Cheaper healthcare or a bunch of bullshit?

[GFED]

Haven't really kept up with this obamacare crap, but is it suppose to make healthcare more affordable or is it a bunch of bullshit? I've received numerous mails from healthcare such as Blue Cross that say I should buy their healthcare now because when obamacare takes effect, healthcare prices will rise.

[fitzmulti]

It was bullshit from day one.

[acctman]

if you don't have its cheaper and it does not discriminate if you already have an existing health issue which is a big thing for a lot of people.

[KillerK]

It will be more expensive then it is currently.

[acctman]

It was bullshit from day one.

not bullshit if you have an existing health problem and you get denied by insurance companies.

[acctman]

It will be more expensive then it is currently.

it will just make providers lower there rates to compete

[fitzmulti]

not bullshit if you have an existing health problem and you get denied by insurance companies.

I do, and I have been.
So, being FORCED to buy UNaffordable health care...or be "fined", LOL!
What a joke "OBAMAcare", LOL!

[acctman]

I do, and I have been.
So, being FORCED to buy UNaffordable health care...or be "fined", LOL!
What a joke "OBAMAcare", LOL!

I will admit I was also pissed with the $95 fine for not having insurance but its a tax fine. I still was like wtf, but in the bigger picture it not to big of a deal. Think about it like this we all pay into social security in which we'll probably never get that money back.

The health care has to be paid for some how, and i'm now fine with the $95 fine but will look into getting coverage again.

[kane]

According to the numbers I will be able to get a Silver plan that will cover much more than the simple catastrophic plan that I have now for about $30 per month more than I pay now. Exactly how much more it will cover remains to be seen, but it should be much better than what I have now.

The reason for this is I have asthma which has always made getting any kind of insurance hard and expensive. As it rolls out and more info is available I am interested in seeing exactly what I will be able to get and for how much.

[TumblrPRO]

The NAZI REPUBLICANS are protecting their MULTI-TRILLION Private Medical Industry at the expenses of shutting down a whole country. Both, Private Health Insurance companies and Pharmaceutical companies are involved in this Manipulation of a whole country in addition to the Massive Scam and Robbery...

It's pretty scary. But nothing new.

Just watch SICKO and you will understand everything.

[mikesouth]

I do, and I have been.
So, being FORCED to buy UNaffordable health care...or be "fined", LOL!
What a joke "OBAMAcare", LOL!

I would agree with you if we would let you die if you needed healthcare you couldnt afford, but right or wrong we have decided its a right and as such its gotta be paid for

The first time some asshat who thought he didnt need health insurance needed brain surgery and we let the cock sucker die a lot of people would change their minds about health insurance.

[seeandsee]

/I understand why medicament's make you even more sick later but not kill you, you are their gold chicken!

[fitzmulti]

I would agree with you if we would let you die if you needed healthcare you couldnt afford, but right or wrong we have decided its a right and as such its gotta be paid for

The first time some asshat who thought he didnt need health insurance needed brain surgery and we let the cock sucker die a lot of people would change their minds about health insurance.

I don't disagree with that, in principle, however...two years ago, I DID in fact, almost die...and I am paying for the bills, and subsequent medical expenses.

But even without that incident, my insurance would be nearly $300 a month. I hear how this is "oh so fair..." but it is NOT.
People that make a lot of money, and can afford insurance, are being RAPED for their insurance premiums, and that just subsidies those who do not have any (and can not pay for their bills like I am).

This is not "auto insurance" where some other persons life can be taken, or hurt, in a wreck.
This should never EVER just be forced upon us as a nation...and it IS bullshit, regardless how you, or anyone else wants to slice it.

As far as the "fine" of $95...wait until you find out what it really is, and will become...
Obamacare Penalty And Fines

The biggest point being buzzed about is the well-known Obamacare penalty. The policy forces individuals opting out of any form of health insurance to pay a ?penalty fine?, which is more appropriately a tax. You must be signed up for health insurance by December 25, 2013 in order to Obamacare penalty. The original Obamacare penalty maxes out at $285 or one percent of the income for a family of four. In 2016, the Obamacare penalty maxes at $695 per person, $2,085 for the family, or 2.5 percent of taxable income, which amounts to $173.75 per month.

[_Richard_]

it's complicated.

universal healthcare is a must. especially with the aging population etc

however, lobbyists killed the universal health care push, so expect nothing other than the same people making money to make a lot more money

and kiss your healthcare system goodbye in 20 years

[fitzmulti]

it's complicated.

Universal healthcare is a must. Especially with the aging population etc

however, lobbyists killed the universal health care push, so expect nothing other than the same people making money to make a lot more money

and kiss your healthcare system goodbye in 20 years

^^^ this

[mikesouth]

come on what do yall expect the insurance lobby wrote the law...the same insurance that is out of business if we go to universal health care.

Universal care would never have passed so this is a stepping stone I expect.

This will define Obamas legacy way more than his skin color...time will tell.

Over the long haul something had to be done do I think Obamacare is the right answer...not at all but it is a very small step in the right direction.

[mikesouth]

as for premiums going up....because I am self employed mine will be going down quite a bit, for better coverage. if you are self employed and dont have a CPA that can help you with this, yes yer gonna pay more...but if yer smart you will come out alright.

[_Richard_]

come on what do yall expect the insurance lobby wrote the law...the same insurance that is out of business if we go to universal health care.

Universal care would never have passed so this is a stepping stone I expect.

This will define Obamas legacy way more than his skin color...time will tell.

Over the long haul something had to be done do I think Obamacare is the right answer...not at all but it is a very small step in the right direction.

that's a cheery outlook to legally requiring people to buy a private product

you're a writer?

[arock10]

go put your stats in and see, exchanges went live today. and might be working now. might

[mikesouth]

that's a cheery outlook to legally requiring people to buy a private product

you're a writer?

I am a low brow, gun totin, pornographer who writes op ed stuff on the side

[_Richard_]

I am a low brow, gun totin, pornographer who writes op ed stuff on the side

understood. i suppose the dog comment makes a lot more sense for me, then

[Hattrick]

No one knows who wrote the Obamacare bill but Senate Democrats. It was put into another bill with a completely different name that was already in conference to get around the Scott Brown election results. Democrat staffers won't say who wrote it either. So no one knows but them. Yes it could have been the Healthcare industry. But then again it mainly sets forth over 300 new government agencies with regulatory powers, so it sounds more like bureaucrats and staffers wrote the bill which should alarm anyone - but doesn't.

[kane]

No one knows who wrote the Obamacare bill but Senate Democrats. It was put into another bill with a completely different name that was already in conference to get around the Scott Brown election results. Democrat staffers won't say who wrote it either. So no one knows but them. Yes it could have been the Healthcare industry. But then again it mainly sets forth over 300 new government agencies with regulatory powers, so it sounds more like bureaucrats and staffers wrote the bill which should alarm anyone - but doesn't.

I have always been under the impression that it was primarily authored by the insurance lobbyists.

If you remember, when Obama first announced his plans for Obamacare the insurance industry was up in arms about it because now they were going to have cover people with preexisting conditions and make some other concessions. Then all of a sudden they stopped complaining and in some cases even endorsed it. They realized that the mandate was going to drop millions of new healthy, profitable customers into their lap and they were all for it.

[mikesouth]

understood. i suppose the dog comment makes a lot more sense for me, then

Dog comment???

[Minte]

I have always been under the impression that it was primarily authored by the insurance lobbyists.

If you remember, when Obama first announced his plans for Obamacare the insurance industry was up in arms about it because now they were going to have cover people with preexisting conditions and make some other concessions. Then all of a sudden they stopped complaining and in some cases even endorsed it. They realized that the mandate was going to drop millions of new healthy, profitable customers into their lap and they were all for it.

Read the terms of these policies.. They are going to be a money maker for the insurance company. They don't pay anything unless there is a major medical crisis. Huge deductibles.

If you have some cash to invest into the market, insurance companies are going to be a good place ..for a while.

[_Richard_]

I have always been under the impression that it was primarily authored by the insurance lobbyists.

If you remember, when Obama first announced his plans for Obamacare the insurance industry was up in arms about it because now they were going to have cover people with preexisting conditions and make some other concessions. Then all of a sudden they stopped complaining and in some cases even endorsed it. They realized that the mandate was going to drop millions of new healthy, profitable customers into their lap and they were all for it.

that would be when the public option was struck

can't have government competition.. that isn't the free market!

[Best-In-BC]

Nothing, I repeating nothing beats Canada's single payer system! :D

[kane]

Read the terms of these policies.. They are going to be a money maker for the insurance company. They don't pay anything unless there is a major medical crisis. Huge deductibles.

If you have some cash to invest into the market, insurance companies are going to be a good place ..for a while.

According to the info on the website, and again it is all pretty vauge, the policies that will be in the ballpark of what I am paying now will have anywhere from a $100 to a $1,000 annual deductible.

If it works like health insurance I have had in the past this means after my deductible is paid they will kick in and pay their percentage (which is supposed to be 70-80% of medical costs, no idea about prescriptions).

Still, as you said, insurance is a good place to invest. In the long run they never lose money and Obamacare is going to be a huge windfall for them.

[Minte]

According to the info on the website, and again it is all pretty vauge, the policies that will be in the ballpark of what I am paying now will have anywhere from a $100 to a $1,000 annual deductible.

If it works like health insurance I have had in the past this means after my deductible is paid they will kick in and pay their percentage (which is supposed to be 70-80% of medical costs, no idea about prescriptions).

Still, as you said, insurance is a good place to invest. In the long run they never lose money and Obamacare is going to be a huge windfall for them.

You're not the demographic that obamacare was intended. You can take that money you will save and buy stuff...and that's a good thing.

That group it was intended for won't be able to afford the deductible.

[epitome]

Read the terms of these policies.. They are going to be a money maker for the insurance company. They don't pay anything unless there is a major medical crisis. Huge deductibles.

If you have some cash to invest into the market, insurance companies are going to be a good place ..for a while.

What are you even talking about? I have had a "sneak peak" at things for a year and a half and everything is covered just the same as any other insurance. I am paying the same price as I would have in the private market (which I could not access due to pre-existing condition) for the same coverage. I went with the 80/20 with a manageable annual deductible. Pretty standard insurance.

[epitome]

You're not the demographic that obamacare was intended. You can take that money you will save and buy stuff...and that's a good thing.

That group it was intended for won't be able to afford the deductible.

The people that cannot afford the deductible will be on Medicaid, which existed long before ACA.

[kane]

You're not the demographic that obamacare was intended. You can take that money you will save and buy stuff...and that's a good thing.

That group it was intended for won't be able to afford the deductible.

As I read more about it there seems to be kind of a bubble group that is going to get screwed. These are people who make too much money to get free insurance and they make barely too much to get large amounts of government assistance yet not enough that the premiums/deductibles are going to be a negligible cost.

They are kind of stuck in the middle where this now becomes a new bill that they can't afford.

[Minte]

What are you even talking about? I have had a "sneak peak" at things for a year and a half and everything is covered just the same as any other insurance. I am paying the same price as I would have in the private market (which I could not access due to pre-existing condition) for the same coverage. I went with the 80/20 with a manageable annual deductible. Pretty standard insurance.

You remind me of a kid that doesn't want to believe there is NO SANTA..
You have convinced yourself that this is the best thing since slice bread. We'll see.

What might be good for you, won't be good for millions. Anyone in that $10 - $15 an hour range is going to have a tough go of it.
Look at where the fines will be in 2 years.. 2.5% of income. That's a huge tax.

[mikesouth]

if yer single and making 10-15 dollars an hour you will pay almost nothing for good insurance...Obamacare will subsidize about 70-75% of it...

[Minte]

if yer single and making 10-15 dollars an hour you will pay almost nothing for good insurance...Obamacare will subsidize about 70-75% of it...

Wishful thinking.. I appreciate that it all sounds good, but everyone seems to forget that important part of this. The government is very close to insolvency. They refuse to even consider any real debt reduction and are going to battle congress in a short time to raise the debt limit, again.

These people are making promises they can't possibly keep.

[bronco67]

Haven't really kept up with this obamacare crap, but is it suppose to make healthcare more affordable or is it a bunch of bullshit? I've received numerous mails from healthcare such as Blue Cross that say I should buy their healthcare now because when obamacare takes effect, healthcare prices will rise.

Maybe Blue Cross is full of shit.

[onwebcam]

if yer single and making 10-15 dollars an hour you will pay almost nothing for good insurance... Other people will subsidize about 70-75% of it...

Fixed that for ya.

[2MuchMark]

It was bullshit from day one.

[noshit]

Well of course it's bullshit.
It has nothing to do with "Healthcare" or any "Care" at all about you or me.

[mikesouth]

Fixed that for ya.

true dat

[keysync]

As I read more about it there seems to be kind of a bubble group that is going to get screwed. These are people who make too much money to get free insurance and they make barely too much to get large amounts of government assistance yet not enough that the premiums/deductibles are going to be a negligible cost.

They are kind of stuck in the middle where this now becomes a new bill that they can't afford.

This is a huge part of the population. Not just a negligible percentage.
This is just about every person that works for a temp agency or a small mom and pop type business.
Married making about 50k a year with a mortgage, a couple kids, two vehicles, etc etc
This is most definitely another $355 bill per month they can't really afford.

[mikesouth]

one of my commeters on mikesouth.com had this to say



Mike: Like me via my daughter, you have experienced health issues and understand how valuable real health insurance is if you have an issue. I’m not talking about the kind of plan you get for $50 a month with a $3,000 annual cap. I’m talking about health insurance that pays your bills, according to the contract, if you get sick.

During the debate over the affordable care act, Obama said once that the biggest problem with the argument of health insurance is that most people don’t know what health insurance costs. It costs a lot – in fact, real insurance costs that covers you when you’re ill costs a lot.

Here are the things that people don’t understand. Prior to Obamacare, health insurance was regulated at the state level by the state insurance commissioner. The commissioner determines the base plan that an insurance company has to offer to do business in the state – that applies to all insurance, including auto, homeowners, life insurance and health insurance. There are states – they tend to be Republican southern states – where insurers can offer very cheap, no frills insurance plans for any of the above. The problem is — they don’t cover squat when you need them.

I live in a state where the base plan is pretty good, when it comes to heath insurance. Even a crappy plan offers a lot of coverage if you’re sick. It’s just a very high deductible and no co-pays or very high co-pays.

Now, I’m the treasurer of a non-profit organization that offers its director a family health insurance plan with $20 co-pays, prescription coverage, and $1,500 maximum deductible/out of pocket from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The annual cost for a family plan? $26,000. That is not a misprint.

Now, when the feds announced the cost of the exchanges for my state, Michelle Bachman was still running for president. The exchange plan that was equivalent to the Blue Cross plan my director enjoys was about $18,000. Michelle Bachman said: $18,000. That’s outrageous. Who can afford that? Meanwhile, I’m looking at it and thinking, I can’t wait to get that plan for only $18,000, because it’s $8,000 less than what I’d have to pay for a BlueCross plan.

My $968 a month plan – just under $12,000 a year – comes with a $7,500 per person deductible per year ($22,500 for my family), no prescription coverage; and a $75 office co-pay.

Again sounds like a gyp, right? But prior to Obamacare, I was paying $1,350 a month to cover me, my wife and daughter, $10,000 per person deductibles ($30,000 a year), no prescription, no office co-pays and no coverage for lab tests, annual physicals or things like my wife’s mammograms or the formerly mentioned colonoscopies. I used to spend $2,000 a year on my wife’s physicals, so she could get mammograms and pap smears.

So, is $968 cheap? It is not. But, it is a bargain compared to what I spend.

Obamacare is only expensive to people who were previously uninsured, had no desire to buy insurance, and if they got ill, went to the emergency room because the hospital was obligated to treat them. If you were buying real insurance – insurance that covered you in an illness – it’s a bargain compared to the alternative.

Last point – health care isn’t like an automobile if you need it. If you or I go to buy a car, we can choose a new Mercedes for $100,000 or a 98 Honda Accord for $1,000. Either one will get you to work.

If you get cancer, break your leg, need a heart bypass or, like my daughter, develop a post surgical infection that threatens your life, you cannot choose between a Mercedes or an old Honda Accord. There’s one standard of care and it costs what it costs. You get treatment or you don’t. You live or you die. You get an Xray and a cast for your leg, or you risk losing your leg or developing gangrene.

[Barry-xlovecam]

I can see why people who struggle to make money are upset about the new healthcare law and its mandatory requirement and just maybe; should the be allowed to "opt-out" on the condition that they receive no emergency healthcare under any circumstance? The only right they would have is to die on the street at an accident scene or walk into the ER of any hospital with severe crisis and have the door slammed in their face?

I can see why employers are upset for reason that they can not now hold the non-availability of health insurance over their employees heads to stop attrition or prevent new competition by inspiring entrepreneurs as they can get their own health insurance within these new pools (healthcare exchanges).

If you have some pre-existing condition or chronic illness this law is very important to your survival and well-being.

If you really are low income there are new Medicaid requirements and subsidies to help the working poor obtain access or to buy into the healthcare system. However, many of us taxpayers will bear the costs of these new entitlements or subsidies. Well, I guess we will have to curtail some other non-domestic or non-essential spending to pay for healthcare.

I think when we discover we are just feeding a overpriced and often corrupt healthcare system there will be a change in the USA toward public single payer (universal) healthcare.

Right now about 20% of the US population and uninsured and have only very limited access to essential health services -- like it or not we all have to pay, be entitled by our poverty or our compliance subsidized by those able. Social responsibility sucks ...

[GFED]

I have always been under the impression that it was primarily authored by the insurance lobbyists.

This was my thought as well. Just another way to fuck me out of my money. The doctor that I used to go to would let me self pay for $20 a visit instead of the regular $100. Now she only accepts patients with healthcare. I guess I'm one of the few people that thinks paying $100 for someone to take my weight, blood pressure, heart rate and temperature is a fucking rip off.

[GFED]

So, I was just looking at the current prices of healthcare available to me. The same plan that I was looking at from Blue Cross was $75/month is now $195/month. That's for the cheapest plan available. This shit is a fucking scam.

[Tom_PM]

I've heard as of today the shit website has cost about $600,000,000 and the idea of the law was to get the 40,000,000 uninsured people some insurance. Umm.. next time just give us $15,000,000 each. That's government for you.

[Minte]

Last night on NBC nightly news with Brian Williams they announced the total enrollment so far in the program.

They can all fit in Texas Stadium.

[Minte]

So, I was just looking at the current prices of healthcare available to me. The same plan that I was looking at from Blue Cross was $75/month is now $195/month. That's for the cheapest plan available. This shit is a fucking scam.

Look at the fine print and see what you actually get for that. Deductibles and copays are far beyond what an average income in the US can afford.

[GFED]

Look at the fine print and see what you actually get for that. Deductibles and copays are far beyond what an average income in the US can afford.

Yes, just spoke with Humana on the phone and the cheapest plan they could offer me was $201.09/month with a $6300 deductible.

[AmeliaG]

This is a huge part of the population. Not just a negligible percentage.
This is just about every person that works for a temp agency or a small mom and pop type business.
Married making about 50k a year with a mortgage, a couple kids, two vehicles, etc etc
This is most definitely another $355 bill per month they can't really afford.

Very true.