Yes and yes because even though I dont need it you have to have insurance in case something comes up. I had it not because its required but its necessary for the health system who demands it.
US citizen. I have the world's best insurance. My company pays for everything...even the deductible. My sis and bro are on Obamacare (he was laid off), she said it costs her over $400 a month for the two of them, which is killing her financially. Her company no longer carries private health insurance.
Yes, and not really, but I do it anyway. It costs me $138 a month which is just ridiculous. But the healthcare here is so terrible - the waiting lists are extremely long for elective surgery - that going private is the only way to go.
After reading through the other comments here, I'm suddenly appreciative that I'm not paying as much as some of you guys :-/
New Zealand used to have a very good public health system but it's gone wayward in the past 20 or so years. The hospitals are crowded and emergency wards are full of people with minor complaints who won't pay to go and see a doctor (which itself is daylight robbery - $49 for a basic visit to see your own GP [that varies throughout the country though], or up to $200 to see an after hours GP). Even the ambulance system is weird - in the Wellington region, it's free; but in the rest of the country you have to pay.
I should add though - and I am very grateful for this - we have a body called "Pharmac" which funds a lot of our medicines, meaning the most we'll ever pay for one prescription (which can be made up of many items) is $6. That's an absolute Godsend. Last year when I had pneumonia I was given a script for five different things, and one of them alone was $180 prior to the Pharmac discount. So we are very fortunate in that regard.
And those who do actually get off the waiting list and into surgery are very well cared for.
No and no. Agree it sucks but the price was ridiculous with $6500 deductible per family member. We'd have to shell out over $10,000.00 per person before we'd actually use the insurance. We'll gladly pay the fine and pray no one needs to go to the hospital.
@Stepforded...Seriously? then the U.S. is in big trouble once the country does away with Private Health Insurance completely and everyone is forced onto Obamacare.
@crila16 - yep, serious. I'm in New Zealand and go through Southern Cross. It costs so much for me because I'm in my early 40s ... when I was in my 20s I think I paid about $10 a month. And that's just for the basic hospital plan, with surgery cover up to $30,000. I'd hate to think how much a 'super' plan that covers dental and optical requirements would cost.
@crila: our hospitals are already crowded with people who have minor complaints who won't pay to go to Minute Clinic and get help. So no, can't pin that one on Obama.
Yes and no. My job pays for it and we pay a symbolic sum (less than US$ 1,00). If I had to pay it by myself, I couldn't afford a really good health insurance, having to resort to cheaper ones - for doctors appointments they will work just fine, but if you need something more complicated, like hospitalization or surgery, cheap health insurance can be a huge pain in the ass. Then we have to go to public hospitals, where if you are lucky enough, you will get a great doctor, but if you're not... (first time commenting).
Yes, through my employer. But I have gone years without it in the past because I could not afford the individual plan -- I now refer to it as the Blue Cross BS plan, where I paid $250 a month for zero coverage (and almost went bankrupt over a goddamn regular preventative mammogram, which is now fully covered and was one of the first things fully to take effect under the Affordable Care Act). My family watched as I was willing to pay, had no history of anything, and couldn't get a better a plan.
My brother only in December finally got health care coverage (he's always worked full time, he's now in his mid-40s) as a result of the exchange and he was so fucking happy.
Yes, through my employer. Family plan coverage costs me about $400 a month. I'm just glad, though, that I never have to hear the phrase "pre-existing condition" again.
Nope, not anymore. Cheapest policy was $767 with a $5,000 deductible with none of my doctors covered or my hospital. The second best that covered my docs at 70% was $955. I decided to skip it this go around until the penalty is too much.
Yes, through my employer. I also have an Aflac policy for accidents & short term disability. It really was a life saver - I had to use both recently (accident for my son, illness for me). When I was unemployed a few years back, there was no way I would have been able to afford health insurance of any kind. I went without for a long time, but made sure my kids were covered - the CHIP program was fantastic - I hope Obamacare doesn't destroy it!
Yes, through my employer, and it's not too bad of a cost since I'm single. I definitely need it and glad I had it when I had foot surgery last October.
Sore topic with me. Had it then lost it because it was "subpar" according to Obama. Can't afford a new plan with all the bells and whistles Barry says I need. Funny, nobody named Obama is forced to have Obamacare.
yes and now my deductible is so ridiculously high that I will probably never access the actual benefits......if I choose a lower deductible the premium is even more sky high than it is now......
being a small business owner-I do not have access to insurance provided all or in part by my employer....
and now I am being told it will be unavailable at the end of 2014 due to Obamacare.........
thanks Mr. Pres for screwing up my health insurance..........its worse than it has ever been
I don't understand why there is such opposition in the USA to a UK or Canadian style healthcare system that is funded through taxes and free at the point of service! The US government spends more per head than the UK AND still you have to pay hundreds of dollars a month for private cover. It makes no sense at all! The idea of being able to help your most vulnerable people in there time of need seems to be an utterly alien concept and evil like socialism apparently and I just can't get my head around that mentality!
Yes, and yes, through my husband's work. And my husband's plan covers our 23 year old son who can't seem to find a job with healthcare benefits (and he needs the insurance). Thank you, Affordable Care Act--we used to pay for a separate policy for him which was mega expensive--I think over $300/month. I guess when he turns 26 he'll have to go through the state plans…but I think that is better than no healthcare for him.
Yes and it's through my employer. The plan covers 100% preventative and 80% for diagnostic. I have a disease (MS) which is very expensive to treat and most of my healthcare needs are considered diagnostic.
My friend who has many health issues is paying $700 for the top of the line under the ACA….she wanted to retain all her doctors and she can…this is $200 a month cheaper than before… Hopefully we will go to a single payer system at some point…and then everyone will be covered.
My husband's company pays over $12,000 a year towards our family policy. We pay almost $500 a month. Plus copays. Still have to meet a $2000 deductible per family member. My med copays add up to about $150 a month. BUT the cost without insurance is NUTS. The price of coverage is already extreme, but my meds without insurance would run about $1500 a month. What middle income people can afford that? Yet a huge part of his income goes towards the premium. Makes no sense to me.
Yes and yes - I had basic hospitalization through BC/BS before ACA. It paid for nothing else. I pay for the Gold level now, it is less money than my old policy, it has a very low deductible. People who are against the ACA haven't done their research, imo.
I'm self employed and my previous premium was $400/mo for $1500 deductible, and when I finally had to use it, it paid for NOTHING. I bought a policy thru the ACA, pay the same with a $500 deductible, and I only pay 20% of the bill. Are you kidding me? I LOVE the ACA!
I have it through my employer and I still have to shell out over $250 a month at my end, plus deductible and co-pays. I looked into ACA and would pay even MORE per month for less coverage (and a 5K deductable)--so I'll shut the hell up about it--until my employer drops our coverage since we have less than 50 employees. I will pay the fine as well because I can barely afford to pay what I am paying now--forget paying $400 a month and still having to come up with the 5K--and that is no dental or vision either!
We are watching all these so-called free govt plans in other countries slowly but surely go under, as well as plenty of Canadians coming down here to avoid waiting 2 years for heart surgery.
My great aunt (in England) had gout, GOUT, which is cheap and easy to treat, go undiagnosed for years, because her NHS doc told her she was old and should expect aches and pains and didn't even order an xray or anything for her. She could barely walk.
My friends in Oz are now required to carry their own, in addition to having this "free" insurance. Mind you, they're well off, but the overall system is not sustainable and it won't be here, either.
Also, I don't know how you can say it's unsustainable, when the US pays MORE per capita on health care than Canada does, and yours is not free, and ours is. That system is unsustainable, imo.
I think John Green explains it very well, why the US system makes less than no sense: http://www.upworthy.com/his-first-4-sentences-are-interesting-the-5th-blew-my-mind-and-made-me-a-little-sick-2
@Tammy in Australia we have free healthcare, you don't have to hv a private insurance at all, and many do not, but you get tax breaks if you do. This means that the very poor have access to healthcare and the wealthier can opt for private. Those who earn over a certain amount who do not have private health insurance must pay a Medicare levy that, whilst sizeable, is often much less than the cost of private health insurance. My BF and I have top cover for us and his daughter and it is just under $400 a month.
Thank God. Yes, I'm Canadian. We have to pay privately for more and more things, though. Some vaccinations (shingles comes to mind), some physiotherapy, some hospital fees, tests, some lab fees, and ambulance. Our taxes are way higher of course.
I'm, lucky my employer pays 95% of my premium, so it only costs me about $60 a month. I pray others who really need it will be able to afford it soon. Obama care isn't as bad as everybody wants to say it is.
I'm 63 and self-employed. I pay $740 a month with a $5000.00 deductible. I'm just hanging on 2 more years until I can go on Medicate.
As for Canadian health insurance - my stepdaughter's father in law lived in Canada and was on it. He needed a hernia operation - he was put on a 9 months waiting list. 9 MONTHS!!! Unfortunately he died (non related problem) before his turn came. The son-in-law's sister needs fertility help - 1 year waiting list. The son in law said he specifically emigrated to the USA because of Canadian health insurance (ok, the weather had a little to do with it - we're in south Florida). And he has an excellent job here with good health insurance. At least 3 years ago when I needed a total knee replacement, once I paid the deductible, everything was paid for with no questions asked - even when I needed an emergency ultrasound a few months later (they thought I had a clot in my leg). And I was able to schedule the (elective) surgery 4 weeks after we decided (needed a physical, etc). I heard there's a 1-2 year waiting list in Canada for a total knee replacement. God help us if we go onto the Canadian or UK plan.
Yes, but, you pay taxes too. Your government spends more per capita on health care than the Canadian government does, and you get, what, for that exactly? You pay taxes, they go to health care, and then you pay for your health care.
We pay taxes, it goes to health care, and then we get health care "for free".
Yes, through my employer; and yes, it's even cheaper this year than it was last year so, I bought up to the best plan my company offers. PPO - $750 deductible/$35 specialist co-pay/90-10 coverage/$1500 out of pocket max then covered at 100%. I also have dental and vision, I buy up to long term disability that will cover 60% of my salary, accidental death and dismemberment, and I buy up 2x my salary on my life insurance. My company automatically provides basic life, accident, travel, short term disability (66 2/3% of base salary) and long term disability (40% of salary, hence why i buy up), and an employee assistance program that provides access to counseling in times of crisis. I pay $99.46 every two weeks for all of it. Considering I've been doing this for years, it's not even money that I miss anymore.
The kids and Mr. Disco are on his employer's plan and his employer covers the full cost of his insurance. So... when we get hitched, I'm totally going over to his insurance.
I have coverage through my employer, and it's pretty good, premiums paid through payroll deduction.
I am deeply envious of the Brits and the Canadians. Fight with all of your power, UK, to prevent the privatization of the NHS.
Single payer would have been my first choice. The current ACA is borne out of compromise (if I remember correctly... 'Romneycare' is what the Republicans offered up).
I have the world's best insurance. My company pays for everything...even the deductible.
Well, no, you have a great company (paying deductible) that's also great with negotiating company insurance rates. But that is pretty nice (said non-sarcastically, for real).
I have to laugh at the idea that the president should go onto the open exchanges and shop for insurance policies, when he's already got stellar coverage. Why insist he take something less than stellar, and not insist that we get the same policy options as politicians?
Yes. Yes. And so does my son now, thanks to the ACA. His old policy (which my husband and I paid for because my son couldn't afford to) was $80 a month MORE for LESS coverage than the plan he has now. Granted, my husband hates the ACA because he is an insurance agent and his group health plan work is drying up. We're still glad we don't have to pay our son's premium every month because now he can do it himself.
Colony as a fellow MSer I'm so glad pre existing conditions no longer apply. Our drugs are ridiculous.
My husband is self-employes and the payments for good insurance are astronomical. About 28k for us and our son with 1000 deductible. I think our health system is a crime and it's unfortunate that health is an option and not my right. It sucks that so many concessions had to be made to ACA and single payer option was tossed.
All my friends who don't have thru employment are extremely happy with what they got thru ACA but any system needs to cut the price is drugs and hospital stays.
Canadian here - my husband and I both have excellent group benefits through our employers which they pay for 100%. And we each have health spending accounts through our employers. Between the group benefits, health spending accounts, and the Canadian health care system, we pay NOTHING out of pocket! I didn't even pay for my snazzy $900 glasses I got last year which I don't even wear since I love contact lenses. Oh and lets not forget about the invisalign I had a couple years ago for one crooked tooth; I didn't pay a cent out of my pocket for those either!
Everyone who has health insurance through their employer ... just you wait. Your time is coming. For those of us who are self-employed or don't have ins through our employers the shit most definitely hit the fan. Paying more, sometimes thousands more, for less and there are still millions uninsured. Fuck Obama and his unaffordable healthcare bullshit nonplan. Once everyone else gets dumped out of their plans it will get even worse. (Which is why that day keeps getting delayed.) And to the nonAmericans boasting about their "free" healthcare: please stop. You're not fooling anyone anymore. It's not free, you know that, and it's only good until you really get old and/or really sick and need it and then you start to hear about the benefits of palliative care. Surprise! You're a burden. Enjoy your free aspirin.
I did want to add - there are certain parts of Obamacare I totally agree with - getting rid of the lifetime cap of 1-2 million was long overdue. And of course it was totally appropriate that people with pre-existing conditions be covered - I never did understand that. And I think the people, especially young people, who don't want to sign up for health insurance are idiots - they're one car wreck away from disaster. But you DO have the right to be stupid.
I don't have healthcare insurance. When I did have it, it didn't cover anything, so I don't see the point. I'm still paying on a surgery I had 3 years ago and that was with insurance. The only people who benefit from us having to have insurance are the insurance companies, lawyers who sue them, and the lawyers clients. I live a simple life so I don't have to help large companies make a lot money. If I'm in an accident and paralyzed, suffer long term problems, etc., I'll have a friend bring a few pills and be done with it.
Yes and yes. We pay about $60/mo for a family of 3 for medical, dental, and vision. The police guild picks up the rest. We also have a Tricare plan so ultimately we pay very, very little out of pocket.
My husband and I own a business, and we are the only employees.
We had to drop our insurance and get new insurance. It now costs us twice as much for the same coverage--$750/month, just catastrophic, and the deductible is $12,500/year total. Like we're ever going to reach that.
So basically, we and people like us are funding all the non-working (like my lazy ass brother in law) and low income people who didn't have insurance before. You're welcome.
Sorry I forgot the most important part. The price quoted to me was through The Healthcare exchange at Healthcare.gov and was quoted so high because my employer makes insurance available but I chose not to get it. Why? Oh that's because my company made us all part time employees now and we can't work more than 30 hours a week. Someone didn't think this plan out too well.
I don't know if it is different from state to state but I work part time and just bought a VERY good plan for $37 a month. It's better insurance than I would get through my employer if I worked full time. Oregon has an excellent vehicle for shopping for insurance on line and letting you know what you qualify for in terms of tax credits. If it weren't for Obamacare I would not have medical insurance. Period. I think the people slamming it are clueless and have no idea what it's about. The premium you pay is based on your income. Do the research people!
Sorry I forgot the most important part. The price quoted to me was through The Healthcare exchange at Healthcare.gov and was quoted so high because my employer makes insurance available but I chose not to get it. Why? Oh that's because my company made us all part time employees now and we can't work more than 30 hours a week. Someone didn't think this plan out too well.
Yes and Yes. It still doesn't stop me from feeling shitty about the people who don't have it. To me,it's a right and not a privilege. My insurance is fantastic and I have dental and vision as well. Two of us are covered and one of us is covered 100% by the employer and the other is covered 50% by the employer. Very, very little is paid out of pocket. *Blessed*
I forget what I pay per month but I have some very good healthcare insurance. Copays and meds are always cheap. I feel bad for people who don't have decent healthcare.
We also have health insurance through our employer. We would be broke without it, constant problems and emergencies.
Just to add my two cents: I don't think our govt is good at managing much of anything. They've become highly inefficient. I am a pro-private business, pro capitalist type person though. I think competition between companies is what keeps prices down. Let the govt regulate and it all goes to hell.
I also don't care to pay for people's medical bills who make really bad health choices. If you smoke and get lung or throat cancer: that's on you. Refuse to exercise and eat high fat foods and have a heart attack: that's also on you. Drug addicts: on you. Drink and drive and get in an accident: on you. Too many stupid people in this world that I don't care to foot their bill.
It'd be one thing if they actually fell on hard times, but more often then not they're just lazy and made bad decisions. It sucks to be someone who made good choices and tries to be healthy and save money only to have people say you're selfish for not wanting to give hand-outs. It's really offensive actually.
It does vary from state to state. I'm so happy some of you were quoted great prices. For $37 a month I could have care for me and my child but I would have to pay 319 a month with the over 6000 deductible just for me because our state opted not to expand its Medicaid coverage so I was booted into the private exchange. That's what some genius decided was appropriate for a single mom to pay AFTER my company cut hours. I worry everyday that one of us will get seriously ill, but I've got to keep food on the table. I'm taking the fine.
I live in Canada so it's paid for thru our taxes(doctor's visits, hospital stays, surgery) and the extras that aren't covered( eyewear, dental and prescription meds) are covered by my hubby's insurance coverage at work which covers 100% of the cost for eyewear and 80% of the others.
United States - yes, through my husband's employer, as part of his union contract. It is excellent insurance, $15 co pay for most visits, yearly checkup is free. We also have an annual vision visit/glasses allowance which we haven't used in a year, and a dental benefit which we've never used (and that is just stupid of us, but... well... procrastination).
I could write a book on healthcare in America and the conflicting values that our current system expresses. "Free market" vs "a strong healthy country begins with strong healthy citizens" vs "Christian nation" vs "Constitution!" vs "arrogant American superiority complex" and so on, but I won't do that here. I'll just be grateful for what I have at this point in my life after being without it for most of adult life.
Aww @msgirl, I'm sorry to hear that you have MS, too. I'd prefer that we had our affinity for CDAN and FFF as commonality instead of this, but as you know, there is no controlling the development and onset of this shitty disease. I am hoping that you are in remission, doing well and in good spirits.
My eyes popped out of my head when I read that your insurance costs are 28k per year!?! 28k yearly is fucking ridiculous and I am going to stop bitching about my healthcare costs now because they pale in comparison to yours. It kills me that so many MS sufferers do not have the funds to get good/affordable insurance.
I spent 2 years without proper insurance and had to go on assistance for my meds. The only reason why I even qualified for the assistance was because I was unemployed. There are plenty of MS patients out there who cannot afford the insurance/prescription drug costs that are required for MS maintenance, but are unable to apply for assistance because they don't fall into the qualifying income brackets.
After a recent visit to my Neurologist's office, I've decided to donate some of my medication for the MS patients in his practice who can't afford them. It's the right thing to do.
For those of you in the US, please send an email or letter to your 3 Federal reps (2 senators and one member of Congress) to tell them exactly and precisely what your situation is.
If your state did not expand Medicare and create their own private exchange please copy that letter to your Governor and 2 state reps.
Trust me, I used to work in the state legislature and your reps need this info from you.
There is too much BS around this info from biased sources and they really, really do need to know exactly what their actual constituents are experiencing, good and bad (but don't admit that you are going to take the fine, just over a vague "I dont know how I'm going to budget this" type of statement).
I have Kaiser. Love them. Pay $300 a month, my employer pays the rest. $15 co-pay, $5 or $15 prescription, depending on whether or not you get generic. Kids are covered until they're 26. I also have separate dental and vision, which cost me some, but not a lot.
I'm self employed, have always had to pay for insurance and last year was the WORST. $414/mo for a Blue Cross Blue Screw policy with a $10,000 in network deductible, covered 3 PCP visits and generic meds only. The plan I really wanted was $1400 a month with a $2500 deductible.
This year, I have a Blue Cross Blue Not-So-Screwed plan for $450/month with $500 deductible, and every bell and whistle I dreamt about with the $1400/month plan. Which is good, because I've had bronchitis, double ear infections, a kidney stone, and a large suspicious mole removed. All since January.
I haven't been on vacation in 5 years, and my car is 11 years old, but it's a tradeoff I can live with.
Another Canadian here! Free (sorry "Universal") healthcare rules! DH and I are both self-employed so we have supplemental health care too at $165 a month - covers dental, prescriptions, etc.
I laugh when I read people accusing the Canadian health system of long wait times. Sure they do - for non-critical and elective surgeries. That is EXACTLY THE SAME as it is the good old USA.
Here in the US, I had to have my appendix out, and it had to be scheduled. I had to wait.
Here in the US, my sister broke her arm and she had to wait two weeks before having surgery to pin it back together, because all of the local ortho surgeons were booked solid.
Here in the US, my mom had to have hip replacement surgery, and she had to wait three months before it could be fitted into the surgeon's and hospital's calendar.
All of these health issues were determined to be non-critical, so we all ended up waiting. Same as we do for routine doctor appointments. Wanna see a specialist? It'll be several weeks before you get in, UNLESS your health issue is deemed a high priority. In that case, you go to the head of the line.
That's how it is everywhere. So don't knock Canada and Great Britain for the same policies the US health care system uses.
Oh, and I get my insurance through my employer. But I have a dear friend who's self-employed. She has bitched for years and years about her unaffordable health insurance, and how she has to pay a fortune for only catastrophic coverage. She complains that every time she sees a doc, she has to pay out of pocket. So, her insurance broker notified her that her policy would be canceled because it doesn't meet the ACA minimum coverage rules, and would be replaced with a new policy. She hit the roof! And when Obama backed down and said, OK - you idiots want to keep your shitty policies, go ahead, she called her broker and demanded to go back to the policy she's hated for years. Her broker told her she was crazy, because it's only $20/month cheaper than the much better replacement plan, and now she's back to paying out of pocket for everything. Including the preventive care that is free under the ACA.
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. What an idiot.
I have health insurance and it is expensive. I'm very lucky that I can pay for it. I've learned through some terrible experiences that anything can happen at any time and your health is not to be fucked with.
Canadian here. Husband and I both have benefits through our employers that cover things like physiotherapy, vision care, dental, etc.
I have no problem paying higher taxes to receive universal health care. Our firstborn required life-saving surgery and time in the ICU at one month of age that would have left us penniless if we lived in the US. My child's life is worth the taxes we pay.
American here - I pay 330 a month with a 6500 deductible. That's 330 x 12 months + 6500 = $10,000 before a goddamn thing is covered beyond my birth control and flu shots.
And I'm healthy as hell but 37 years old, self-employed and I make too much for any subsidy.
Last year I was paying $187/month and now it's 330.
I have problems with my knees and I don't want to see a doctor because they will want to do X-rays and MRIs and I know my knees haven't changed since my last X-rays and MRIs.
How can I get those records? I still live in the same city...
American here and long time lurker. I am very happy that my hubby and I got a great policy thru BCBS thru the exchange For a very long time my husband has been without insurance because it was just too expensive. At one time it was going to cost $1100 a month to insure us both. That is more than our mortgage!! I kept coverage for me, I am 5 yrs older than him and didn't want to give it up being I'm now in my early 50's. I was paying $577 a month just for me. Now we have a policy for $442 a month and $1000 Deductible on a silver plan. We are both self employed. You have to do your research when looking for a plan, very time consuming but the only other choice is not having it and going bankrupt if we had a health crisis.
Family of five, private pay. My husband makes too much for the ACA to be of any benefit and they wanted to put our three kids on MediCal. No, thank you. His company offers family coverage, but it's honestly awful and the choice of physicians is abysmal. We pay out of pocket to be able to see the doctors we want to see. It's hella expensive since I have SLE, but top quality treatment is worth it.
I have been unemployed until this past Monday, since December 2012. The first thing I did was to get catastrophic health insurance. I went with Blue Cross Blue Shield and my deductible is $10,000 but my monthly payment was $127. I was able to go to my internist of dermatologist three times per calendar year and only pay a $30 copay, AND I had my annual OBGYN and mammogram visit paid 100%. THEN, starting January 2014, because of Obamacare, my monthly payment increased $30 per month. I will be eligible for health insurance with my new company May 1. The bottom line is you have to set your priorities in the right order. $10,000 deductible is a lot, but it is a lot cheaper than having NO health insurance.
Groggy - You are right. Why is it that our senators and representatives (including Barry) are excluded from paying for Obamacare or being fined? I just hope we get a Republican majority in the mid-term elections in November again in the house and in the senate, so that Obamacare can be repealed. However, since we have a czar for president who makes executive decisions/policies anytime he wants, IGNORING the US constitution, he would veto it.
Obama care is not going to be repealed anytime soon. Only thing that could derail it is not enough healthy people sign up and the people who do sign up use the hell out of their new found insurance, so next year the rates skyrocket and no one can afford it.
If I get Obamacare next year, you can be damn sure when I go to the Dr, I'm gonna cop to ADHD, arthritis and chronic back pain. Then I'll sell off the scripts to pay my health insurance bill each month. Maybe I'll cop to depression too, that way I can stock up on prozac to use to pick up chicks after Yellowstone erupts and our society crumbles.
No and no. It sucks. To be on my husband's plan we'd be shelling out way more than what I actually use.
ReplyDeleteUntil you have an accident or disease... Justsayin
DeleteYes, through employer though.
ReplyDeleteYes and yes because even though I dont need it you have to have insurance in case something comes up. I had it not because its required but its necessary for the health system who demands it.
ReplyDeletePlease. I'm Canadian.
ReplyDeleteBut besides having universal health care up here, I also have extended health insurance through my husband's work. Yay Teacher's union! ;)
No. Smug UK resident here where healthcare is free for all.One child spent 11 weeks in neo natal - fantastic care that cost nothing.
ReplyDeleteYes, subsidized by my husband's employer, not the hospital I work for. Hospitals can't afford to offer good health plans.
ReplyDeleteAnd how do you like that. Our system is so screwed up.
DeleteUS citizen. I have the world's best insurance. My company pays for everything...even the deductible. My sis and bro are on Obamacare (he was laid off), she said it costs her over $400 a month for the two of them, which is killing her financially. Her company no longer carries private health insurance.
ReplyDeleteObamacare isn't a plan it's a piece of legislation. Sounds like she should have chosen more wisely?
DeleteYes, and not really, but I do it anyway. It costs me $138 a month which is just ridiculous. But the healthcare here is so terrible - the waiting lists are extremely long for elective surgery - that going private is the only way to go.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through the other comments here, I'm suddenly appreciative that I'm not paying as much as some of you guys :-/
DeleteNew Zealand used to have a very good public health system but it's gone wayward in the past 20 or so years. The hospitals are crowded and emergency wards are full of people with minor complaints who won't pay to go and see a doctor (which itself is daylight robbery - $49 for a basic visit to see your own GP [that varies throughout the country though], or up to $200 to see an after hours GP). Even the ambulance system is weird - in the Wellington region, it's free; but in the rest of the country you have to pay.
I should add though - and I am very grateful for this - we have a body called "Pharmac" which funds a lot of our medicines, meaning the most we'll ever pay for one prescription (which can be made up of many items) is $6. That's an absolute Godsend. Last year when I had pneumonia I was given a script for five different things, and one of them alone was $180 prior to the Pharmac discount. So we are very fortunate in that regard.
DeleteAnd those who do actually get off the waiting list and into surgery are very well cared for.
No and no. Agree it sucks but the price was ridiculous with $6500 deductible per family member. We'd have to shell out over $10,000.00 per person before we'd actually use the insurance. We'll gladly pay the fine and pray no one needs to go to the hospital.
ReplyDelete@Stepforded...Seriously? then the U.S. is in big trouble once the country does away with Private Health Insurance completely and everyone is forced onto Obamacare.
ReplyDelete@crila16 - yep, serious. I'm in New Zealand and go through Southern Cross. It costs so much for me because I'm in my early 40s ... when I was in my 20s I think I paid about $10 a month. And that's just for the basic hospital plan, with surgery cover up to $30,000. I'd hate to think how much a 'super' plan that covers dental and optical requirements would cost.
Delete@crila: our hospitals are already crowded with people who have minor complaints who won't pay to go to Minute Clinic and get help. So no, can't pin that one on Obama.
DeleteI have it through my husbands retirement system. Don't know how much it costs and I wonder what will happen when the employer mandate kicks in.
ReplyDeleteyes through work it's $80 a month.
ReplyDeleteI work for the goverment and they offer free catastrophic. I opted to the most expensive plan as I have a chronic condition.
Yes and no. My job pays for it and we pay a symbolic sum (less than US$ 1,00). If I had to pay it by myself, I couldn't afford a really good health insurance, having to resort to cheaper ones - for doctors appointments they will work just fine, but if you need something more complicated, like hospitalization or surgery, cheap health insurance can be a huge pain in the ass. Then we have to go to public hospitals, where if you are lucky enough, you will get a great doctor, but if you're not... (first time commenting).
ReplyDeleteYes, through my employer. But I have gone years without it in the past because I could not afford the individual plan -- I now refer to it as the Blue Cross BS plan, where I paid $250 a month for zero coverage (and almost went bankrupt over a goddamn regular preventative mammogram, which is now fully covered and was one of the first things fully to take effect under the Affordable Care Act). My family watched as I was willing to pay, had no history of anything, and couldn't get a better a plan.
ReplyDeleteMy brother only in December finally got health care coverage (he's always worked full time, he's now in his mid-40s) as a result of the exchange and he was so fucking happy.
Yes, through my employer. Family plan coverage costs me about $400 a month. I'm just glad, though, that I never have to hear the phrase "pre-existing condition" again.
ReplyDeleteNope, not anymore. Cheapest policy was $767 with a $5,000 deductible with none of my doctors covered or my hospital. The second best that covered my docs at 70% was $955. I decided to skip it this go around until the penalty is too much.
ReplyDeleteYes, through my employer. I also have an Aflac policy for accidents & short term disability. It really was a life saver - I had to use both recently (accident for my son, illness for me). When I was unemployed a few years back, there was no way I would have been able to afford health insurance of any kind. I went without for a long time, but made sure my kids were covered - the CHIP program was fantastic - I hope Obamacare doesn't destroy it!
ReplyDeleteYes, through my employer, and it's not too bad of a cost since I'm single. I definitely need it and glad I had it when I had foot surgery last October.
ReplyDeleteSore topic with me. Had it then lost it because it was "subpar" according to Obama. Can't afford a new plan with all the bells and whistles Barry says I need. Funny, nobody named Obama is forced to have Obamacare.
ReplyDeleteyes and now my deductible is so ridiculously high that I will probably never access the actual benefits......if I choose a lower deductible the premium is even more sky high than it is now......
ReplyDeletebeing a small business owner-I do not have access to insurance provided all or in part by my employer....
and now I am being told it will be unavailable at the end of 2014 due to Obamacare.........
thanks Mr. Pres for screwing up my health insurance..........its worse than it has ever been
Just got it under ACA…I can manage and I was playing russian roulette without it…
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why there is such opposition in the USA to a UK or Canadian style healthcare system that is funded through taxes and free at the point of service! The US government spends more per head than the UK AND still you have to pay hundreds of dollars a month for private cover. It makes no sense at all! The idea of being able to help your most vulnerable people in there time of need seems to be an utterly alien concept and evil like socialism apparently and I just can't get my head around that mentality!
ReplyDeleteYes, and yes, through my husband's work. And my husband's plan covers our 23 year old son who can't seem to find a job with healthcare benefits (and he needs the insurance). Thank you, Affordable Care Act--we used to pay for a separate policy for him which was mega expensive--I think over $300/month. I guess when he turns 26 he'll have to go through the state plans…but I think that is better than no healthcare for him.
ReplyDeleteYes and it's through my employer. The plan covers 100% preventative and 80% for diagnostic. I have a disease (MS) which is very expensive to treat and most of my healthcare needs are considered diagnostic.
ReplyDeleteMy friend who has many health issues is paying $700 for the top of the line under the ACA….she wanted to retain all her doctors and she can…this is $200 a month cheaper than before…
ReplyDeleteHopefully we will go to a single payer system at some point…and then everyone will be covered.
FUCK OBAMACARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's company pays over $12,000 a year towards our family policy. We pay almost $500 a month. Plus copays. Still have to meet a $2000 deductible per family member. My med copays add up to about $150 a month. BUT the cost without insurance is NUTS. The price of coverage is already extreme, but my meds without insurance would run about $1500 a month. What middle income people can afford that? Yet a huge part of his income goes towards the premium. Makes no sense to me.
ReplyDelete@Dave
ReplyDeleteBecause the insurance industry lobbies against it….and people are in general stupid.
Yes and yes - I had basic hospitalization through BC/BS before ACA. It paid for nothing else. I pay for the Gold level now, it is less money than my old policy, it has a very low deductible. People who are against the ACA haven't done their research, imo.
ReplyDeleteI'm self employed and my previous premium was $400/mo for $1500 deductible, and when I finally had to use it, it paid for NOTHING. I bought a policy thru the ACA, pay the same with a $500 deductible, and I only pay 20% of the bill. Are you kidding me? I LOVE the ACA!
ReplyDeleteI have it through my employer and I still have to shell out over $250 a month at my end, plus deductible and co-pays. I looked into ACA and would pay even MORE per month for less coverage (and a 5K deductable)--so I'll shut the hell up about it--until my employer drops our coverage since we have less than 50 employees. I will pay the fine as well because I can barely afford to pay what I am paying now--forget paying $400 a month and still having to come up with the 5K--and that is no dental or vision either!
ReplyDeleteWe are watching all these so-called free govt plans in other countries slowly but surely go under, as well as plenty of Canadians coming down here to avoid waiting 2 years for heart surgery.
ReplyDeleteMy great aunt (in England) had gout, GOUT, which is cheap and easy to treat, go undiagnosed for years, because her NHS doc told her she was old and should expect aches and pains and didn't even order an xray or anything for her. She could barely walk.
My friends in Oz are now required to carry their own, in addition to having this "free" insurance. Mind you, they're well off, but the overall system is not sustainable and it won't be here, either.
Ok, but the difference is, in Canada, you can wait 2 years for the surgery and get it for free, or you can pay for it.
DeleteIn the US, you can pay for it, or you can die. (or, pre-mandated health insurance, anyway)
Hmmm I'm so confused about which system I prefer...
Also, I don't know how you can say it's unsustainable, when the US pays MORE per capita on health care than Canada does, and yours is not free, and ours is. That system is unsustainable, imo.
DeleteI think John Green explains it very well, why the US system makes less than no sense:
http://www.upworthy.com/his-first-4-sentences-are-interesting-the-5th-blew-my-mind-and-made-me-a-little-sick-2
@Tammy in Australia we have free healthcare, you don't have to hv a private insurance at all, and many do not, but you get tax breaks if you do. This means that the very poor have access to healthcare and the wealthier can opt for private.
DeleteThose who earn over a certain amount who do not have private health insurance must pay a Medicare levy that, whilst sizeable, is often much less than the cost of private health insurance.
My BF and I have top cover for us and his daughter and it is just under $400 a month.
Should note--that I am one of those in the "donut hole" I make too much money to qualify for a government subsidy--so the bill is all on me.
ReplyDeleteThank God. Yes, I'm Canadian. We have to pay privately for more and more things, though. Some vaccinations (shingles comes to mind), some physiotherapy, some hospital fees, tests, some lab fees, and ambulance. Our taxes are way higher of course.
ReplyDelete@MISCH - I couldn't agree with you more! No shortage of stupid these days.
ReplyDeleteI'm, lucky my employer pays 95% of my premium, so it only costs me about $60 a month. I pray others who really need it will be able to afford it soon. Obama care isn't as bad as everybody wants to say it is.
ReplyDeleteI'm 63 and self-employed. I pay $740 a month with a $5000.00 deductible. I'm just hanging on 2 more years until I can go on Medicate.
ReplyDeleteAs for Canadian health insurance - my stepdaughter's father in law lived in Canada and was on it. He needed a hernia operation - he was put on a 9 months waiting list. 9 MONTHS!!! Unfortunately he died (non related problem) before his turn came. The son-in-law's sister needs fertility help - 1 year waiting list. The son in law said he specifically emigrated to the USA because of Canadian health insurance (ok, the weather had a little to do with it - we're in south Florida). And he has an excellent job here with good health insurance. At least 3 years ago when I needed a total knee replacement, once I paid the deductible, everything was paid for with no questions asked - even when I needed an emergency ultrasound a few months later (they thought I had a clot in my leg). And I was able to schedule the (elective) surgery 4 weeks after we decided (needed a physical, etc). I heard there's a 1-2 year waiting list in Canada for a total knee replacement. God help us if we go onto the Canadian or UK plan.
Medicare, not Medicate, of course.
ReplyDeleteAnd Canadian healthcare isn't free - what do you think you're paying taxes for?
ReplyDeleteYes, but, you pay taxes too. Your government spends more per capita on health care than the Canadian government does, and you get, what, for that exactly? You pay taxes, they go to health care, and then you pay for your health care.
DeleteWe pay taxes, it goes to health care, and then we get health care "for free".
Yes, through my employer; and yes, it's even cheaper this year than it was last year so, I bought up to the best plan my company offers. PPO - $750 deductible/$35 specialist co-pay/90-10 coverage/$1500 out of pocket max then covered at 100%. I also have dental and vision, I buy up to long term disability that will cover 60% of my salary, accidental death and dismemberment, and I buy up 2x my salary on my life insurance. My company automatically provides basic life, accident, travel, short term disability (66 2/3% of base salary) and long term disability (40% of salary, hence why i buy up), and an employee assistance program that provides access to counseling in times of crisis. I pay $99.46 every two weeks for all of it. Considering I've been doing this for years, it's not even money that I miss anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe kids and Mr. Disco are on his employer's plan and his employer covers the full cost of his insurance. So... when we get hitched, I'm totally going over to his insurance.
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ReplyDeleteI have coverage through my employer, and it's pretty good, premiums paid through payroll deduction.
ReplyDeleteI am deeply envious of the Brits and the Canadians. Fight with all of your power, UK, to prevent the privatization of the NHS.
Single payer would have been my first choice. The current ACA is borne out of compromise (if I remember correctly... 'Romneycare' is what the Republicans offered up).
I have the world's best insurance. My company pays for everything...even the deductible.
Well, no, you have a great company (paying deductible) that's also great with negotiating company insurance rates. But that is pretty nice (said non-sarcastically, for real).
I have to laugh at the idea that the president should go onto the open exchanges and shop for insurance policies, when he's already got stellar coverage. Why insist he take something less than stellar, and not insist that we get the same policy options as politicians?
Yes. Yes. And so does my son now, thanks to the ACA. His old policy (which my husband and I paid for because my son couldn't afford to) was $80 a month MORE for LESS coverage than the plan he has now. Granted, my husband hates the ACA because he is an insurance agent and his group health plan work is drying up. We're still glad we don't have to pay our son's premium every month because now he can do it himself.
ReplyDeleteColony as a fellow MSer I'm so glad pre existing conditions no longer apply. Our drugs are ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is self-employes and the payments for good insurance are astronomical. About 28k for us and our son with 1000 deductible. I think our health system is a crime and it's unfortunate that health is an option and not my right. It sucks that so many concessions had to be made to ACA and single payer option was tossed.
All my friends who don't have thru employment are extremely happy with what they got thru ACA but any system needs to cut the price is drugs and hospital stays.
Autocorrect changed Dolphy to Colony ??!
ReplyDeleteCanadian here - my husband and I both have excellent group benefits through our employers which they pay for 100%. And we each have health spending accounts through our employers. Between the group benefits, health spending accounts, and the Canadian health care system, we pay NOTHING out of pocket! I didn't even pay for my snazzy $900 glasses I got last year which I don't even wear since I love contact lenses. Oh and lets not forget about the invisalign I had a couple years ago for one crooked tooth; I didn't pay a cent out of my pocket for those either!
ReplyDeleteEveryone who has health insurance through their employer ... just you wait. Your time is coming. For those of us who are self-employed or don't have ins through our employers the shit most definitely hit the fan. Paying more, sometimes thousands more, for less and there are still millions uninsured. Fuck Obama and his unaffordable healthcare bullshit nonplan.
ReplyDeleteOnce everyone else gets dumped out of their plans it will get even worse. (Which is why that day keeps getting delayed.)
And to the nonAmericans boasting about their "free" healthcare: please stop. You're not fooling anyone anymore. It's not free, you know that, and it's only good until you really get old and/or really sick and need it and then you start to hear about the benefits of palliative care. Surprise! You're a burden. Enjoy your free aspirin.
I did want to add - there are certain parts of Obamacare I totally agree with - getting rid of the lifetime cap of 1-2 million was long overdue. And of course it was totally appropriate that people with pre-existing conditions be covered - I never did understand that. And I think the people, especially young people, who don't want to sign up for health insurance are idiots - they're one car wreck away from disaster. But you DO have the right to be stupid.
ReplyDelete+1 I liked those provisions from the obamacare policy also.
DeleteI don't have healthcare insurance. When I did have it, it didn't cover anything, so I don't see the point. I'm still paying on a surgery I had 3 years ago and that was with insurance. The only people who benefit from us having to have insurance are the insurance companies, lawyers who sue them, and the lawyers clients. I live a simple life so I don't have to help large companies make a lot money. If I'm in an accident and paralyzed, suffer long term problems, etc., I'll have a friend bring a few pills and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteYes and yes. We pay about $60/mo for a family of 3 for medical, dental, and vision. The police guild picks up the rest. We also have a Tricare plan so ultimately we pay very, very little out of pocket.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I own a business, and we are the only employees.
ReplyDeleteWe had to drop our insurance and get new insurance. It now costs us twice as much for the same coverage--$750/month, just catastrophic, and the deductible is $12,500/year total. Like we're ever going to reach that.
So basically, we and people like us are funding all the non-working (like my lazy ass brother in law) and low income people who didn't have insurance before. You're welcome.
Sorry I forgot the most important part. The price quoted to me was through The Healthcare exchange at Healthcare.gov and was quoted so high because my employer makes insurance available but I chose not to get it. Why? Oh that's because my company made us all part time employees now and we can't work more than 30 hours a week. Someone didn't think this plan out too well.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it is different from state to state but I work part time and just bought a VERY good plan for $37 a month. It's better insurance than I would get through my employer if I worked full time. Oregon has an excellent vehicle for shopping for insurance on line and letting you know what you qualify for in terms of tax credits. If it weren't for Obamacare I would not have medical insurance. Period. I think the people slamming it are clueless and have no idea what it's about. The premium you pay is based on your income. Do the research people!
ReplyDeleteSorry I forgot the most important part. The price quoted to me was through The Healthcare exchange at Healthcare.gov and was quoted so high because my employer makes insurance available but I chose not to get it. Why? Oh that's because my company made us all part time employees now and we can't work more than 30 hours a week. Someone didn't think this plan out too well.
ReplyDeleteNo. I haven't had health insurance for 13yrs. I saw no point in paying over $5k/yr just to get a $15 prescription of anitbiotics every other year.
ReplyDeleteSince they can only collect the fine by withholding returns, I wonder how many self employed won't bother paying them?
Yes and Yes. It still doesn't stop me from feeling shitty about the people who don't have it. To me,it's a right and not a privilege. My insurance is fantastic and I have dental and vision as well. Two of us are covered and one of us is covered 100% by the employer and the other is covered 50% by the employer. Very, very little is paid out of pocket. *Blessed*
ReplyDeleteI forget what I pay per month but I have some very good healthcare insurance. Copays and meds are always cheap. I feel bad for people who don't have decent healthcare.
ReplyDeleteWe also have health insurance through our employer. We would be broke without it, constant problems and emergencies.
ReplyDeleteJust to add my two cents: I don't think our govt is good at managing much of anything. They've become highly inefficient. I am a pro-private business, pro capitalist type person though. I think competition between companies is what keeps prices down. Let the govt regulate and it all goes to hell.
I also don't care to pay for people's medical bills who make really bad health choices. If you smoke and get lung or throat cancer: that's on you. Refuse to exercise and eat high fat foods and have a heart attack: that's also on you. Drug addicts: on you. Drink and drive and get in an accident: on you. Too many stupid people in this world that I don't care to foot their bill.
It'd be one thing if they actually fell on hard times, but more often then not they're just lazy and made bad decisions. It sucks to be someone who made good choices and tries to be healthy and save money only to have people say you're selfish for not wanting to give hand-outs. It's really offensive actually.
It does vary from state to state. I'm so happy some of you were quoted great prices. For $37 a month I could have care for me and my child but I would have to pay 319 a month with the over 6000 deductible just for me because our state opted not to expand its Medicaid coverage so I was booted into the private exchange. That's what some genius decided was
ReplyDeleteappropriate for a single mom to pay AFTER my company cut hours. I worry everyday that one of us will get seriously ill, but I've got to keep food on the table. I'm taking the fine.
I live in Canada so it's paid for thru our taxes(doctor's visits, hospital stays, surgery) and the extras that aren't covered( eyewear, dental and prescription meds) are covered by my hubby's insurance coverage at work which covers 100% of the cost for eyewear and 80% of the others.
ReplyDeleteCount me in for the self employed, price is too ridiculous, I'll just pay the fine thank you very much boat.
ReplyDeleteUnited States - yes, through my husband's employer, as part of his union contract. It is excellent insurance, $15 co pay for most visits, yearly checkup is free. We also have an annual vision visit/glasses allowance which we haven't used in a year, and a dental benefit which we've never used (and that is just stupid of us, but... well... procrastination).
ReplyDeleteI could write a book on healthcare in America and the conflicting values that our current system expresses. "Free market" vs "a strong healthy country begins with strong healthy citizens" vs "Christian nation" vs "Constitution!" vs "arrogant American superiority complex" and so on, but I won't do that here. I'll just be grateful for what I have at this point in my life after being without it for most of adult life.
Aww @msgirl, I'm sorry to hear that you have MS, too. I'd prefer that we had our affinity for CDAN and FFF as commonality instead of this, but as you know, there is no controlling the development and onset of this shitty disease. I am hoping that you are in remission, doing well and in good spirits.
ReplyDeleteMy eyes popped out of my head when I read that your insurance costs are 28k per year!?! 28k yearly is fucking ridiculous and I am going to stop bitching about my healthcare costs now because they pale in comparison to yours. It kills me that so many MS sufferers do not have the funds to get good/affordable insurance.
I spent 2 years without proper insurance and had to go on assistance for my meds. The only reason why I even qualified for the assistance was because I was unemployed. There are plenty of MS patients out there who cannot afford the insurance/prescription drug costs that are required for MS maintenance, but are unable to apply for assistance because they don't fall into the qualifying income brackets.
After a recent visit to my Neurologist's office, I've decided to donate some of my medication for the MS patients in his practice who can't afford them. It's the right thing to do.
One more thing, if I may ask.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you in the US, please send an email or letter to your 3 Federal reps (2 senators and one member of Congress) to tell them exactly and precisely what your situation is.
If your state did not expand Medicare and create their own private exchange please copy that letter to your Governor and 2 state reps.
Trust me, I used to work in the state legislature and your reps need this info from you.
There is too much BS around this info from biased sources and they really, really do need to know exactly what their actual constituents are experiencing, good and bad (but don't admit that you are going to take the fine, just over a vague "I dont know how I'm going to budget this" type of statement).
I have Kaiser. Love them. Pay $300 a month, my employer pays the rest. $15 co-pay, $5 or $15 prescription, depending on whether or not you get generic. Kids are covered until they're 26. I also have separate dental and vision, which cost me some, but not a lot.
ReplyDeleteI'm self employed, have always had to pay for insurance and last year was the WORST. $414/mo for a Blue Cross Blue Screw policy with a $10,000 in network deductible, covered 3 PCP visits and generic meds only. The plan I really wanted was $1400 a month with a $2500 deductible.
ReplyDeleteThis year, I have a Blue Cross Blue Not-So-Screwed plan for $450/month with $500 deductible, and every bell and whistle I dreamt about with the $1400/month plan. Which is good, because I've had bronchitis, double ear infections, a kidney stone, and a large suspicious mole removed. All since January.
I haven't been on vacation in 5 years, and my car is 11 years old, but it's a tradeoff I can live with.
Another Canadian here! Free (sorry "Universal") healthcare rules! DH and I are both self-employed so we have supplemental health care too at $165 a month - covers dental, prescriptions, etc.
ReplyDeleteI laugh when I read people accusing the Canadian health system of long wait times. Sure they do - for non-critical and elective surgeries. That is EXACTLY THE SAME as it is the good old USA.
ReplyDeleteHere in the US, I had to have my appendix out, and it had to be scheduled. I had to wait.
Here in the US, my sister broke her arm and she had to wait two weeks before having surgery to pin it back together, because all of the local ortho surgeons were booked solid.
Here in the US, my mom had to have hip replacement surgery, and she had to wait three months before it could be fitted into the surgeon's and hospital's calendar.
All of these health issues were determined to be non-critical, so we all ended up waiting. Same as we do for routine doctor appointments. Wanna see a specialist? It'll be several weeks before you get in, UNLESS your health issue is deemed a high priority. In that case, you go to the head of the line.
That's how it is everywhere. So don't knock Canada and Great Britain for the same policies the US health care system uses.
Oh, and I get my insurance through my employer. But I have a dear friend who's self-employed. She has bitched for years and years about her unaffordable health insurance, and how she has to pay a fortune for only catastrophic coverage. She complains that every time she sees a doc, she has to pay out of pocket.
So, her insurance broker notified her that her policy would be canceled because it doesn't meet the ACA minimum coverage rules, and would be replaced with a new policy. She hit the roof! And when Obama backed down and said, OK - you idiots want to keep your shitty policies, go ahead, she called her broker and demanded to go back to the policy she's hated for years. Her broker told her she was crazy, because it's only $20/month cheaper than the much better replacement plan, and now she's back to paying out of pocket for everything. Including the preventive care that is free under the ACA.
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. What an idiot.
I have health insurance and it is expensive. I'm very lucky that I can pay for it. I've learned through some terrible experiences that anything can happen at any time and your health is not to be fucked with.
ReplyDeleteYes, and yes. Obamacare may not be perfect but it's a step in the right direction. I think at some point thought the US will adopt single payer.
ReplyDelete1. Never get involved in a land war in Asia.
ReplyDelete2. Never get involved in a 'net discussion about medical insurance with Americans.
Canadian here. Husband and I both have benefits through our employers that cover things like physiotherapy, vision care, dental, etc.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem paying higher taxes to receive universal health care. Our firstborn required life-saving surgery and time in the ICU at one month of age that would have left us penniless if we lived in the US. My child's life is worth the taxes we pay.
American here - I pay 330 a month with a 6500 deductible. That's 330 x 12 months + 6500 = $10,000 before a goddamn thing is covered beyond my birth control and flu shots.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm healthy as hell but 37 years old, self-employed and I make too much for any subsidy.
Last year I was paying $187/month and now it's 330.
I have problems with my knees and I don't want to see a doctor because they will want to do X-rays and MRIs and I know my knees haven't changed since my last X-rays and MRIs.
How can I get those records? I still live in the same city...
Hunter, I believe you can just request copies, if they ask where to send them, tell them you'll pick them up yourself.
DeleteNo and no. Can't afford COBRA ($800) nor ACA (cheapest option over $200) Sucks!
ReplyDeleteAmerican here and long time lurker. I am very happy that my hubby and I got a great policy thru BCBS thru the exchange For a very long time my husband has been without insurance because it was just too expensive. At one time it was going to cost $1100 a month to insure us both. That is more than our mortgage!! I kept coverage for me, I am 5 yrs older than him and didn't want to give it up being I'm now in my early 50's. I was paying $577 a month just for me. Now we have a policy for $442 a month and $1000 Deductible on a silver plan. We are both self employed. You have to do your research when looking for a plan, very time consuming but the only other choice is not having it and going bankrupt if we had a health crisis.
ReplyDeleteYes through my company and NO I can't afford it. It's crazy expensive to have my family insured.
ReplyDeleteFamily of five, private pay. My husband makes too much for the ACA to be of any benefit and they wanted to put our three kids on MediCal. No, thank you. His company offers family coverage, but it's honestly awful and the choice of physicians is abysmal. We pay out of pocket to be able to see the doctors we want to see. It's hella expensive since I have SLE, but top quality treatment is worth it.
ReplyDeleteI have been unemployed until this past Monday, since December 2012.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I did was to get catastrophic health insurance. I went with Blue Cross Blue Shield and my deductible is $10,000 but my monthly payment was $127. I was able to go to my internist of dermatologist three times per calendar year and only pay a $30 copay, AND I had my annual OBGYN and mammogram visit paid 100%. THEN, starting January 2014, because of Obamacare, my monthly payment increased $30 per month. I will be eligible for health insurance with my new company May 1. The bottom line is you have to set your priorities in the right order. $10,000 deductible is a lot, but it is a lot cheaper than having NO health insurance.
Groggy - You are right. Why is it that our senators and representatives (including Barry) are excluded from paying for Obamacare or being fined? I just hope we get a Republican majority in the mid-term elections in November again in the house and in the senate, so that Obamacare can be repealed. However, since we have a czar for president who makes executive decisions/policies anytime he wants, IGNORING the US constitution, he would veto it.
ReplyDeleteObama care is not going to be repealed anytime soon. Only thing that could derail it is not enough healthy people sign up and the people who do sign up use the hell out of their new found insurance, so next year the rates skyrocket and no one can afford it.
ReplyDeleteIf I get Obamacare next year, you can be damn sure when I go to the Dr, I'm gonna cop to ADHD, arthritis and chronic back pain. Then I'll sell off the scripts to pay my health insurance bill each month. Maybe I'll cop to depression too, that way I can stock up on prozac to use to pick up chicks after Yellowstone erupts and our society crumbles.