Let's put the FUD aside, and ask yourself this specific question. How will it affect you, both negatively and positively ?

Here's the administrations cheerleading 'explanation'. No definition of 'who pays what' here.

[www.healthcare.gov]


My initial take:

The good:
1- My college children are insured under my healthcare (since last year). Nice. I had a $2K bill from my daughter's ER visit the prior year.

2- My wife and I get some previously expensive diagnostic procedures (mammogram and colonoscopy.. you guess who gets what) 'fully paid for' by our insurance.

3- IF things go very badly, I won't run into the lifetime coverage barrier ( I have several coworkers who have already hit that, it sucks beyond all definition of sucks).

The bad:
1- FSA . I set aside $4 to $5 K each year to cover copays, medication, and deductibles in my 70% plan. That drops to $2K. I lose $2 of income tax protection, and have to set that money aside. Ever been in a position of 'be sick or broke' ? It also sucks. Been there.

2- Taxes. I own stocks. Lots of Americans do. Selling them to pay medical bills ? Bigger bite, less money for the medical bills. I don't make $200K a year. (I wish). But if I did, I'd get bitten there too.

3- Health insurance costs: My company 'self insures' our 3,000+ Ohio employees. That means we pay Anthem to manage our claims and costs and whatnot, but it's as a managemnt company only, not an insurer. I fully expect them to go up, up, up next year. And so on. And what's worse, we pay this amout out of our year end bonus. Which will go down, down, down.

4- The Uncertainty. The worst issue is the uncertainty. All of the 'savings' and 'benefits' are supposed to happen when all these uninsured people land on the insurance companies doorsteps. What will that do to our expenses ? I have no idea. But I can almost guarantee it's going to be bad.

The net result ?
My personal healthcare costs are going to continue to rise. This year they are well over TWICE what I pay for my mortgage. And that is supposed to be the biggest expense for an American household.

Ed: Note... it occurs to me that this net result would have happened with or without the Affordable Healthcare Act. So despite this 'crowning achievement' of the Omaba administration, I would won't be any worse off than I would have been anyway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2012 03:17PM by cbelt3.

I'm not worried about myself or family - we have good insurance that we can afford. It's good to know though that if our situation changes we'll have options and won't face catastrophe related to paying for health care.

There are many things to like about the PPACA but for me it's primarily that children and seniors can get the care they need regardless of ability to pay, insurers can't refuse them, resources will be put into building up the primary care system, including increasing reiumbursements to providers who care for Medicaid patients, and health insurance companies are prohibited both from discriminating and ripping people off in a variety of ways, AND no more freeloaders. (at least a lot fewer)


(about FSA accounts, those have been notoriously abused. The average family uses less than $1,500 a year in those, and the new limit will be $2,500 per insured taxpayer, so not a problem for most people. If your out of pocket is much higher than that I'd be looking for better insurance.)

It will be positive to me. The lifting of lifetime caps will be especially nice. I've had a couple life-saving, extensive surgeries.

I'll be able to get insurance.

Quote
p8712
I'll be able to get insurance.

that's great

My son, a Type I diabetic, will be able to get insurance.

It's always great how actual information defeats FUD

Mitt Romney is awesome.

RomneyCare has made life worth living.

---

Kooper's Flute Thing cover

[www.freethegrapes.org]

norwegian wood reality TV

[www.youtube.com]

Oops, hang on, premiums and costs have gone up here just like everywhere else.
and bankruptcies due to health care costs have not decreased.
Never mind.

---

Kooper's Flute Thing cover

[www.freethegrapes.org]

norwegian wood reality TV

[www.youtube.com]

1. So far the main effect has been that I have been able to keep both sons on my insurance. One took a semester off that became 3, he would be able to buy insurance from school since he is going back to finish next month. The other son has a degree, but has not been able to get a permanent job yet. He nearly was set up until recently, but the job he was being trained for went away. A client's new VP decided to "take things in a new direction", and that training position went away. A few months being paid $30 an hour in training helped his finances, but he was just short of getting a permanent position with benefits.

2. Removal of the benefit cap is important, my insurer paid out over $250K during treatment in 2010 for my colorectal cancer. The followup tests, exams, and other followup care still are adding up.

3. One of my nephews will be able to get coverage at all due to the removal of pre-existing conditions. He had a heart defect that was surgically treated before he was 6 months old. That requires continual followup, and treatment. That included getting a pacemaker a couple years ago when he turned 20.

Re: "The bad."

1. Yes, HSAs are going to be a problem.
2. Not relevant. Pure FUD.
3. Your imagining it. More FUD.
4. Even more FUD. Oh, come on!!

...it occurs to me that this net result would have happened with or without the Affordable Healthcare Act.

It's 21st century America. Billionaires welcome.

Quote
Lemon Drop

Quote
p8712
I'll be able to get insurance.

that's great

Thank you.

>>How will it affect you, both negatively and positively ?

Who has time to figure that out?

---

1. It has already had an effect since I've been able to keep my kids on my insurance.

2. It will enable me to shop for insurance after the "no preexisting condition" clause kicks in. We are self-employed so it was a bitter struggle to get us all insured. My wife and son have incredibly minor pre-existing conditions which has meant that all the insurance companies refused them insurance, which gave them the excuse to bump them into the high risk pool (meaning extremely expensive, covers very little, high deductible insurance). This has been extremely costly and nerve-wracking. Now that we have insurance there's no way I can shop for a different deal and I must accept the continued skyrocketing rates because then the clause will kick in again and we will be out on the street, so to speak.

Those of you who have employer-provided insurance have no idea what it would be like if you lost your job or wanted to quit. Large employers get much better deals than individuals, so once you are on your own the rates skyrocket (that is if you can even get insurance). You wouldn't believe what passes for pre-existing conditions. These are the ones applied to my family:

1. Five years prior, X-ray showed one kidney 15% larger than the other.

2. Broken bone within last 5 years.

3. 20 years prior, cone biopsy that showed possible malignancy. No recurrence.

Each of those items was enough to say "No insurance for you!".

---

"So be proud to be a decent American instead of just a w'anker whipping up fear!" - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland

Being alive is a pre-existing condition

Sorry you went through all that Davester. I'm glad things are finally changing for the better.

I'm over 30 years removed from Mass so forgive my ignorance about this but didn't Romneycare give you these protections? Until ACA fully kicks in, aren't you better protected under the Romney plan?

Quote
JoeH
1. So far the main effect has been that I have been able to keep both sons on my insurance. One took a semester off that became 3, he would be able to buy insurance from school since he is going back to finish next month. The other son has a degree, but has not been able to get a permanent job yet. He nearly was set up until recently, but the job he was being trained for went away. A client's new VP decided to "take things in a new direction", and that training position went away. A few months being paid $30 an hour in training helped his finances, but he was just short of getting a permanent position with benefits.

2. Removal of the benefit cap is important, my insurer paid out over $250K during treatment in 2010 for my colorectal cancer. The followup tests, exams, and other followup care still are adding up.

3. One of my nephews will be able to get coverage at all due to the removal of pre-existing conditions. He had a heart defect that was surgically treated before he was 6 months old. That requires continual followup, and treatment. That included getting a pacemaker a couple years ago when he turned 20.

The Romney plan did not extend the age limit for covering my sons. There are options for them to get health coverage, but not anywhere as complete as through my coverage.

Some of the plans have coverage limits. Fortunately what I have through work does not, but if I changed jobs...?

As for my nephew, he is out there in California. My sister has had to jump through hoops to keep him covered. Most recently the coverage she had was cancelled earlier this summer. Fortunately my nephew had just started working for the VA, I am certain some companies would have had second thoughts about adding him to their group coverage.

I will be able to get insurance. Atrial fibrillation is a big no-no as far as insurance companies are concerned. Maryland has already put the high-risk pool in place--it's called MHIP and I will be eligible for it in October.

Quote
Gutenberg
Maryland has already put the high-risk pool in place--it's called MHIP and I will be eligible for it in October.

Terrific! Go, Maryland for getting up and running.

---

"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama

Maryland has found that by opening up access to primary care, adding more people to the Medicaid rolls and paying for more people to get primary care, that its health care spending has gone down. Slightly, but down. I know the man who is the health care guru in the Maryland General Assembly and he's a good man.

Quote
Chakravartin
Re: "The bad."

1. Yes, HSAs are going to be a problem.
2. Not relevant. Pure FUD.
3. Your imagining it. More FUD.
4. Even more FUD. Oh, come on!!

...it occurs to me that this net result would have happened with or without the Affordable Healthcare Act.

It's 21st century America. Billionaires welcome.

I mostly agree with Chakravartin's assessment.

On #2, cbelt, where did you come up with this--and what does it have to do with anything?

On #1 and #3, that is a lot of out-of-pocket expenses and it doesn't sound like your work's health coverage is all that hot. You've mentioned this self-insurance before and I have always I thought your company would be better off letting an insurance company do your insurance... but hey, what do I know?

---

"1- FSA"

Why not a HSA?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2012 07:00PM by btfc.

Generally speaking, FSAs are a group insurance thing and HSAs are for individual plans.

---

Medicare for all. Single payer.

Quote
cbelt3
Let's put the FUD aside, and ask yourself this specific question. How will it affect you, both negatively and positively ?

Here's the administrations cheerleading 'explanation'. No definition of 'who pays what' here.

[www.healthcare.gov]


My initial take:

The good:
1- My college children are insured under my healthcare (since last year). Nice. I had a $2K bill from my daughter's ER visit the prior year.

2- My wife and I get some previously expensive diagnostic procedures (mammogram and colonoscopy.. you guess who gets what) 'fully paid for' by our insurance.

3- IF things go very badly, I won't run into the lifetime coverage barrier ( I have several coworkers who have already hit that, it sucks beyond all definition of sucks).

The bad:
1- FSA . I set aside $4 to $5 K each year to cover copays, medication, and deductibles in my 70% plan. That drops to $2K. I lose $2 of income tax protection, and have to set that money aside. Ever been in a position of 'be sick or broke' ? It also sucks. Been there.

2- Taxes. I own stocks. Lots of Americans do. Selling them to pay medical bills ? Bigger bite, less money for the medical bills. I don't make $200K a year. (I wish). But if I did, I'd get bitten there too.

3- Health insurance costs: My company 'self insures' our 3,000+ Ohio employees. That means we pay Anthem to manage our claims and costs and whatnot, but it's as a managemnt company only, not an insurer. I fully expect them to go up, up, up next year. And so on. And what's worse, we pay this amout out of our year end bonus. Which will go down, down, down.

4- The Uncertainty. The worst issue is the uncertainty. All of the 'savings' and 'benefits' are supposed to happen when all these uninsured people land on the insurance companies doorsteps. What will that do to our expenses ? I have no idea. But I can almost guarantee it's going to be bad.

The net result ?
My personal healthcare costs are going to continue to rise. This year they are well over TWICE what I pay for my mortgage. And that is supposed to be the biggest expense for an American household.

Ed: Note... it occurs to me that this net result would have happened with or without the Affordable Healthcare Act. So despite this 'crowning achievement' of the Omaba administration, I would won't be any worse off than I would have been anyway.

---

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.