Old Texas Reb
Member
- Jul 17, 2018
- 24
- 14
- 11
With no more government subsidies to insurers and the end of the "individual mandate" next year, premiums will explode in 2019, making it unaffordable for most people.
Without a tax penaltly younger, healthier people who prop up the system will take their chances and go uninsured. This will lead to massive premium hikes for people with chronic diseases or pre-existing conditions, forcing them to drop Obamacare and enroll in some of the bare bones catastrophic medical insurance plans now available
What's the solution? Only 2 come to mind.
1. Medicare for all (AKA national healthcare). Might work if you don't mind paying at least 1/3 of your income to the Feds for this in addition to income taxes. This is a non-starter to me.
2. Going back to the old medical insurance system before Obamacare where all the risks are priced into the system in the form of premiums charged. Good if your'e reasonably healthy, bad if you have pre-existing conditions.
My wife and I are on Medicare and have a Medicare supplement policy (Plan F) that covers everything not paid by Medicare. We have virtually no out of pocket expenses except dental and eyeglasses. To get that level of coverage (including the Part D drug insurance) our premium costs in 2017 were right at $10,000 per year for both of us. I expect that will probably go up at least 10% this year. Luckily we can afford it.
Without a tax penaltly younger, healthier people who prop up the system will take their chances and go uninsured. This will lead to massive premium hikes for people with chronic diseases or pre-existing conditions, forcing them to drop Obamacare and enroll in some of the bare bones catastrophic medical insurance plans now available
What's the solution? Only 2 come to mind.
1. Medicare for all (AKA national healthcare). Might work if you don't mind paying at least 1/3 of your income to the Feds for this in addition to income taxes. This is a non-starter to me.
2. Going back to the old medical insurance system before Obamacare where all the risks are priced into the system in the form of premiums charged. Good if your'e reasonably healthy, bad if you have pre-existing conditions.
My wife and I are on Medicare and have a Medicare supplement policy (Plan F) that covers everything not paid by Medicare. We have virtually no out of pocket expenses except dental and eyeglasses. To get that level of coverage (including the Part D drug insurance) our premium costs in 2017 were right at $10,000 per year for both of us. I expect that will probably go up at least 10% this year. Luckily we can afford it.
