Obamacare is coming

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

I have to say I have no coverage because I'm between jobs.If I was working full time .I would not be worrying about this.

I cant afford what they are charging now for coverage.

What they should do is control the medical industry with the inflated charges they give out.I know its free trade here but what they charge for what they do is nuts.

I've seen the bills from my late mother,sister,father and stepfather .They are nuts.

I just dont like the gov dictating what I got to do.

I just got to pay the $95 dollar fine or go to the clink LOL.

You won't have to pay the fine. If you are unemployed, you will qualify for Medicare. If you make...I think..less than around 20,500 annually, you qualify for Medicare under the new law.

You can still earn up to a certain amount, and you will get a subsidy to help purchase a health plan so the burden is not 100% yours even when you are employed again, if you do not get coverage through your employer. I know the income threshold is around 80K for a family, but I can't recall the number for a single person.

I'm insured through my job, so there is no change for me. But, being HIV+ I know that someday I will need Medicare and I am so very grateful that I don't have to slave away at a corporate desk job I totally hate just to be able to get my medications. Or find a doctor to lie for me as so many other HIV+ people do, to qualify for disability. With Obamacare, I can keep working, anywhere I'd like, and know that medical coverage is going to be a non-issue in my job search when I choose to leave this job I'm in now.

[Macfanforever]

Thanks guys .I just nervous about this whole thing and I just wait and see how it will pan out.

I did see about the medicare thing about earners the make $20.000 and under.

I will fall under that bracket from my last job.

[Macfanforever]

I still see the feds should put a cap on the health industry of what they charge for work is done on people.

So far nothing has been said about this because of free trade and other issues .

If the prices were capped .People and the insurance premiums wont be so high and everybody could afford it and Obama can focus on other issues then coming up with the Affordable Healthcare Act years ago.

[APerfectLie]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

I still see the feds should put a cap on the health industry of what they charge for work is done on people.

So far nothing has been said about this because of free trade and other issues .

If the prices were capped .People and the insurance premiums wont be so high and everybody could afford it and Obama can focus on other issues then coming up with the Affordable Healthcare Act years ago.

With all the healthcare lobbyists in DC, they will never pass caps on what the industry can charge us. Unfortunately, the only way to get the government to cap expenses is if the government has to pay for those expenses which is one of the many reasons why we need a single payer system.

[Jondalar]

When I was on unemployment, pulling in about 350 a week which sucked, I did not do Cobra. There was no way I could afford Cobra at almost $400 a month and be able to live. I don't understand why they even say Cobra is an option. It's not. Some people had to pay close to $1000 a month for Cobra. It's ridiculous. If I got laid off again, I won't be doing healthcare. They are nuts.

[SadAngel86]

I am currently very worried about this as well since I am over the age of 26 and am not able to be covered under my parent's insurance anymore. I am currently looking for a full-time job, (I have a part-time one hopefully coming soon, no insurance though) but I will also not be able to afford Obamacare or the "fee" that they are supposedly going to charge us for not having coverage. Plus, my grad school loans are going into repayment soon. I just don't know what to do.

[HomerMcvie]

I'm self employed, and have my own insurance, and they(Anthem BC) just sent me a letter, saying that I could "lock into" the same plan, NOW, through 2014, but I have to sign and return the form, and it would stop me from changing plans, if I sign.


Sooo, that makes me wonder WTF they're trying to do? Keep me from getting something cheaper, that might be coming with Obamacare? IDK. Because they've never asked me to do this before. I just don't trust big business....

[jenniferuk]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I'm self employed, and have my own insurance, and they(Anthem BC) just sent me a letter, saying that I could "lock into" the same plan, NOW, through 2014, but I have to sign and return the form, and it would stop me from changing plans, if I sign.


Sooo, that makes me wonder WTF they're trying to do? Keep me from getting something cheaper, that might be coming with Obamacare? IDK. Because they've never asked me to do this before. I just don't trust big business....

You might find this of interest-KY officials questioning letters sent by Anthem and Humana (article written locally in KY and picked up by usa today, I read it somewhere else but cannot recall where).


http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...ewals/2774179/

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by APerfectLie

With all the healthcare lobbyists in DC, they will never pass caps on what the industry can charge us. Unfortunately, the only way to get the government to cap expenses is if the government has to pay for those expenses which is one of the many reasons why we need a single payer system.

Sorry to be blunt and negative .Lining deep pockets of our leaders .Thats what they are up to down there.

Plus they what to get the poor people off the free ride going to the emergency dept.

I support Obama on other issues but this one .I say no.

All I see is a big mess with this going into action.Its geared to make the insurers to get richer and the medical industry to get richer on us poor folks.

I dont have any money to throw away on some sheety plan that i still got to pay a lump sum out of my pocket.

I hope it backfires.

I dont like big GOV telling me to buy a insurance plan is my only rant here.

It might help some but not all.

Sorry guys.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by jenniferuk

You might find this of interest-KY officials questioning letters sent by Anthem and Humana (article written locally in KY and picked up by usa today, I read it somewhere else but cannot recall where).


http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...ewals/2774179/

THANK YOU for that!

So does anyone know....will the new "forced" plans be income based? Will two people of the same age, and same health history, be charged the same, say...if one makes 20K, and the other 100K?

Because I do "fairly well", and if it IS income based, maybe I would be better off signing onto another year of Anthem? Hell, I don't know! I do plan on calling my agent tomorrow, and see what they think about it.

[jenniferuk]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

THANK YOU for that!

So does anyone know....will the new "forced" plans be income based? Will two people of the same age, and same health history, be charged the same, say...if one makes 20K, and the other 100K?

Because I do "fairly well", and if it IS income based, maybe I would be better off signing onto another year of Anthem? Hell, I don't know! I do plan on calling my agent tomorrow, and she what they think about it.

I can't speak to the accuracy of this but it was posted by a friend of mine and seems legit. Afaik rates are based on household income, location, and age and I think smokers can be charged more. I do not think health history is a factor. What confused me is how income works--ours often fluctuates but I think all that matters is approximate income. Lower incomes will get a subsidy and such

we did cobra briefly as I lost my job and insurance and my husband was self employed contractor. Luckily last month he got hired on with benefits otherwise we were facing obamacre (unsubsidized due to income) or a private plan. The calc will give approx obamacare fees until real numbers are avail -Oct 1 I think.

http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by jenniferuk

I can't speak to the accuracy of this but it was posted by a friend of mine and seems legit. Afaik rates are based on household income, location, and age and I think smokers can be charged more. I do not think health history is a factor. What confused me is how income works--ours often fluctuates but I think all that matters is approximate income. Lower incomes will get a subsidy and such

we did cobra briefly as I lost my job and insurance and my husband was self employed contractor. Luckily last month he got hired on with benefits otherwise we were facing obamacre (unsubsidized due to income) or a private plan. The calc will give approx obamacare fees until real numbers are avail -Oct 1 I think.

http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/.

Well pardon my French, but that blows goats! According to that link, I will be paying TWICE what I pay now.
Now, I've had my own insurance for about 17 years, and wanna know how much I've used it? MAYBE 3 physicals, and probably 6 office visits, in all those years. So that's why health history should matter!

So if I made 20K/year, I'd owe $1021/yr. But since I make...more than that, I owe the full $2535/yr. Says the guy who doesn't even need a doctor once a year! FWIW, I currently pay $1500/yr.

I hope Obamacare gets obliterated!

[jenniferuk]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Well pardon my French, but that blows goats! According to that link, I will be paying TWICE what I pay now.
Now, I've had my own insurance for about 17 years, and wanna know how much I've used it? MAYBE 3 physicals, and probably 6 office visits, in all those years. So that's why health history should matter!

So if I made 20K/year, I'd owe $1021/yr. But since I make...more than that, I owe the full $2535/yr. Says the guy who doesn't even need a doctor once a year! FWIW, I currently pay $1500/yr.

I hope Obamacare gets obliterated!

I hear ya! For our family the full rate is $7766, but out of pocket max is $12700 so I get the feeling we'd be shelling out for copays and shared costs. Our cobra was $1200 a month and I never got quotes from private plans but I want to have a plan in case we ever lose employer cover again.

Will be interesting to see what info each state shares his week-

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by jenniferuk

I can't speak to the accuracy of this but it was posted by a friend of mine and seems legit. Afaik rates are based on household income, location, and age and I think smokers can be charged more. I do not think health history is a factor. What confused me is how income works--ours often fluctuates but I think all that matters is approximate income. Lower incomes will get a subsidy and such

we did cobra briefly as I lost my job and insurance and my husband was self employed contractor. Luckily last month he got hired on with benefits otherwise we were facing obamacre (unsubsidized due to income) or a private plan. The calc will give approx obamacare fees until real numbers are avail -Oct 1 I think.

http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/.

What I've read .They will charge alot more for the people who smoke.Like penalize them from smoking.

Thank goodness that I dont smoke.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

What I've read .They will charge alot more for the people who smoke.Like penalize them from smoking.

Thank goodness that I dont smoke.

I actually like that part! You know, I pretty much hate government intervention in any aspect of our lives, BUT,

Smoking kills, and secondhand smoke kills. So many health care costs are associated with smoking. My city went smoke free about 7 years ago, and it was just the best thing ever. I never realized how bad it really was, until a couple months after it was gone. And it's heaven now.

I think it's completely fair that insurance companies charge smokers more. I mean, when they get lung cancer, odds are, that they did it to themselves.