Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

 

[Yarddog]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

And the same people who call that affordable, call Trump crazy

 

[TheOldSchool]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

Before the ACA, health insurance costs were on a steep decline for decades

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

At least you could keep your doctor......err.......never mind.

 

[dblack]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

And the same people who call that affordable, call Trump crazy

That doesn't mean he's not crazy.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Fixed it.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums slower than they were over the previous two decades

 

[Mr Natural]

If it was Trumpy and company that came up with the ACA, it would be the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel.

 

[dblack]

If it was Trumpy and company that came up with the ACA, it would be the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel.

Why would that make it any different?

 

[sealybobo]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

I saw this on Facebook:

Two nights ago my son was delivered via Caesarian section at Women’s Hospital in Vancouver by an amazing team: two surgeons, two nurses, one midwife, all women. It was an incredibly powerful, moving experience watching this group of highly skilled women help my wife bring another life into this world.

Our after-birth experience was also top-notch: care for mom, care for the baby, and extensive efforts to make sure we had all the skills, tools, and support we needed once we left the hospital.

Total cost to us: $0.

No worrying about whether we have coverage, or if our plan actually covers the procedure, or whether we’re going to have to argue with our provider to get the care we need, or about the size of our deductible, or whether there are co-pays or caps or hidden fees.

Just a “thank you, here’s your baby, come back and see us if you have any problems at all.”

Fellow Americans, as a US Citizen living in Canada, I’m here to testify about health care from the Great White North: you’re doing it wrong south of the border. My taxes in Canada are no higher than they were in the US, but this care is what I get for them here. Universal coverage can and does work, in Canada and all over the world.

 

[harmonica]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

 

[Moonglow]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

What was the reasons before the ACA?

 

[Moonglow]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's spend taxpayer $$$$$$$ on crap

There are times of the year that the exchanges are dead and there is literally no work to be done yet people still have to show up for work and still get paid..My wife bitches about how boring it is....

 

[sealybobo]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

Fellow Americans, as a US Citizen living in Canada, I’m here to testify about health care from the Great White North: you’re doing it wrong south of the border. My taxes in Canada are no higher than they were in the US, but this care is what I get for them here. Universal coverage can and does work, in Canada and all over the world.

 

[harmonica]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

Fellow Americans, as a US Citizen living in Canada, I’m here to testify about health care from the Great White North: you’re doing it wrong south of the border. My taxes in Canada are no higher than they were in the US, but this care is what I get for them here. Universal coverage can and does work, in Canada and all over the world.

--Canada has about one tenth the population of the US--so it's easier to have that type of healthcare organized and implemented??
how much do they spend on the military vs US?
thanks for replies

 

[sealybobo]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.

1. Administrative Costs

2. Drug Costs

3. Defensive Medicine
Yet another big driver of the higher U.S. health insurance bill is the practice of defensive medicine. Doctors are afraid that they will get sued, so they order multiple tests even when they are certain they know what the diagnosis is. A Gallup survey estimated that $650 billion annually could be attributed to defensive medicine. Everyone pays the bill on this with higher insurance premiums, co-pays and out-of-pocket costs, as well as taxes that go toward paying for governmental healthcare programs.

4. Expensive Mix of Treatments
U.S. medical practitioners also tend to use a more expensive mix of treatments. When compared with other developed countries, for example, the U.S. uses three times as many mammograms, two-and-a-half times the number of MRIs and 31% more Caesarean sections. This results in more being spent on technology in more locations. Another key part of the mix is that more people in the U.S. are treated by specialists, whose fees are higher than primary-care doctors, when the same types of treatments are done at the primary-care level in other countries. Specialists command higher pay, which drives the costs up in the U.S. for everyone.

5. Wages and Work Rules
Wages and staffing drive costs up in healthcare. Specialists are commanding high reimbursements and the overutilization of specialists through the current process of referral decision-making drives health costs even higher. The National Commission on Physician Payment Reform was the first step in fixing the problem; based on its 2013 report, the commission adopted 12 recommendations for changes to get control over physician pay. Now it is working with Congress to find a way to implement some of these recommendations.

6. Branding
“There is no such thing as a legitimate price for anything in healthcare,” says George Halvorson, the former chairman of health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente. “Prices are made up depending on who the payer is.”


The Bottom Line
Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment and hospital costs. They can influence the mix of treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments.

So far in the U.S., there has been a lack of political support for the government taking a larger role in controlling healthcare costs. The most recent legislation, the Affordable Care Act, focused on ensuring access to healthcare, but maintained the status quo to encourage competition among insurers and healthcare providers. This means there will be multiple payers for the services and less powerful control over negotiated pricing from providers of healthcare services.



Read more: 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. | Investopedia 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

 

[sealybobo]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

Fellow Americans, as a US Citizen living in Canada, I’m here to testify about health care from the Great White North: you’re doing it wrong south of the border. My taxes in Canada are no higher than they were in the US, but this care is what I get for them here. Universal coverage can and does work, in Canada and all over the world.

--Canada has about one tenth the population of the US--so it's easier to have that type of healthcare organized and implemented??
how much do they spend on the military vs US?
thanks for replies

Then they need to start paying. American citizens shouldn't have to pay more so Canada doesn't have to have a military. And I understand all the arguments against making other countries pay us for our military. I know it wont' be an easy fix but no one told Trump government would be easy. He assumed he would be able to fix everything and now he has to deliver.

 

[alang1216]

An average of 60% increase in premiums across the board after the ACA was passed does not sound very ‘affordable’ to me.

It turns out that across the board, for all ages and family sizes, for HMO, PPO, and POS plans, premium increases averaged about 60 percent from 2013, the last year before ACA reforms took effect, to 2017. In same length of time preceding that, all groups experienced premium increases of less than 10 percent, and most age groups actually experienced premium decreases, on average.

Yes, It Was The 'Affordable' Care Act That Increased Premiums

Curiously the article compares premiums but not the content of the plans. The ACA mandated a higher level of care than what was previously available and increased the number of people covered so it makes sense that premiums would go up. What I'd like to know, and can't tell from the article, is whether total, annual, family health costs increased under ACA. I'd also like to know if the health of Americans did better once more were insured and going to the doctor.

 

[harmonica]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.

1. Administrative Costs

2. Drug Costs

3. Defensive Medicine
Yet another big driver of the higher U.S. health insurance bill is the practice of defensive medicine. Doctors are afraid that they will get sued, so they order multiple tests even when they are certain they know what the diagnosis is. A Gallup survey estimated that $650 billion annually could be attributed to defensive medicine. Everyone pays the bill on this with higher insurance premiums, co-pays and out-of-pocket costs, as well as taxes that go toward paying for governmental healthcare programs.

4. Expensive Mix of Treatments
U.S. medical practitioners also tend to use a more expensive mix of treatments. When compared with other developed countries, for example, the U.S. uses three times as many mammograms, two-and-a-half times the number of MRIs and 31% more Caesarean sections. This results in more being spent on technology in more locations. Another key part of the mix is that more people in the U.S. are treated by specialists, whose fees are higher than primary-care doctors, when the same types of treatments are done at the primary-care level in other countries. Specialists command higher pay, which drives the costs up in the U.S. for everyone.

5. Wages and Work Rules
Wages and staffing drive costs up in healthcare. Specialists are commanding high reimbursements and the overutilization of specialists through the current process of referral decision-making drives health costs even higher. The National Commission on Physician Payment Reform was the first step in fixing the problem; based on its 2013 report, the commission adopted 12 recommendations for changes to get control over physician pay. Now it is working with Congress to find a way to implement some of these recommendations.

6. Branding
“There is no such thing as a legitimate price for anything in healthcare,” says George Halvorson, the former chairman of health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente. “Prices are made up depending on who the payer is.”


The Bottom Line
Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment and hospital costs. They can influence the mix of treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments.

So far in the U.S., there has been a lack of political support for the government taking a larger role in controlling healthcare costs. The most recent legislation, the Affordable Care Act, focused on ensuring access to healthcare, but maintained the status quo to encourage competition among insurers and healthcare providers. This means there will be multiple payers for the services and less powerful control over negotiated pricing from providers of healthcare services.



Read more: 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. | Investopedia 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

I took my daughter to get her arm looked at --she twisted it or something
the doctor could not have talked to us for more than 5 minutes
overall charge: $200
and the arm wasn't broken or anything....

 

[sealybobo]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.

1. Administrative Costs

2. Drug Costs

3. Defensive Medicine
Yet another big driver of the higher U.S. health insurance bill is the practice of defensive medicine. Doctors are afraid that they will get sued, so they order multiple tests even when they are certain they know what the diagnosis is. A Gallup survey estimated that $650 billion annually could be attributed to defensive medicine. Everyone pays the bill on this with higher insurance premiums, co-pays and out-of-pocket costs, as well as taxes that go toward paying for governmental healthcare programs.

4. Expensive Mix of Treatments
U.S. medical practitioners also tend to use a more expensive mix of treatments. When compared with other developed countries, for example, the U.S. uses three times as many mammograms, two-and-a-half times the number of MRIs and 31% more Caesarean sections. This results in more being spent on technology in more locations. Another key part of the mix is that more people in the U.S. are treated by specialists, whose fees are higher than primary-care doctors, when the same types of treatments are done at the primary-care level in other countries. Specialists command higher pay, which drives the costs up in the U.S. for everyone.

5. Wages and Work Rules
Wages and staffing drive costs up in healthcare. Specialists are commanding high reimbursements and the overutilization of specialists through the current process of referral decision-making drives health costs even higher. The National Commission on Physician Payment Reform was the first step in fixing the problem; based on its 2013 report, the commission adopted 12 recommendations for changes to get control over physician pay. Now it is working with Congress to find a way to implement some of these recommendations.

6. Branding
“There is no such thing as a legitimate price for anything in healthcare,” says George Halvorson, the former chairman of health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente. “Prices are made up depending on who the payer is.”


The Bottom Line
Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment and hospital costs. They can influence the mix of treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments.

So far in the U.S., there has been a lack of political support for the government taking a larger role in controlling healthcare costs. The most recent legislation, the Affordable Care Act, focused on ensuring access to healthcare, but maintained the status quo to encourage competition among insurers and healthcare providers. This means there will be multiple payers for the services and less powerful control over negotiated pricing from providers of healthcare services.



Read more: 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. | Investopedia 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

I took my daughter to get her arm looked at --she twisted it or something
the doctor could not have talked to us for more than 5 minutes
overall charge: $200
and the arm wasn't broken or anything....

Why don’t doctors and dentists post their prices? This industry needs to be regulated and modernized and integrated into how the private market works. Show us your prices. How come they don’t show us their prices for things they do?

 

[harmonica]

increased taxes--you were taxed if you didn't get healthcare
used tax $$$$ to advertise it !!!!!!
spent millions $$$$$$ for people to sit around
Whistleblower: Obamacare Processing Center Workers Paid To Do Nothing
Employees: No work at Obamacare processing centers, and bosses knew
this is the classic ''looks good on paper'' crap
let's increase taxes and then spend it on crap!!!!!

6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.

1. Administrative Costs

2. Drug Costs

3. Defensive Medicine
Yet another big driver of the higher U.S. health insurance bill is the practice of defensive medicine. Doctors are afraid that they will get sued, so they order multiple tests even when they are certain they know what the diagnosis is. A Gallup survey estimated that $650 billion annually could be attributed to defensive medicine. Everyone pays the bill on this with higher insurance premiums, co-pays and out-of-pocket costs, as well as taxes that go toward paying for governmental healthcare programs.

4. Expensive Mix of Treatments
U.S. medical practitioners also tend to use a more expensive mix of treatments. When compared with other developed countries, for example, the U.S. uses three times as many mammograms, two-and-a-half times the number of MRIs and 31% more Caesarean sections. This results in more being spent on technology in more locations. Another key part of the mix is that more people in the U.S. are treated by specialists, whose fees are higher than primary-care doctors, when the same types of treatments are done at the primary-care level in other countries. Specialists command higher pay, which drives the costs up in the U.S. for everyone.

5. Wages and Work Rules
Wages and staffing drive costs up in healthcare. Specialists are commanding high reimbursements and the overutilization of specialists through the current process of referral decision-making drives health costs even higher. The National Commission on Physician Payment Reform was the first step in fixing the problem; based on its 2013 report, the commission adopted 12 recommendations for changes to get control over physician pay. Now it is working with Congress to find a way to implement some of these recommendations.

6. Branding
“There is no such thing as a legitimate price for anything in healthcare,” says George Halvorson, the former chairman of health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente. “Prices are made up depending on who the payer is.”


The Bottom Line
Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment and hospital costs. They can influence the mix of treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments.

So far in the U.S., there has been a lack of political support for the government taking a larger role in controlling healthcare costs. The most recent legislation, the Affordable Care Act, focused on ensuring access to healthcare, but maintained the status quo to encourage competition among insurers and healthcare providers. This means there will be multiple payers for the services and less powerful control over negotiated pricing from providers of healthcare services.



Read more: 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S. | Investopedia 6 Reasons Healthcare Is So Expensive in the U.S.
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

I took my daughter to get her arm looked at --she twisted it or something
the doctor could not have talked to us for more than 5 minutes
overall charge: $200
and the arm wasn't broken or anything....

Why don’t doctors and dentists post their prices? This industry needs to be regulated and modernized and integrated into how the private market works. Show us your prices. How come they don’t show us their prices for things they do?

plus time per patient including Xrays etc--but not waiting time
waiting room content starts at 1:20 mark