If you like your health insurance, you can keep it your insurance. Period

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Oct 31, 2013

No kidding!

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Oct 31, 2013

Interestingly, I went onto the website and thought I would plug in a few numbers just to see this "huge" price difference, and "better" coverage. And the "best" insurance was mountains higher than what I currently pay, and the lowest price with the highest deductible was around what I am currently paying for LESS coverage.

So I am not sure who the heck benefits from this system, as the only plans that seem affordable for the young adult who is off of parent's insurance for the first time seem to not cover "everyday" expenses. And people with catastrophic illness can be covered by Medicare. And the people who have no money and no job, etc have state insurances.

Maybe the self employed can benefit. But to afford coverage for the employees of a small business would be huge....

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Oct 31, 2013

Three of my siblings are currently uninsured. They have been salivating over this great new coverage they would be getting once the ACA marketplaces opened. Daily facebook posts about how great it would be.

Now? Radio silence. Curious

MunoRN, RN · Oct 31, 2013

What would you prefer instead?

MunoRN, RN · Oct 31, 2013

Interestingly, I went onto the website and thought I would plug in a few numbers just to see this "huge" price difference, and "better" coverage. And the "best" insurance was mountains higher than what I currently pay, and the lowest price with the highest deductible was around what I am currently paying for LESS coverage.

The plans must meet minimum actuarial value requirements, so you aren't getting less coverage for more money, you just didn't realize how little coverage you had before.

Before there were numerous loopholes, retroactive coverage cancellations, and no pre-existing condition requirement, which meant it was easy for an insurer to sell a mini-med plan for only $50 per month since it was unlikely they would every pay out a claim except in rare cases. Insurers are only allowed to raise prices that reflect the additional costs of closing the loopholes.

Take two identical people, both with $10,000 deductibles, same coverage (supposedly), same copays, same service coverages. Person 'A' ends up in the hospital with $100,000 worth of bills, of which his insurance company covers none of it by taking advantage of a loophole. Person 'B' pays his deductible and the insurer covers the other $90,000. Despite having similar appearing plans, person B clearly had more coverage in reality.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2013

I beg to differ...I just looked up my family....my monthly payout would be from $1,300.00 per month to $3,000.00 per month with a $4,000.00 deductible to get close to the coverage offered through my husbands insurance. I am ill....I am disabled...I don't qualify for "assistance" with my premium (if I needed it)...we "make too much money".

For the gold it is the same premiums with a $10,000.00 deductible.

For silver its a $15,000.00 deductible!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

A rant from me the other day.....

Then you sign a disclaimer that you have no expectation of privacy??? REALLY?? The government is NOT excluded from HIPAA.

The POTUS stated...If you like your health care..you can keep it.... That is not true.

"You won't have to change doctors" another lie.

The system is fractured..... but the cure is not developing another branch of government to oversee. The poor have free care they have medicaid...that doesn't change. The use and abuse of the system continues because they don't run it like the HMO and PPO will continue changing nothing The government will not use the ACA so it doesn't affect them...it affects again the middle class....the part that is the working poor. The hump their butts at 3 jobs just to make ends meet...they don't qualify for welfare because they actually do work...their jobs offer no insurance....so now they hump their ass waiting table at 3 restaurants to live paycheck to paycheck...only to find themselves now being required to carry insurance...insurance they cannot afford....certainly not to the tune of a thousand dollars a month.

HOW is the helping them? It isn't...it doesn't ....however it does help the government gain money in penalties to line their corrupt pockets...it helps the insurance companies widen their profit margins as the public is forced to buy insurance...helping no one but themselves and their million dollar salaries and yearly bonuses.

I am disabled...I thankfully have insurance through my husbands work. Over night I became unable to work. When you are busting your behind to put food on the table....keep a roof over your head ....ANY EXPENSE is devastating.

You want to help me????? You want to help the WORKING POOR???? The very people who bust their behind with 3 jobs at barely above minimum wage....to still never have enough money payday to pay day.....people who don't take public assistance...and don't qualify by the way because they work....and MAKE THEM...MANDATE THEM to come up with ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY or they will be penalized and fined for MORE MONEY THAT THEY DON"T HAVE...WHO exactly is that benefiting????? That hard working family that lives on the edge of homelessness and HUNGER??? I THINK NOT!

With a $13,000.00 deductible...how is having healthcare insurance benefit them....they are STILL paying out of pocket for healthcare until they have a catastrophic event...$13,000.00 deductible??? How is that benefiting any one??? EXCEPT the insurance company for the monthly bill they expect you to pay and the government for the penalty they impose? tell me how does that help the little guy already struggling to rub two pennies together.....certainly NOT the little guy.

SC_RNDude · Oct 31, 2013

The plans must meet minimum actuarial value requirements, so you aren't getting less coverage for more money, you just didn't realize how little coverage you had before.
Before there were numerous loopholes, retroactive coverage cancellations, and no pre-existing condition requirement, which meant it was easy for an insurer to sell a mini-med plan for only $50 per month since it was unlikely they would every pay out a claim except in rare cases. Insurers are only allowed to raise prices that reflect the additional costs of closing the loopholes.
Take two identical people, both with $10,000 deductibles, same coverage (supposedly), same copays, same service coverages. Person 'A' ends up in the hospital with $100,000 worth of bills, of which his insurance company covers none of it by taking advantage of a loophole. Person 'B' pays his deductible and the insurer covers the other $90,000. Despite having similar appearing plans, person B clearly had more coverage in reality.

I don't believe this, but even if this is to be true, that isn't how it was sold to the American public.

tulip5 · Oct 31, 2013

The excuse de jour from the administration is that no one had to leave the health plans that they liked. But, you see... people are just being "transitioned" from "inferior" policies that did not quite meet ACA minimum standards. Oh, and if you are fortunate enough to be poor, you get a subsidy. But the subsidy (shhhhh this is a deep double dark secret) is TAXABLE INCOME!!!! Don't you just love it!

Vis. the byzantine excuses and clarifications given above... our dealings with the insurance companies were sometimes frustrating. BUT... we had choices of multiple sources of insurance offerings from mini-med to cadillac plans. Now... not so much. I'm 64 years old and NOW I will get maternity coverage... and drug rehab insurance... which I've just pined for for years!!!! (tongue firmly in cheek.)

Oh, THANK you President Obama. I'm SAVED from my terrible insurance. Let's go and lynch those awful, evil, arsonist, terrorist, anarchist Republicans who have been trying to keep us from having this blessing.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Oct 31, 2013

I currently pay $800 per month for my employer's second-cheapest plan, which is $25 per week more than the catastrophic plan. I don't make much, and Hubby hasn't had a job that provided health insurance in 5 years (unless you count the worthless mini-med plan offered by Sears). We have 2 babies on the way, a family health plan will cost us about $1100 per month. According to my state's health exchange website (which works just fine), it will be cheaper to buy a silver plan or bronze plan through the state, even without a subsidy.

Medicare was initially attacked as socialist. Working out the initial kinks took out about 2 years. Today, no mainstream politician would dream of destroying Medicare.

tulip5 · Oct 31, 2013

I think you are exactly the sort of family this program was supposed to help... and I'm gratified that it has helped you. According to CBS (as of several days ago) 2 million American families have been notified that they have lost their insurance, that the alternative plans are (in many cases) astronomically higher per month and have crazy high deductibles (5 figures.) BTW Not-a-Hat... please check your deductible. I hope it doesn't give you sticker shock. I would like to think someone is genuinely helped by this program.

But does it seem rational that up to 90,000,000 Americans (Fobes' estimate for the number next year when the employer mandate goes into effect) will lose policies that have worked somewhat well to absolutely perfectly for them for many years... so that a small minority of people are assisted? And when Not-A-Hat's family gets on its feet and begins to live better... they will be in the same boat we all are.

No. Just no. It was not about health insurance, it was about power.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Oct 31, 2013

My current family deductable is $5000. With a silver plan, it will be $3500.

I'd rather see Medicare for All. Obamacare isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing. Right now, nothing is the alternative.