Home › Forums › Open Discussion › UN-Affordable Care Act, or ObamaDoesn'tCare
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September 14, 2013 at 3:07 am #797424
kgdlgParticipantWell, yes technically. But that is how insurance works. You have to have everyone in the pool for it to function properly. The more healthy people in the pool, the less it should cost for all (theoretically). Like I said, I am skeptical that we will ever get 20 year old healthy kids to pay for healthcare.
September 17, 2013 at 12:07 am #797425
dawsonctParticipantJoin the military. If you can survive the Republican presidents rush to war and the Democratic presidents reluctance to pull us out of those wars you get some pretty damned good SOCIALIZED healthcare through the VA.
Of course, as with just about any other government funded agency (other than the Department of Offense. I mean Defense), they have been squeezed for funds at the time of their greatest needs because the “job creators” promised to FINALLY get around to creating some jobs if we could just see fit to squeeze a bit more out of our paychecks and give them even MORE tax breaks.
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OP, do what others have suggested and shop around. You have choices now, we are no longer tied into the monopolistic system that the insurers themselves rigged up. Sure, it turns into a great big payday for those very same charlatans (though finally with some rules to the game that benefit the consumer, for a change), but it is finally a step in the right direction.
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It is good to see you are already used to contacting YOUR elected representative, though I am surprised no one in McDermotts constituent services department was able to help you with your questions (maybe you spoke with the wrong person). Your experience should help you find your STATE representative and let them know that you fully support a SINGLE-PAYER health care system be instituted in our state. I believe the states can start doing that as early as next year.
Here is a site on the subject of single-payer maintained by one group of concerned citizens.
September 17, 2013 at 1:50 am #797426
elikapekaParticipantI recently attended one of our professional association’s meetings, and they had a speaker who is an insurance agent (yes, I know, they’re trying to sell stuff). But he and the other firm reps said they were very skeptical of Obamacare and thought it would be a disaster, but as they become more familiar with it, it’s going to be a better deal for almost everyone and they’ve become converts.
If you are not covered by your employer, go to the exchange. Do not buy from a company not in the exchange (like Regence.) If you use a company that is not in the exchange, you cannot get your subsidy (assuming you qualify – and most people do) if you use them.
September 17, 2013 at 1:46 pm #797427
TanDLParticipantThanks Skeeter for confirming what I thought about there being a marriage penalty. Marriage might be a good deal for social security benefits, but a bad deal for health insurance. I guess folks will have to weigh the “cash flow now” vs “cash flow future” before heading to the altar.
Another question for those out there who have a better understanding of this program: How will the subsidy work? Is it a tax credit, a check in the mail, an automatic discount when you sign up? Without the subsidy, I will be unable to afford the new rates and if it’s merely a tax credit, that’s sure not going to help me pay the monthly bill. This is an informative thread and I appreciate everyone’s input.
September 17, 2013 at 2:53 pm #797428
seaopgalParticipantThis has good information on how the subsidies will work. In brief, people who qualify will be able to choose whether to have the tax credit applied in advance (sent by govt each month to the insurance company in order to reduce/eliminate monthly premiums) or wait until the end of the year and receive the credit through income tax return. In either case, income and credits will have to be reported through income tax filing.
http://www.nastad.org/docs/HCA-Affordability-Brief-FINAL-February-2013.pdf
September 17, 2013 at 4:42 pm #797429
ZOneParticipantMy monthly premium is increasing from 344.00 to 1,002.00 for less coverage. I am 64 so I will only have to endure the farce of Obummercare for less than a year, thankfully. I am not a fan of Medicaid unless in dire poverty. People who could pay use it and should not, if they actually want to have any level of decent care available for those who actually need it. There are people who are in the State illegally who get many if not more benefits than legal citizens without paying a penny. My heart wants them covered, but the more people on Medicaid, the more diluted the benefit’s offered?affordable. There is no country on earth who gives free benefits to non citizens except the US. That is wonderful of US if affordable. Is it? Have you researched the fly-by-night companies on the WA exchange so far? All except Blue Cross. The idea was a good one, but as even Buffet has said today…we need to start over. It was a good exercise to ferret out the issues needed to be resolved, but will fail big time as currently mandated. A single payer system is so socialist/communist and puts all people and doctors, etc. under the thumb of whomever runs the country. You will have to disclose all income, sexual practices, history, RX, …essentially, goodbye privacy under the guise of “providing coordinated care”.
September 17, 2013 at 4:54 pm #797430
ZOneParticipantIf you decide to use the State exchange, you put yourself under the power of the well funder new arm of the IRS> This funding comes in large part from the vast army of companies who, in the guise of being helpful and “selling” you better services will let people with no background checks (think TSA) have access to your entire financial profile and all health records ALL HEALTH info. Plus this vast number of new employees working for these authorized third parties with FULL access,can just look up their neighbors or whomever and see if you have any sexual dysfunction, weird diseases and so on. Surely these third parties paying the bill for Obummercare will be admonished not to abuse their access. Let’s some of us work for these…see on WA site…and see if all this is true.
September 17, 2013 at 5:02 pm #797431
ZOneParticipantHere is a response from the state to my email to them on 9/16:
Thank you for contacting the Washington Healthplanfinder Customer Support Center. It looks like you’re asking about when will plans be available and assistance with premiums. It is a pleasure to assist you.
Plans will be available for comparison, pricing and purchasing as of October 1, 2013. Once you complete the application process, if you qualify for financial assistance, it will show what you qualified for. When completing the application on the question “Do you want to apply for premium health insurance tax credits, cost-sharing reduction or Washington Apple Health?” Select yes to this question. This will help walk you through to see if you will qualify for either free or low-cost insurance.
Starting October 1, 2013 you can visit http://www.wahealthplanfinder.org and start to shop and compare the health plans available. As well as determine if you or your household are eligible for other programs and/or tax credits.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions
Sincerely,
Washington Healthplanfinder Customer Support Center
1-855-923-4633
September 17, 2013 at 5:29 pm #797432
JanSParticipantZone…you do understand that under the ACA (Obummercare says a lot about your political leanings…name calling doesn’t cut it with many of us), an illegal immigrant will not qualify for anything…you understand that…right?
September 17, 2013 at 5:48 pm #797433
JanSParticipantalso…have you ever had to apply for Medicare? Social Security? VA Benefits? They ask a lot of questions. Weird sexual practices? I doubt they want to know if you like whips and chains, or being dominated. Seriously ! But , yes, there is a lot of information you have to give out, including health things. But just the basics. They don’t want to know what prescriptions I take, but, you know what? If they ask, I’d tell…it’s not a secret.
Please source your information – a link would suffice. If you make a claim as to what they’d want to know, be able to back it up.
September 17, 2013 at 6:50 pm #797434
skeeterParticipantJanS is correct. The ACA does not cover illegal residents.
However the problem is much deeper than that. When an illegal rushes to a hospital then the hospital will treat him/her. My parents live in a smaller town in SoCal. The community hospital treated a very sick pregnant mother and extremely sick newborn. It took months and months of care and several hundred thousand dollars. The hospital has limited resources. It’s pretty small. The hospital asked for help from Medicaid/the federal government. The federal government responded it is unable to help if the sick person is not legal. So who is supposed to pay?
ACA did not go far enough because it did not address medical care for the millions in this country illegally.
September 17, 2013 at 9:49 pm #797435
JanSParticipantI prefer the term “undocumented immigrant”, but that’s a personal choice. My question would be…should the hospital have turned her away since she was “illegal”. I’m sure that if they evaluated the situation, that they knew what the costs might be? What is the answer? Should the hospital simply let them fend for themselves? It’s a difficult question. If those here illegally were included somehow, imagine the uproar from people like Zone, etc.
I understand your question….I just don’t know what the answer is.
September 17, 2013 at 11:03 pm #797436
socamrParticipantHeadline in the USA Today this afternoon: “For millions, insurance will cost less than $100/month” (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/17/100-dollar-premiums-exchanges/2822979/)
Yes, premiums for people in some categories will go up – the only solution to equalize payments is to go to a single-paper system. But the Affordable Care Act is going to help a lot more people than it hurts. It’s just that the people it hurts like to get all the publicity…
September 17, 2013 at 11:17 pm #797437
VBDParticipantThis guy puts it all into perspective pretty well:
September 17, 2013 at 11:33 pm #797438
skeeterParticipantI don’t have the answer either, JanS. If we are unwilling or unable to enforce our immigration laws then we must establish a mechanism to provide medical care for undocumented people.
September 18, 2013 at 12:11 am #797439
JanSParticipantVBD, I saw that the other day. He makes a lot of sense. And..he’s kinda cute (but that has nothing to do with healthcare – lol).
Skeeter, I think if we knew we’d be making the big bucks…maybe this is a backdoor way of making it not so attractive to come here illegally…
September 18, 2013 at 4:57 am #797440
JoBParticipantZOne
i agree that the Affordable Care Act was not the best our nation could do..
but have to call BS on all of the hype..
you are worried that a government employee will have access to your financial and medical records?
what on earth do you think the poorly paid clerks who accept or deny your insurance claims have had access to for all these years?
and you do realize that it is in the insurance company’s best interests to find any pretext including pre-existing conditions you didn’t even know you had to deny your claim, don’t you?
they bonused employees for denying coverage… so it’s in that underpaid clerk’s best interests too.
you do know that the number one cause of bankruptcies in America is injury/illness and that the majority of those who file bankruptcy had medical insurance at the time they became ill?
but hey. trot out the old death squads to frighten the masses…
and then call anyone who rejects that inflated hype insulting…
no.. this is not the best solution.. we should have had single payer…
but it is a place to start
September 18, 2013 at 5:49 am #797441
ZOneParticipantJoB,
When did I trot out death squads? Initially I hoped the ACA would be a good place to start, but sadly, it is not. For instance see post #38 where Socmar is fooled by the 9/16 HHS report
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2013pres/09/20130917b.html
It is interesting that overtime Sebelius has gone from “will” get coverage to “can” to “may” get coverage. But here is what you need to do. The HHS “statement” has attached a graphic and background numbers upon this “statement” is based. see
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/Uninsured/ib_uninsured.pdf
This is why it is all falling apart…For millions to :maybe” get coverage under $100/mo. to become true, many assumptions are made which will never come to pass, large protions of the population who scew the maybe results are omitted and so on. The largest problem is first explained in footnote 5 on page 2 of the data. To make the already heavily qualified (may, might, can…”will” is never uttered anymore) HHS statement “may” be possible, 25 states, including WA, MUST expand their MEDICAID programs. WA can’t and neither can or will the other 24 and you can Google why. ALL 25 states must pay to hugely expand their Medicaid programs to the extent no rational person would think possible. Why is easily Googled. Then note exception/assumption in Note also footnote 9. Then read the “Limitations”…and weep. See page 4 where the HHS further diminishes projections “number of people who MAY obtain Medicaid coverage…”. You can read. You have a choice, as well. You can believe the hype (HHS media cover report such as issued in link above)which has to be so brutally manipulated to even get to a “May be able” and cruise along and think all may be ok. Or you can dig a teensy bit deeper and read the link in the same report which sort of details what has to happen “Assumptions of the future” for the report to possibly contain any true information. Then if you aren’t scared by then, dig deeper by reviewing as unbiased information as you can find.
Oh, and as to the almost unlimited # currently of IRS third party “NAVIGATORS” who have access to all your health and income information so they can “Help” you, (Like Sea Mar) there is a reason that many states are passing or trying to pass legislation banning or limiting their access. But unless big corporate Navigators pay the 2+ trillion in 2 year cost will be a lot more. In my experience, if the CDO projects a future cost…one can usually double or triple it, on a weighted basis. Who thinks Navigators are a good or even constitutionally appropriate idea? A certain degree of Privacy is a right, correct?
September 18, 2013 at 2:09 pm #797442
JoBParticipantZOne
“another way to keep Medicaid solvent is to deny coverage for serious costly illness for persons under 5 or over 60.”
this is the line i referred to when i said you had trotted out the death squads
and if you think your insurance company doesn’t already have access to your financial records, think again.
it’s ok if big business has access to medical and financial records you can’t access but filling out a questionnaire to determine your medical insurance options is wrong because you would be giving information (they already have) to the government.. not private enterprise?
does this really make sense to you?
September 18, 2013 at 3:18 pm #797443
ZOneParticipantI am confident that my health insurance company has zero information and zero access to my or any person’s financial records other than that I provided to set up automatic payments from my bank account. I have a private policy. I assume those on Medicaid or other taxpayer funded program provide personal financial information sufficient to determine if they meet criteria to receive public taxpayer funding of their health, food or housing.
Please read more carefully. Preceding my tossing out another way to keep Medicare solvent enough to stop doctors from fleeing the program and refusing to accept any such patients, I preceeded saying
“I am being satirical or facetious in case you can’t grasp it, but another way to keep Medicaid solvent is to deny coverage for serious costly illness for persons under 5 or over 60.”
Perhaps you prefer limiting access by shoe size. Satire escapes you apparently. I’ll try to use simpler examples.
September 18, 2013 at 4:34 pm #797444
wakefloodParticipantSeptember 18, 2013 at 4:45 pm #797445
miwsParticipantWho’s there?
September 18, 2013 at 6:06 pm #797446
wakefloodParticipantLOL…I don’t know, Mike. You’re normally the one who finds something fun and distracting when things get a little tense around these parts!
Just channeling you…poorly, I might add.
September 18, 2013 at 6:29 pm #797447
dobroParticipantInternet comedy is a tough gig.
September 18, 2013 at 6:35 pm #797448
wakefloodParticipantAbsolutely. I should leave it to The Onion.
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