Our ACA summary .............

We currently have insurance through her employer that's significantly lower in cost. Our options through her employer range from $100 (Gold high deductible) - $320 (Platinum low deductible) per month.

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Is the "$100 (Gold high deductible) - $320 (Platinum low deductible) per month" the amount of your out of pocket employee expense that you must pay per month? Do you know the employer contribution/participation amount per month for your coverage. I am trying to see what the total costs are to do a comparison of actual total costs. I may of missed something in your post as I just want to clarify if the ACA is viable to some people instead of private insurance? I have heard some people can actually save money but others are going to pay more.

For many years the wife and I paid our own health insurance along with that of our employees via a business expense. Since we sold the business (2001) we have been self employed or retired with no ability to insure as a group until my wife went back to work for an oil company. Insurance is the primary reason my wife works at this time which saves us about $1500.00 per month out of pocket in insurance cost that we cannot afford to be without at our age. The company offers the insurance benefits without any deduct from the employees pay so they foot the premium 100%. Our only out of pocket expenses are the deductibles when we utilize the insurance as needed. It is a sweet deal for now until we can actually reach an age we can utilize medicare/Medicaid system.

A good friend of mine is an independent insurance agent who represents quite a few companies. He told me the total costs of insurance are going up across the board for all companies for all people. Every report I have found, either from liberal or conservative sources, shows that the 'cost curve' has gone up.

When the Democrats were "selling" the program to the public they said the cost curve would "bend down" and the average family would save about $2500 per year. What I am seeing, in real costs, is that the average cost to cover a family has actually increased by nearly $7500 per year (not that the average family is actually going to pay that much after subsidies, etc) for a total cost increase of $10,000 in actual cost increases.

The question of how many any specific person pays for himself/family/etc come down to the amount of coverage AND contributions (if any) that you get from 1) employers, 2) unions (via employers), 3) government programs/subsidies.

The endgame of ObamaCare: stick the Amerikan people with a program that is so expensive and so wildly fucked up that individuals and businesses become so frustrated that they throw their hands up. Who will Hussein blame? The insurance companies.

Conveniently, government will have the answer: Medicare for All.

mtntopper said:

Is the "$100 (Gold high deductible) - $320 (Platinum low deductible) per month" the amount of your out of pocket employee expense that you must pay per month? Do you know the employer contribution/participation amount per month for your coverage.

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I am quite aware of employer contributions, it's the reason I mentioned my COBRA cost last year for a Gold Plan. The COBRA (in essence an exchange) is the same insurance I had with no employer contribution. $778 (w/2500 deductible) is still on the low side of the 10 different plan options. I haven't looked but I'm willing to bet the money in my wallet that the one or 2 low cost plans offered are a much higher deductible. We also haven't compared the specifics.

Melensdad said:

A good friend of mine is an independent insurance agent who represents quite a few companies. He told me the total costs of insurance are going up across the board for all companies for all people. Every report I have found, either from liberal or conservative sources, shows that the 'cost curve' has gone up.

When the Democrats were "selling" the program to the public they said the cost curve would "bend down" and the average family would save about $2500 per year. What I am seeing, in real costs, is that the average cost to cover a family has actually increased by nearly $7500 per year (not that the average family is actually going to pay that much after subsidies, etc) for a total cost increase of $10,000 in actual cost increases.

The question of how many any specific person pays for himself/family/etc come down to the amount of coverage AND contributions (if any) that you get from 1) employers, 2) unions (via employers), 3) government programs/subsidies.

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Your friend is most likely a great guy and being honest with you on his educated opinion of the ACA since he more knowledge than a person not in the industry. I can clearly see why the insurance companies and employees are concerned about the ACA and what may happen to their livelihood if the ACA is a success as promoted by the Dems. I am not saying it is good or bad but I am trying to gain knowledge that will help me to reduce my cost to insure and provide health coverage that works best for my needs.

My costs went up drastically over the past 15 years sometimes up to 30% more than the previous year even prior to any thoughts of the current ACA being spoken of or implemented. Cost of all products and services are raising on a yearly basis and we are forced to pay if we want the products or services.

ACA will not actually prove out on either side for many years. I can only hope that it will work since it is the law and in my opinon repeal is not going to happen even with no funding. Somehow they will fund the government as too many people get hurt when the parties start bickering over funding and let a "supposed" but not real shutdown happen.

Anyone with an employer sponsored plan at this time is very lucky when compared to a low wage worker that has no insurance and cannot afford health care. My insurance and yours will raise to pay for those who have no insurance. Hospitals will not treat them without passing on the cost to those that do pay which increase the cost to insure of those who are responsible. Our insurance companies pay with higher premium costs that are transferred down to the actual buyer of the insurance. Even those who are low income need to assume some responsibility for their health care costs and foot some expense. I think that is part of the penalty phase of the ACA which many are against. At this time I am just want to become more knowledgeable in all aspects of the ACA and its real effects on me.

Bill, not his "opinion" of the ACA but actual facts that he has shown me.

Realize that in the past 3.5 years since this passed the insurance companies have been capped in how much they are allow to increase rates and realize also that actuarial tables are amazingly accurate.

Facts, like rate increases, have already occurred. Can't be disputed. They exist.

Melensdad said:

Bill, not his "opinion" of the ACA but actual facts that he has shown me.

Realize that in the past 3.5 years since this passed the insurance companies have been capped in how much they are allow to increase rates and realize also that actuarial tables are amazingly accurate.

Facts, like rate increases, have already occurred. Can't be disputed. They exist.

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Fact exist and cannot be disputed. Bingo my friend.

However, the spinners will tell us what they think couldor should happen and later who's fault it is when it doesn't.

That is the dilemma we are now in. Because the left talking heads cannot accept the messiah was not being truthful when he gave us his "opinion" of what would happen.

At no time did any person with an IQ over 10 think it could happen.

But our leadership, and the willing press said it should happen. And that was enough for most of the kool-aid drinkers.

Now that the facts are on the ground,,,, the proponents of ACA are looking for all the reasons why theirpan did not happen. They will blame the greedy insurance companies and presume the Proles will be satisfied with that opinion as factual.

But there are enough of us here who can do math without using our fingers. And we know there is more going on here than an increase in insurance rates. We just do not represent a majority in the nation.

A SOURCE FREQUENTLY CITED BY LIBERAL POLITICIANS -> http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/October/21/cancellation-notices-health-insurance.aspx

"If you like your insurance policy, you can keep it."
Barak Obama

Of course, this is no longer believable. However when challenged the left counters, citing the Kaiser foundation, they tell is those policies were junk.

Ignoring the truth of the matter, the fact of the matter that some of us liked those junk policies. I liked mine which had a very high deductable, no "wellness" programs (that was up to me), no prescription drug coverage (so my doctor and I could chose anything he deemed appropriate treatmet) and protection for catastrophic illness. The very type of high cost illness for which "so many have gone bankrupt and lost their homes."

ACA solved nothing that was the supposed boogy man of our health care system.

And the number given of 45 million folks who were not covered before, are just different people now. Currently 45 million Americans are still not covered. many because their employer dropped employee insurance or layed them off.

In the end, the rich will still have better medical care than the poor. And more of us than ever will be poor.

While that is currently and opinion, it is currently the trend of our nation. Odds are it will be fact soon enough.

The Vermont site seems to be working fine but I am too lazy to bother to create and account to see what is available. I am going on Medicare in January and my wife is covered under our union plan, which is exempt, until she turns 65 so the Unaffordable Health Care Act does not apply to us. Thank God for that.

TiredRetired said:

The Vermont site seems to be working fine but I am too lazy to bother to create and account to see what is available. I am going on Medicare in January and my wife is covered under our union plan, which is exempt, until she turns 65 so the Unaffordable Health Care Act does not apply to us. Thank God for that.

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If you qualify for Medicare in January I highly recommend you start 3 months before your birth month. Also be sure you have an official copy of your birth certificate that you can mail to them and they return. I had my part D plan canceled July 1 because it no longer would meet the new requirements. I had to sign up for a new plan which starts Jan 1 also. I did get the same coverage (100% Gold plan) with the addition of a health spa membership thrown in and saved $250 per month with it now being paid out of my SS check instead of paying out of pocket either quarterly or yearly as before.

joec said:

... with it now being paid out of my SS check instead of paying out of pocket either quarterly or yearly as before.

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Pretty convenient Joec, great having the government around to help you out isn't it? Then again, it's just another step...

TiredRetired said:

The Vermont site seems to be working fine but I am too lazy to bother to create and account to see what is available. I am going on Medicare in January and my wife is covered under our union plan, which is exempt, until she turns 65 so the Unaffordable Health Care Act does not apply to us. Thank God for that.

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Call your local insurance agent and ask him what is available

Apparently people do not realize that the ObamaCare websites (federal and state) simply offer the EXACT SAME PLANS that insurance brokers offer!!!

The ONE difference with the ".gov" websites is that they can tell you how much Gubmint pork will flow your way if you be a po-boy.

joec said:

... with it now being paid out of my SS check instead of paying out of pocket either quarterly or yearly as before.

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Ok correct me here, doesn't it still come 'out of your pocket' because SS is your money.

It just gets paid directly, so your SS check is reduced?

Or am I misunderstanding something?

Did a little more looking around ............. having a hard time finding my doctor as a provider on any plan!

A lot of doctors are being "fired" from plans. Its hit epidemic proportions.

Many of those doctors are being forced to join into specific hospital alliances or doctors professional groups, or they will be shut out by many/most of the plans. This was explained to me by one of my doctors, who is a liberal Jew, who was a part owner is a VERY LARGE professional specialty medical group that had to sell out or effectively die.

As the Borg say on Star Trek . . . resistance is futile.

And remember, the ObamaCare law is NOT about healthcare, it is about control.

Melensdad said:

A lot of doctors are being "fired" from plans. Its hit epidemic proportions.

Many of those doctors are being forced to join into specific hospital alliances or doctors professional groups, or they will be shut out by many/most of the plans. This was explained to me by one of my doctors, who is a liberal Jew, who was a part owner is a VERY LARGE professional specialty medical group that had to sell out or effectively die.

As the Borg say on Star Trek . . . resistance is futile.

And remember, the ObamaCare law is NOT about healthcare, it is about control.

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You bring up an interesting point. The fact is Obamacare doesn't start on January 1 2014. It started back in 2010 right after it was passed.
Most of us have already been effected as the medical community, and our doctors have had to assimilate or die.

On another note, the term Obamacare is being used less and less in the media replaced by ACA. I am amazed at the number of people who have no idea what ACA means but recognize it when you tell them it is Obamacare.

Has the King decided he doesn't want his name associated with it right now? Curious that.

squerly said:

Pretty convenient Joec, great having the government around to help you out isn't it? Then again, it's just another step...

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I paid into medicare since it started as I did SS so it is pretty good that I'm finally getting something back. This is especially true now with 5 days a week of radiation and one day a week of chemo for lung cancer.

Franc, I use the term ObamaCare because President Obama said he liked the term and because people know what it is.

As you point out, many people do not know the term ACA or even Affordable Care Act, but they know ObamaCare.

And yes, I too have noticed that the media and the liberal politicians/spokesheads are shifting to the term ACA. I presume they are trying to distance Obama from his signature legislations. I also presume that the politicians who are up for re-election in 2014 will do their best to distance themselves from ObamaCare.

joec said:

I paid into medicare since it started as I did SS so it is pretty good that I'm finally getting something back. This is especially true now with 5 days a week of radiation and one day a week of chemo for lung cancer.

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And you have EVERY RIGHT to expect to get your money back. It was paid in with the promise that it would be there for you later in life. It is the promise we all got told and sold.

Melensdad said:

Call your local insurance agent and ask him what is available

Apparently people do not realize that the ObamaCare websites (federal and state) simply offer the EXACT SAME PLANS that insurance brokers offer!!!

The ONE difference with the ".gov" websites is that they can tell you how much Gubmint pork will flow your way if you be a po-boy.



Ok correct me here, doesn't it still come 'out of your pocket' because SS is your money.

It just gets paid directly, so your SS check is reduced?

Or am I misunderstanding something?

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Yes it still comes out of my pocket but once a month instead of having to pay 3 months up front or 1 year myself. I find it easier, leaving me more money on hand each month to actually spend helping the local economy more.

Gotcha.

I just wanted to make sure I understood.

joec said:

If you qualify for Medicare in January I highly recommend you start 3 months before your birth month. Also be sure you have an official copy of your birth certificate that you can mail to them and they return. I had my part D plan canceled July 1 because it no longer would meet the new requirements. I had to sign up for a new plan which starts Jan 1 also. I did get the same coverage (100% Gold plan) with the addition of a health spa membership thrown in and saved $250 per month with it now being paid out of my SS check instead of paying out of pocket either quarterly or yearly as before.

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Hi Joe, good to see you back and hope you are feeling better.

Because I was already drawing SS the gov't enrolled me automatically in Part A and Part B and sent me a Medicare Card. So I am good to go there. Part D plan for me will cost 40 bucks a month. A MediGap plan another 140 plus the 104 they take out of SS for Part B. Overall I will be saving money each month as my union plan was not cheap at 800 bucks a month for the two of us.

I sure as hell get sick of hearing how all of this is an entitlement when we have paid into this for over 40 years. Just think of having all that money we dished out all those years with interest right now. Just sayin'

squerly said:

Pretty convenient Joec, great having the government around to help you out isn't it? Then again, it's just another step...

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No freebies here, it's a form of direct deposit. Instead of me paying the Part D every month by writing a check, they will deduct it out of my SS check.

Sounds like JoeC has a Medicare Adavantage Plan which I believe does the same thing. MediGap plans cannot do that by law. Sounds complicated and it can be but a little homework gets things straight in one's head. All of which is not necessary until the big day arrives.

TiredRetired said:

No freebies here, it's a form of direct deposit. Instead of me paying the Part D every month by writing a check, they will deduct it out of my SS check.

Sounds like JoeC has a Medicare Adavantage Plan which I believe does the same thing. MediGap plans cannot do that by law. Sounds complicated and it can be but a little homework gets things straight in one's head. All of which is not necessary until the big day arrives.

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I have the Humana Choice (PPO) plan for part B and the the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan for Part D. The part B picks up all charges not covered by Medicare part B so it costs me $149 per month for both. The PPO covers every place I would go so no out of pocket medical bills for me regardless.

joec said:

I have the Humana Choice (PPO) plan for part B and the the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan for Part D. The part B picks up all charges not covered by Medicare part B so it costs me $149 per month for both. The PPO covers every place I would go so no out of pocket medical bills for me regardless.

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I have been looking at the Humana program. You seem satisfied with it. Thats good news.

thanks.

FrancSevin said:

I have been looking at the Human program. You seem satisfied with it. Thats good news.

thanks.

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I wouldn't buy Humana when I first signed up for a part B supplemental due to the fact Humana turned me down 3 years ago so went with Colonial Penn. Colonal Penn didn't renew after July 1st due to them dropping the plan due to the new requirements. They offered to sell me a new plan also starting in Jan however they where almost $400 for theirs compared to Humana with the same coverage and a health spa called silver slippers included along with the Drug plan all for $149 per month. Much better deal though I will still have to eat a lot of medical bills between now and Jan 1 when it kicks in. They won't send them to me till I'm done so no idea what I owe until then.

joec said:

I wouldn't buy Humana when I first signed up for a part B supplemental due to the fact Humana turned me down 3 years ago so went with Colonial Penn. Colonal Penn didn't renew after July 1st due to them dropping the plan due to the new requirements. They offered to sell me a new plan also starting in Jan however they where almost $400 for theirs compared to Humana with the same coverage and a health spa called silver slippers included along with the Drug plan all for $149 per month. Much better deal though I will still have to eat a lot of medical bills between now and Jan 1 when it kicks in. They won't send them to me till I'm done so no idea what I owe until then.

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Yup you got a good deal there. Up here I am paying total 180 for both.

TiredRetired said:

Yup you got a good deal there. Up here I am paying total 180 for both.

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Humana is native to Kentucky and Senator McConnell biggest supporter, they even added a building in his name to at the Universaty of Louisville.