Affordable care that isn’t affordable

[Arianrhod]

So, the answer is that you won't answer.

The answer is: You'll only accept secondary sources (hearsay) that tell you want they want you to believe.

P.S. Avoid apple trees.

 

[Care4all]

There were cost savings measures in Obamacare...and they have worked in most cases to keep Insurance hikes from being as high as they were running each year before Obamacare.... google it.... from memory, one thing was....hospitals being penalized if they have repeat patients being admitted for the same illness because they did not fully heal them the first admittance... before releasing them, oh, and another one was minimum amounts of premiums collected that has to be spent on actual health care services verses salaries etc. or refunded to the policy holder.

And then there is the idea that if everyone would have insurance, the healthy and the sick, premiums should go down...overall.

Outside of the handful of things done, I think you are right, more focus should be spent on holding costs down.

The hubby and I had double digit increases each and every year for the 8 previous years to Obamacare....now the premium prices have leveled out, but the deductibles have been increasing.... Matt's employer put's money in an account that pays the first several hundred dollars of the deductible and we have not had to use our own money for any deductibles as of yet.

Plus, all doctor visits are only $20 bucks, and only $40 for a specialist, and my annual examine and all the tests required for a female of my age are also paid for out of the policy without having to even go in to the deductible...

And this is the case for all other people and their insurance plans as well, Doc visit for physical... there is no copay and small copays for doc visits all year I believe??

 

[Care4all]

I personally don't like these high deductibles that have become the norm.... it started at Matt's job about 4 years before Obamacare, where deductibles went way up....but like I said, his company puts money in an account for us to draw off of for medical deductibles....

These kind of plans with high deductibles, SAVES YOUR EMPLOYER a lot of money, even with them contributing to some of the deductible amount in an account for you....it is very advantageous for the employer NOT to have to pay the high costs of a plan with low deductibles for all employees.

 

[Greenbeard]

These kind of plans with high deductibles, SAVES YOUR EMPLOYER a lot of money, even with them contributing to some of the deductible amount in an account for you....it is very advantageous for the employer NOT to have to pay the high costs of a plan with low deductibles for all employees.

The advantage is that those plans help to put downward pressure on provider prices. We've got a problem with those prices in this country and there's only a few ways to address it:

1) Put pressure on the insurers who negotiate those prices with providers to push back on high prices (creating competitive insurance markets is they key to this one and there's some evidence that's working),
2) Steer patients to lower-priced providers either through the design of their insurance benefit, or by making patients/consumers price sensitive at the point of care through higher deductibles, or
3) Adopt some kind of price-setting system (as Maryland has done for hospitals for decades).

It's not perfect but it's worth a shot.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Medicaid spending is up because millions of new people through Obamacare have found out they qualified for Medicaid or they were part of the states who expanded medicaid...and now qualified for it.

So an increase in Medicaid spending was and is expected.

Medicare spending, was suppose to go down with the reforms they made, which was to pay for the Medicaid going up.

Where does the money for that increased spending come from ?

 

[Sun Devil 92]

I personally don't like these high deductibles that have become the norm.... it started at Matt's job about 4 years before Obamacare, where deductibles went way up....but like I said, his company puts money in an account for us to draw off of for medical deductibles....

These kind of plans with high deductibles, SAVES YOUR EMPLOYER a lot of money, even with them contributing to some of the deductible amount in an account for you....it is very advantageous for the employer NOT to have to pay the high costs of a plan with low deductibles for all employees.

The level of deductibles is something I'd like more discussion on. Very few people are going to hit a 6,000 deductible.

What I felt needed fixing was the cost of co-pays. It was just to easy for people to go into the doctor when junior had a cold and a visit was only 5 or 10 dollars. Putting it at 40 or 50 might cause people to think twice.

There is also an argument that you don't want to stop people from going to the doctor.

High deductibles don't change that...in fact, they make it worse when you are paying the full amount.

HSA's, which is what I think you are describing, are fantastic. These were supposed to be an accrual account as well as a running account.

The max is 6,000 plus what your employer put's in. Many people have 6,000 deductible policies. No accrual if you hit it.

I think they should raise the cap to 12,000. That way you can put money away for later.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

There were cost savings measures in Obamacare...and they have worked in most cases to keep Insurance hikes from being as high as they were running each year before Obamacare.... google it.... from memory, one thing was....hospitals being penalized if they have repeat patients being admitted for the same illness because they did not fully heal them the first admittance... before releasing them, oh, and another one was minimum amounts of premiums collected that has to be spent on actual health care services verses salaries etc. or refunded to the policy holder.

And then there is the idea that if everyone would have insurance, the healthy and the sick, premiums should go down...overall.

Outside of the handful of things done, I think you are right, more focus should be spent on holding costs down.

The hubby and I had double digit increases each and every year for the 8 previous years to Obamacare....now the premium prices have leveled out, but the deductibles have been increasing.... Matt's employer put's money in an account that pays the first several hundred dollars of the deductible and we have not had to use our own money for any deductibles as of yet.

Plus, all doctor visits are only $20 bucks, and only $40 for a specialist, and my annual examine and all the tests required for a female of my age are also paid for out of the policy without having to even go in to the deductible...

And this is the case for all other people and their insurance plans as well, Doc visit for physical... there is no copay and small copays for doc visits all year I believe??

Even the left has stopped pushing this idea. You don't put more people on the program without more costs. Especially when they are subsidized.

 

[Arianrhod]

You don't put more people on the program without more costs. Especially when they are subsidized.

You can no doubt find a bunch of sources that claim this without any substantiation.

 

[MaryL]

What was 110 bucks a month shot up to 180, and meds that were full price now cost three times MORE under a deductible. It isn't affordable, Obama. No. Who are you think you are kidding?

 

[Arianrhod]

What was 110 bucks a month shot up to 180, and meds that were full price now cost three times MORE under a deductible. It isn't affordable, Obama. No. Who are you think you are kidding?

Have you tried a different plan or a different insurer?

 

[MaryL]

Obama lied about this , it drove up health care costs to the many to provide for the few, those few that neither justify this nor does this benefit the many in anyway in the long run.

 

[Arianrhod]

Obama lied about this , it drove up health care costs to the many to provide for the few, those few that neither justify this nor does this benefit the many in anyway in the long run.

Which "few" would that be? The millions who now have insurance and didn't before?

Which "many" would that be? The handful of Keyboard Kommandos who are afraid to look for insurance through the exchanges or who just keep parroting the talking points?

Have you tried a different plan or a different insurer?

 

[MaryL]

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke? This shouldn't be a guessing game. And it should be AFFORDABLE.

 

[Arianrhod]

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke?

Aw, you're not actually going to repeat that "It takes me longer to see my doctor because I got a bronze plan" bullshit, are you?

 

[MaryL]

c

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke?

Aw, you're not actually going to repeat that "It takes me longer to see my doctor because I got a bronze plan" bullshit, are you?

Implying I am supposed to understand what the hell you are talking about, not in that little game.I bought what I understood was best, and screw this guessing game crap. It was WHAT I could "Afford". Shouldn't that have been ENOUGH? No? Apparently NOT.

 

[Arianrhod]

c

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke?

Aw, you're not actually going to repeat that "It takes me longer to see my doctor because I got a bronze plan" bullshit, are you?

Implying I am supposed to understand what the hell you are talking about, not in that little game.I bought what I understood was best, and screw this guessing game crap. It was WHAT I could "Afford". Shouldn't that have been ENOUGH? No? Apparently NOT.

And you believe the wait times are longer for you than for someone who has a higher-tier plan?

When you searched, did you go through esurance, your former insurer's site, or the exchanges?

I'd recommend you start here:

Subsidy Calculator Widget

Then if your state has its own exchange, see what's available. If it doesn't, try the federal exchange.

 

[MaryL]

c

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke?

Aw, you're not actually going to repeat that "It takes me longer to see my doctor because I got a bronze plan" bullshit, are you?

Implying I am supposed to understand what the hell you are talking about, not in that little game.I bought what I understood was best, and screw this guessing game crap. It was WHAT I could "Afford". Shouldn't that have been ENOUGH? No? Apparently NOT.

And you believe the wait times are longer for you than for someone who has a higher-tier plan?

When you searched, did you go through esurance, your former insurer's site, or the exchanges?

I'd recommend you start here:

Subsidy Calculator Widget

Then if your state has its own exchange, see what's available. If it doesn't, try the federal exchange.

OK...I judge this more on PAST experiences. I could call my MD and wait a half hour,for just treatment of a common cold or a infection. Secondly, I paid, full price $15 full price I am NOW paying under "AFFORDABALE HEALTH CARE" with a deductible under Humana $140 WITH co pay? WHAT THE HELL...? Under anyone's math, HOW is that AFFORDABLE? And then, I can't see my DR if I have an emergency NOW,l I wait 2 weeks or go to an "emergency clinic". This isn't impressing me here.

 

[Arianrhod]

c

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke?

Aw, you're not actually going to repeat that "It takes me longer to see my doctor because I got a bronze plan" bullshit, are you?

Implying I am supposed to understand what the hell you are talking about, not in that little game.I bought what I understood was best, and screw this guessing game crap. It was WHAT I could "Afford". Shouldn't that have been ENOUGH? No? Apparently NOT.

And you believe the wait times are longer for you than for someone who has a higher-tier plan?

When you searched, did you go through esurance, your former insurer's site, or the exchanges?

I'd recommend you start here:

Subsidy Calculator Widget

Then if your state has its own exchange, see what's available. If it doesn't, try the federal exchange.

OK...I judge this more on PAST experiences. I could call my MD and wait a half hour,for just treatment of a common cold or a infection. Secondly, I paid, full price $15 full price I am NOW paying under "AFFORDABALE HEALTH CARE" with a deductible under Humana $140 WITH co pay? WHAT THE HELL...? Under anyone's math, HOW is that AFFORDABLE?

If I were you, I'd find a better carrier than Humana.

 

[MaryL]

c

Did I shop around? I purchased the most affordable plan I could get. Little did I know it meant a HUGE increase in med refills and a HUGE wait to see the DR, unless I stumbled upon the magic JUST right plan that cost X times more than I could afford. Affordable health care? Is this a joke?

Aw, you're not actually going to repeat that "It takes me longer to see my doctor because I got a bronze plan" bullshit, are you?

Implying I am supposed to understand what the hell you are talking about, not in that little game.I bought what I understood was best, and screw this guessing game crap. It was WHAT I could "Afford". Shouldn't that have been ENOUGH? No? Apparently NOT.

And you believe the wait times are longer for you than for someone who has a higher-tier plan?

When you searched, did you go through esurance, your former insurer's site, or the exchanges?

I'd recommend you start here:

Subsidy Calculator Widget

Then if your state has its own exchange, see what's available. If it doesn't, try the federal exchange.

OK...I judge this more on PAST experiences. I could call my MD and wait a half hour,for just treatment of a common cold or a infection. Secondly, I paid, full price $15 full price I am NOW paying under "AFFORDABALE HEALTH CARE" with a deductible under Humana $140 WITH co pay? WHAT THE HELL...? Under anyone's math, HOW is that AFFORDABLE?

If I were you, I'd find a better carrier than Humana.

I had Exempla,I would keep them, but I can't afford them. Wasn't this ALL about affordability? Why can't they all be comparable? It's a game, and Obama and you know it. What is up all the with games? Something screwy going here.If something cost x amount, then goddamit, charge that amount, stop playing games. Be reasonable for Christsake.

 

[Care4all]

Medicaid spending is up because millions of new people through Obamacare have found out they qualified for Medicaid or they were part of the states who expanded medicaid...and now qualified for it.

So an increase in Medicaid spending was and is expected.

Medicare spending, was suppose to go down with the reforms they made, which was to pay for the Medicaid going up.

Where does the money for that increased spending come from ?

I believe cuts to MEDICARE was suppose to fund the higher MEDICAID....along with the collection of Penalty monies.