Affordable Care Act -- NOT Affordable

[DianeW88]

Our premiums with my dh's company just went up $250 per month.  I am not amused.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Affordable is a misnomer.

[QueenCat]

Affordable is a misnomer.

 

For those qualifying for subsidies, the rates look pretty darn good.

[TranquilMind]

With the subsidies, most families of 4 making under about $80,000 will qualify for some subsidies. Young people make less and are going to qualify for subsidies.

Why should there be subsidies...to further enrich the insurance companies?

Why don't we have actual cost-cutting and get rid of the middleman?  Where do you think these subsidies are coming from....that's right.  US (those of us who pay taxes). 

[QueenCat]

Why should there be subsidies...to further enrich the insurance companies?

Why don't we have actual cost-cutting and get rid of the middleman?  Where do you think these subsidies are coming from....that's right.  US (those of us who pay taxes). 

 

I would have preferred cost-cutting and the riddance of the middleman too.... However, that is not what we got.... I'm definitely in the category of those who pay taxes, and yes, I know where the subsidies are coming from. Even in the 28% bracket, we still pay less than 20% of our income in federal taxes INCLUDING social security/medicare taxes so I'm okay with paying a bit more to help insure others. We don't actually qualify for subsidies as we have employer coverage, and even if we didn't, we still wouldn't qualify. However, I am glad there will be something for those caught in the middle of not qualifying for Medicaid but being "middle class" and not covered elsewhere.

 

One other note.... the insurance companies HAVE to pay out a certain percentage in claims. If they don't, they have to pay refunds.

[RainySunday]

So, I have a question...If my dh is a public school teacher, and obviously has health care through his job. What if I determine that it would be cheaper for him to do that, and me (self-employed) and the kids to do the exchange thing...would we qualify for that? Of does the coverage available through his employer make us all ineligible for the exchange/subsidies part of things?

[QueenCat]

So, I have a question...If my dh is a public school teacher, and obviously has health care through his job. What if I determine that it would be cheaper for him to do that, and me (self-employed) and the kids to do the exchange thing...would we qualify for that? Of does the coverage available through his employer make us all ineligible for the exchange/subsidies part of things?

 

If the employer provided insurance is above a certain percentage of your income, then you would qualify for the exchange. Subsidies are based on income. See the links earlier as they address this aspect.

[Katy]

I'm all for universal healthcare too, but this legislation is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of and I am praying that the republicans succeed in de-funding it. I'm not usually much of a conspiracy theorist, but I am starting to think it was designed to both screw over families AND the health care system so that we would all be enraged and be forced to let government take over healthcare and have a single payer system.

 

Seriously, the people writing this bill could not have had NO IDEA what the unintended consequences would be, could they?

 

ETA:  Several businesses around here, and even hospitals, have had layoffs already.

[QueenCat]

 

 

Seriously, the people writing this bill could not have had NO IDEA what the unintended consequences would be, could they?

 

 

 

They didn't exactly start from scratch.......... Keep in mind that it was modeled after Romney's plan, which worked well in Massachusetts. I don't think the consequences will be anything like some of the fear mongers are putting out. And many are taking action without seeing what the game plan really is... like some of the hospitals. Almost seems like they are taking action in order to undermine how it should work.

[Katy]

They didn't exactly start from scratch.......... Keep in mind that it was modeled after Romney's plan, which worked well in Massachusetts. I don't think the consequences will be anything like some of the fear mongers are putting out. And many are taking action without seeing what the game plan really is... like some of the hospitals. Almost seems like they are taking action in order to undermine how it should work.

 

 

Coming from a nursing background, some of my friends in MA had to move out of state because of hospital layoffs after that system was in place.

[momto2Cs]

Potentially stupid question... if we're on state medical (Medi-Cal) because dh is unemplyed and we are ridiculously poor at the moment, do we need to change anything?

[QueenCat]

Potentially stupid question... if we're on state medical (Medi-Cal) because dh is unemplyed and we are ridiculously poor at the moment, do we need to change anything?

 

Medi-cal is the state's version of Medicaid. Medicaid isn't going away. You'll get notice from them if you no longer qualify.

[QueenCat]

Coming from a nursing background, some of my friends in MA had to move out of state because of hospital layoffs after that system was in place.

 

I'd heard that but I also remember hearing that in some specialty areas, more doctors came in as more patients needed their services. No system is perfect. The most important thing is people getting the healthcare that they need.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I'd heard that but I also remember hearing that in some specialty areas, more doctors came in as more patients needed their services. No system is perfect. The most important thing is people getting the healthcare that they need.

7 years after the MA adopted Romneycare:

http://www.pressherald.com/news/survey-shows-bay-state-has-shortage-of-doctors_2013-09-18.html

 

http://www.wbur.org/2011/05/09/doctors-survey

From the article:

 

“Massachusetts has made great strides in securing insurance coverage for its citizens,†said the MMA’s president, Dr. Alice Coombs, referring to the state’s landmark 2006 universal health insurance law. “But insurance coverage doesn’t equal access to care.â€

 

The telephone survey of 838 doctors conducted in February and March found that 51 percent of internists are not accepting new patients, up from 49 percent the previous year. Fifty-three percent of family physicians, the other major group of primary care doctors, were also not taking new patients.

 

Even for patients fortunate enough to have a primary care doctor, waits for appointments continued to be lengthy. The average wait for an appointment with an internist was 48 days, which was five days shorter than last year, but the average wait for family medicine was 36 days, a week longer than in the 2010 survey.

 

--------------------------------------------------

[creekland]

This calculator will help you figure out if you qualify for subsidies.

 

http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/

 

Wow!  I just used that calculator.  Besides having a max of 12,700 out of pocket possible annually, the cost to us would double for the silver plan.  I'm not sure I want to even see what that entails - or the more affordable bronze plan.

 

I'm glad we can keep our health sharing program!

 

I don't think health care will be affordable until after the "for profit" stockholders, CEOs, etc are out of the picture...

 

I can see why many businesses are refusing to take on more full time workers.  And, of course, many places that include health care (like school boards) are having to cut important things (like educational stuff) instead - and our area still has to raise taxes to have less health care coverage than they had before.  Our township had to cut coverage for their few employees.  It's sad...

[CupOCoffee]

I am very very scared to see what my employer will have to resort to in this area.  We won't find out for about another month, but LAST year my portion towards premiums wen up about $175 a month.  If it takes another jump like that, we are doomed.  My employer has had a "live well" program in place for almost a year now, whereby you do certain tings to earn points, and if you reach a certain number of points you earn a % off your 2104 premiums....I wasn't expecting much.  Yesterday or so, we learned it would 15%...that makes me nervous:  as in, I am afraid the premiums will go up WAAAAAYYYYY higher than the 15% they are offering us for doing these healthy lifestyle changes.

 

I'll be biting my fingernails for the next weeks.   :crying:

 

~coffee~

[creekland]

YIKES!  I read the FAQ and found out I entered our info incorrectly... I just used our (adult) combined income.  I'd have to add in youngest's too... and silly me thought he was working for college $$.

 

The silver plan only covers at 70% on top of it all. (Bronze 60%)

 

Yuck, yuck, yuck.  How did ANYONE think this was a good deal?

[Amy in NH]

Have you considered looking at your state health exchange plans?  They may be much less than that.  We currently pay more than $1000 for only dh and me for crappy insurance through his employer.  We'd be paying about $200/month on the state health exchange.

[QueenCat]

Wow!  I just used that calculator.  Besides having a max of 12,700 out of pocket possible annually, the cost to us would double for the silver plan.  I'm not sure I want to even see what that entails - or the more affordable bronze plan.

 

I'm glad we can keep our health sharing program!

 

I don't think health care will be affordable until after the "for profit" stockholders, CEOs, etc are out of the picture...

 

I actually agree with you in that I think the "for profit" part needs to be out of the picture. My number when I did the calculator was almost identical to yours. And no, I don't think it's a great number. I'm glad we have employer based insurance. I don't think the rates are super affordable for those that don't qualify for subsidies but you have to be making close to six figures for that to be the case. However, for some people, those numbers are still better than what they had been, if they are eligible for subsidies. Those that don't qualify will probably be better off buying privately, not via the exchange.

[QueenCat]

To me, there are is so much misinformation out there that people really need to see how it actually works. Go to reputable sources, and not the fear mongers (which exist on both sides of the issue). If it sounds outrageous, you probably aren't being given the full picture.

[Scarlett]

To me, there are is so much misinformation out there that people really need to see how it actually works. Go to reputable sources, and not the fear mongers (which exist on both sides of the issue). If it sounds outrageous, you probably aren't being given the full picture.

 

 

Cathie, your posts on this thread have been VERY helpful to me.  I need to do a lot more reading but you gave me a good direction to go in.

 

Our situation is...dh just got a job...he won't be eligible for his (very small) company's group insurance until end of November....and then his employer will pay half of his premiums...I will have to pay the full amount.  I don't know what those numbers are yet, but I am VERY nervous.  But I think from what you are saying is that if those premiums are above a certain percent we can get help?...in the form of tax credits or...?  Do we have the option of going through the federal exchange (I think OK has opted out AND filed a law suit over it)?

[poppy]

I agree it's a real shame we had to compromise away from a common sense single-payer (universal) health care system.  Keeping for-profit insurance companies really mucks everything up.

[creekland]

I actually agree with you in that I think the "for profit" part needs to be out of the picture. My number when I did the calculator was almost identical to yours. And no, I don't think it's a great number. I'm glad we have employer based insurance. I don't think the rates are super affordable for those that don't qualify for subsidies but you have to be making close to six figures for that to be the case. However, for some people, those numbers are still better than what they had been, if they are eligible for subsidies. Those that don't qualify will probably be better off buying privately, not via the exchange.

I'm not sure about your figures, but we still qualify for the subsidies.  Our cost (not including the 12,700) would be double that what we're paying through Samaritans now even after the subsidies were applied - except, of course, I'd have to go back and add in youngest's salary since he works part time (theoretically for college funding, but apparently, also for family health care according to the powers that be who thought this up).  I don't have the web site up any longer, but I believe they said our cost was to be 9.something % of our income.  Have a bad year and add in the 12,700 out of pocket and we'd be well over 20% of our income - about 30% actually.  The problem is our mortgage, college costs, and other housing costs don't go down accordingly.  Fortunately, we don't have car payments (newest car is a 2002), but we do occasionally have repairs.  One gets a free check up so they can find out something is wrong, then quite possibly can't afford to fix it.  We pay for our check ups, then are covered if anything major is found.  I vastly prefer it that way personally.

 

I'd like to see everyone covered for healthcare, but without middlemen getting huge salaries or dividends out of it all.

 

To me, there are is so much misinformation out there that people really need to see how it actually works. Go to reputable sources, and not the fear mongers (which exist on both sides of the issue). If it sounds outrageous, you probably aren't being given the full picture.

 

I can't speak for all here, but my info just came from that link you provided - doing the calculator then reading the FAQs.  I've never looked into it otherwise as it doesn't apply to us since we are members of the health share.  I'm infinitely glad our health share is an exemption now.  I was just happy not to have to change before.

[Arcadia]

 

I can see why many businesses are refusing to take on more full time workers.  And, of course, many places that include health care (like school boards) are having to cut important things (like educational stuff) instead - and our area still has to raise taxes to have less health care coverage than they had before.  Our township had to cut coverage for their few employees.  It's sad...

 I read the news about Walgreens giving employees a set amount of money instead to choose their own insurance package. 

"Walgreens said on Wednesday that it is moving 160,000 workers to a new health-insurance model, joining a growing list of large employers seeking to control costs by having employees shop for coverage in a private marketplace.

The drugstore chain said that beginning in 2014, it will give employees a set amount of money to choose health insurance coverage from a wide range of offerings in a fast-expanding private online marketplace run by Aon Hewitt, a benefits firm." (link)

 

Hubby's company is cost cutting so we will have to wait until open enrolment to see what changes there will be.  His medical bill for a 10 min session at the family practitioner to clear his ear wax was more than two hundred dollars. Most of my kids medical bills are crazy inflated too.

[Georgiana Daniels]

For those qualifying for subsidies, the rates look pretty darn good.

 

And for everyone else?

 

There are some things I like about the plan, like the fact that no one can be denied for pre-existing and whatnot. There really are a few good points to the Act.

 

But seriously, who can afford good CARE? I'm not talking about affording just the insurance premiums and co-pays and deductibles, but everything that's leftover that comes out of pocket. Our deductibles are going up, our premiums are going up, and our coverage is going down.

 

That's not affordable :(

[hjffkj]

Our state has expanded the medicaid coverage so come 2014 we'll qualify for medicaid.  It's nice and all but it gives a lot of people no incentive to make more money.  My husband can either keep his pay at below 137%FPL for our family of 5 and pay nothing with full coverage or make a little more and be forced to pay for insurance with limited coverage. Even with the subsidies staying on  medicaid sounds like the better options since it is full coverage.  In the past it would have been an easy answer.  We would choose more income and no insurance coverage (something I entirely believe is right to choose,) and save for emergency.

[elegantlion]

When dh was here we opted to do without because self-employed health insurance costs were too high. Our only option is he was still here would be to pay the penalty as we couldn't afford another monthly bill. 

 

Without him here ds and I qualify for state aid. This whole thing is a mess. I have never felt more compelled to just stay broke in my life - I won't don't worry, but right now student loans are covering my expenses.  

 

I'm not an alarmist, but broke families are already stressed to the max. I really think you'll see an increase in stress related illness, deaths, and suicides over the next few years. There is only so much people can handle before they break. I worry especially about men in their 40s - I've seen too many men at that stage who throw in the towel and cash out leaving their spouse to live on life insurance (yes, some will pay out after a suicide - that clause will probably go away in a few years too). Growing kids, aging parents, job stress, not feeling like a man because they haven't succeeded to their own expectations. Some people aren't simply in crisis mode, they are in survival mode and nearing burn out - like zombie apocalypse burnout. This convoluted, bend over and kiss your assets goodbye health insurance plan won't help. 

 

[SunnyDays]

And for everyone else?

 

There are some things I like about the plan, like the fact that no one can be denied for pre-existing and whatnot. There really are a few good points to the Act.

 

But seriously, who can afford good CARE? I'm not talking about affording just the insurance premiums and co-pays and deductibles, but everything that's leftover that comes out of pocket. Our deductibles are going up, our premiums are going up, and our coverage is going down.

 

That's not affordable :(

Yes, this. Universal coverage is nice, but I don't know that we're going to be in any better shape if no one can afford to use what benefits they have. Also, with the links posted above regarding new patients and wait times... I question whether we will get acceptable, let alone excellent care across the board.

[Katy]

I agree it's a real shame we had to compromise away from a common sense single-payer (universal) health care system.  Keeping for-profit insurance companies really mucks everything up.

 

The reason it would have been impossible to just create a single-payer system is that insurance companies don't make most of their money from insurance.  They make most of their money from their reserves, that are invested in the market.  One year I worked as a nurse in claims for an insurance company the report came back that they made 18% on the reserves, and that was in a down market.  I have yet to figure out how they pull that off year after year, but they do somehow.

 

Anyway, if all those reserves were pulled out of the market at once the stock market would crash, the same way it did after 9/11 when insurance companies were forced to withdraw reserves to pay out the life insurance payments of everyone who died and the properties that were destroyed.   And that was the reserves for just a few thousand claims.  Think of the crash involved if the reserves from the half the population with healthcare were also pulled.  That kind of economic hit is not something we could take right now - especially when we're already in an economic situation that would probably be worse than the depression if it weren't for food stamps.

 

Edited because I am a moron today.

[Jennifer3141]

7 years after the MA adopted Romneycare:

http://www.pressherald.com/news/survey-shows-bay-state-has-shortage-of-doctors_2013-09-18.html

 

http://www.wbur.org/2011/05/09/doctors-survey

From the article:

 

“Massachusetts has made great strides in securing insurance coverage for its citizens,†said the MMA’s president, Dr. Alice Coombs, referring to the state’s landmark 2006 universal health insurance law. “But insurance coverage doesn’t equal access to care.â€

 

The telephone survey of 838 doctors conducted in February and March found that 51 percent of internists are not accepting new patients, up from 49 percent the previous year. Fifty-three percent of family physicians, the other major group of primary care doctors, were also not taking new patients.

 

Even for patients fortunate enough to have a primary care doctor, waits for appointments continued to be lengthy. The average wait for an appointment with an internist was 48 days, which was five days shorter than last year, but the average wait for family medicine was 36 days, a week longer than in the 2010 survey.

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

That sounds pretty much like many other states though. There is a HUGE doctor deficit in our country right now and office practioners are not reimbursed well in almost every state.

[Jennifer3141]

Our state has expanded the medicaid coverage so come 2014 we'll qualify for medicaid.  It's nice and all but it gives a lot of people no incentive to make more money.  My husband can either keep his pay at below 137%FPL for our family of 5 and pay nothing with full coverage or make a little more and be forced to pay for insurance with limited coverage. Even with the subsidies staying on  medicaid sounds like the better options since it is full coverage.  In the past it would have been an easy answer.  We would choose more income and no insurance coverage (something I entirely believe is right to choose,) and save for emergency.>>>>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there's the problem. Very few people can, "save for emergency." That's great if you can but can you save $200,000 for hospital bills  for the day you might end up in a coma due to undiagnosed diabetes or a stroke or a heart attack? I doubt it, if you qualify for Medicaid.

 

So for a few years here everybody has been thinking, "Meh. I'll just go without." And hospitals ate it. State governments ate it. And people lost their homes and cars and then the really unlucky ones just died from lack of coverage.

 

It's really easy to say you'd choose to go without health insurance until it's YOUR 40 year old spouse lying on a hospital gurney and your decision is lose your house or lose your spouse.

 

 

[FaithManor]

That sounds pretty much like many other states though. There is a HUGE doctor deficit in our country right now and office practioners are not reimbursed well in almost every state.

Yep! We desperately need general practitioners, but they get paid so very little for what they do compared to the specialities that it is very difficult to get med students to choose family practice. In our area, there are NO family/general docs taking new patients...none. Those that have a GP can wait for weeks for an appointment, yet can get an appointment with a specialist with say Beaumont Hospital quite readily.

 

If reimbursements go down, we will see more doctors fleeing general practice. Access is a huge issue!

[yinne]

Thanks for all the info everyone.   Have a lot of research to do.  

 

Saw this article today on World about the exchanges http://www.worldmag.com/2013/09/future_of_obamacare_exchanges_uncertain_as_deadline_looms

 

Probably explains why I could not find any rates for United Healthcare on the NE Department of Insurance.

 

 

This whole health care stuff is like going to a restaurant and ordering a hamburger and a salad for $5.   The server brings you a hamburger and a salad, but also a lot of other stuff you didn't order nor do you want.   When you tell the server you only want the hamburger and salad, you are informed that the government has decided that everybody gets the same thing whether they want it or not and oh, by the way the price is now $10 instead of $5, but that is OK, the government will decide if you can afford it and if you can't the people at the next table will pick up your tab! :glare:

 

Yvonne in NE

[Amy in NH]

And for everyone else?

 

There are some things I like about the plan, like the fact that no one can be denied for pre-existing and whatnot. There really are a few good points to the Act.

 

But seriously, who can afford good CARE? I'm not talking about affording just the insurance premiums and co-pays and deductibles, but everything that's leftover that comes out of pocket. Our deductibles are going up, our premiums are going up, and our coverage is going down.

 

That's not affordable :(

 

Maybe when everyone has crappy-to-no insurance like the poor we can actually make a real change in our healthcare system that will benefit everyone.  Some people just needed to be led down that road to see what the rest of us have already been dealing with before they see the need to make a real change.

[flyingiguana]

http://www.upworthy.com/his-first-4-sentences-are-interesting-the-5th-blew-my-mind-and-made-me-a-little-sick-2

 

Analysis of WHY health care is so darned expensive in this country. (According to this guy)

 

I don't like that it's all video (I can read faster) but it might be interesting.

 

Not that it helps much with the immediate problem.

[QueenCat]

Yes, this. Universal coverage is nice, but I don't know that we're going to be in any better shape if no one can afford to use what benefits they have. Also, with the links posted above regarding new patients and wait times... I question whether we will get acceptable, let alone excellent care across the board.

 

We aren't getting universal coverage...... that's not what the ACA (Obamacare) is.....

[QueenCat]

Cathie, your posts on this thread have been VERY helpful to me.  I need to do a lot more reading but you gave me a good direction to go in.

 

Our situation is...dh just got a job...he won't be eligible for his (very small) company's group insurance until end of November....and then his employer will pay half of his premiums...I will have to pay the full amount.  I don't know what those numbers are yet, but I am VERY nervous.  But I think from what you are saying is that if those premiums are above a certain percent we can get help?...in the form of tax credits or...?  Do we have the option of going through the federal exchange (I think OK has opted out AND filed a law suit over it)?

 

If the premiums are over a certain percentage, you can choose to go to the exchange instead. If your state doesn't have a state run exchange, then there will be a federal one for you to consider.

[QueenCat]

And for everyone else?

 

There are some things I like about the plan, like the fact that no one can be denied for pre-existing and whatnot. There really are a few good points to the Act.

 

But seriously, who can afford good CARE? I'm not talking about affording just the insurance premiums and co-pays and deductibles, but everything that's leftover that comes out of pocket. Our deductibles are going up, our premiums are going up, and our coverage is going down.

 

That's not affordable :(

 

Unfortunately, you can't have the good without the bad. It would be unreasonable to expect insurance companies to be required to cover pre-existing conditions without expanding the number of insured. Keep in mind someone making 80,000, with 4 people in the family, qualifies for subsidies...... Those making more are also likely to be in the category of having employer based insurance. People can also still by privately sans the exchange if those numbers work out better for them. I don't think it's a perfect piece of legislation but I do think more people will have insurance than before. Get hit with cancer or something else major, and it won't be as devastating as having no insurance.

[SunnyDays]

We aren't getting universal coverage...... that's not what the ACA (Obamacare) is.....

I understand that. My point is that it is requiring everyone to have coverage (hence theoretically making coverage "universal" though not single payer), but that will not solve many of the problems people are facing.

[PeacefulChaos]

Ok... I'm confused by this whole thing. 

Not even kidding.  :(  Sigh...

So do we have to get insurance soon?  Idky I expected to ... Idk... hear something about it.  Somewhere.  Or get something in the mail that said, 'Reminder!  You have to have insurance by __________ or you will be fined yearly!'  Or something like that...

 

DH and I don't currently have insurance - too expensive even NOW.  Based on what I'm seeing here, it's looking pretty bleak for us having it in the future, either... :P

The kids have Medicaid. 

I have no idea whether Medicaid is being expanded in our state or not, but since the kids already have it I don't think it would affect us, anyway. 

 

Sigh.  I'm so confused...

[hjffkj]

Ok... I'm confused by this whole thing. 

Not even kidding.  :(  Sigh...

So do we have to get insurance soon?  Idky I expected to ... Idk... hear something about it.  Somewhere.  Or get something in the mail that said, 'Reminder!  You have to have insurance by __________ or you will be fined yearly!'  Or something like that...

 

DH and I don't currently have insurance - too expensive even NOW.  Based on what I'm seeing here, it's looking pretty bleak for us having it in the future, either... :p

The kids have Medicaid. 

I have no idea whether Medicaid is being expanded in our state or not, but since the kids already have it I don't think it would affect us, anyway. 

 

Sigh.  I'm so confused...

http://www.advisory.com/Daily-Briefing/Resources/Primers/MedicaidMap

 

 

Here is a link that says what each state is doing so far in terms of Medicaid expansion.  

[happypamama]

Ok... I'm confused by this whole thing. 

Not even kidding.  :(  Sigh...

So do we have to get insurance soon?  Idky I expected to ... Idk... hear something about it.  Somewhere.  Or get something in the mail that said, 'Reminder!  You have to have insurance by __________ or you will be fined yearly!'  Or something like that...

 

DH and I don't currently have insurance - too expensive even NOW.  Based on what I'm seeing here, it's looking pretty bleak for us having it in the future, either... :p

The kids have Medicaid. 

I have no idea whether Medicaid is being expanded in our state or not, but since the kids already have it I don't think it would affect us, anyway. 

 

Sigh.  I'm so confused...

I know, I kept expecting we'd hear a bit more about it as well, but we really haven't.  I think we'll hear more about it in the next couple of months.

 

Did you see the post a little further back that had the website where you can put in your income and family size, and it tells you how much you would probably get in subsidies?  That might give you some idea.  I found it to be pretty helpful; I hope it is accurate for what it told me.

[hjffkj]

 

And there's the problem. Very few people can, "save for emergency." That's great if you can but can you save $200,000 for hospital bills  for the day you might end up in a coma due to undiagnosed diabetes or a stroke or a heart attack? I doubt it, if you qualify for Medicaid.

 

So for a few years here everybody has been thinking, "Meh. I'll just go without." And hospitals ate it. State governments ate it. And people lost their homes and cars and then the really unlucky ones just died from lack of coverage.

 

It's really easy to say you'd choose to go without health insurance until it's YOUR 40 year old spouse lying on a hospital gurney and your decision is lose your house or lose your spouse.

 

 

I'm in my 20s not 40s and would not be without insurance at that age.  And with the new Medicaid expansion we would no longer qualify after we made over roughly $43,000.  We live on more than $10,000 less than that with only a mortgage as debt and are not struggling.  If we made $47,000 without insurance it would only take a few years to save $200,000 for an emergency because we live frugally and save very well.

 

You missed my main point that with the new Medicaid expansion it makes people less likely to want to earn more money.  Why work harder to make $48,000 and lose full coverage and have to pay premiums when you could make $43,000 and have full coverage for free? 

[QueenCat]

Ok... I'm confused by this whole thing. 

Not even kidding.  :(  Sigh...

So do we have to get insurance soon?  Idky I expected to ... Idk... hear something about it.  Somewhere.  Or get something in the mail that said, 'Reminder!  You have to have insurance by __________ or you will be fined yearly!'  Or something like that...

 

DH and I don't currently have insurance - too expensive even NOW.  Based on what I'm seeing here, it's looking pretty bleak for us having it in the future, either... :p

The kids have Medicaid. 

I have no idea whether Medicaid is being expanded in our state or not, but since the kids already have it I don't think it would affect us, anyway. 

 

Sigh.  I'm so confused...

 

Since your kids qualify for Medicaid, you are likely going to qualify for subsidies for you and your dh. And yes, you must have it by January 1st. There have been public announcements about it for quite sometime.

 

[mamaraby]

www.healthcare.gov is the gateway to go through. It will tell you where to go for your state's exchange. I believe it will also gice you an idea of what the subsidies are. I think it's wise at this point to not freak out. The exchange isn't even open yet so at this point no one knows anything for sure just yet. Also, a case can be made that the staes who are quoting huge rate increases are doing so because they are opposed to the law and dong so selectively. Some say a case can be made on the other side as well.

 

Regardless, start at the gateway.

[musicianmom]

Maybe when everyone has crappy-to-no insurance like the poor we can actually make a real change in our healthcare system that will benefit everyone. Some people just needed to be led down that road to see what the rest of us have already been dealing with before they see the need to make a real change.

And if everyone stopped homeschooling or using private school, then we could fix the public school system, right?

[Georgiana Daniels]

Maybe when everyone has crappy-to-no insurance like the poor we can actually make a real change in our healthcare system that will benefit everyone.  Some people just needed to be led down that road to see what the rest of us have already been dealing with before they see the need to make a real change.

 

Oh, goodness. I hope you're not really wishing ill on the people who were plugging along decently until now.

[Amy in NH]

Oh, goodness. I hope you're not really wishing ill on the people who were plugging along decently until now.

 

Not any more than I hope you're not begrudging people who haven't had healthcare and so haven't been plugging along decently until now the opportunity to have affordable care in the near future.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Not any more than I hope you're not begrudging people who haven't had healthcare and so haven't been plugging along decently until now the opportunity to have affordable care in the near future.

 

I never alluded to that in my comments. A precious member of our immediate family has a chronic illness and has been unable to even have insurance until now. Believe me, I wanted something done about health care.

 

Still doesn't make it affordable.

[Amy in NH]

I never alluded to that in my comments. A precious member of our immediate family has a chronic illness and has been unable to even have insurance until now. Believe me, I wanted something done about health care.

 

Still doesn't make it affordable.

 

I never said you did.  I'm just tired of people who have had decent insurance and/or healthcare until now and have been begrudging others the same.  Those who have voted again and again to keep us from having access to care, and are now complaining that their rates are going up.  If they had been reasonable about it in the first place and taken the money-grubbing middle men out of it then we wouldn't have rates through the roof.  I'm frustrated and sick of hearing people gripe about the same cr@p many of us have been dealing with forever. 

 

It is a lot more affordable for some of us.