Personal Impact of the ACA for VJ Users

[Pooky 3,786]

Supposedly, our company policies aligned with the requirements of the PPACA last year, which kicked up the premiums we pay by 30% and hiked the deductible by $2,500 for our family.

Next year's details will be out soon (we got the notice today) and I'm hoping that our premiums this year will be closer to a rate of inflation increase only. I'm just not holding my breath.

[agrabs 241]

I purchased a blue cross blue shield plan (blue care KC) on-line for my husband when he came here last year on K1 visa. Got a letter in the mail 2 weeks ago that his plan is being discontinued due to the new aca standards and we will need to find "alternative coverage". According to Obama those whose plans are being discontinued were "sub-standard " plans. However, we did not find this to be the case. He paid $68.00 a month for a plan that had a 5000.00 deductable, allowed 4 well visits a year at no charge and even covered chiropractic care and basic vision.. There was nothing substandard about his plan. He had the same deductable, co-pays and benefits that I do with the humana plan through my work and I pay $400.00 a month for. (we are both healthy and only visit the doctor for preventative care)

[TBoneTX 45,305]

Through employer. Deductible rises from $1,500 to $6,400. Unsure so far of effect on prescriptions. Dependent coverage becomes considerably higher-cost (minimized somewhat by employer's fiddling with other benefits). Have talked with 3 people, variously employed elsewhere, who say that everything is either almost doubling (2 people) or they're losing it all and must fend for themselves (1 person).

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Since next year I will be poor on paper (low Agi), I can get my wife a great subsidized policy for 5% of what it would cost me on the open market.

It will only make our premium go up 20 bucks a month to add me.

Similar coverage on Cobra would have cost me about 1600 bucks a month. I can not buy affordable health insurance because I have type2 Diabetes.

Obama care save d our asses

The tax payers saved your ###. Get a job!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Are you not a tax payer then?

[Teddy B 17,252]

Since next year I will be poor on paper (low Agi), I can get my wife a great subsidized policy for 5% of what it would cost me on the open market.

It will only make our premium go up 20 bucks a month to add me.

Similar coverage on Cobra would have cost me about 1600 bucks a month. I can not buy affordable health insurance because I have type2 Diabetes.

Obama care save d our asses

So the person who has been one of the biggest opponents of the ACA here on VJ also happens to be the person who makes out like a bandit on it. Go figure. You're a piece of work.

[mota bhai 2,675]

I purchased a blue cross blue shield plan (blue care KC) on-line for my husband when he came here last year on K1 visa. Got a letter in the mail 2 weeks ago that his plan is being discontinued due to the new aca standards and we will need to find "alternative coverage". According to Obama those whose plans are being discontinued were "sub-standard " plans. However, we did not find this to be the case. He paid $68.00 a month for a plan that had a 5000.00 deductable, allowed 4 well visits a year at no charge and even covered chiropractic care and basic vision.. There was nothing substandard about his plan. He had the same deductable, co-pays and benefits that I do with the humana plan through my work and I pay $400.00 a month for. (we are both healthy and only visit the doctor for preventative care)

"We are both healthy and only visit the doctor for preventive care" may be true for years past, but there is no way for you to be certain it will be true in 2014 or any year in the future. It is that uncertainty that insurance is designed to cover.

As for his current plan. You described it but left out crucial details that indicate a poor understanding of how insurance works. Is there a lifetime max on insurance payouts? Is there an annual max on insurance payouts? Is hospitalization covered? Totally or partially? And more...

[Dakine10 5,452]

I purchased a blue cross blue shield plan (blue care KC) on-line for my husband when he came here last year on K1 visa. Got a letter in the mail 2 weeks ago that his plan is being discontinued due to the new aca standards and we will need to find "alternative coverage". According to Obama those whose plans are being discontinued were "sub-standard " plans. However, we did not find this to be the case. He paid $68.00 a month for a plan that had a 5000.00 deductable, allowed 4 well visits a year at no charge and even covered chiropractic care and basic vision.. There was nothing substandard about his plan. He had the same deductable, co-pays and benefits that I do with the humana plan through my work and I pay $400.00 a month for. (we are both healthy and only visit the doctor for preventative care)

All of the plans being discontinued by blue care KC have at least one factor that is not longer allowed under the ACA. Looking at the plans, they have things like exclusion periods on preexisting conditions, maximum lifetime limits, and specific limits on certain coverages (ie. maximum daily room allowance for hospital admission, maximum coverage for ambulance transport).

No matter how good the rest of the coverage is, plans with any one of those factors are no longer available. Those are the issues that make them substandard. You guys would have found that out eventually when you needed the coverage for something more than preventative care.

[mota bhai 2,675]

All of the plans being discontinued by blue care KC have at least one factor that is not longer allowed under the ACA. Looking at the plans, they have things like exclusion periods on preexisting conditions, maximum lifetime limits, and specific limits on certain coverages (ie. maximum daily room allowance for hospital admission, maximum coverage for ambulance transport).

No matter how good the rest of the coverage is, plans with any one of those factors are no longer available. Those are the issues that make them substandard. You guys would have found that out eventually when you needed the coverage for something more than preventative care.

What most people don't seem to understand is preventive care isn't why they get insured! Insurance is to protect you from what you're not expecting. You can save and plan for the things you expect. But for the things you don't expect? That's why you pay your premium!

So when people tell me they pay money to an insurance company every month and the policy doesn't cover hospitalization, it boggles my mind. Why would you pay for such a thing?

[mota bhai 2,675]

Since next year I will be poor on paper (low Agi), I can get my wife a great subsidized policy for 5% of what it would cost me on the open market.

It will only make our premium go up 20 bucks a month to add me.

Similar coverage on Cobra would have cost me about 1600 bucks a month. I can not buy affordable health insurance because I have type2 Diabetes.

Obama care save d our asses

Good for you. Happy to hear it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What most people don't seem to understand is preventive care isn't why they get insured! Insurance is to protect you from what you're not expecting. You can save and plan for the things you expect. But for the things you don't expect? That's why you pay your premium!

So when people tell me they pay money to an insurance company every month and the policy doesn't cover hospitalization, it boggles my mind. Why would you pay for such a thing?

Exactly.

[sara..... 371]

jump in cost and also deductible

[Dakine10 5,452]

What most people don't seem to understand is preventive care isn't why they get insured! Insurance is to protect you from what you're not expecting. You can save and plan for the things you expect. But for the things you don't expect? That's why you pay your premium!

So when people tell me they pay money to an insurance company every month and the policy doesn't cover hospitalization, it boggles my mind. Why would you pay for such a thing?

Yeah, there's a reason those plans are $68 a month.

[mota bhai 2,675]

$816 to cover no insurable losses at all. Insurance companies have been getting away with highway robbery and now it stops.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

The tax payers saved your ####. Get a job!

I was just shatting. I have no idea . The website still ain't working..

P.S. VJ is a job right?

What most people don't seem to understand is preventive care isn't why they get insured! Insurance is to protect you from what you're not expecting. You can save and plan for the things you expect. But for the things you don't expect? That's why you pay your premium!

So when people tell me they pay money to an insurance company every month and the policy doesn't cover hospitalization, it boggles my mind. Why would you pay for such a thing?

Your right that is insane. That is glorified medical lay a way

Start with a catastrophic policy and work your way down

So the person who has been one of the biggest opponents of the ACA here on VJ also happens to be the person who makes out like a bandit on it. Go figure. You're a piece of work.

Thank you dear

I really have no idea.. The website does not work