Is anyone else losing spouse coverage?

[Palmtreegirl]

I am an LPN in a Florida nursing home. I received a letter that they are dropping spouse coverage on April 1. My husband is retired and not eligible for Medicare or health insurance elsewhere. We have been getting quotes of $800 to 900 a month. Does anyone know if this is a trend in nursing homes? What about home health care? I will need to change jobs, but the insurance is an important factor. Any input is appreciated.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Thank you Obama care.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

Before Obamacare, I had jobs where spousal health insurance was only available if the spouse could prove they couldn't get their own coverage.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Honestly, this is nothing new. My facility stopped offering spouse coverage several years ago unless eligibility could be proved. Eligibility required someone not eligible for Medicare whose employer did not offer coverage. If the employer offered coverage, no matter how little was included or how expensive it was, they were not permitted on my facility's plan. The same applies in verifying eligibility for children over the age of 18. While not perfect, the ACA is not responsible for all changes in health care insurance coverage. Changes have been happening for years, including before the ACA was even a consideration.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

My daughter and her husband just received a letter from Blue Cross; they are dropping their coverage entirely. He works for a company that makes airplanes, and they employ a lot of people. This company has provided them with good benefits up until this letter. She is upset because she has numerous medical problems and sees the doctor every month. She knows she can't be denied coverage, but they really cannot afford the higher deductibles and higher premiums.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

Why doesn't he just buy his own coverage?

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

I imagine the 800-900 dollar per month quotes is the problem.

[MatrixRn]

This type of scenario will keep playing out for some time. Now that employers can drop spouses and significant others they will.

Before ACA companies offered coverage to spouses as a perk to get the employee in the door, post ACA they can say they are following the law. Sad but true.

I hear you say he is no eligible for Medicare, but he is eligible for insurance. Due to ACA he must be covered, however the price tag will not be optimal.

[MatrixRn]

Before Obamacare, I had jobs where spousal health insurance was only available if the spouse could prove they couldn't get their own coverage.

Yes that was a company choice, now the ACA has made that the norm.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

It's crazy, but you will probably have to pay that much a month for health care. Why anyone believed the lies that Obama told us is beyond me. But that's a different discussion. Here in the state of Indiana before Obama Care we had our own program where everyone had healthcare. When my ex husband started his own business we needed health care and because of prexisisting conditions we either couldn't get it or the premium was outrageous. So we signed up through the state and had private health care for an affordable price. Now that obamacare is in effect the ICHIA has closed and now my ex has no coverage. I am fortunate that I am through Medicare until my disability runs out in the next couple of months and then I will be in the same boat having to pay $1000 a month with a $10000 deductible. Don't know exactly how I am going to pay for it yet. Just hope that in 2016 someone gets elected who will repeAl this whole mess.

[Sam J.]

All politicians lie. As for Obama, he, himself doesn't even know what is in the entire ACA- nobody does, really. It doesn't matter anyway, really, because the ACA is merely a ruse created willy-nilly with the singular goal of ending private health insurance by creating chaos. When people become outraged enough with the chaos, it will be easy to convince them (us) all to embrace Medicare For All, which ought to have been the case at the inception of Medicare. I give it 3 years. Then, think of the time and energy that can the be spent on the multitude of other very serious problems facing this country.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

My health system still offers those in budgeted > 24hrs/week positions family health insurance coverage, based on salary category with 20% cost sharing --no change from last year. Their belief is healthy employee = productive employee.