OT: BC/BS raised fees for affordable care act

[CowFish]

That is a person with a symptom should see a doctor, rather than think of the size of their bank account.

That is not your decision to make. It is not the decision of corrupt politicians in Washington to make.

Everyone, together with their spouse, should be making their own decisions.

Government should stay out of our individual lives.

I was planning to leave my company and start my own business. A broker had helped me pick out a high-deductible health insurance plan this summer. Two weeks later he called me and said he found out the plan would be dropped because it did not meet Obamacare requirements.

My plans to start my own business are on hold now. Government should not be interfering with hardworking citizens. They are hurting the economy and poor people always get hurt the most.

[SabrinaFaire]

I have insurance through my employer and we also have the transistional reinsurance fee. However, they told us it's temporary and will go down over the next couple of years.

Thing is, we're already paying for everyone's healthcare whether we like it or not. Someone who doesn't have insurance doesn't go to the doctor until the issue is so bad they end up in the ER. They likely can't afford to pay the bill, so the hospital has to eat the cost. Just like any business who has losses due to non payment of customers or theft, they raise their prices to recoup as much of it as possible.

[MagsterMile]

For what it's worth, my Medicare Advantage Premium for 2014 went down quite a bit from last year.

[ems]

Ask your neighbors and friends for a reference on a trusted local insurance broker. A broker can help you wade through this mess and find a policy that best fits your situation.

You are going to be fed a bunch of political nonsense on this forum from people who think Obama/Reid/Pelosi walk on water.

Go to that broker. They are in business to help you. Their livelihood depends on doing a good job for the community they serve.

I can't think of one good reason I would go to an insurance broker. You are correct tho, his livelihood does depend on being a salesperson and "selling" insurance. Now, maybe if that salesperson happened to be your husband, mother, aunt, son, etc., I might consider your suggestion.

[bwexler]

nmevan, Is your insurance with your employer or do you have your own policy? If it is your own, I wouldn't be surprised to see annual rate increases; that is typical. Does your now more expensive plan cover more or less? Does it cover pre-existing conditions it didn't before? Does it have the same deductible and co pays as before? Without knowing all of that, it is impossible to know whether you are ahead or behind. Did your state set up its own exchange or did it dump that onto the federal government? If you can get onto an exchange site for your state or call the relevant number and talk to one of those navigators or counselors whatever they are called in your state, how do your alternatives compare to your current plan in all the respects I've mentioned? And, are you eligible for any subsidy? Many reports on Fox etc have let people complain about "losing" their insurance but did not follow up; the few reporters that did follow up and go with the complainers onto the relevant web site have found these stories actually lead to better coverage and/or prices not worse for those complaining and they are usually pretty surprised.

I would never trust anything in a letter from an insurance company. These fees may be the names they've put on their planned rate increases. If they do not believe that the healthy folks will sign up for insurance and they think that they will lose money covering you with a decent and legal plan as ACA presribes, they may have decided to levy a "tax" on you and make it look like it is a government requirement in order to protect their reserves.

As a 40-year health care administrator, I believe that getting more folks insured will reduce the cost the rest of us will pay, all other things being equal. As long as folks like bwexler believe others shouldn't have to get insurance and should get a free ride at the emergency room, we will all be paying for those freeloaders that want their independence until they or a family member gets sick. Then, when these people get on Medicare they do not complain so loudly that the government can only do bureaucracy - they want the government to keep its hands off their Medicare.

There are some folks in this group who actually understand health care and insurance but not very many - so be careful which ones you believe. I would go with the ones who offer facts and do not flame or try to discredit the others with subjective terms.

I went for 40 years with no insurance. During those years there were only 2 where we would have met a $1,000 deductable.
When I compare the premiums I would have paid to my actual medical costs I am 10s of thousands ahead. That includes paying for cancer surgery myself.
When I pay myself I learn to choose when I need care and where I get the best care and the best value.
When you pay a $5 copayment you learn to believe that is all it costs. You sneeze or get a sliver and need to go to the doctor.

[Crazy Eddie]

If you're struggling to pay for your medical insurance then you're obviously an irresponsible, lazy-ass, mooching piece of garbage that deserves no sympathy at all.

[Rob108]

My medicare advantage plan will be going up $37/month but that includes part d coverage.

[ems]

If you're struggling to pay for your medical insurance then you're obviously an irresponsible, lazy-ass, mooching piece of garbage that deserves no sympathy at all.

At least I hope it was a joke.

[decatur11]

bwexler, I don't know if you had kids during that time. You are lucky if you did and had so little need for health care. A couple who are friends recently had a baby; they found out part way through the pregnancy that the baby's intestines were going to be outside of his body when he was born, in fact most of his gut was going to be outside of his skin. Their bill was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars but the baby is totally normal now. If that had happened to you, would you have had enough money? Would you have had to sell your house and would it have been enough? Would you just let the child die or just live with all of his insides hanging out? If you do not want insurance then you should not accept free care from hospitals because all of the rest of us are paying for your care. Count your lucky stars because it was only luck not smarts and nothing to be proud of, unless your parents can be proud they gave you good genes.

[ChicagoGranny]

When I pay myself I learn to choose when I need care and where I get the best care and the best value.
When you pay a $5 copayment you learn to believe that is all it costs. You sneeze or get a sliver and need to go to the doctor.

Pearls before swine. 99 of 100 who take the time to post here have virtually no understanding of basic economics.

[bwexler]

I had two normal kids. You are right I was lucky. Even with normal pediatric visits and a couple broken bones we never got to the typical $1,000 deductable in any one year. We found good doctors and negotiated fair fee for services when necessary. And you are right I could not have paid for that poor baby, even if I sold ten houses like the one we lived in back then. My first house was only $17,000.

Chicago, I too am from Chicago, but transplanted to California when my son was only four months old. One of the best moves we ever made. Yes I did get my degree in business admin, computer science and real estate and paid attention in my economics classes. I also ran my own business for over fourty years. If that doesn't teach you economics nothing will.