Healthcare Reform - Abandoning the Self Employed

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/michael-collins/33886/healthcare-reform-abandoning-the-self-employed

Before it ever arrived at the president's desk for signature, the health reform act contained a fatal poison pill.

The most creative sector of the business community has a dagger at its heart in the form of the relentless, unyielding, and over burdening cost of health insurance. The self-employed and very small businesses have seen their insurance premiums climb 20% to 75% since 2009. To purchase an adequate family plan, a self-employed person will pays an amount 50% to 70% of the nation's median personal income, $32,000 a year, for family health plan. This includes premiums, deductibles, and out of pocket expenses. That is twice the cost for relatively generous plans at medium to large size companies. Very small businesses, two to twenty employees, pay about the same (Image: Paul Henman)

Wasn't health reform supposed to take care of just this sort of inequity? Didn't the title of the bill say it all? The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act There is no protection for the self-employed when they have these stark choices facing them due to unaffordable insurance rates. They can give up working for themselves; buy adequate insurance and take a huge hit to income; buy a substandard plan and hope that whatever comes up is covered; or, abandon insurance at real risk to their health and, in some cases, their lives.

What would the country be like if here were no self-employed individuals, no very small businesses?

More at the link --

[autorank]

1. Thanks for posting this

We're screwed, those of us who work for ourselves. We represent the last opportunity to gouge on premiums that the insurance companies have. Now they've fixed it to keep it that way a few years longer.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. No...you're far from the last. Unless you think I can afford the $1400/month

my "high risk" insurance would cost me. :(

[autorank]

6. Got that message!

I've got a "family plan" that's close to twice that. Can't f'ing believe it. We got shopped.
This could be part of the trade for the relatively low key opposition from insurance companies
(although they did start the Tea Party, well their hired guns did Screwing the Self Employed Out of Health Insurance Oct. 2009

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. That plan is just for me. I did not add what my son would be.

Because...well because we can't afford it. I doubled my life insurance policy instead, and got insurance for my son. 12 years old, perfectly healthy=$167/month.

[autorank]

11. Amazing

The choices we thought we'd never make.

[leftstreet]

3. Kick. Healthcare should NEVER have been tied to employment

Too late to Rec. Sorry I missed this

[autorank]

7. We're the only 1st world nation that does this

Switzerland has private insurance but it is highly regulated.

[steve2470]

4. one day my premium will be more than my rent... absurd nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. My premium (if I could afford it) is $200 more than my mortgage payment.

The funny thing is, I was a compliant patient with my disease under control, when I had COBRA through my husband.

[autorank]

8. They don't care if we suffer or not, live or die

It's not personal, it's all about The Money Party

[steve2470]

10. ouch... that's horrible nt

[Dappleganger]

12. Single payer is the ONLY answer.

Bernie Sanders was on the news last night, talking this up.

[rgbecker]

13. OK, I've been self employed for 30 years...very creative...but I don't

get this article. Somehow the Affordable Care Act is going to screw me and my type by making insurance companies pay 80-85% of their income on medical care while now they pay only 55-70%.?!? The state commissioners could delay the implementation but in the end will have to make the insurance companies comply. I'm supposed to get upset by this because somebody expected to suddenly get health care insurance at a big discount?

I don't need anyone to tell me health insurance is expensive, but how is it that the new law is bad because it is going to address the cost of health insurance, regulate what the insurance companies can sell, who they can cover, and make them honor the deal regardless of life time totals or pre-existing conditions.

I don't see the inequity or at least any change in the status quo of inequity in the new law. Self-employed have been making the choice to go without or rely on the spouse's coverage for as long as I can remember.

Gee, Obamacare doesn't give me free health care, REPEAL it!

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. Where did ANYONE say they wanted FREE health care?

Do you think it's okay to charge someone $1400/month for bare minimum insurance?

I'm just wondering because you threw that out there when all we're asking for is affordable insurance.

[rgbecker]

15. I want affordable health insurance too...

And I'll take free health care if I can get it. I think the Affordable Care Act is going to help many people get affordable health care insurance, including individuals buying insurance for themselves and those getting it through groups whether those groups be employees or unions or whatever. Right now I certainly cannot afford insurance but I am hopeful that as the law's provisions take effect the cost of insurance will become more affordable for many people who don't have insurance now. Will everyone be able to afford insurance? I don't know, but the goal seems to be that no one would have to pay more than 10% of their income. Without the ACA, there is no goal, no requirement that insurance cover pre-existing conditions, no requirement that the policies have no life time limits and no requirement that the insurance companies spend 80-85% of their income on medical care. I'm with Obama when he says we should be looking into any idea that would improve the deal, but this article is not offering anything just like the Republicans are not offering anything.

Progress in Massachusetts. Just checked to see what was available to me now and they are actually offering a policy for less than $1000/month. We are 63 years old. (That would be about 25% of my gross income, so I don't think I'll be signing up any time soon.) Last year the best was about $1250/mo. You can check it out at the government run exchange: https://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/site/connector/template.PAGE/menuitem.99762c230fb3e650dbef6f47d7468a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=1dd8f1b14739404575c4c2100ce08041&javax.portlet.prp_1dd8f1b14739404575c4c2100ce08041=viewID%3DMY_PORTAL_VIEW%26connector_currentstep%3Dconnector-step4soa&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

Anyway I just think we need to unite around the ACA or the tea party with the help of the MSM and the Republicans are going to throw it in the harbor.

[hobbit709]

16. The only reason i have anything is my VA coverage.

My meds would cost me $800+ alone. I made $12K last year.