My Real Life ObamaCare Horror

[boedicca]

It's the time of year where my company gets ready for open enrollment for health care impacts. Here's the scoop we have from our insurance broker.

- Minimum rate increase from a competitive process is 15%.
- We have no ability to change co-pays or deductibles or we will not be grandfathered into the "Cadillac Plan" tax exemption. If we do tweak a co-pay by even $5, we will be set the company up for the 40% tax.
- Many of our employees fully use the current $5,000 Health Savings Account benefit; this is reduced to $2,500 starting next year, increasing their personal tax liability.

How Hopey Changey.

 

[Revere]

And you can't use your HSA/FSA for non doctor ordered meds.

If everyone is miserable, everyone is equal.

 

[American Horse]

It's the time of year where my company gets ready for open enrollment for health care impacts. Here's the scoop we have from our insurance broker.

- Minimum rate increase from a competitive process is 15%.
- We have no ability to change co-pays or deductibles or we will not be grandfathered into the "Cadillac Plan" tax exemption. If we do tweak a co-pay by even $5, we will be set the company up for the 40% tax.
- Many of our employees fully use the current $5,000 Health Savings Account benefit; this is reduced to $2,500 starting next year, increasing their personal tax liability.

How Hopey Changey.

Which is a stealth tax raise

 

[Revere]

Stealth, my ass. It's a tax increase for the middle class.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I thought this was going to bend the cost curve down? Where's the 2,500% saving from switching to ObamaCare?

 

[Common Sense]

so funny, this is actually typical of health insurance companies. my company was going to see a 12% increase "in anticipation of rising costs." (although we fought the change by threatening to go to another provider) or at least thats what they said. i dont think some of the health care reform provisions go into effect for a few years, so they might be trying to raise costs now, because they know that in a few years they cant raise an individual or small groups costs, without raising the costs of everyone they insure.

 

[Revere]

so funny, this is actually typical of health insurance companies. my company was going to see a 12% increase "in anticipation of rising costs." (although we fought the change by threatening to go to another provider) or at least thats what they said. i dont think some of the health care reform provisions go into effect for a few years, so they might be trying to raise costs now, because they know that in a few years they cant raise an individual or small groups costs, without raising the costs of everyone they insure.

Actually, they can raise costs to cover lifetime caps, which were lifted, and pre-existing conditions, which they now must cover, as well as 26 year old dependents.

And raising everyone's costs makes everyone equal?

 

[Ravi]

It's the time of year where my company gets ready for open enrollment for health care impacts. Here's the scoop we have from our insurance broker.

- Minimum rate increase from a competitive process is 15%.
- We have no ability to change co-pays or deductibles or we will not be grandfathered into the "Cadillac Plan" tax exemption. If we do tweak a co-pay by even $5, we will be set the company up for the 40% tax.
- Many of our employees fully use the current $5,000 Health Savings Account benefit; this is reduced to $2,500 starting next year, increasing their personal tax liability.

How Hopey Changey.

According to the IRS the benefit for HSA in 2011 is the same as in 2010...$3050 single, $6150 family.

 

[MaggieMae]

It's the time of year where my company gets ready for open enrollment for health care impacts. Here's the scoop we have from our insurance broker.

- Minimum rate increase from a competitive process is 15%.
- We have no ability to change co-pays or deductibles or we will not be grandfathered into the "Cadillac Plan" tax exemption. If we do tweak a co-pay by even $5, we will be set the company up for the 40% tax.
- Many of our employees fully use the current $5,000 Health Savings Account benefit; this is reduced to $2,500 starting next year, increasing their personal tax liability.

How Hopey Changey.

Let's try the fact sheet Blue Cross sent to all its employer-based customers rather than just relating some potential horror story as fact. Click on the topic, in this case "Grandfathering."

Blue Cross Blue Shield

 

[boedicca]

It's the time of year where my company gets ready for open enrollment for health care impacts. Here's the scoop we have from our insurance broker.

- Minimum rate increase from a competitive process is 15%.
- We have no ability to change co-pays or deductibles or we will not be grandfathered into the "Cadillac Plan" tax exemption. If we do tweak a co-pay by even $5, we will be set the company up for the 40% tax.
- Many of our employees fully use the current $5,000 Health Savings Account benefit; this is reduced to $2,500 starting next year, increasing their personal tax liability.

How Hopey Changey.

According to the IRS the benefit for HSA in 2011 is the same as in 2010...$3050 single, $6150 family.

We're getting different guidance due to our deductibles - and are still in discussions.

 

[Ravi]

It's the time of year where my company gets ready for open enrollment for health care impacts. Here's the scoop we have from our insurance broker.

- Minimum rate increase from a competitive process is 15%.
- We have no ability to change co-pays or deductibles or we will not be grandfathered into the "Cadillac Plan" tax exemption. If we do tweak a co-pay by even $5, we will be set the company up for the 40% tax.
- Many of our employees fully use the current $5,000 Health Savings Account benefit; this is reduced to $2,500 starting next year, increasing their personal tax liability.

How Hopey Changey.

According to the IRS the benefit for HSA in 2011 is the same as in 2010...$3050 single, $6150 family.

We're getting different guidance due to our deductibles - and are still in discussions.

Your broker doesn't sound very bright.

 

[WillowTree]

typical libturd response. It's someone else's fault.

 

[boedicca]

According to the IRS the benefit for HSA in 2011 is the same as in 2010...$3050 single, $6150 family.

We're getting different guidance due to our deductibles - and are still in discussions.

Your broker doesn't sound very bright.

I'll defer to your "superior" experience on not being very bright.

We have a low deductible plan, and can't make any changes without losing our Cadillac plan exemption.

 

[Ravi]

We're getting different guidance due to our deductibles - and are still in discussions.

Your broker doesn't sound very bright.

I'll defer to your "superior" experience on not being very bright.

We have a low deductible plan, and can't make any changes without losing our Cadillac plan exemption.

None of that has anything to do with HSA accounts. If your broker lied about that, chances are he or she lied about everything.

 

[boedicca]

Confusion regarding the impact of ObamaCare in conjunction with the horrible insurance market conditions in CA is not lying, but it's not surprising that Ravi jumps to that conclusion.

 

[Ravi]

Confusion regarding the impact of ObamaCare in conjunction with the horrible insurance market conditions in CA is not lying, but it's not surprising that Ravi jumps to that conclusion.

Ok, supremely stupid. The HSA thing is so easy to verify that it is mindboggling you would be fed incorrect information.

 

[Zoom-boing]

We just did our benefits and the price went up approx. $250/yr. (medical, dental, vision).

Question. We've never done HSAs (we always go with a PPO). Our insurance for HSA is use it or lose it at the end of the year. Are all HSA like that?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

This is all Bush's fault, amiright?

 

[MaggieMae]

We're getting different guidance due to our deductibles - and are still in discussions.

Your broker doesn't sound very bright.

I'll defer to your "superior" experience on not being very bright.

We have a low deductible plan, and can't make any changes without losing our Cadillac plan exemption.

A low deductible on a cadillac plan is a good deal anyway. Why would you want to change anything?

 

[MaggieMae]

If you would just read the damned link I posted, it gives clear information and answers all the questions in this thread.

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Health Care Reforms Affecting Employers and Employer-Provided Coverage

Reforms Effective in 2010
Pre-existing Conditions Exclusions for Children
Dependent Coverage Extension Up to Age 26
Premiums
Grandfathering
Early Retiree Reinsurance
Rescission Policy
Small Business Tax Credit Program
Tax Credits for Large Employers
Exchanges
Lifetime Limits
Annual Limits