- Joined
- May 27, 2009
- Messages
- 41
- Reaction score
- 18
- Location
- Sarasota, FL
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
A couple of days ago I finally received the long-dreaded policy cancellation letter from Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Florida. My previous monthly premium for my grandfathered policy was $174 / mo ($2,088 / yr). The cheapest Obamacare-compliant policy available from BCBSFL is $412 / mo ($4,944 / yr). Almost $3k more per year for health insurance if I stay with BCBSFL! To put it mildly, I am not pleased. :censored
So, is my grandfathered policy "junk"? Absolutely not. It has a much higher deductible (now illegal under Obamacare), but I was fine with that. It also excluded coverage for my pre-existing condition (a hernia). I decided that I was willing to risk having to pay for the hernia repair myself in exchange for a lower monthly premium (I've had the hernia for many years, the condition has never changed, and it causes me no pain or discomfort). This kind of mental calculation is forbidden under Obamacare.
Despite Obamacare's rhetoric of helping the middle class, I have a middle-class income as a self-employed manager, do not qualify for subsidies, and am getting slammed with higher premiums for the privilege of being force-fed a health insurance policy I do not want.
I did some searching online, and found a website that claims that the average premium for a 50 year old male (I'm 52) in my county is $325 / mo. I found another insurance company online who quoted a bronze policy around that number. I tried to register on healthcare.gov, but the website malfunctioned with an "unexpected error".
Entirely by coincidence, a couple of weeks ago I deregistered as a Democrat (I've long considered myself an Independent who votes with the Dems). Well, now I'm an Independent who is severely disgusted with both political parties.
I have a few months to arrange for new health insurance. I will post an update as the situation evolves. Thanks for letting me rant. :2wave:
So, is my grandfathered policy "junk"? Absolutely not. It has a much higher deductible (now illegal under Obamacare), but I was fine with that. It also excluded coverage for my pre-existing condition (a hernia). I decided that I was willing to risk having to pay for the hernia repair myself in exchange for a lower monthly premium (I've had the hernia for many years, the condition has never changed, and it causes me no pain or discomfort). This kind of mental calculation is forbidden under Obamacare.
Despite Obamacare's rhetoric of helping the middle class, I have a middle-class income as a self-employed manager, do not qualify for subsidies, and am getting slammed with higher premiums for the privilege of being force-fed a health insurance policy I do not want.
I did some searching online, and found a website that claims that the average premium for a 50 year old male (I'm 52) in my county is $325 / mo. I found another insurance company online who quoted a bronze policy around that number. I tried to register on healthcare.gov, but the website malfunctioned with an "unexpected error".
Entirely by coincidence, a couple of weeks ago I deregistered as a Democrat (I've long considered myself an Independent who votes with the Dems). Well, now I'm an Independent who is severely disgusted with both political parties.
I have a few months to arrange for new health insurance. I will post an update as the situation evolves. Thanks for letting me rant. :2wave: