty much the entire credit card industry to Sioux Falls. Great deal for the credit card industry, not so much for cardholders.

I'm fairly sure the health insurance industry can convince Sam Brownback and the Kansas Legislature to deregulate their industry in exchange for all of it moving there.

The worst thing about Donald Trump and the people he intends to surround himself with is the damage he intends to do to America will be irreparable.