So, are you going to lose your health insurance now?

[stopbush]

My wife and I will.

We have Kaiser through Covered CA. Our premium is $1202 a month. With ACA subsidies, we pay only $128 a month.

We were just informed that our monthly premium will go up to $1330 in 2018. Without subsidies, we are looking at a 1000% increase in our share of our insurance premiums.

Fuck trump and the fucking Rs.

[brokephibroke]

1. I think he is only eliminating the cost sharing subsidies

Not the premium subsidies. Not defending him, he is the most immoral president in history. He needs to go.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Correct - AND the insurance companies must still provide cost sharing

so he isn't even directly impacting that.

(But if they don't receive the subsidies the premium itself will go up to make up the shortfall, so it does ultimately increase premiums)

[brokephibroke]

13. It really hurts the self employed

Who make too much for a premium subsidy. And the employed who get insurance at work. But fear not, you can buy junk policies across state lines!

[Demtexan]

2. His voters are getting hit to.

They voted their hate.

[SHRED]

3. No you won't

Premium subsidies remain.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Correct -

but it is easy to understand the confusion, since most media reports are not being clear about exactly what is going on.

More unnecessary panic created by the orange menace.

[SHRED]

15. It is confusing

And fuck Dump.

[imanamerican63]

4. Sorry to hear this!

My mother is lucky enough to get her insurance thru the post office. If not she would be in the same situation. Not only has Trump destroyed the world he continues to destroy our country from with in!

[Blaukraut]

5. No. But it's not about me. It's about those who are less fortunate. n/t

[AJT]

6. My COBRA ends on Dec. 31st and, at 60, I can't afford the premiims

without the subsidies. I've never been without healthcare. I worked for 37 years. I got laid off last year. Now what?

[Ms. Toad]

9. Premium subsidies are not ending.

Unless you are in a state that did not expand Medicaid (and fall into that gap), you are still eligilble for premium subsidies.

These are subsidies that go directly to the insurance company to help the insurance companies meet their legal obligation for cost-sharing. Nothing directly to do with premiums. (If they don't get the subsidies, insurance companies will need to raise premiums to cover the shortfall - but it is an indirect hit, not an elimination of your personal subsidy)

[AJT]

11. Well, I'm in Wisconsin which did not expand medicaid.

I don't think I fall into the gap. I am going to try and go on the ACA website next week.
Thanks for the info.

[Ms. Toad]

14. Good luck!

Even though Trump didn't end premium subsidies - the rumor/poor explanation by the media suggesting that he did can do significant damage.

[Ms. Toad]

7. The EO does not end either premium subsidies or cost sharing subsidies.

This order doesn't even impact unsubsidized premiums directly at all. He is threatening to end subsidies paid to insurance companies to help them comply with their obligation to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Insurance companies are required by law to reduce the deductibles and coinsurance payments for low income people (essentially anyone who is eligible for reduced premiums is also elible for reduced cost sharing). They are still required to do so, even if they do not receive the subsidies Trump is threatening to cut off.

You will still receive the individual ACA subsidy. You will still get the cost sharing reduction on deductibles and coinsurance. Just like you don't pay $1202 now, you won't pay he $1330 in 2018. Your premium subsidies are safe (for now). Your reduced out-of-pocket cap and reduced coinsurance and deductibles are safe (for now).

The indirect impact, though, is that the insurance company can't create money out of thin air. Because it is obligated by law to give you a break, it has to find that $$ somewhere. The only option is to increase premiums (or leave the market). Many insurance companies increased their rates in anticipation that Trump would carry out his threat, so because of how late he issued teh order, there is not likely to be much additional impact this year.

Hope that helps. None of the articles I've run across are explaining it clearly.

[Cal Carpenter]

12. Thank you for the info

There's another thread about a politico article that makes it sound like all those premium subsidies could stop. I'm in a similar situation as the OP - I'd lose my insurance without the subsidies.

[Ms. Toad]

17. This is the clearest explanation I've seen -

and it is not terribly clear:

Trump has threatened for months to stop the payments, which go to insurers that are required by the laws to help eligible consumers afford their deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. . . . Ending the payments is grounds for any insurer to back out of its federal contract to sell health plans for 2018. Some states’ regulators directed ACA insurers to add a surcharge in case the payments were not made — but insurers elsewhere could be left in a position in which they still must give consumers the discounts but will not be reimbursed.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-to-sign-executive-order-to-gut-aca-insurance-rules-and-undermine-marketplaces/2017/10/11/40abf774-ae97-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.65fa49d88bce

I've just been reading insurance laws and policies for more than two decades (because my daughter has $60-$100,000 in medical expenses every year) so have more experience with the langauge than most and can read between the lines written by media folks who seem not to have a clue.

[msongs]

20. your provider will not jack up your rates, it will just stop selling anything at any price...

"Ending the payments is grounds for any insurer to back out of its federal contract to sell health plans for 2018"

[Ms. Toad]

23. That is one possibility - and certainly Trump's hope

but many have already increased their rates to accomodate the threatened cut in subsidies.

The point I was addressing was someone who had been informed of a rate increase - and who believed that Trump cut the premium subsidies (which would increase their premium costs by 1000 percent). The personal subsidies have not been cut.

The best way to counter Trump's many attempts at sabotage is to get the word out to enroll, and (with this recent EO) that the individual premium subsidies and cost cutting are still in effect. The only way to fend off disaster for there to be robust enrollment.

[SHRED]

16. Good explanation

[Ms. Toad]

18. Thanks -

My daughter's life depends on access to health care, so I have to be able to read and undertand quickly every bit of sabotage these idiots dish out. Otherwise I'd be more of a basket case than I already am.

[VOX]

25. Im so sorry to hear this, Ms. Toad.

The fact that you have to (in effect) work a second job by managing your daughter’s healthcare situation.

I’ve done this for my parents, but I can only imagine how difficult it is to navigate one’s child through the tricky complications, legalities and logistics of today’s healthcare jungle.

Wishing you a bit of peace in the ongoing battle —

[democratisphere]

19. Millions will have no healthcare so the wealthiest can gorge themselves even more.

Hopefully after drumpf is removed from the oval office and the redumbliCONs lose control of Congress, all Americans will be able to have comprehensive quality healthcare.

[mvd]

21. Well not directly, but possibly indirectly

Insurance companies need the cost sharing, don’t they? Hold this up in court and get the opinion of the public on our side.

[flamingdem]

22. Example: without Cost Sharing Subsidies (different from overall subsidy) Blue Shield of CA

will charge 20% more than last year for the silver plan.

With the Cost Sharing they would raise rates 12%.

The repukes are taking money out of my pocket, but it would have been worse if they passed full on Trumpcare.

[lancelyons]

24. Republicans just have to get the money for the wealthy peoples tax cuts

Republicans just have to get the money for the wealthy peoples tax cuts