Dear Entrepreneur, We Are Canceling Your Health Insurance

[Barefootsies]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As President Obama's health care overhaul begins to change how Americans get their health insurance, the nearly 22 million people who are self-employed will see some of the most dramatic changes, with perhaps half of them headed for the new health exchanges in the fall.

I'm one of them - I recently received notice that the insurance I had been buying for three years would "terminate." I will be shopping for coverage on one of the new health insurance exchanges.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 9 million people will buy their 2014 health insurance on one of the new state marketplaces, after they open on October 1. By 2016, that will rise to 23 million, the CBO says.

"The vast majority of people know it is coming, but it is a very abstract thing," says Katie Vlietstra, director of government affairs at the National Association for the Self-Employed, an organization that has sold health insurance to its members in the pre-Obamacare world. She figures that roughly half of all self-employed people will be shopping on the exchanges.

In late May, I received notification from The Entertainment Group Insurance Trust that my existing insurance - an Oxford Health sole proprietor plan in New York - would terminate December 31. TEIGIT has administered plans for sole proprietors, small businesses and members of participating arts and entertainment associations since 1965.

"We will not have other plans to offer you," TEIGIT noted in a follow-up email. "No other brokers will have alternate options available." (Oxford's parent company, UnitedHealthcare, did not respond to a request for comment.)

With New York state's health insurance exchange not yet open and no way to shop immediately for a new plan, I felt the momentary rush of panic. What would I find to replace my corporate-like health plan, which had covered me for both in-network and out, with a low deductible. Would it be as good, and what would it cost?

While there's no way to know how many self-employed people are getting letters like this, I'm sure that I'm not alone. Whether your health insurance is going away at year-end because it fails to meet the terms of health reform, because of an insurer's business decision or some other reason, you might be in the same boat I am - left waiting for the exchanges to open with big, unanswered questions.

FULL STORY

[sandman!]

not a big shock here

[DWB]

Don't worry, Obama boys and apologists will be here any second to clear this up.

[Jim_Gunn]

I have a really sharp independent health insurance agent who places clients from independent contractors to larger businesses with multiple HMOs and PPOs depending on their needs and desires. I switch every year or two to keep my premiums down so even if one dropped me for any reason he could place me elsewhere.

[baddog]

No new taxes

[Gozarian]

[QUOTE=Barefootsies;19684890]

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 9 million people will BE FORCED buy their 2014 health insurance on one of the new state marketplaces, after they open on October 1. By 2016, that will rise to 23 million, the CBO says.

Fixed it for ya

[tony286]

They should of done a public option but our president has no spine. This is going to be fucked up. A big problem is instead of working to fix it ,the right voted now 37 times to repel it. They want it to fail so they can win but it will be on the back of avg americans.
Healthcare has to change, the status quo isnt working.

[keysync]

Do we have to buy it this fall prior to next years tax time to avoid the penalty?

[Sly]

Originally Posted by DWB

Don't worry, Obama boys and apologists will be here any second to clear this up.

Allow me to get this party started!

[brassmonkey]

Originally Posted by Sly

Allow me to get this party started!

it just feels better

[baddog]

So it is Bushcare, not Obamacare?

[Sly]

Originally Posted by baddog

So it is Bushcare, not Obamacare?

Yes. It all started with the Patriot Act.

[Gozarian]

Originally Posted by baddog

So it is Bushcare, not Obamacare?

[baddog]

Originally Posted by Sly

Yes. It all started with the Patriot Act.

Because people could not concentrate on two issues at once?

[Gozarian]

The Bush Patriot Act was to Sunset after 4 years. Both Patriot and Homeland Security Acts are pieces of shit. Some of my wires and WU transfers have landed me on those fucking lists. Dickless politicos.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

FULL STORY

my health ins is being shut off as well

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Gozarian

The Bush Patriot Act was to Sunset after 4 years. Both Patriot and Homeland Security Acts are pieces of shit. Some of my wires and WU transfers have landed me on those fucking lists. Dickless politicos.

same here, had 1100 dollars locked up terrorism

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

same here, had 1100 dollars locked up terrorism

Odd.

Is this at your local banking level or some sort of government agency snatching your funds?

[brassmonkey]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Odd.

Is this at your local banking level or some sort of government agency snatching your funds?

lick O's feet

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Gozarian

The Bush Patriot Act was to Sunset after 4 years. Both Patriot and Homeland Security Acts are pieces of shit. Some of my wires and WU transfers have landed me on those fucking lists. Dickless politicos.

oh that's just fucking wonderful.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Odd.

Is this at your local banking level or some sort of government agency snatching your funds?

never got an answer.... wire didn't go though so I called the bank... told me the funds were being held and investigated for terrorism ties... I had put 'sarah' on the message to receiver on the wire... I never put another models name on a wire transfer and the issue went away

[PornDiscounts-V]

I got a letter like this from Kaiser. The plan on the exchange is 70 dollars cheaper. While there I found several other providers with the same coverage and I can choose my doctor, hospital, etc for several hundred less. Fuck you, kaiser. I'm out!

[epitome]

So he's worried things are going according to plan? Shocking!

[Rochard]

I don't blame this on Obama, Bush, Clinton, or any one of the presidents. I blame this on all of them. One of the most important areas of our life, healthcare, is completely screwed.

My wife works for a small doctor's office. Know how much the doctor makes? Fucking pennies. The only people making money is the insurance companies, and they are the only ones who shouldn't be making any money.

[Barry-xlovecam]

I was pleasantly surprised when the federal government picked up my high-risk policy pre-existing condition insurance plan (PCIP) from the state ...


The premiums went down from $561 a month to $427 a month and the total out of pocket expense (premiums, co-pays and deductibles) was reduced from $13,900 to $8,249 per year.

I hope that if you are buying insurance now you will see some reductions also.

[brassmonkey]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I don't blame this on Obama, Bush, Clinton, or any one of the presidents. I blame this on all of them. One of the most important areas of our life, healthcare, is completely screwed.

My wife works for a small doctor's office. Know how much the doctor makes? Fucking pennies. The only people making money is the insurance companies, and they are the only ones who shouldn't be making any money.

pennies?? my ex is a registered nurse. they get all kinds of luv from the med companies. i did a 2 day contract for a med company in texas they spoiled us rotten. doctors have power over what meds are approved by patients. dont feel sorry 4 doc

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Personally, I support universal health care, and believe that it should be a right of all people to receive good health care services.

I've been self-employed for over a decade, and have not had health insurance since then, because every healthcare company which I applied to has denied me coverage due to a pre-existing condition - Psoriasis (a fairly common skin/immune system disorder, which is more of a nuisance then a serious health risk).

I'm happy to finally be able to get healthcare coverage.





ADG

[beemk]

Originally Posted by brassmonkey

pennies?? my ex is a registered nurse. they get all kinds of luv from the med companies. i did a 2 day contract for a med company in texas they spoiled us rotten. doctors have power over what meds are approved by patients. dont feel sorry 4 doc

Don't mind rochard, posting "facts" about subjects he knows nothing about is one of his hobbies.

[Joshua G]

Originally Posted by AsianDivaGirlsWebDude

Personally, I support universal health care, and believe that it should be a right of all people to receive good health care services.

ADG

i'm with you. capitalist healthcare is unworkable. the profit motive is immoral & the system is incapable of price competitiveness. everything about healthcare economics bends towards oligopoly. hence, health insurers are dropping plans, dropping states, & colluding so that there are only 3 options per state.

nobody debates the need for a pentagon for national security. there should be no argument about the need of the people for health care, & peoples inability to pay should not cause them to die.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Originally Posted by JoshGirls Josh

capitalist healthcare is unworkable

You're delusional if you think government programs outperform a free market. The problem is that the US has not had a free market for a very long time.

[Joshua G]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

You're delusional if you think government programs outperform a free market. The problem is that the US has not had a free market for a very long time.

right. 'cause if not for the government, there would be thousands of hospitals competing for your dying body while you shop for ER services through priceline in the ambulance.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Originally Posted by JoshGirls Josh

right. 'cause if not for the government, there would be thousands of hospitals competing for your dying body while you shop for ER services through priceline in the ambulance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

[Yanks_Todd]

Originally Posted by tony286

They should of done a public option but our president has no spine. This is going to be fucked up. A big problem is instead of working to fix it ,the right voted now 37 times to repel it. They want it to fail so they can win but it will be on the back of avg americans.
Healthcare has to change, the status quo isnt working.

This is 100% right in my opinion.

[Joshua G]

Originally Posted by - Jesus Christ -

You're delusional if you think government programs outperform a free market. The problem is that the US has not had a free market for a very long time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring

[noshit]

Well, Your New Health Care; It Is Unconstitutional. So Go With It.

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by Barry-xlovecam

I was pleasantly surprised when the federal government picked up my high-risk policy pre-existing condition insurance plan (PCIP) from the state ...


The premiums went down from $561 a month to $427 a month and the total out of pocket expense (premiums, co-pays and deductibles) was reduced from $13,900 to $8,249 per year.

I hope that if you are buying insurance now you will see some reductions also.

Well that's quite the savings. You do realize however that you are clouding the bitchfest with your positive spin comments, yes? Anyway again that is quite some savings.

I still prefer my $0 per month, but I won't elaborate further or certain Americans will start talking about the so-called 'high taxes' I supposedly have to pay.

[noshit]

Originally Posted by Barry-xlovecam

I was pleasantly surprised when the federal government picked up my high-risk policy pre-existing condition insurance plan (PCIP) from the state ...

Pleasantly surprised? From the state? federal government??? you live in Old Russia, riht?

[kane]

Originally Posted by baddog

No new taxes

Shhh. . . this is 2013. The current administration and congress do not increase taxes or even say the T-word. . . these increases are now know as "fees."

[Robbie]

I have heard a number bandied about on the news but not sure how it works.

The number I am hearing is that even after ObamaCare is fully "implemented" and all the new taxes are in place...that there will still be 30 million un-insured people in the U.S.

Now, to be clear, I don't think that everybody NEEDS insurance. I know that when I was 19 years old, married, and in college...my then-wife and I were barely getting by. If we had been forced to buy health insurance, we literally wouldn't have had money to eat.

But having said that...if 30 million are still going to be un-insured...then what was the point of this whole thing?

[pornmasta]

Originally Posted by baddog

Because people could not concentrate on two issues at once?

i'm gonna repeat this sentence lol

[kane]

Originally Posted by Robbie

I have heard a number bandied about on the news but not sure how it works.

The number I am hearing is that even after ObamaCare is fully "implemented" and all the new taxes are in place...that there will still be 30 million un-insured people in the U.S.

Now, to be clear, I don't think that everybody NEEDS insurance. I know that when I was 19 years old, married, and in college...my then-wife and I were barely getting by. If we had been forced to buy health insurance, we literally wouldn't have had money to eat.

But having said that...if 30 million are still going to be un-insured...then what was the point of this whole thing?

I had heard a number,but it it wasn't that high. I thought 30 million was the number of people without insurance now.

Supposedly, if you are poor enough you will either end up getting a version of medicare or the government will subsidize your insurance to the degree that you will end up getting it free or very close to free.

However, I will believe all of this when I see it.

[Barry-xlovecam]

Originally Posted by noshit

Pleasantly surprised? From the state? federal government??? you live in Old Russia, riht?

No Obamacareland.

I had some major health setbacks and became uninsurable.

I have also paid taxes for almost 40 years. So, I guess I am getting some back now ...

Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act (ACA) established fund grants to states to create high-risk insurance pools for chronically ill people who were denied private market insurance. I needed a Carotid endarterectomy ((CEA) is a surgical procedure used to prevent stroke, by correcting stenosis (narrowing) in the common carotid artery.) I had had three minor strokes five years ago. After the CEA, another two surgeries, one not directly related.

So, Obamacare was a lifesaver for me literally -- without it I would be a vegetable, dead or a good part of what assets I have spent or gone. I have spent $22,000 in the past two years on my insured cost of medical care. It has cost a Lambo in doctors' and hospital bills and will continue (working on spending a new Bentley).

So no, I am not getting a free Medicaid-Welfare ride ... Still paying taxes and paying an "equitable" heath insurance premium. So, if the Obamacare law forces someone 25 to pay a couple hundred a month to have "health insurance" so when he is 58 like me he is not a medical train wreck -- that is not a bad thing. There are subsidies for low income earners.

As far as all the bellyaching that "we will go out of business" if we have to provide health insurance to our employees -- if you cannot afford to be responsible to pay for group insurance, or provide wage increases so those you employ can buy the new federally mandated pool Obamacare insurance -- you are either greedy pigs or you really should not employ anyone -- you are not a viable enterprise.

If you are self-employed and cannot afford to provide healthcare for yourself and your family, even if your insurance costs would be subsidised -- you are up shit's creek. If you are that broke there will be expanded Medicaid.

If I have to pay an extra thousand in a year taxes to subsidise your healthcare I guess I will have to I have benefited by this new Obamacare law already -- you can't make any money if you are dead -- that is undisputed fact.

[OldJeff]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I don't blame this on Obama, Bush, Clinton, or any one of the presidents. I blame this on all of them. One of the most important areas of our life, healthcare, is completely screwed.

My wife works for a small doctor's office. Know how much the doctor makes? Fucking pennies. The only people making money is the insurance companies, and they are the only ones who shouldn't be making any money.

Quoted for TRUTH !!

[Barry-xlovecam]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

...

I still prefer my $0 per month, but I won't elaborate further or certain Americans will start talking about the so-called 'high taxes' I supposedly have to pay.

Canada does not allow the medical-industrial complex to exist -- that's one reason.

You could make the argument that your healthcare is dependent on American medical research but that is bullshit. A lot of good medical research comes out of Europe and Japan too as well as other countries with socialized medicine.

Fact is, I don't hear Canadians saying how shitty their medical delivery system is, notwithstanding a few isolated instances. So, healthcare works in Canada and in most of Western Europe too -- the British NHS being a longstanding example.

[DWB]

Originally Posted by JoshGirls Josh

right. 'cause if not for the government, there would be thousands of hospitals competing for your dying body while you shop for ER services through priceline in the ambulance.

Be careful, you're going to make Jesus start posting Wikipedia links.

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by JoshGirls Josh

right. 'cause if not for the government, there would be thousands of hospitals competing for your dying body while you shop for ER services through priceline in the ambulance.

Actually I do blame the govt. for the situation we are in.

As I've written before...my family never had health insurance. For the most part of my life, health insurance was an "insurance" against catastrophic injury or disease (a bad car wreck, open heart surgery, etc.)

Up until the early 1990's when it started getting real expensive, it was pretty easy to just go to the doctor and pay in cash.

And that included hospital visits too.

BUT...around the late 1980's or so was when I first started reading about something called "HMO" in the newspaper.

And over the years, the more the govt. got "involved" the more I've watched it become more and more expensive for everything.

This isn't a "republican" or "democrat" thing...it's ALL of them.

Our govt. has cut deals over the decades with big pharma and the medical industry that allows them to legally price gouge the American people.

Even when Obama first took office...do y'all remember it was reported that the FIRST thing his people did was have a meeting with the big pharmacy companies and promise them that they could continue to charge people in the United States the same 3 to 4 times MORE than anywhere else in the world.

These "deals" that have been made over the last few decades with every administration are what have led us to where we are today.

If you get a random procedure that costs say $1,000 anywhere else in the world...it will cost $5,000 or more here.
And we get the $100 paper cup to hold the water for your $50 tylenol while in the hospital as well.

The insurance, medical, and pharmaceutical lobbyists have very successfully poured money into the pockets of politicians for decades. And the big payoff is finally at hand.

[dappz-datton]

ummmmm its insane grrrr

[pornguy]

I love the way we are getting Health care just like the other countries like Canada..

Where do I sign up to BUY my health care. Oh wait, I was already buying it.