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Old 11-06-2015, 10:11 AM   #16
Lamplighter
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I don't know why I keep reading David Brooks' editorials in the NY Times.
Before I'm half way through one, I'm usually calling him "dumb ass" .
But actually, tho I still think him nuts, he often sets me to explore his references.

Once again, Brooks has played the motivator
Brook's editorial today is a good exploration of
OmabaCare coverage (% population with coverage)

Name:  Obamacare_1.png
Views: 175
Size:  47.8 KB

and costs ($) given Brooks' 3 potential pathways our economy may take.

Great News! We’re Not Doomed to Soaring Health Care Costs

Quote:
It really matters who the next president is.
But there are other things that matter just as much to the nation’s future prosperity.
One of them is: What is happening to health care costs?

If health care costs start to rise again the way they did before,
then health care spending will swallow the economy and bankrupt the federal government.
If they are contained, then suddenly there’s a lot more money foreverything else,
like schools, antipoverty efforts and wages.

The good news is that recently health care inflation has been at historic lows.
As Jason Furman, the chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers,
put it in a speech to the Hamilton Project last month[*],
“Health care prices have grown at an annual rate of 1.6 percent since
the Affordable Care Act was enacted in March 2010,
the slowest rate for such a period in five decades, and those prices have grown
at an even slower 1.1 percent rate over the 12 months ending in August 2015.

<snip>
...
[*] link
This report also links decreasing Medicare costs to actual improvement in medical treatments,
as prompted by Medicare reducing payments to hospitals on "re-admissions".
That is, patients are getting better care (e.g., reduced hospital-caused infections),
and not needing to be readmitted.

The cynical might question if "re-admissions" were some sort of "profit center".


.

Last edited by Lamplighter; 11-06-2015 at 10:43 AM.
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Old 11-06-2015, 08:24 PM   #17
classicman
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Soooo ... For 2016, the NEW Obamacare changes are kicking in -
What are the changes you ask? Well I'll explain.
My premiums are increasing another 21%
My coverage is now ZERO until I meet a $6000- $6400 out of pocket minimum. That includes my prescriptions. So unless I average well over $500 a month in medical expenses, I will pay well over $6000 a year for NOTHING PLUS the increase in premiums!
WTF?
Remember to kick a democrat in the balls for me.
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Old 11-06-2015, 09:44 PM   #18
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If they're telling you Obamacare forced them to do that, then they're selling you a bill of goods.
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Old 11-06-2015, 10:00 PM   #19
chrisinhouston
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My biggest complaint is not with the ACA but the fact that it did not change our model for access to healthcare, your job. No other nation on earth uses this outdated model that is based on a time when companies used health care as a perk for your job and labor unions bargained for it. That was fine when most of the population worked jobs with the same company for many years and then retired which isn't how it is now.

We just got the new information on the NEW plan for next year at my wife's company. Last year we had a plan with BCBS and it was pretty good. The annual per person deductible was $1200 and was the out of pocket expenses. After you reached that you had 100% covered. Our Dr. copays were $35 for a primary and $45 for a specialist. Our prescription copay had 4 tiers, $0, $15, $35, $75.

The new plan sucks. We have a $1500 annual per person deductible, $3800 out of pocket and then an 80-20% payment coverage, they pay 80% and we pay the other 20%. The Dr. payments each went up $10 and the prescriptions went up as well. And while it is still costing about the same we are getting less. My wife pays $1000 per month pre-tax and her employer kicks in an extra $500 per month. Because it is a small company with a mix of ages for the workers they have an age based plan meaning the older workers pay more for insurance than the younger ones. Only about 1/3 of the workers there even get the insurance, the rest get a better deal through their spouses or from former employers who gave them an early retirement package so the pool is small which further increases the costs.

My wife could probably go on Medicare as she is 65 and just get a supplemental policy but I would have to find my own insurance and the costs are even higher that way.
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Old 11-07-2015, 06:29 AM   #20
Griff
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You are spot on Chris.
Our deductibles are rising as well. This is in part attributable to our so-called Cadillac plan. Ours (we're covered through Pete) is a Cadillac plan because it costs a lot not because it covers a lot. When you have an aging group of computer nerds pulling long hours you will have high health care costs. Since we have an expensive pool of workers to cover ACA taxes the plan 40% on every dollar over $10,200 spent in premiums.
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Old 11-07-2015, 07:01 AM   #21
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This is why we need a socialized system with the government as a single payer. The pool of employees at my firm is also aging, and our premiums are going up fast too.

I bailed on the standard plan last year and went with the very high deductible, lower premium, HSA plan. It pays for one physical, and then, since I have the family plan, we have a $6k deductible before the plan pays anything. But then it's covered 100% in network and 50% out of network. Basically, we get a free physical, and then pay out of pocket (pre-tax) for everything else, but if we get really sick, we won't go bankrupt. But the premiums are still too high.
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Old 11-07-2015, 09:49 AM   #22
classicman
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Lets see ... looks like everyone agrees.

We are all paying MORE to have govt mandated insurance, but we all have LESS coverage.
Basically what this has turned into is VERY EXPENSIVE catastrophic insurance for all.

I'm $12,000 out of pocket between premiums and deductibles before I get a dime in coverage.
I hate to inform you all, but $12,000 will wipe out most, if not all of the people this was designed to help.
Oh, And I'm talking about the silver plans. I can only imagine how much worse it is with the bronze.

What a bag of shit we were sold. And don't bother blaming those "evil Ins. companies", the D's forced this upon us.
Now that they have created an even larger problem I cannot wait to see their next solution. Fucking idiots.

You know why Pelosi said "we have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it"?
Because if anyone with 1/10th of a brain read & understood what it was, they would NOT have passed it.
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Last edited by classicman; 11-07-2015 at 09:56 AM.
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Old 11-07-2015, 10:22 AM   #23
Undertoad
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For the 25 years before Obama was elected dogcatcher, we had increased premiums and more highly selective coverage every goddamn year.

ETA That said, I'm sorry that this affects you personally in this way.
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Old 11-07-2015, 12:27 PM   #24
classicman
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Thanks, but from what I see, my actual coverage have fallen off a cliff and my premiums have skyrocketed over the last 5 years. YMMV.
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Old 11-07-2015, 12:27 PM   #25
glatt
 
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Every year I get a refund from the insurance company because they didn't spend the required amount on claims. It's not a lot, but I LOVE it that Obamacare is making the insurance companies meet minimum standards.

And I have to parrot what UT just said. My insurance premiums have been going up consistently for my entire adult life and after Obamacare was passed, they have not gone up nearly as quickly. I think my increase in healthcare costs is because I am getting older and so are my co-workers. We are not a desirable pool.
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Old 11-07-2015, 01:09 PM   #26
chrisinhouston
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I read an article on the uptick in premiums the other day pointing out that it took insurance companies a few years after the passage of the ACA to figure out what the rates should really be, they had to adjust to the fact that now they had to cover more people with pre-exisiting conditions, etc. They found out that Americans as a whole are a lot sicker than was expected. And since they are "for profit" companies they have to raise premiums and cover less in order to make a profit. Furthermore, the ACA has no bargaining power for costs like Medicare does. Even Medicare Part D (the drug part) can not bargain to get lower prices on drugs.
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Old 11-07-2015, 03:26 PM   #27
xoxoxoBruce
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Quote:
They found out that Americans as a whole are a lot sicker than was expected.
Because they haven't a clue about the people, only actuarial tables and reports. None of those executives have experienced knowing you're sick, but don't have the money, or even know a doctor, to do something about it, until you're taken to the emergency room.

This plan has brought a shitload of those people into the system where they can now get everything at least looked at, so they will. And people who think they're healthy, the I've never been sick a day in my lifers, don't see the need for insurance so will avoid it as long as they can.

Oh, and the medical profession's bosom buddy the drug companies spend billions through the media, making as many people as possible hypochondriacs.
Feel bad? We've a pill for that. Too fat/skinny? We've a pill for that. Raining? We've a pill for that.
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Old 11-08-2015, 06:33 AM   #28
Griff
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt View Post
Every year I get a refund from the insurance company because they didn't spend the required amount on claims. It's not a lot, but I LOVE it that Obamacare is making the insurance companies meet minimum standards.

And I have to parrot what UT just said. My insurance premiums have been going up consistently for my entire adult life and after Obamacare was passed, they have not gone up nearly as quickly. I think my increase in healthcare costs is because I am getting older and so are my co-workers. We are not a desirable pool.
This, plus my kids will continue to be covered. The linkage to work is still a huge problem but more people are being covered.
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Old 11-08-2015, 11:57 AM   #29
Lamplighter
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Quote:
Originally Posted by classicman View Post
Soooo ... For 2016, the NEW Obamacare changes are kicking in -
What are the changes you ask? Well I'll explain.
My premiums are increasing another 21%
My coverage is now ZERO until I meet a $6000- $6400 out of pocket minimum.
That includes my prescriptions. So unless I average well over $500 a month in medical expenses,
I will pay well over $6000 a year for NOTHING PLUS the increase in premiums!
...
That sounds more like "Catastrophic Health Insurance" than
what people usually think of as a health care program.

In any case, it's not correct to say you are paying for "...NOTHING PLUS...premiums"

Under ObamaCare...
Quote:
"Catastrophic plans" cover 3 primary care visits per year, and certain preventive services, at no cost.
You have to pay all other medical costs yourself until you reach your deductible –$6,850 in 2016.

After that, the plan pays 100% of covered services.
Also, such insurance plans depend a great lot on whether your
State Governor has elected to expand Medicaid, or not.

If you’re eligible to buy a Catastrophic plan, you’ll see them displayed
when you apply and compare plans in the Marketplace.

.
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Old 11-09-2015, 10:27 AM   #30
busterb
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To get on Medicaid you have to have income of about 400 bucks a year
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