ObamaCare Was Easy to Sign Up

[kind2creatures]

We went through the nonsense of applying for Medicaid, although our income did not fit in that category. Good thing was, once the application was complete, our denial was almost instantaneous...giving us the go ahead to shop for a plan.

Since my Kaiser plan was discontinued at the end of the year, we had to set something up before January 1st. We got a similar plan with a substantial tax credit, so we were happy about that.

We were paying way too much for health insurance, and we don't even go to the doctor. Very rarely for a blood test, etc. We don't believe in all the preventative tests, mammograms, etc.

Our state had its own website, so it wasn't the nightmare I've been hearing about on the healthcare.gov site...I'm grateful for that. Just waiting on the final plan details and payment options to come in the mail, and we should be set for 2014.

 

[jfh]

If you are close to Medicare age, begin investigating the Medicare Advantage plans issued by most insurers. The government likes them, because the insurance companies take care of the paperwork and the care approvals. The insurance companies get paid by Medicare somehow. Mine is $0 per month with no physician copay, but $35 copay to specialists an HMO plan. I still have to pay Medicare for plan A and plan B. But that is far, far better than other insurance plans.

 

[kind2creatures]

Thanks JFH, hubby is closer to Medicare than I am, and we will need to learn about the plans offered, I think Kaiser has a Medicare plan.

 

[Mad Scientest]

[FONT=&quot]I would be curious how the cost of this new plan compares to your old one. As we have seen reports of people who have to pay 2 -3 times more for a policy that has a $6000 - $12,000 deductible.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]You mention a substantial tax credit which sounds good, but it also means that someone else is going to have to make up that difference. They might have a slightly different opinion of the tax credits.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It will be interesting to see how this all works out. [/FONT]

 

[Cookie]

The deadline to sign up for something is March 2014, isn't it?
I'm waiting to see if all the disorganization finally irons out since my state isn't hosting & being snagged by the gov site doesn't sit well with me. (Actually waiting to see if it pays to just take the penalty the first year)

 

[jfh]

I thought the sign up deadline was Jan 1.

I notice that one of the plans is BlueCross BlueShield. I feel sorry for those that pick that one. It may be cheap the first year, but they have a tendency to go up double digit percent each year. No matter what the subsidy is. Believe me. I have personal experience with BCBS. Year before last was 20%. Last year was 16%. Then after I cancelled due to Medicare and my Medicare Advantage plan, they sent me a letter saying it was going up $20 more due to Obamacare. That's BS for sure.

 

[Cookie]

The official healthcare site:

Get quality coverage at a price you can afford.
Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace continues until March 31, 2014

https://www.healthcare.gov/

It says open enrollment began Oct 1st for coverage that can begin Jan 1st. Open enrollment closes March 31st. hmmm

 

[kind2creatures]

Open enrollment goes through March 2014 from what I understand. My insurance from Kaiser expires on Dec. 31st, so my personal deadline to have another plan is Jan. 1st.

 

[kind2creatures]

[FONT=&quot]I would be curious how the cost of this new plan compares to your old one. As we have seen reports of people who have to pay 2 -3 times more for a policy that has a $6000 - $12,000 deductible.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]You mention a substantial tax credit which sounds good, but it also means that someone else is going to have to make up that difference. They might have a slightly different opinion of the tax credits.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It will be interesting to see how this all works out. [/FONT]

The old plan was KP1500/30 which was going up in cost yearly:

2011 = $8148. per yr.
2012 = $8808. per yr.
2013 = $10, 284 per yr.
2014 = $????? per yr.

So, for this past year was costing us $10,284. per yr., me and my husband only. Family deductible out of pocket maximum is $7,500.

The new plan recommended from Kaiser is the KP Silver 2500/30, which costs $13,813.80 per yr. Family deductible out of pocket maximum is $12,700.

The exact same new plan offered by the Affordable Care website costs $13,435.32...so if you go through Kaiser, you'll pay more.

Since we never go to doctors, and don't plan to go unless there's a serious medical emergency, operation needed, etc., we feel the difference in cost was worth it to us, worst case scenario, we'd have to pay the $12,700 annual maximum.

With the tax credits, we'll be paying half that cost. Honestly, I've been working all my adult life. I started work part time at the age of 16, and I've worked full time and paid all my taxes out of my weekly paychecks reliably for 40 years.

I have never been on welfare or food stamps, and I know exactly what you mean when you say somebody has to make up the difference, I think being slammed with higher and higher taxes all my life gives me first hand experience there.

I've been paying highly inflated costs for my insurance coverage since I retired. The second year of the plan I have now, the cost went up $660., the next year it went up $1476., no telling how much it would have gone up again this year without the Obamacare alternative.

I personally am not rich by any means. I've always been a hard blue collar worker, and have not been left any monies from relatives either. I've been raked over the coals each and every chance the government gets to bleed me dry of every penny they can leach out. I'd have to have my head examined if I did not use the tax credit advantage for my benefit for once.

I've been making up the difference for others all my life...what, as a responsible, hard working, born and raised in the USA American, I don't deserve a break?

 

[Mad Scientest]

I've been making up the difference for others all my life...what, as a responsible, hard working, born and raised in the USA American, I don't deserve a break?

[FONT=&quot] Yes you do, we all do. However with this current shell game it is apparently racking up more losers then winners. The horror stories that people are experiencing just keep rolling in. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] One woman that signed up early and publicly stated how happy she was because she was now finally able to afford insurance. Only latter to find out that government had gone back and reviewed her application and removed her supplemental grants. Thus leaving her with a plan she cannot afford to pay. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Here are some headlines from the Drudge Report:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]'MR. PRESIDENT, TEAR DOWN THIS WEBSITE'...[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]'UH OH!': Healthcare Site Crashes While Sebelius Tries To Sign Person Up At Media Event...[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Koch Bros. Target Dems Who Voted For It...[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Plans in DC Cover Abortion, Not Hearing Aids...[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Man signs up -- dog gets covered instead...[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Expert: Hackers can access private info...[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Concierge Perks Ease Way For Lawmakers...[/FONT]

 

[Mad Scientest]

[FONT=&quot]Ok I just ran across this on another forum, no one there has much use for Obamacare either, anyway someone found this site and it offers an alternative plan that might be cheaper. Other then just briefly looking at the site I don’t know much about it, but it may prove useful for some of you to look at more closely.[/FONT]

Healthcare sharing ministries like Medi-Share are the only organizations to be exempt from the regulations and costs of the recently passed health care bill (Page 128, H.R. 3590 ).
This means that as a part of Medi-Share, you would be exempt, too. The requirements, the taxes, the penalties, and the high costs will simply pass you by.

[FONT=&quot]https://medi-share.org/ms/lp/Medical-Bill-Sharing_11-1.aspx?leadsource=Internet-Email&custentity_urlreferralid=msc0081_WND[/FONT]

 

[kind2creatures]

[FONT=&quot]Yes you do, we all do. However with this current shell game it is apparently racking up more losers then winners. The horror stories that people are experiencing just keep rolling in. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]One woman that signed up early and publicly stated how happy she was because she was now finally able to afford insurance. Only latter to find out that government had gone back and reviewed her application and removed her supplemental grants. Thus leaving her with a plan she cannot afford to pay. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Here are some headlines from the Drudge Report:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]'MR. PRESIDENT, TEAR DOWN THIS WEBSITE'...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]'UH OH!': Healthcare Site Crashes While Sebelius Tries To Sign Person Up At Media Event...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Koch Bros. Target Dems Who Voted For It...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Plans in DC Cover Abortion, Not Hearing Aids...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Man signs up -- dog gets covered instead...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Expert: Hackers can access private info...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Concierge Perks Ease Way For Lawmakers...[/FONT]

Clearly, if you want to go to the Drudge site, you'll find them highlighting all news stories that show Obamacare (or Obama) in a negative light. If you go to other websites, you can list just as many headlines with people like cancer patients praising Obamacare. Lol, the Koch Brothers are "elite" billionaires that do what they do best, use their money and power to manipulate and control others, and get what they want.

I've never been a very political person, and frankly, I'm disgusted with both parties. Instead of this great nation moving forward, we're going into the crapper thanks to both the republican and democratic "leaders". I'm not looking to change anybody's opinions on the President or healthcare, everyone's entitled to their own opinions and views.

The healthcare system in the United States is broken, and I'll give it to Obama, that at least he tried to make things better, and many will benefit once all the bugs are worked out. The biggest mistake he made was not planning properly, and setting up a nearly useless website, for that he should be ashamed...no excuses. Luckily Colorado has its own site, as all the states should have. If it's the law, and people need insurance coverage, then why wouldn't the politicians in every state want to make it easiest for their citizens to comply? Oh, that's right, its because they're against Obamacare (and Obama), and the hell with the people who reside in their states, let them battle with the big government site, rather than have a local one that's easy. They wouldn't want to do anything to make things simpler for the people they (are supposed to) be serving...they want to continue acting like spoiled brats who didn't get their way, and fight a law, tooth and nail...after the fact. :roll:

What they should just do, in my opinion, is skip all the BS, and go to a universal healthcare system for America, like they have in other countries. Many people are very happy with that system, and it works.

 

[Mad Scientest]

I'm disgusted with both parties. Instead of this great nation moving forward, we're going into the crapper thanks to both the republican and democratic "leaders".

[FONT=&quot]I totally agree. The two parties are opposite sides of the same wooden nickel. The resent sequester dog and pony show was just that, simply a show that they put on for their constituents. Of course when it was all said and done the debit ceiling was not raised but rather it was eliminated thus what they really did was gave themselves a blank check until next year. [/FONT]

What they should just do, in my opinion, is skip all the BS, and go to a universal healthcare system for America, like they have in other countries.

[FONT=&quot]Yes we all know our health care system is broken and desperately needs to be fixed, but is this the fix?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I find it hard to imagine that group of supposedly intelligent individuals (although that maybe debatable) could have inadvertently concocted this total disaster of a bill and its website. How is this possible or was it done by design?

Could it be that Obamacare was never meant to be implemented? What if all along the real goal is a totally government run universal health care system, of course they know most people would be opposed to that. Thus they come up with a problem, reaction, solution, scenario.

First they create a problem, Obamacare. When seeing it the people react by saying this is unacceptable and demand it must be changed. They then offer a solution, total government run health care, which in comparison now sounds reasonable.[/FONT]

 

[kind2creatures]

Oh, I know the create a problem thing, then be the savior and come up with a solution. I think they're doing that with all the pharmaceuticals and vaccines. They come up with more and more syndromes, and of course, they already have a pill or vaccine in the works to cure it.

America has changed quite a bit since I was a kid, and not for the better. Like I said, maybe the universal health care is not such a bad thing to keep everyone covered with insurance. One way or another, we pay when uninsured people end up in emergency care, etc.

I'm not for big government, and not happy about some things that are happening, like our rights being taken away. But I think I'd rather have the government make some decisions about my healthcare, rather than have some joker in the health services business, like Kaiser, making those decisions based on his possible bonus, etc. My rates go through the roof, and all my hard earned savings are wiped out to line their pockets...that's not right either.

 

[jfh]

The Scandinavian countries seem to be on the "happiest" country list, and they seem to have a good handle on health care. There must be something good to say about socialism. The more capitalistic a country gets, the more problems everywhere. I don't know if it is the competition or the greed. I go with greed.

The USA health system is going to remain broken until the people realize that they are pawns of the government and commerce.

When there are solutions waiting for problems, there is only crisis management. That's because the problems never really fit the preordained solutions. I'm betting that Medicare went through something similar when it started.

 

[kind2creatures]

We have relatives in Finland that are quite pleased with their health care system, and I've heard good stories from those in Canada also. The single incidents of someone having to wait for certain operations, etc. are usually exaggerated by those against universal health care.

I think that something had to be done in the US, and I didn't see anyone else in power offering any other solutions, they do best to criticize and play Monday morning quarterback. The 'right' was determined from the getgo to throw a wrench in the works of everything this president did. I think it's childish. There's still sour grapes that he won the election...maybe if they could have dug somebody up to run against him, other than Romney, that may not have been the case.

I'm definitely against any type of gun control whatsoever, but a fix for health care seems reasonable and necessary. Like I said, I'm registered as an independent, and will vote for the lesser of the two evils in the elections, and I'm usually not happy with the choices presented. I won't throw away my vote on any third party candidate that has no chance of winning.

Even those who are crying about Obamacare need to remember that the health care providers can no longer cancel your policy for no reason, that there are no pre-existing conditions to hinder coverage, that there is no annual limit or lifetime limit for those with serious medical conditions, etc.

Obamacare is law, Barack Obama is the president, everyone should get over it and move on.

 

[SherryP]

Even those who are crying about Obamacare need to remember that the health care providers can no longer cancel your policy for no reason, that there are no pre-existing conditions to hinder coverage, that there is no annual limit or lifetime limit for those with serious medical conditions, etc.

Oh don't make me laugh! Every day I am hearing stories about folks with chronic diseases like MS who have "coverage" but their high dollar meds are now not covered. People are going to be dying due to this unaffordable healthcare law! I personally have a client with MS who is facing this issue right now. If she dies due to this I am placing the blame directly at Obama's feet along with all the idiots who voted for this albatross!

Sherry

 

[jfh]

Very astute SherryP. I've felt that this law failed, when there was no "single payer option". Health care, if that is what it really is, is going to be costly due to the great expense of medicine and diagnostic techniques.

It is the insurance companies that are now still in charge of all these expenses. It is not the government, or at least the government is not doing anything about it.