Why we should elect Bernie Sanders. How much do you pay for your health insurance...

[Luminous Animal]

My husband and I, near 60 years old, pay for the barest bones Kaiser insurance $1780.00 a month. We are just over the threshold of an ACA subsidy so we get zero relief. Out of pocket is $2500.00 each and we pay 30% of office visits and meds.

It is killing us.

[winter is coming]

1. We can't afford insurance.

My state didn't expand Medicaid, and we don't have enough income to get a subsidy, so we have nothing.

[Luminous Animal]

2. Yep.And 10s of millions who were forced into ACA and can't afford their meds so opt out of treatment

[Mnpaul]

61. Same here

I just can't afford it. My wages have been flat for the past ten years and expenses keep going up. On top of that, Obamacare makes finding a better paying job much more difficult for older workers to find a better job. Paying for the healthcare of others when you can't afford your own is infuriating.

[nc4bo]

3. My daughter got this cool number to insert into her tax form.

[tularetom]

4. The ACA is going to collapse in just a few years

because there is no control over costs. There was a lot of noise made at the time the act was adopted about the 15% limitation on administrative costs, but its apparent to me that the insurance companies have figured out some creative accounting that enables them to slime by the limit and yet tack obscene profits onto the bottom line.

[Luminous Animal]

9. Yep. Which is why we need to tackle the problem now before it becomes a catastrophe.

[ljm2002]

26. I knew that 15% limit was bogus from the beginning...

...anyone who thinks about that for half a minute can see the flaw: namely, if you must limit administrative costs to 15% of your overall budget, then you just charge more for everything else so that the 15% is calculated from a bigger base number. In other words, that 15% play may actually be driving prices up, not down.

[area51]

44. This is what I'm afraid of.

It's not sustainable. No other country is attempting health care like this, because it's unworkable to let private, for-profit insurance companies have very few regulations.

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/11/i-have-seen-the-future-of-your-health-insurance-it-sucks.html

[jeff47]

48. It's not that the 15% limit is bogus, it's that if medical costs go up, that 15% goes up too.

Using round, small numbers:
If medical costs are $100, the insurance company can make $15.
If medical costs are $200, the insurance company can make $30.

[Kaleva]

5. 0. Covered by VA

[Luminous Animal]

13. And that is great! And part of our taxes go to covering vets. We should extend that to all

U.S. citizens.

[winter is coming]

15. And get the VA back up to standard.

It's shameful how long our vets have to wait for help.

[Luminous Animal]

19. Indeed. Bernie has long advocated for the best medical standards for vets.

[Kaleva]

68. I'm all for single payer health care

[Jharr827]

6. My mom just switched

They're paying like 800 a month and she went to get her diabetes medicine they told her $1300! Something she has to have its ridiculous.

[Luminous Animal]

11. It is a constant anxiety. Your mom must be so worried. YOU must be so worried for your mom.

[Jharr827]

25. She called her doctor

To see what he can do but is waiting to hear back. Pisses me off that Hillary said that shit about single payer because she doesn't have to go through this stuff with her money.

[Punkingal]

7. OMG...that is awful!

This has to stop....I pay half my social security check for insurance....luckily I have a husband with a good income.

[polly7]

8. This breaks my heart, it really does. nt.

[bvf]

10. Ohioan here, on expanded Medicaid.

I only give Kasich credit for having an eye on his run--an obvious political calculation.

Sorry to hear of it, LA. Things will turn around.

[Journeyman]

12. My wife and I are in a similar situation, LA . . .

The ACA saved us a tremendous amount of money. Prior to its passage, our monthly premiums were around $2900. With passage of the ACA, we dropped to a little under $1200 a month, a 60% savings.

I wrote about our situation here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024199559

And now it's going back up. Not too much so far, but who's to say where it will be before I can retire.

I'm curious: You and I are both in California (I in the South, you up North), yet you pay so much more for a bare bones package. My wife and I have a Silver Plan from Blue Shield, about the same deductible and copay as you, but we pay somewhat less each month. I wonder why that is.

We need single payer, or universal, or whatever it is we wish to call it. This situation cannot continue.

[Luminous Animal]

17. FYI, my husband and I do this for a living. You never managed to prove how you saved so much money

because we have never been able to realize such savings for any of our clients ever. Not through our independents attempts. Through insurance agents…

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, not through a non-profit that we work with that assists low income people access insurance through ACA.

[Journeyman]

31. I'm confused. Am I to conclude then you believe I'm lying? . . .

[Luminous Animal]

33. Like I said. I do this for a living. Professionally and as a volunteer.

For the comfortably wealthy to the abject poor.

[Autumn]

14. There needs to be real healthcare reform, not

insurance finance reform. Medicare for all. The subsidies being paid to private insurance companies alone would be a big help to pay for that program.

[Nay]

16. Our kid, his wife, and son pay $500 a month with a $12,000 deductible.

Horrendous. Fine for a major illness or debilitating accident, but not for much else.

[Luminous Animal]

18. $12,000 deductible. A bankruptcy amount. Unforgivable.

[Autumn]

20. So they are paying for a product they can't afford to use?

[Nay]

23. They are paying for a product that will protect them in case of

catastrophic illness/accident. They get a couple of free yearly checkups. And they pay out of pocket up to the $12,000.

In case of such an accident, we, the parents, could pay the deductible for them (and we would), but we could never pay the many tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that would be required for a major medical problem. As it is, a medical problem is coming up that we will probably have to help pay for because it will be about $6,000. I shudder when I think of all the people out there who don't have relatives to help. This is no way to run a country.

Go, Bernie!

[Autumn]

24. In case of catastrophic illness/accident.

It shouldn't have to be that way.

[Nay]

32. It certainly shouldn't be this way. I wanted single payer from the

beginning, like normal first world countries have. But oh no, we have to make sure that insurance companies make money. Although Canada started out with something like ACA in one province (back in the 60's), it rapidly was changed to single payer and spread to the other provinces once single payer was seen to be the best. I have no hope that will happen here because there is a great pressure to do things only to make money; helping the citizens never enters the equation.

[Agschmid]

21. I don't pay.

My company pays it all.

I know I've got very good coverage and I'd love to see people have what I have, but again without specifics in not sure they would.

[Luminous Animal]

22. I think this should be part of the reform. (And an idea I emailed the Bernie team about)

For every company that currently pay all or a portion of their employees' premiums, the employee's paycheck should be net neutral.

[jeff47]

47. You do pay.

Your employer is paying you less cash in order to pay for your insurance.

[Agschmid]

52. Do you think all employers are just going to give us all a raise once we have single payer?

Will that be federally mandated? Is it even a federal program or is it state by state?

[jeff47]

56. Do you think strawmen are effective means for deflecting?

Your employer pays $x for you to work there. That includes salary, insurance, furniture, heating, lighting and so on.

Take out that insurance part, and they're suddenly paying less. Would they instantly give you a raise? I don't know, because I don't know your employer's ethics.

But someone else would see that they could hire you for a little more cash, with no increased real expenses.

Or do you think free markets only work for commodities?

[Agschmid]

59. Yes I understand how it works...

And is it a "strawman" to respond to your post... No.

Again is this a state by state plan? Will states be able to offer different coverage levels? Services?

And again some companies will pass on savings to employees others won't, that won't be mandated as it really can't be.

[jeff47]

62. Hey look, another subject change!

Again is this a state by state plan? Will states be able to offer different coverage levels? Services?

It's contained in the 2013 bill Sanders introduced. How 'bout looking it up?

And again some companies will pass on savings to employees others won't, that won't be mandated as it really can't be.

And workers are too stupid to find employers that pay more?

[Agschmid]

63. Wow... Just wow.

There was no subject change my post was very similar to my previous post...

Some employees don't just have the luxury of just quitting a job that isn't to their liking.

Let me know when you want to discuss rather than just attack.

ETA: I just read the politifact article from top to bottom and I don't see my state question answered. So again I ask... Is this state by state? If so who decides what services states provide, can states for example elect not to perform abortions? Or provide birth control as part of the plan?

[Reter]

27. $1,780 a month?

How much do you two make a year? I hope at least $350,000 a year to be paying that crazy amount.

[Luminous Animal]

29. Not even close. I expect you are are young. At one of my client's workplace when

one of their employees turned 40, that employees insurance increased by 24%. Allowable under ACA.

Like I said. It is killing us.

[Reter]

38. No, not really, I'm 42

I was just lucky enough not to have a job where I'm forced to pay anything like that. We need Medicaid for all.

[Luminous Animal]

40. How much do you pay?

[Reter]

49. Nothing, thankfully because of my job

Unmarried, make about $40k a year.

[Bjornsdotter]

28. We pay around $1800

...per month for medium grade insurance. I've told my husband if I am really ill to put me on a plane to Sweden and I'll get treated there.

[Luminous Animal]

30. Wow. I wonder if they would? Maybe comprehensive health care is just a plane ticket away.

[Bjornsdotter]

35. Not sure

I'm a dual national.

I do know that treatment is some countries is far less than in the US. It could be worth looking into.

[brooklynite]

34. Answer: nothing...

My health care is part of my employment, and eventually my retirement.

And this is a critical point. While many people struggle with medical costs, more people do not. One of the reasons ACA had a problem receiving public acceptance is that MOST people weren't affected by it. Yes, it's good national policy to cover more people but that's not a sufficient reason to gain most people's support, especially if they're worried that their taxes/costs would go up to cover the new services for others. You will not build a sufficiently large voting block based on health insurance or Single Payer for this election.

[Bjornsdotter]

36. Even if/when my taxes go up

...it won't be in the $1800 range per month.

I'll take the tax hike.

[Luminous Animal]

37. Despite you bold assertion. Most people do. That is why MOST PEOPLE want single payer.

Because most people… MOST PEOPLE … do not have your privilege.

While, more people do not currently struggle with medical debt, every single poor and working class person in this US of A know that they may lose everything due to medical debt,

It is the every day nagging anxiety. Of which you have no clue.

You are living the good life. And I do begrudge you that. But I wish you had more compassion for those who can't.

[jeff47]

46. That's actually not correct. You do pay.

Your employer is paying you less cash in order to pay for your insurance.

[noiretextatique]

64. More people...with jobs that pay for their insurance

That does not translate to more people or even most people. But it is not shocking that people who are doing well under the current system do not see a need for change.

[brooklynite]

65. Point to where I said that change wasn't necessary or desireable...

I said you need to be aware that more people have health care with their employment than don't, and that THEY were not strongly supportive of ACA when it came up. You can tell me that a majority support Single Payer, but the problem is that, as a political initiative, there's no indication that they care ENOUGH to make it a major issue in the coming election.

[Bernblu]

39. Howard Dean the Pragmatic one, Shill for Hillary Clinton has some advice

Vote for Hillary but don't get sick.

Seriously, vote for Bernie. Single payer will save you some money.

[Festivito]

41. Thankfully the "killing us" is not the reality -- as it was before ACA.

..when you would pay those premiums, even higher than 5000 per month only to have the insurance company drop you when you get sick.

The amount you quote is 10 times the lowest quote they give and if your income is close to that 50K/year, co-pays might throw you over into getting some tax relief.

Regardless, you'd be better off under a Bernie idea, unless you make over 500K/year or so.

[mahina]

42. 450 a month for a great plan, but my employer pays it.

Hawaii was the first state to mandate insurance for ft employees.

[coyote]

43. I am in Germany and pay 356€/month

It does not matter if I am single or have 10 kids. It´s the same price. No deductibles. Doctors make house visits. Prescriptions are free or sometimes 10€ copays.

The amount I pay is based on the income I make. 356€ is the maximum you can pay. If for example, I was making 30,000 a year, I would pay 210€/month (again does not matter if I am single or have a family).

The formula is: 8.4% of your monthly income goes towards health insurance. There are many companies I can get my health insurance from, but the prices are all regulated and more or less the same.

I will also add that I find my healthcare here better than when I was in the US.

[jeff47]

45. Family of 4 on an employee-backed HDP. Premiums + Deductible come to $10k/year.

I'd save a fortune under almost any single-payer plan, even with my taxes going up.

[in_cog_ni_to]

50. $900 a month. One Medicare supplemental, two private policies from ACA.

Damn ridiculous. It's no better than before the ACA - other than preexisting illnesses are covered (biggie), women's health screenings are covered (biggie) and preventative care is covered. Prices are just as high and the policies SUCK.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[mike_c]

51. I have a good union that bargains on my behalf...

...so I have cadillac health insurance through my employer.

[bunnies]

53. 42 y/o - $450 a month. $4k deductible. $80.00 per visit copay.

And its going UP again at renewal next month. *sigh*

[hobbit709]

54. It cost me 3 years 6 months, 22 days, 5 hours and 17 minutes of my life to get health care.

Covered by the VA.

[PeteSelman]

55. I pay about $20,000 a year for mine.

I get it through my union and we have top of the line insurance.

I'm quite happy with it.

[randome]

57. I wish this kind of energy was employed to elect a useful Congress.

Because nothing will happen without that. Everyone wants to see either Clinton or Sanders as a king-like figure and it's ridiculous and short-sighted.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[Rosa Luxemburg]

60. if people are energized they will elect progressive congresspersons.

overcome big corporate influence on congress.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

58. Health, dental, vision and prescription

It all adds up. It's all the copays too. Mine doesn't cover all medical supplies,

[Turn CO Blue]

66. We pay around $1300 a month AFTER employer pitches in $450 a month.

but that includes minor vision and minimal dental (don't know the breakout).

But that is $200 less a month than we paid last year. We decided to drop to a lower plan but regret it.

sort of an HMO thing
Out of pocket $3000
scrips - $15
doctor - $30

We are 54 and 50.

There are no spare pennies around here.

It is killing us too because we also have huge student loan debt (parent plus loans and for hubby's master's) and rent is so very high here in Denver (housing shortage and housing bubble at the same time). We downsized out of our house thinking would save money; terrible mistake.

We can't risk being off insurance, hubby had lymphoma 3 years ago (completely cured, but will always need checks and MRIs and safety net).

[Uncle Joe]

67. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the sharing, Luminous Animal.