ACA loser

[cilla4progress]

Anyone else's costs going up under ACA, like mine?

I guess I had "too good a deal" before, based on our family income. Double whammy - since I just got laid off from my job!

[elleng]

1. If your income will decline,

won't you be able to take advantage of ACA with that as one of your facts? No need to sign up immediately.

Sorry about lay off.

[bigbrother05]

2. Sorry to hear about the layoff

Any idea how much your insurance would have cost w/o employer support before ACA?

Maybe you will qualify for a subsidy.

[NYC_SKP]

3. How is yours going up? Is it higher than when you were working?

If you're comparing to what your share was with employer provided plans, then it's not a fair comparison.

For my, I'm now paying $1,432/month COBRA, which is what my employer provide plan cost TOTAL (my share was maybe $140.).

Under ACA, I'll spend $600, much less than COBRA but more than my share was while working.

So it's a win.

And your numbers might be too depending upon what you're comparing.

[cilla4progress]

4. Here are the details

1) Spouse is covered by local government employer. He pays @ $50 / mo.; employer pays @ $600. He does not cover our daughter and me- premium would be $1300 / mo.
2) I purchased a plan through our (Washington) state provided (?) insurance, at $350 / mo. for my daughter and me. It had a $500 / deductible, met most of the new "quality" criteria, and had a $100,000 annual max. (Not sure out of the annual out-of-pocket to me, but I can research). This plan is being discontinued due to ACA (on 12/31) and the rates for its substitute will be income-based.
3) My boss picked up $150 / mo. of my premium costs.
4) Under ACA I'm looking at $10K deductible for my daughter and me! And $600 / mo. premiums, at best! And this is with a cut in income of about 30%

I guess I just had a great deal for a few years!

[NYC_SKP]

7. I think the devil's in the details.

That $100,000 annual max is a big question. Either that's max coverage, which would be horrific if anything happened, or it's max out of pocket, which is also a big problem if something happens.

I kind of wish California has passed the Single Payer plan that we had going a few years ago, but ACA will be good for me, I wish it was an improvement for everyone.

Take care!

[cilla4progress]

8. It is annual max.

Annual out of pocket under my good insurance that is no longer due to ACA, was $6000 for both of us.

Our country is clearly in a world of hurt when those at 394% of federal poverty level are called upon to subsidize the huge numbers of those at substistence level. For that, I believe, is what is happening. The insurance I had was no longer sustainable - the State erred in setting it up. Which all was to my benefit...while it lasted.

[athena]

39. That doesn't seem like "good" insurance to me.

You could easily run up $100,000 if you were ever involved a serious accident. Isn't the whole point of insurance to protect you against rare catastrophic incidents that could bankrupt you? Allowing insurance companies to set limits to what they'll pay was just as bad as allowing them to reject people with preexisting conditions and to drop people who cost too much. I am so grateful to the ACA for fixing these problems. It seems to me that you're missing the forest for the trees.

[cilla4progress]

40. Could be, and it's not that I don't agree with much of what you say.

You just need to know that as a direct or indirect result of ACA (or at the very least, coincidental timing), good insurance I had pre-ACA cost me 1/2 in monthly premiums and 15% in deductible, than that available to me now, post-ACA. This is in spite of the fact that I was laid off from my full-time job last month (and is based on new lower income).

This is a reality for myself and others, and should be considered in a fair evaluation of ACA.

[RBInMaine]

14. Is it the ACA's fault your plan is being discontinued? Was that somehow inevitable?

[cilla4progress]

19. This I do not know. But I sure would like to find out.

It seems obvious, given the timing. Was this something Obama didn't anticipate? That some plans would call it quits because it wasn't affordable under their business model? Or is my slice of the demographic just being triaged out for the greater good?

Since my plan was somehow hooked into the state, I assume they found it wasn't sustainable, since they've now adjusted rates consistent with incomes.

[Orangepeel]

32. insurance plans are no longer allowed to have caps on coverage amounts

Lifetime or annual. I am sincere in my hope that you will never need that provision.

[lostincalifornia]

6. It depends, on age, income, and other factors if one qualifies for the subsidy. There is a group in

the > 50 year old bracket where they might be paying more depending on income.

You are correct in most cases the exchange will be more reasonable than COBRA.

[cilla4progress]

9. Yup.

Really bad when you hit age 60 (rates). Right at the age where you are no longer employable!

[lostincalifornia]

15. That is why it need to be tweaked so this demographic is not hurt

[lostincalifornia]

5. At least in California, that is all taken into consideration, however, it might come back in the

form of a tax credit, and you will need to contact them.

I am going to be in a similar situation. At the end of the year they will be moving my job overseas, so until I find a new job my income will be much lower than this year.

I called them today to get information, and they told me to when filling out the application be sure to note the status change that will occur.

In addition, you can opt out if the premium for the lowest plan, (Bronze), exceed 8% of your income.

The options I have will be one of the following:

1. Exchange program
2. COBRA
3 A company outside the exchange.

Not sure if number three is an option

[Travis_0004]

10. Cost going up, coverage going down, max out of pocket going up as well.

[brush]

11. Didn't you post this earlier?

Your claims of your rates going up go against all the reports I'm getting. Everyone says their rates are going dramatically down.

[cilla4progress]

12. Yes - I'm trying to get a dialogue going,

perhaps some explanation or shared experience.

I know....why are my costs going up, when the media is stating all are coming down?! I think there must be some small slice of us out there who are in this boat. We are being triaged with no explanation. It's maddening.

[Dwayne Hicks]

13. Oh Please

I smell a tea party extremist.

[cilla4progress]

20. You're kidding, right?

Did you forget this?

I figure I'd get flamed for this, but that's OK. I think people should be aware that the cost-sharing, or "balancing the playing field" as one navigator put it to me, is done on the backs of "somebody."

[mwooldri]

16. I don't know yet.

Sorry to hear about your layoff. However I wish you the best of success as a professional job seeker (IMO there isn't anything as "unemployment" - just whether the work is paid or unpaid... the work of a job seeker is not very well paid at all).

I am thankfully still employed, and in a job role that doesn't appear to be going away any time soon. My employer has not released the information regarding their health insurance coverage for 2014. Neither has my spouses' employer released any information about health insurance coverage for 2014. For 2013, she was not eligible for coverage. In 2014, she might become eligible.

Some companies (UPS to name one) have decided in 2014 to not offer their employees the option of putting their spouse on the insurance if they have access to a health plan through their employer. Should that be the case, it may be cheaper for us to ask my spouse to work less hours and thus become ineligible for employer coverage. Especially since the health insurance her employer offers is awful compared to mine.

If this comes to be, I'm sure it will be blamed on "Obamacare" but then this might have happened without the ACA anyway.

I'll find out how the ACA will affect me towards the end of October.

[Myrina]

17. Oh you just hate Obama.

It's the absolute bestest most wonderful thing ever invented and you're not reading it right and just wait until the benefits kick in and and would you rather have President Romney and and and ...



Honestly, I feel for you & your family, and I suspect yours won't be the only case like this.

[cilla4progress]

21. OK - this is a great response!

Thanks! All I am saying is it ain's roses and sunshine for all of us. Yes, I see that it's in part because I found a hella deal over the last 3 years, and yes, I assume our family can absorb the higher premiums and hell, as long as I don't actually USE my health insurance the higher deductibles won't affect me (and there is that $10K annual / family out-of-pocket max which will keep us from losing our home)....


But, just sayin', for some us, under ACA - whether directly or indirectly as a result of it, health care costs are going UP not DOWN!

Thank you.

[Democat]

18. The more money you make, the less likely it will be cheaper

The system only works if those who make more money pay their share.

But there are still benefits, like un-linking health care from your employment, and removing restrictions on pre-existing conditions.

[cilla4progress]

23. I totally agree.

And it does make me feel like a deadbeat, like I wasn't paying my share before, but I was not freeloading or going without - I had simply done my research and found and paid for a really affordable plan that is shutting down as ACA rolls out, possibly because they weren't charging enough! I'm really interested in how that all came to be ... esp. since it was a state plan on some level. I think they may have jumped the shark on single-payer (I signed up for it in 2010) and then were stuck.

Notwithstanding the above, however, the personal impact for me is my premiums and deductibles are shooting up, as a result of ACA. At the same time as I lost my job.

Hard not feel bitter and burned. The words of PBO: "if you like your insurance you can keep it" ring hollow in my ears!

[Mz Pip]

22. What about the exchanges?

Can you shop around for a cheaper rate?

What does healthcare.gov show?

[cilla4progress]

24. Thanks. I have and

I am - continue to be. These are the rates shown there. I think at this point this is the best case scenario.

By the way, healthcare.gov defers to my state exchange - Washington - since it has opted in. I assume this is the case in all states, where the state is running the exchange?

[Kablooie]

25. A lot of young people will probably be unhappy too.

Many wouldn't buy insurance at all but under the new plan will have to pay a rather large monthly fee or a penalty.

The plan isn't perfect.
Even Obama admits that and after all, it IS a Republican designed plan.

It's not the end of the world as the GOP would have you believe but it will be an annoyance for some.

The ACA will be cheaper than the current crop of insurance plans for the uninsured though.
I'm sure most of the cases the GOP bring up are scam plans that are cheap but essentially don't cover anything that is likely to happen.

Let's hope that once things get rolling the premiums will continue to be adjusted down or the thing evolves into a real single payer program.

[cilla4progress]

26. Amen

Please clarify: the cases the GOP are bringing up? To illustrate what? I don't get your point there.

Thanks!

[Kablooie]

28. I don't have any specifics but ...

I've heard Republicans cite dramatically increased premiums for people under the ACA.
The counter argument is that the ACA coverage is much more comprehensive than the plans the Republicans present.

If you look at today's insurance there are many cheap plans that have huge deductibles and only cover specific disastrous conditions.
They are scams essentially because you have to pay all your regular medical expenses yourself. 99% of the customers will never use the extreme coverage and if they do they are dropped as soon as the insurance renewal period occurs.

This is the kind of thing the ACA is designed to remedy but I'm sure the GOP is using them as examples of the huge cost increases the ACA will require.

BTW:
My daughter will turn 27 next year and will be need to buy her own insurance.
Here in California for a single 27 year old making $30,000 a year, premiums are from $162 to $214 depending on the plan.
It's a little bit more than the current plans available but has lower deductibles, no max and no cost for a general checkup.

[cilla4progress]

29. All I can report is

That pre-ACA my deductible was $500; post, it's $6,000. I don't need pediatric coverage - it's just my 20 year old daughter and me! So comprehensiveness doesn't help me!

I know it's not all about me - that's insurance. I'm just reporting that for me, costs are going up after ACA.

[Kablooie]

30. Here in California ....

An adult with a 20 year old child would cost around $380 to $400 with no deductible at all under ACA.

[allthatjazz]

31. I am also an ACA loser

My husband and I are self employed, healthy, in our fifties, and would not receive subsidies under ACA. In order to get the same mediocre coverage we had before ACA our premiums are going up $300/mo with a $3000 deductible.
I am a huge single payer advocate and I hate that we are now subsidizing insurance companies. Is this really a step in the right direction? I am happy to pay taxes based on my income to expand medicare for all.
On the plus side we now have maternity coverage. It would be a miracle if I could use this at age 53 and even more of a miracle if my husband could.

[cilla4progress]

33. You and I are in a very similar boat!

I'm a huge single payer advocate as well, and it feels terrible to be whining like this! But it's a reality. I'm going from $350 to $600 mo. for premiums; and from $500 deduct to $10K! Maybe my plan didn't achieve the "quality" criteria as per ACA, but it sure was working for me!

On the plus side, I guess (still learning) I am $10K out of pocket max for the family per year under ACA?

Not certain, and maybe some of this is in flux. Our Washington state site has been unstable and mostly unusable since Tuesday. Will know more once I get back on and do some more research.

Regards!

[allthatjazz]

34. still learning too

I looked at my old policy and it was max $16,500 out of pocket and now it is $12,500. The difference is about equal to the $300 extra we have to pay a month now.
I think the bottom line is we don't want the insurance companies cutting into their profits, therefore any extra costs are passed on to the customer. Now they get our increased ACA payments plus the government (taxpayer) subsidies. Win/win for them!

[hedgehog]

35. Those of you who are ACA losers -

who controls your state, the Democratic Party or Republicans?

[cilla4progress]

37. Dems

Washington state

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

36. Little confused...

You're a single parent with zero income?

[cilla4progress]

38. No, no, no ...

Married - older (almost 60,when my rates really jump!), husband with pretty good income. 20 yr. old daughter.

We have too high income, I guess, to receive benefits of ACA. My old policy was not income-based; new ones in exchange are.

We aren't anywhere near top incomes...but just under 400% of FPL - cutoff for subsidies.