• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

my collision with Obamacare

Actually my article discussed why they thought it didn't work.. which was because there was no mandate. But hey vern... whats evidence and facts when we have DR VERN's ideology...

Its good that you again admit that your example of "simple regulation" like the examples I posted didn't work. Anyhoo, I understand perfectly that mandates would help. As I said, you didn't explain "how it would work". The thing you seem to be overlooking in your less simple "and oh, by the way everybody has to buy insurance" regulation is how does the mandate get people to buy something they cant afford? Now remember, you're limited to "one maybe two sentences" in your less simple regulation.
 
Actually my article discussed why they thought it didn't work.. which was because there was no mandate. But hey vern... whats evidence and facts when we have DR VERN's ideology...

jaeger, you sure are taking a long time to respond. I hope your "one maybe two sentences" aren't 500 pages long. That would be cheating.
 
Actually my article discussed why they thought it didn't work.. which was because there was no mandate. But hey vern... whats evidence and facts when we have DR VERN's ideology...

You know jaeger, I'm going to take your cowardly cutting and running from the thread as a good sign. You must have finally figured out I was right and you wouldn't let your VDS control you anymore. I have to ask though, where was this “jaeger” when you hilariously tried to claim that book value of NOL’s was secret and complicated? Where was this “jaeger” when you were spewing “mortgages cant default for two years”? And where was this “jaeger” when you posted “nuh uh, can too” non stop in this thread? It seems you finally realized you posting something over and over doesn't prove anything.
 
Latest Update (for people who prefer data over ideology/politics):

For someone in my county & risk class:

• 2019 lowest-cost [A]CA Bronze plan: $618.18 / mo = $7,418 / yr
> percentage change from 2017: (618.18 - 549.61 ) / 549.61 * 100 = 12.5%
> BlueCross BlueShield of FL BlueSelect Bronze 1452

• 2019 MAGI limit for a HC subsidy: $48,560
> https://www.healthedeals.com/blog/aca/aca-subsidy-income-limits/

• range of 2019 MAGI for which the Affordable Care Act delivers unaffordable health insurance in my area according to the [A]CA’s own definition of ‘affordable’ : $48,560 to $92,151 :)shock:)
> FROM healthcare.gov: Coverage is considered unaffordable if the lowest cost Bronze-level plan available to you through the Marketplace in 2019 is more than 8.05% of your household income.

• closest BCBS of FL in-network hospital continues to be a long drive from my house and poorly-rated (there is a highly-rated out-of-network hospital relatively close by)

So ... here is what I signed up for:

• short-term health plan (364 days)

• agent: velapoint.com

• National General Health Insurance

• Aetna Open Choice PPO network

• $25k deductible

• coinsurance: 80% / 20%

• max annual OOP: $30k

• max annual insurance payout: $1M

• premium: $124.71 / mo = $1,496.52 / yr

I have filed zero claims in the last 12 months. Knock on wood that I continue to stay out of the disaster that is the American health care system! :)
 
Latest Update (for people who prefer data over ideology/politics):

For someone in my county & risk class:

• 2020 lowest-cost Bronze plan: $641.61 / mo = $7,699 / yr
> percentage change from 2019: (641.61 - 618.18 ) / 618.18 * 100 = 3.8% increase
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida : BlueSelect Bronze 1452
> deductible = $8,150; OOP Max = $8,150
> the best local hospital is out-of-network

• 2020 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) limit for a health care subsidy: $49,960

• healthcare.gov: coverage is considered unaffordable if the lowest cost Bronze-level plan available to you through the Marketplace is more than 8.05% of your household income.

• range of 2020 MAGI for which the Affordable Care Act delivers unaffordable health insurance in my county according to the [A]CA’s own definition of ‘affordable’ : $49,960 to $95,640 (wow! amazing!
eek.gif
hide.gif
)
> $7,699 / 0.0805 = $95,640

(this is a cross-post from another forum for your amusement and/or disgust :) )
After I purchase another short-term insurance policy in a week or so, I'll post the details. Good luck! :2wave:
 
Latest Update (for people who prefer data over ideology/politics):

For someone in my county & risk class:

• 2020 lowest-cost Bronze plan: $641.61 / mo = $7,699 / yr
> percentage change from 2019: (641.61 - 618.18 ) / 618.18 * 100 = 3.8% increase
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida : BlueSelect Bronze 1452
> deductible = $8,150; OOP Max = $8,150
> the best local hospital is out-of-network

• 2020 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) limit for a health care subsidy: $49,960

• healthcare.gov: coverage is considered unaffordable if the lowest cost Bronze-level plan available to you through the Marketplace is more than 8.05% of your household income.

• range of 2020 MAGI for which the Affordable Care Act delivers unaffordable health insurance in my county according to the [A]CA’s own definition of ‘affordable’ : $49,960 to $95,640 (wow! amazing!
eek.gif
hide.gif
)
> $7,699 / 0.0805 = $95,640

(this is a cross-post from another forum for your amusement and/or disgust :) )
After I purchase another short-term insurance policy in a week or so, I'll post the details. Good luck! :2wave:

Check the medical loss ratios on that short-term plan. Some of them are getting away with murder and so you might as well be flushing money down the toilet, i.e. might be better off crossing your fingers and going uninsured.

What's your income, approximately? Could you get your mAGI under the 400% by increasing your retirement deferrals/contributions and HSA savings?
 
Latest Update (for people who prefer data over ideology/politics):

For someone in my county & risk class:

• 2020 lowest-cost Bronze plan: $641.61 / mo = $7,699 / yr
> percentage change from 2019: (641.61 - 618.18 ) / 618.18 * 100 = 3.8% increase
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida : BlueSelect Bronze 1452
> deductible = $8,150; OOP Max = $8,150
> the best local hospital is out-of-network

• 2020 modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) limit for a health care subsidy: $49,960

• healthcare.gov: coverage is considered unaffordable if the lowest cost Bronze-level plan available to you through the Marketplace is more than 8.05% of your household income.

• range of 2020 MAGI for which the Affordable Care Act delivers unaffordable health insurance in my county according to the [A]CA’s own definition of ‘affordable’ : $49,960 to $95,640 (wow! amazing!
eek.gif
hide.gif
)
> $7,699 / 0.0805 = $95,640

(this is a cross-post from another forum for your amusement and/or disgust :) )
After I purchase another short-term insurance policy in a week or so, I'll post the details. Good luck! :2wave:

I am paying someone's health care plan because she has epilepsy. For the gold plan, it's costing me less than 500 a month.
 
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). :eek: 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:

When I was under O care I did the silver plan with HealthNet my payments were 132 my deductible was 500 which I was never billed even once during the two years I was on it I'm on Medicare now.
 
Latest Update:
• a couple of years ago (11-2019), I promised to post the details of the short-term (one-year) policy I purchased, but didn't get around to it. It was a National General policy: $180 / mo, $25,000 deductible, $1M max payout, highest-quality local hospital in-network
• a couple of years ago I signed up for automatic renewal of the National General policy (an additional year) at $230 / mo, which is why I've been gone two years.
• I just signed up for a United Health Care short-term policy: one year, $280 / mo, $15,000 deductible, $2M max payout, highest-quality local hospital is in-network
• just for kicks, I checked what's available from the [A]CA exchange (no subsidies for me, even with the new temporary increase of max annual premiums to 8.5% of MAGI). The lowest-cost bronze policy is ~$8,000 / yr with a $8,600 deductible (highest quality local hospital is out-of-network). The lowest-cost bronze policy with the highest quality local hospital in-network is ~$700 / mo = ~$8,400 / yr with a $8,700 deductible. I would much rather pay $280 / mo than $700 / mo for health insurance.
• the medical underwriting process continues to evolve. With the previous National General policies, I was forced to purchase through an agent. With UHC, I was able to apply online - very nice.
• the medical underwriters continue to be hyper about BMI, which is pretty funny. I work hard to live inside a thin, athletic body - shouldn't I enjoy lower health insurance premiums as a reward for my effort? Not according to fans of the [A]CA. :rolleyes:

I hope you folks find this helpful! :)
 
Back
Top Bottom