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March 2014 Moms
Thanks Mr. President.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Thanks Mr. President.
If so, damn I wish I had that kind of free time.
Just found this app, so new to posting.
Companies exist in order to make a profit. As big a profit as possible. So they are right to manage their costs as insurance costs g
I've been looking into the exchanges as MH is currently uninsured. If you're eligible you SHOULD have a better plan. If I recall correctly (someone let me know if I'm wrong) the OOP max for a family is either 6k or 12k no matter what plan you go with. You shouldn't be on the hook for more than that (it is ridiculous that anyone with insurance should be).
But the caveat is you have to be eligible to go on the exchange. It's only available if you aren't covered by your employer or your employer's plan doesn't meet minimum coverage standards. That is keeping us off the exchange, unfortunately, which sucks because the exchange quoted us $150 per month less than what his employer charges for the same coverage.
There was research done prior to this law being pushed through without being read that most of the uninsured people in America fell into 3 categories:
1. young, healthy mobile individuals who did not want to pay for insurance given they rarely used medical care.
2. people who are financially secure, don't desire to have insurance and pay for their medical costs as they arise
3. people who were otherwise eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, but had not enrolled themselves in it.
Like I said not EVERY uninsured person falls into these buckets, but most.
Now with ACA, these people are forced to pay for health insurance that they may not want and/or need.
Insurance companies have to charge everyone more because they have to provide coverage that some people may not want or need (eg maternity, mental illness) and they have to cover preexisting conditions (obviously someone w/ a preexisting condition will be more expensive to cover than someone without)
This law is already a $hit show CF and we aren't yet even experiencing all the ramifications it will have on the health care industry.
I hope that make sense and wasn't too ramble-y.
Overall though, I'm curious to see how it affects my DH insurance (he's a teacher and I'm covered on his insurance), but I think it helps so many people to get insurance they could not affordable or weren't eligible due to pre-existing conditions, which I am all for.
Born 2/4/14
Weighing 6 lbs 10 oz and 20 inches long
Married my love 6/11/11 | MMC 10/11/11 | Eliza Frances born 9/18/12 | Rhett Garland born 2/24/14
Edited for clarification
My BFF's DH racks up over $35k/month in healthcare costs. Another friend's 3 year old ended up in the ICU for two weeks and so far the bills total over $600k -- and they're still coming in.
I just think the government is trying to regulate the wrong end of the problem. Insurance and healthcare costs will only keep rising if stops aren't put into place
https://news.yahoo.com/obama-administration-knew-millions-wouldn-t-be-able-to-keep-insurance--report-222249311.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory
Also my company's premium for our employees is going up 21% for health insurance. I just haven't seen yet who this new law is helping. But it's still new so I guess only time will tell..
Okay but the main thing I want to discuss is the "arms race" of insurance/medical bills. I feel it has to start somewhere. Medical bills are ridiculously overpriced. Yes, some things are warranted. For example, it takes so much money to develop new technology, which the hospital pays for. Doctors have to have decent salaries or NOBODY in their right mind would go through the extreme debt of med school ($200,000 NOT including undergrad). But yes, getting charged $200 for one Advil in the emergency room is unwarranted. Where does this come from? In my opinion it seems to be that the large number of uninsured people drive these costs up. Hospitals and doctors have to treat patients. They don't stop and consider that someone may become homeless as a result of their future debt for it because they are uninsured. What happens? The individual goes bankrupt, and the hospital basically treated a patient for free. That's hospital supplies, salaries, and tons more money spent than received. So the insured prices go up to cover the costs of the uninsured. Which makes insurance more expensive for the individual or group. If everyone is insured, the hospitals and doctors are now getting paid for every patient. Costs can start going down on the ridiculous things ($1000 for triage vitals or $200 for an ibuprofen). When costs go down, so can insurance rates. It's like an arms race we need to stop. And hopefully the aca is a step in the right direction.
Me. It's helping me.
And if you're willing to look at the bigger picture, I believe it's helping all of us as a nation.
Very nicely put! What people don't seem to take into account is that for the first time ever there are caps on what a person/ family can pay. Prior, insurance companies could charge whatever premiums they wanted and there was no regulation to tell them no. Now, there is a max cap at 9.5% of your income which for many families is a substantial reduction in what they were paying. Additionally, as others said, there were almost no options to buy insurance on your own if you were unemployed, self -employed or under employed by your employer. Anyone who had to buy cobra knows the ridiculous price and shit coverage they received. Now there are a multitude of options. Most importantly, especially in a capitalist society, these insurance companies will be going into competition with each other for the first time ever. The competition itself will keep prices lower as these mega companies push for your business - this is the essence of our free market society. These two things along with allowing everyone with pre-existing conditions is a great change in my opinion. I think people are only thinking, whelp my rates are going thru the roof, without realizing that if you are paying more than 9.5% of your total income under your employer plan you will qualify for the exchange which will open a lot more options for them with more than likely a reduction in oop. I think this is a push in the right direction.
I am sad to see that many of the ladies on this board are poking fun at other women who point a finger of blame at the POTUS for "Obamacare." It's super mind boggling how that could be misconstrued to think that he was the one behind it, since he actually likes it when people refer to it as Obamacare.
My leaders that I voted in didn't vote for the ACA. So I have every right to be disappointed with the rest of the country. Because I live in America and its my God given right to be upset. I realize I'll get to deal with it for many years to come, but that's my problem to figure out--not yours to bully me into thinking that your way is CLEARLY THE BEST OPTION.
ETA:
I think y'all are bitches. I'm out.
Lol, wtf? Who is bullying? Why is that word being thrown around? You can be upset and not like it but others have the right to support it and hope it betters this country. The point of my post was that I think some people upset with the new law hasn't bothered to read up on it and to see how it can in fact benefit them. There are limitations on these increases which may benefit people but those really upset may be overlooking these benefits. I am not trying to paint a generalization brush of those opposed but in reading through some threads regarding the aca there appears to be a lot of misunderstandings of the law. No one is bullying. I hate when that word is thrown around all willy-nilly.hats.
Other posters have brought up the Out of Pocket maximum. When talking about the out of pocket maximum, beware because many (most of them I've read about) of the plans do NOT count the monthly premiums you pay toward that maximum. Some plans don't count the following toward the out of pocket maximum:
- Deductible
- Copayments
- Coinsurance for drugs
- Coinsurance for tests
- Coinsurance for out-of-network care
It just so happens that many people are finding major sticker shock when seeing the high premiums in the exchanges (and many don't qualify for any tax credits). So there are many nuances to this and of course supporters of the ACA don't mention this when they talk about the "benefits" of the ACA.No, it is my understanding the total out of pocket costs can not be more than 9.5% of your income- not just premiums. If it was just premiums I would agree but it includes monthly premiums, oop costs- so if the 5k deductible that is including and I believe all co-pays. That is why is it considered affordable. Medical coverage has be defined as affordable if all costs are under 9.5% of income. This cap also takes into effect your income level. Thus your oop costs on a family making 100k will be different than a family making 50k. Also, the 9.5% is max so most won't be that high but historically costs have been upwards of 20-30% of income, this will limit that. Lastly, many in the exchange qualify for subsides which will also lower costs. Is it perfect, no, but do feel it is a step to change something l.
A plan’s out-of-pocket maximum (or out-of-pocket limit) is the most you pay during a policy period (typically a year) before your plan starts to pay 100% of the allowed amount. The money you pay for premiums and health care that your plan doesn’t cover (e.g. elective surgery) does not count towards your out-of-pocket maximum. Depending on your plan, your deductible, copayments and/or coinsurance may apply towards the out-of-pocket maximum. The various health care plans have different out-of-pocket maximums; however, under health care reform, the 2014 limits are $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for families.