Affordable Health Care Law under review by SCOTUS

[Redbirds Fan]

Responding generally to the posts about health insurance costs...

It's not so much that the prices are different. The prices vary with the coverage.

This leads to opportunities for misleading comparisons. Spicer, just the other day, talked about a guy whose catastrophic care policy went from $100 a month to $500 a month under the ACA. This, of course, is not completely true. His insurance premiums may have gone up, but he went from catastrophic care to complete health insurance. The ACA doesn't provide for catastrophic health care policies unless you are under 30 or get a hardship exemption.

Politicians on both sides love to use anecdotal evidence to support their arguments. Hey, this is what happened to three of my constituents, so it must be true for everyone in the country!

[In the Corn]

This leads to opportunities for misleading comparisons. Spicer, just the other day, talked about a guy whose catastrophic care policy went from $100 a month to $500 a month under the ACA. This, of course, is not completely true. His insurance premiums may have gone up, but he went from catastrophic care to complete health insurance. The ACA doesn't provide for catastrophic health care policies unless you are under 30 or get a hardship exemption.

From healthcare.gov:

How much Catastrophic plans cost

Monthly premiums are usually low, but you can’t use a premium tax credit to reduce your cost. If you qualify for a premium tax credit based on your income, a Bronze or Silver plan is likely to be a better value. Be sure to compare.
Deductibles — the amount you have to pay yourself for most services before the plan starts to pay anything — are very high. For 2017, the deductible for all Catastrophic plans is $7,150. After you spend that much, your insurance company pays for all covered services, with no copayment or coinsurance.
What Catastrophic plans cover

Catastrophic plans cover the same essential health benefits as other Marketplace plans.
Like other plans, Catastrophic plans cover certain preventive services at no cost.
They also cover at least 3 primary care visits per year before you’ve met your deductible.

Lucky, you're going to have to help me here. My Bronze Plan's deductible is $6,950 or $13,900 for a family. Share with me how my plan isn't a catastrophic plan, in reality.

[Redbirds Fan]

Just saw an example of what I was saying, Mick Mulvaney wondering how a family making a fifth of what he did in Congress could afford insurance under Obamacare. Turns out that family could have Obamacare for about $70 a month. Mick doesn't understand Obamacare.

[Redbirds Fan]

From healthcare.gov:



Lucky, you're going to have to help me here. My Bronze Plan's deductible is $6,950 or $13,900 for a family. Share with me how my plan isn't a catastrophic plan, in reality.

ITC, I have to say I don't know much about Bronze Plans. Catastrophic health plans are designed to have low premiums but high deductibles. They aren't considered major medical insurance, and are designed for emergencies. Catastrophic plans don't even meet the criteria for Obamacare unless a person meets certain guidelines.

I'd have to look to see if Bronze Plans are considered catastrophic plans. I only have experience/knowledge with the Gold and Silver plans, and I know they are considered major medical.

[nots]

Responding generally to the posts about health insurance costs...

It's not so much that the prices are different. The prices vary with the coverage.

This leads to opportunities for misleading comparisons. Spicer, just the other day, talked about a guy whose catastrophic care policy went from $100 a month to $500 a month under the ACA. This, of course, is not completely true. His insurance premiums may have gone up, but he went from catastrophic care to complete health insurance. The ACA doesn't provide for catastrophic health care policies unless you are under 30 or get a hardship exemption.

Politicians on both sides love to use anecdotal evidence to support their arguments. Hey, this is what happened to three of my constituents, so it must be true for everyone in the country!

Why shouldnt he be able to just purchase catastrophic onsutance if thats all the coverage he wants?

[Redbirds Fan]

Why shouldnt he be able to just purchase catastrophic onsutance if thats all the coverage he wants?

nots, seriously. That's what we've been discussing for the last couple of thousand posts. Universal healthcare won't work unless it is universal. There must be minimum coverages, unless, as in the case of Obamacare, people are allowed things like catastrophic care in the even they are under 30 or have a hardship.

[Redbirds Fan]

I think this covers the differences between "bronze" plans and "catastrophic" plans. Catastrophic plans are supposed to have substantially lower premiums. In practice, the actual out of pocket costs of the bronze plans are supposed to work out lower than the listed deductibles.


1-Bronze Plans

2-Catastrophic Plans


Available to
1-Anyone who is eligible to buy a plan on the health insurance marketplace.
2-Only those under age 30 or who cannot find coverage for less than 8 percent of their income.

Premium tax credits
1-Individuals making up to $46,680 (or families of four making up to $95,400) can use a new kind of upfront tax credit to lower their monthly premiums.
2-Premium tax credits are not available for catastrophic plans.

Covered services
1-Covers 60 percent of health care costs for the average person and specified preventive services at no cost. Covers three primary care visits and specified preventive services before the deductible.
2-Only covers additional services after the plan deductible – $6,600 for an individual plan or $13,200 for a family plan – has been met.

Actuarial Value
1-Bronze plans will have an “actuarial value” of 60 percent, meaning they will cover 60 percent of all health care costs for the average person.
2-Catastrophic plans will likely have an actuarial value of less than 60 percent. Catastrophic plans will only cover health care costs (beyond three primary care visits and specified preventive services) after the plan deductible has been met.

Deductible
1-Maximum deductible of $6,600 for an individual plan ($13,200 for a family plan), but actual deductibles are likely to be significantly lower because plans must cover 60 percent of health care costs for the average person.
2-Deductible will be $6,600 for an individual plan ($13,200 for a family plan).

Out-of-pocket limits
1-Out-of-pocket expenses are capped at $6,600 for self-only plans ($13,200 for family plans).
2-Out-of-pocket expenses are capped at $6,600 for self-only plans ($13,200 for family plans).

Preventive services
1-Covers specified preventive services at no cost.
2-Covers specified preventive services at no cost.

Essential health benefits
1-Covers 10 categories of “essential health benefits.”
2-Covers 10 categories of “essential health benefits.”

[baldgriff]

Why shouldnt he be able to just purchase catastrophic onsutance if thats all the coverage he wants?

Because the government thinks its in your best interest to force you to purchase healthcare insurance, whether you want it or not. Health care is the only "market" we have in this country that participation is government mandated. Great thing to have the government forcing people to buy your product. It allows you to provide coverage to everyone at the expense of those who either dont use the coverage they have or have to pay more to ensure the insurance company makes its profit goals.

[nots]

nots, seriously. That's what we've been discussing for the last couple of thousand posts. Universal healthcare won't work unless it is universal. There must be minimum coverages, unless, as in the case of Obamacare, people are allowed things like catastrophic care in the even they are under 30 or have a hardship.

Serioisly Lucky, We dont have universal coverage as of today and you didnt specify that in your example. Are you responding to what Spicer said or are you making a case for universal health care? It woukd pear you are responding to spicer, which is why ii typed what I did

[DMT]

Because the government thinks its in your best interest to force you to purchase healthcare insurance, whether you want it or not. Health care is the only "market" we have in this country that participation is government mandated. Great thing to have the government forcing people to buy your product. It allows you to provide coverage to everyone at the expense of those who either dont use the coverage they have or have to pay more to ensure the insurance company makes its profit goals.

Yep, a terrible system. Medicare for all is the obvious solution.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Yep, a terrible system. Medicare for all is the obvious solution.

At the very least

[Redbirds Fan]

Serioisly Lucky, We dont have universal coverage as of today and you didnt specify that in your example. Are you responding to what Spicer said or are you making a case for universal health care? It woukd pear you are responding to spicer, which is why ii typed what I did

I don't understand your post. Obamacare is a system for universal healthcare. In a universal healthcare system, people must participate by purchasing certain types of policies. These may not be the types of coverage they necessarily want. Just as the FICA may not necessarily what we want. Or the property tax.

That's the answer to your question. The guy can't buy the coverage he wants because we have a universal health care system.

[Redbirds Fan]

Because the government thinks its in your best interest to force you to purchase healthcare insurance, whether you want it or not. Health care is the only "market" we have in this country that participation is government mandated. Great thing to have the government forcing people to buy your product. It allows you to provide coverage to everyone at the expense of those who either dont use the coverage they have or have to pay more to ensure the insurance company makes its profit goals.

You can look at it that way. Another option would be just to make health care a government function, like national defense, education, prisons, social security.

Hey, we're forced to "buy" the military whether we want it or not, because the government thinks it is in our best interest.

I don't use it. And I'm tired of subsidizing the military-industrial complex. Boeing, Lockeed Martin, Bechtel, Haliburton...they've been screwing us for decades. It's a disaster!

[cardboardbox]

nots, seriously. That's what we've been discussing for the last couple of thousand posts. Universal healthcare won't work unless it is universal. There must be minimum coverages, unless, as in the case of Obamacare, people are allowed things like catastrophic care in the even they are under 30 or have a hardship.

yours was post #1,041.

[Redbirds Fan]

yours was post #1,041.

Sorry. Here's my response:

1. What I said was in jest.
2. It was an alternative fact.
3. Many of the posts are still under audit.
4. It only seems like a couple of thousand posts because so many of them are like #1049.