This ObamaCare is such a nightmare

[epitome]

My premium went down $35/mo for 2013 and I will only be paying $202 for my policy.

When is this insanity going to stop? What has Obama done?

Why can't I get the 15% annual increases everybody else complains about?

[BIGTYMER]

You have it before you were diagnosed?

[- Jesus Christ -]

Well hey, if something works for a single person on a webmaster forum we might as well completely eliminate the free market.

[epitome]

You have it before you were diagnosed?

Nope. Diagnosed 17 years.

[Robbie]

I wish our premiums would go down. They have gone up and up for 4 straight years.

I'm thinking the insurance companies are trying to get as much of an increase as possible before ObamaCare finally kicks in all the way in 2014

[epitome]

Well hey, if something works for a single person on a webmaster forum we might as well completely eliminate the free market.

Rates are calculated to the free market which means some people exaggerate to try and prove their point. Since insurers have to pay 80% to care now rates will be coming down.

[epitome]

I wish our premiums would go down. They have gone up and up for 4 straight years.

I'm thinking the insurance companies are trying to get as much of an increase as possible before ObamaCare finally kicks in all the way in 2014

Does the 80% rule that started in 2012 apply to Florida only? I can't believe it would only apply to one of the most pro?business states in the nation that sued over ObamaCare and only decided to play along in the last few months.

[baddog]

Well, goodgirl's dropped to $720/mo (down $100), but that will only hold true until the end of 2013 when Obamacare actually becomes involved in the process

[- Jesus Christ -]

Rates are calculated to the free market which means some people exaggerate to try and prove their point. Since insurers have to pay 80% to care now rates will be coming down.

At this point nothing in America is even close to being a true free market, especially not the insurance industry.

It's true that plenty of people will collect direct and indirect entitlements as Rome burns, but shits still on fire yo.

[Rob]

My doctor retired because of it and he's been my doctor since I was 12. My premiums through United Health hasn't gone up or down. But then again, I'm paying $1,3750 a month for my family...I sure as hell hope it doesn't go up.

[woj]

obviously the $$$ had to come from somewhere, if you are paying less, someone else obviously had to pay for it...

[mikesouth]

While I think Obamacare as it is called needs some tuning in general I think it was the right thing at the right time. Speaking only for myself three years ago I I tried to get health insurance my quote was 805/month I just couldn't justify that. One year ago I went to the exact same company and got the exact same policy for 255.00/month

I have no idea if that was a result of Obamacare or not but I do know I have health insurance now that even covers the spinal tumor I had should it ever return, something that would have been exempted in the 805.00 per month quote as a pre existing condition.

While I am a fan of the free market and strongly Libertarian I am also pragmatic. When quality health care and education become the providence of the rich you will have a revolution...ask Castro what he capitalized on.

[- Jesus Christ -]

While I am a fan of the free market and strongly Libertarian I am also pragmatic.

The old stealing from the young is very pragmatic.... for the old.

[Barefootsies]

The old stealing from the young is very pragmatic.... for the old.

Compared to say...... low cost/interest student loans floated by the old rich to the young poor?

Good call grasshopper.

[Shotsie]

Well hey, if something works for a single person on a webmaster forum we might as well completely eliminate the free market.

Private sector group health insurance is socialism.

Think about it.

If socialism is the taint that you can?t abide, then cancel your group health insurance and pay the free-market cost of your medical expenditures out of pocket, as an individual operating under pure market conditions.

You want to band together with other Americans and obtain health insurance as a group, at a group rate, relying on actuarial tables and such to ensure that group participation allows those of us who get sick and require costly procedures don?t pay the full cost of those procedures while others remain healthy to contribute their premiums? You?re up for that and you want to scream about eliminating the "free market"?

Fucking Trotskyite scumbag.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Compared to say...... low cost/interest student loans floated by the old rich to the young poor?

Good call grasshopper.

Pointing out a second wrong doesn't invalidate my point.

All forced redistribution of wealth distorts a markets ability to set prices.

[- Jesus Christ -]

Private sector group health insurance is socialism.

Think about it.

If socialism is the taint that you can’t abide, then cancel your group health insurance and pay the free-market cost of your medical expenditures out of pocket, as an individual operating under pure market conditions.

You want to band together with other Americans and obtain health insurance as a group, at a group rate, relying on actuarial tables and such to ensure that group participation allows those of us who get sick and require costly procedures don’t pay the full cost of those procedures while others remain healthy to contribute their premiums? You’re up for that and you want to scream about eliminating the "free market"?

Fucking Trotskyite scumbag.

You are completely ignoring the fact that that FORCED socialization and FORCED taxation means I have no free market left to go to. Forced socialization distorts the pricing for the rest of the market.

[seeandsee]

When you pay let's say 600-1000$/m health insurance in USA, are you fully covered or what?

[Minte]

Rates are calculated to the free market which means some people exaggerate to try and prove their point. Since insurers have to pay 80% to care now rates will be coming down.

I'll let you know how that goes in a few months. Our group policy renews July 1 and we start on that in March. Last year our rate increased 14% to $1324 per month for family and $815 for singles. What kind of insurance do you have that costs $200ish a month? Or do you work for someone that is paying the larger part of it.

[baddog]

When you pay let's say 600-1000$/m health insurance in USA, are you fully covered or what?

Not even close, she pays the first $3,000 on out of pocket, the insurance only covers the first $75,000 - if approved.

Her policy used to cover up to $1 million a year. So it is cheaper, but she has a lot less coverage.

[crockett]

When you pay let's say 600-1000$/m health insurance in USA, are you fully covered or what?

Na people still get anally raped by the insurance companies whom do anything possible not to pay the bills and then drop them if they can get away with it.

This is why private sector health insurance just doesn't work. It's a failed experiment that this country just can't seem to let go. Largely due to the amount of money the insurance companies pump into the govt via lobbyists.

You could probably go to Cuba and get better coverage than what people pay $600 to 1000/mth for here.

The simple fact is when a system is built on profit, then profit is the guiding light not health care. Free market in the US means that with out insurance a prescription I take costs about $130- 160 for a prescription I get.. In Canada and Mexico the exact same medication is about $30-40. That's the American free market for you.

With insurance I end up paying the same thing as what it costs in Canada & Mexico because the insurance companies have deals with the pharma companies. Meaning I'm pretty much buying the prescription outright and the insurance company is likely not paying a dime. That's the biggest part of the scam that most people don't even realize.

[epitome]

I'll let you know how that goes in a few months. Our group policy renews July 1 and we start on that in March. Last year our rate increased 14% to $1324 per month for family and $815 for singles. What kind of insurance do you have that costs $200ish a month? Or do you work for someone that is paying the larger part of it.

You're not considered a small biz anymore but a large group now, right? If so, in your case insurers have to spend 85% on care.

Edit: I pay it all myself through my company. It is an 80/20 PPO with $1k annual deductible and $4k out of pocket cap. Prescriptions, after I think a $250 deductible, are $4 generic, $25 brand and $50 for the special class of certain drugs.

[Jboogie91]

From the insurance point of view insurance costs are to be increasing this year between 12-40%. Obamacare will not lower prices for many years, abou 10-20 years. What Obamacare will do is get rid of policy maximums and allow emergency coverage plans to everyone. Right emergency only plans aren't readily avaliable nor are they affordable.

They may be more attractive but not cheaper and if you are a corporation you can be held to huge tax penalties for not helping their employees buy health care.

Let me know if you need help navigating this fun mess.
Johnathan

[epitome]

From the insurance point of view insurance costs are to be increasing this year between 12-40%. Obamacare will not lower prices for many years, abou 10-20 years. What Obamacare will do is get rid of policy maximums and allow emergency coverage plans to everyone. Right emergency only plans aren't readily avaliable nor are they affordable.

They may be more attractive but not cheaper and if you are a corporation you can be held to huge tax penalties for not helping their employees buy health care.

Let me know if you need help navigating this fun mess.
Johnathan

Sounds like you're the one that needs help navigating.

[GrantMercury]

My premium went down $35/mo for 2013 and I will only be paying $202 for my policy.

When is this insanity going to stop? What has Obama done?

Why can't I get the 15% annual increases everybody else complains about?

I KNOW! And those free checkups?!?!? How am I supposed to pay for those?!!?

[epitome]

While I think Obamacare as it is called needs some tuning in general I think it was the right thing at the right time. Speaking only for myself three years ago I I tried to get health insurance my quote was 805/month I just couldn't justify that. One year ago I went to the exact same company and got the exact same policy for 255.00/month

I have no idea if that was a result of Obamacare or not but I do know I have health insurance now that even covers the spinal tumor I had should it ever return, something that would have been exempted in the 805.00 per month quote as a pre existing condition.

While I am a fan of the free market and strongly Libertarian I am also pragmatic. When quality health care and education become the providence of the rich you will have a revolution...ask Castro what he capitalized on.

It's amazing how everybody is a political expert on GFY but most don't know what happened 90 miles from our own shore.

[GrantMercury]

Na people still get anally raped by the insurance companies whom do anything possible not to pay the bills and then drop them if they can get away with it.

This is why private sector health insurance just doesn't work. It's a failed experiment that this country just can't seem to let go. Largely due to the amount of money the insurance companies pump into the govt via lobbyists.

Yup. A single-payer system would have been too good, too soon. The GOP wouldn't have it. We Americans can't deal with it. So a somewhat less shitty (but still shitty) system is what we got.

I'm glad OBC is going through, though. Hopefully we can improve upon it. I think VT has its own single-payer system now. Hopefully when other states see the savings, they'll start their own. That's pretty much what happened in Canada.

[Black All Through]

Well, goodgirl's dropped to $720/mo (down $100), but that will only hold true until the end of 2013 when Obamacare actually becomes involved in the process

By then you'll be on Medicare old man, get your AARP card ready

[woj]

I'm glad OBC is going through, though. Hopefully we can improve upon it. I think VT has its own single-payer system now. Hopefully when other states see the savings, they'll start their own. That's pretty much what happened in Canada.

What "savings"? Where exactly do these "savings" come from? You think Obama waved a magic wand, and now everyone's health care costs are $100 less per month?

It's a zero sum problem, for every $100 that epitome saves, someone else is getting fucked out of $100...

[Minte]

I wasn't even going to mention this here...but whatever.
2 weeks ago I was in for my annual checkup. I have been going to the same doctor for over 15 years. We got into a conversation about Obamacare. His response was, he didn't care because he is getting out of the hospital.

Starting the summer of 2013 he will only work in his private clinic and do outpatient . His reason was that he wasn't interested in assembly-line medicine. He and several others are working at taking the clinic totally private. No insurance. Just cash. He said a lot of the older guys are seriously planning on going this direction. They have enough cash and investments that they are not interested in Obamacare at all. I'm on board with him.

Think about that. If a lot of docs leave at once the amount of experience at the hospital level will go with them. To be replaced by fresh out of school doctors with a ton of college debt.

[Jboogie91]

Yup. A single-payer system would have been too good, too soon. The GOP wouldn't have it. We Americans can't deal with it. So a somewhat less shitty (but still shitty) system is what we got.

I'm glad OBC is going through, though. Hopefully we can improve upon it. I think VT has its own single-payer system now. Hopefully when other states see the savings, they'll start their own. That's pretty much what happened in Canada.

The single payer system will be the health insurance exchanges that each state will be setting up to get insurance companies to compete for business. The states that don't setup exchanges the federal government will have an exchange setup to help those citizens with their health insurance.

[Minte]

The single payer system will be the health insurance exchanges that each state will be setting up to get insurance companies to compete for business. The states that don't setup exchanges the federal government will have an exchange setup to help those citizens with their health insurance.

Keep this mind..right now there are 14 states that are going to be administrated by the same people that run the USPS.

[Jboogie91]

Keep this mind..right now there are 14 states that are going to be administrated by the same people that run the USPS.

Scary I know!!

[Wizzo]

Still two major problems I still see is:

1. Insurance is some something you buy in case something might happen, yet nearly everyone that has health insurance plans on using it at least a little.

2. We need to untie healthcare from employment for a number of reasons.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Wait until your town, city, county and state taxes go up because they need to comply to Obamacare. But remember, no one making under $250k will see a tax increase.

[baddog]

I KNOW! And those free checkups?!?!? How am I supposed to pay for those?!!?

You think everyone is getting free checkups?

It's amazing how everybody is a political expert on GFY but most don't know what happened 90 miles from our own shore.

Enlighten us please.

By then you'll be on Medicare old man, get your AARP card ready

You are an idiot if you think calling me old is going to get a rise from me. Obviously you have no idea what age AARP starts enrolling people . . . oh, and there are no benefits other than maybe 10% at some hotels.

[crockett]

Keep this mind..right now there are 14 states that are going to be administrated by the same people that run the USPS.

Odd I can't remember the last time the post office lost my mail.. TBH I don't think they ever have as long as I can remember..

However I can tell you that in the last 2 months I've been billed 3 times for health service, that I didn't use via CIGNA.

Luckily they seem easy to deal with on the phone, but had they fixed the problem the 1st or even the second time I probably wouldn't have had to deal with it yet a third. Here's to crossing my fingers they actually fixed it the 3rd time and I don't get billed yet a 4th.

When I had Aflax or what ever the fucking duck was as my insurance provider, I had to wait 2 months on my first check up because the insurance company purposely would send the wrong patient ID number to the doctors office, forcing me to either pay out of pocket or reschedule.

After talking to the billing person at the doc's office she told me that it was extremely common and it was a tactic used to get people discouraged so they would be too lazy to set up another appointment.

So far the US Post office has a much better track record than my last two private insurance providers.

Just to add a bit more I used MA state provided insurance when I first moved here and it was probably the easiest to use I've ever had and it was actually better coverage for a cheaper price than what I have now with CIGNA.

[Rochard]

I have a friend of mine who works for the state government, and her medical premiums have gone up every year for the past ten years and her yearly raises failed to match. Every year she's making less than the year before.

I have no idea if Obamacare is going to work, but it can't really be much worse what we we have.

[Minte]

Odd I can't remember the last time the post office lost my mail.. TBH I don't think they ever have as long as I can remember..

However I can tell you that in the last 2 months I've been billed 3 times for health service, that I didn't use via CIGNA.

Luckily they seem easy to deal with on the phone, but had they fixed the problem the 1st or even the second time I probably wouldn't have had to deal with it yet a third. Here's to crossing my fingers they actually fixed it the 3rd time and I don't get billed yet a 4th.

When I had Aflax or what ever the fucking duck was as my insurance provider, I had to wait 2 months on my first check up because the insurance company purposely would send the wrong patient ID number to the doctors office, forcing me to either pay out of pocket or reschedule.

After talking to the billing person at the doc's office she told me that it was extremely common and it was a tactic used to get people discouraged so they would be too lazy to set up another appointment.

So far the US Post office has a much better track record than my last two private insurance providers.

Just to add a bit more I used MA state provided insurance when I first moved here and it was probably the easiest to use I've ever had and it was actually better coverage for a cheaper price than what I have now with CIGNA.

Seriously...you are that rabid about Obama that you are defending the Post Office?

[Minte]

I have a friend of mine who works for the state government, and her medical premiums have gone up every year for the past ten years and her yearly raises failed to match. Every year she's making less than the year before.

I have no idea if Obamacare is going to work, but it can't really be much worse what we we have.

Actually it can...and almost certainly will. Remember what your healthcare was like the the military. Get there early,wait all day for shitty doctors.

[epitome]

Wait until your town, city, county and state taxes go up because they need to comply to Obamacare. But remember, no one making under $250k will see a tax increase.

Why would that happen?

[epitome]

Keep this mind..right now there are 14 states that are going to be administrated by the same people that run the USPS.

Wrong. The same people that also administer the health plans of millions of federal employees. Also the people that manage my plan.

I had a problem where my doctor didn't want to pre-cert for a CT-Scan because "he doesn't do them"... so I called the radiology pre-cert number on the back of my card that isn't even for me, but instead for medical professionals. I told the sympathetic woman on the phone my problem, she assured me this is the first she's ever heard of a doctor doing that and then made phone calls to get it sorted. Finally, she called me back to tell me that my pre-cert was approved. All in an hour.

Edit: and come 2014 they won't be administering anything. All they will be doing is running online exchanges so people can compare and purchase insurance directly through insurers.

[Dvae]

I have no idea if Obamacare is going to work, but it can't really be much worse what we we have.

You want to bet?

[Juicy D. Links]

Oxford /United Health covers me for 5 prostate milkings per year

[epitome]

You want to bet?

Like anything political, whether you think it is a success or not will depend on your political views. It could be the best thing in the world and there will still be a % of people lining up saying it is horrible.

[epitome]

Oxford /United Health covers me for 5 prostate milkings per year

Perfect example of waste. You already examine your own prostate twice a day and will be the first to know if it become enlarged.

[baddog]

Odd I can't remember the last time the post office lost my mail.. TBH I don't think they ever have as long as I can remember..

They have lost my mail, delivered to the wrong address and are running at a loss.

[Juicy D. Links]

Perfect example of waste. You already examine your own prostate twice a day and will be the first to know if it become enlarged.

nah nah I have a $5 copay if a "reacharound" is performed

[woj]

I have no idea if Obamacare is going to work, but it can't really be much worse what we we have.

but how could it possibly be better? the key point of Obamacare is that more people will have insurance?

health insurance companies don't really contribute anything to our health system, they do not much more than make money by moving $$ around... they have lets say 10% overhead, 10% profit margin, and doctors have to waste 10% on overhead on their end...
so at least 30% is "wasted" without any clear benefit to anyone...

so if more people have insurance, then that 30% overhead will apply to more people and so on average healthcare costs can only rise...

[Grapesoda]

I wasn't even going to mention this here...but whatever.
2 weeks ago I was in for my annual checkup. I have been going to the same doctor for over 15 years. We got into a conversation about Obamacare. His response was, he didn't care because he is getting out of the hospital.

Starting the summer of 2013 he will only work in his private clinic and do outpatient . His reason was that he wasn't interested in assembly-line medicine. He and several others are working at taking the clinic totally private. No insurance. Just cash. He said a lot of the older guys are seriously planning on going this direction. They have enough cash and investments that they are not interested in Obamacare at all. I'm on board with him.

Think about that. If a lot of docs leave at once the amount of experience at the hospital level will go with them. To be replaced by fresh out of school doctors with a ton of college debt.

one of the DR's I see is going cash only as well