How to Protect Yourself From Obamacare

[nathanm]

Secondly, you used data on overall healthcare costs from 2010 to 2013 conflate the point I made that there is plenty evidence published in the last few months that many in the middle class are now paying more for insurance or selecting lesser levels of coverage with higher deductibles than what they paid before the ACA roll-out fall-out last fall.

No conflation. The KFF report includes data on overall cost as well as the employer and employee shares of premiums and also employee out of pocket expenses, all of which have increased more slowly in the 2010-2012 period than they did in the 2005-2007 period. Yes, people's premiums have gone up. On average, they have gone up more slowly than they were before ACA. We can argue about whether or not that has anything to do with ACA, (best data is that it's in the ballpark of half ACA and half the economic meltdown) but the fact of the matter is that premium growth and spending growth are both down from what they were.

Employer premium growth is only down slightly, but employee premium growth is down significantly. Still growing, sadly, but more slowly.

[guido911]

As far as these types of "protest vids" go, this one is pretty funny.

[guido911]

Okay knuckleheads, get yourself signed up.

http://splashurl.com/pg2t59m

[Gaspar]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/obama-administration-health-laws-new-rules-will-increase-costs-for-most-small-businesses/2014/02/24/0623d01e-9d9c-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html
So, after all that pushback, the Obama Administration finally admits that Obamacare will raise costs for small businesses, and just acts all MEH about it.
Nearly two-thirds of small businesses that currently offer health insurance to their workers will pay more for coverage as a result of new rules in the health care law, as will millions of small-business employees and their family members, according to new estimates released by the Obama administration.

Consequently, according to the estimates, which the agency says are based on industry research and conversations with insurance experts, roughly 11 million of the 17 million individuals who have health care plans through a small employer will see their premiums increase as a result of the law, while 6 million people will enjoy lower premiums.

[guido911]

Our long national nightmare continues....

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Our long national nightmare continues....

He's like the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, you think you hate him now, wait until he's president.

[RecycleMichael]

He is the Dan Quayle of the new Millennium.

[nathanm]

It didn't occur to me quite how short sighted not taking the Medicaid expansion money really is. We're essentially saying we're too stupid to understand that increased economic activity paid for by the feds won't increase employment, and therefore tax revenues, enough to pay for the remaining 10%. Even farking Arizona figured this out.

[heironymouspasparagus]

He's like the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, you think you hate him now, wait until he's president.

All historical evidence aside, I had never until this moment even had the thought that Joe might run for President enter into my mind.....

Just another indication of the mixed up, topsy turvey weirdness that is Joe Biden.  It has always just kind of been understood that Hillary would run and be next Pres.   And perhaps Joe would be given VP again if he wanted it.....this old world just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

All historical evidence aside, I had never until this moment even had the thought that Joe might run for President enter into my mind.....

Just another indication of the mixed up, topsy turvey weirdness that is Joe Biden.  It has always just kind of been understood that Hillary would run and be next Pres.   And perhaps Joe would be given VP again if he wanted it.....this old world just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

It was after the SOTU that he was interviewed and asked if he would run, and he said it was possible.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/joe-biden-2016-election-decision-103251.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

It was after the SOTU that he was interviewed and asked if he would run, and he said it was possible.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/joe-biden-2016-election-decision-103251.html

I have seen every VP try to run for P, so it should not have been a surprise - it should have been understood that would happen.  It just never impinged on my consciousness about Joe, though.  How strange....

[guido911]

He is the Dan Quayle of the new Millennium.

I wouldn't go that far. But there is this one similarity I suppose:

[Gaspar]

But Nanna said they were going to run on ACA?


The Obama administration is set to announce another major delay in implementing the Affordable Care Act, easing election pressure on Democrats.

As early as this week, according to two sources, the White House will announce a new directive allowing insurers to continue offering health plans that do not meet ObamaCare's minimum coverage requirements.

Prolonging the "keep your plan" fix will avoid another wave of health policy cancellations otherwise expected this fall.
The cancellations would have created a firestorm for Democratic candidates in the last, crucial weeks before Election Day.

The White House is intent on protecting its allies in the Senate, where Democrats face a battle to keep control of the chamber.



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/199784-new-obamacare-delay-to-help-midterm-dems#ixzz2v0OqiZl0
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

[Gaspar]

Thought this would be worth mentioning. . .

We had a baby last October, and during my wife's pregnancy she was considered high-risk because of her age and being a cancer survivor.  It was necessary for her to have a very specialized blood test that cost $2,800 according to the hospital. 

The cost was submitted to our high-end BCBS policy and today, almost 10 months later we received a notice that our insurance does not cover this particular test.  So my wife called the hospital and explained that this test was not covered and that we needed to pay for it (completely prepared to write a $2,800 check).  She was told by the billing department that they would only charge us $200 for the test if it's not covered by insurance. 

The hospital charged our insurance a little over $20,000 for the birth of our son, with $5,000 of that being charged to us.  Wonder what I could have gotten that down to if I had offered to pay cash?

[Cats Cats Cats]

I had my tonsils out and the doctor wanted me to go to an out of network hospital for the surgery.  I didn't know this until I showed up.  Anyway, they told me that they wouldn't charge me for anything that my insurance didn't pay.  I explained that I had a high deductible plan.  Sadly the hospital hit last out of all the doctors.  But they basically ate about $2000 of my deductible.  Basically they get more money being out of network and eating the cost to me than being in the network.  It's crazy