Affordable Health Care Law under review by SCOTUS

[In the Corn]

I have to run and would like to speak to this issue but would like to quickly note a couple things:

- MNSure is not "national". It's state-run, as opposed to federal.
I'm well aware that MNSure is state-run. What is your point?
- Minnesota had the lowest overall rates in the country in 2014 and 2015. And while rates are going up for 2016 much more quickly than almost anywhere else in the country, Minnesota will still have the lowest overall premium rates in the upper midwest.
I'm well aware that MN had the lowest rates in the country for the previous two years. Seems to me that a great drug dealer gives you free drugs until your hooked and then makes you pay. Also, this only makes me wnoder how anyone where premiums are higher can afford getting insurance through the ACA.
- Premium subsidies are expected to dramatically increase for 2016 since the rates are going up from the lowest in the country.
These subsidies come right from your's and my taxes.
- Despite the crappy website that Minnesotans rolled out to their citizens, the number of uninsured is now at the lowest point in Minnesota history and is among the lowest in the country.
Yup, and there was a massive increase in the number of people on subsidies care in MN. My daughter qualifies for free insurance from the state. I don't understand why she's not on my policy, but the state sees fit to pay for her care, more power to it.
- Here's an article about Preferred One pulling out of the MNCare exchange: http://www.startribune.com/schafer-s...ure/275827561/ I think you will enjoy reading it.
In my haste, I didn't note that Preferred One was at fault for poor risk management in 2014, but their pulling out of the exchange took away anything that was affordable. IMO, they garnered the largest market share because they were affordable. Their decision to leave only proves that insurance companies cannot, or will not, be able to put together a plan that is affordable and actually provides care. Where did you miss that I will be paying basically the same amount for insurance as I did two years ago, but I have gone from a $4,000 to $13,000 deductible?
- Seems to me that you'd benefit from looking around beyond just your state's exchange, although given the expansion of subsidies I think the landscape is changing quickly in Minnesota. Still, couldn't hurt to talk to an insurance broker or look directly at provider plans outside the exchange.
I'm well networked and have worked through an insurance broker in the past. As I met with one in October, he told me, "The percentage that the broker gets from MNSure plans is so small many brokers are choosing not to be involved as the ROI for the broker isn't worth it."

[gcstomp]

The big deal to me is that ACA brought with it concrete real insurance that could not deny you coverage for pre existing conditions. For 10 years prior to ACA I paid out of pocket private insurance, roughly same monthly amount I pay now, mid 300ish a month. The issue before is if I actually used the insurance for something beyond a checkup, even extensive blood work, or if I was referred for an MRI or whatever, I was billed separately, after the fact, with full total being denied by insurance for pre existing.

Pre ACA, private insurance was train wreck where people were operating under false premise of having coverage, until they actually tried to use it. It is still a train wreck, but the pre existing deal that precluded millions from coverage had to go.

[nots]

Silver plan will run me $1045 for my wife and son and I here in Nj. I am jealous of the rates in these other states

[nots]

Just checked it out tonight--- $1045 was my lowest option. 50 year old non smoker

[baldgriff]

In case anyone is wondering, there are caps (thanks, Obama!) for how much insurance can cost you - looks like 9.5% is the very highest. There are also out-of-pocket maximums. The maximum is any health care expense outside of your premium. High deductible plans essentially just use the out-of-pocket maximum as their deductible. You do not add the two together. No family will ever pay more than $13,200 for non-premium health care expenses under the ACA.

Non-premium healthcare cap of 13k is affordable. So ITC could pay 20+% in premiums and still be on the hook for another 13k in "non-premium" healthcare - capped of course. Yeah that's affordable..... Thanks Obama..... seems like the only one winning here is the insurance companies.

[baldgriff]

Uh, are you aware of what the situation was prior to the ACA regarding out-of-pocket maximums? And, no, ITC can't pay 20% of his income in premiums as that would be in violation of the law.

According to ITC he could end up paying up to 60% of his income in premium and deductible (worst case). Now add another 13k non deductible healthcare. This is "affordable"?

I'm not arguing if the past was better or worse - I'm asking how is this affordable?

I don't take any issue with wanting to provide all people with healthcare, but this isn't working - and saying it's affordable because you can afford it seems a rather conservative point of view (my apologies)

[baldgriff]

Yeah, ok, you sound like you're pissed off at me or something for some reason. Best of luck with your situation, I guess. New Mexico has higher average premiums than does Minnesota and I pay for mine with no problem. Neither state is particularly high.

Elds conservative statement.....

[baldgriff]

Eld -

Thanks for taking the conservative poke as it was intended. I admit that when the ACA discussion occurred previously I was against the idea, because it doesnt fix the problem and as Ive stated before places the consumer at a disadvantage due to the mandated participation - creating a market with unlimited demand. SO supply side gets the upper hand.

I do agree that the health care system we have in place is broken - Im just not sure that what we have now is really any better than it was before.

I am interested to see what a single payer system would look like here.

[In the Corn]

Yeah, ok, you sound like you're pissed off at me or something for some reason. Best of luck with your situation, I guess. New Mexico has higher average premiums than does Minnesota and I pay for mine with no problem. Neither state is particularly high.

Eld -

Sorry if I sounded pissed off. My tone was heavy-handed and perhaps the bold lettering didn't help. I was just highlighting that I was aware of the bulletin points you were pointing out.

I'm a very big advocate of single-payer. I firmly believe the current system plays a big advantage to big business, as they can offer better health insurance plans than a small business. This potentially keeps talented people from moving to smaller businesses or starting their own.

As I said before, I'm just starting this year's research, I'm interested to see where and what I will be able to afford for 2016.

[onejayhawk]

For what it may be worth.

J

lisa_benson_current_cartoon_2015-11-04_5_.jpg

[baldgriff]

My wifes employer just announced the changes to their coverage and its going up about 25% for family coverage. I dont have all the details if the deductible is changing or co-pay info. She just indicated its being raised. Keep in mind she works for a very large international medical device company based locally here in MN. While I was prepared for a raise in the expense, I dont know if we were planning on 25%. That said, its likely better than anything we will find in the "open market".

[Lucky]

It was 2006 when Justice Thomas last asked a question during oral argument (except, presumably, with his wife). The vast majority of Justices have their Clerks prepare drafts of their opinions. How engaged is Thomas? Is Scalia really Edgar Bergen?

[onejayhawk]

Bernie Sanders released details on his universal health care proposal in advance of the Democratic debate:

"According to Sanders' plan, individuals would pay a 2.2 percent "premium" and employers would pay a 6.2 percent payroll tax to fund the healthcare plan. Individuals making $250,000 to $500,000 a year would pay a tax rate of 37 percent and those making more than $10 million would pay a 52 percent tax rate."


Every time you read about this, every time folks complain about increased taxes, remember one thing:
- For the average family, the universal health plan will save an estimated $5,000 or more. Yes, even with increased taxes you will save a metric shit ton. The U.S. already pays the most per capita for healthcare in the entire world.

Why? Seriously. Where does the money go?

Doctors will tell you for unneccessary tests and malpractice insurance. You may have a different take. If the doctors are correct, changing healthcare will ot help at all.

J

[The Feral Slasher]

Why? Seriously. Where does the money go?

Doctors will tell you for unneccessary tests and malpractice insurance. You may have a different take. If the doctors are correct, changing healthcare will ot help at all.

J

You crack me up, did you ever think of actually doing some research ? Clearly malpractice insurance is not a large part of the cost, feel free to provide evidence that unnecessary tests are driving our healthcare costs.

http://truecostofhealthcare.net/malpractice/

In fact, the total amount spent in the US for medical malpractice (including the amount spent by hospitals as well as legal costs) was estimated to be about $10 billion in 2010. We can assume it’s less than that now. But even if it’s the same amount, $10 billion is only about 1/3rd of one percent of the $3 trillion total spent on health care in the US in 2013. That’s hardly a huge factor.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/medical-liability-costs-us/

a comprehensive analysis from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that medical liability costs totaled about 2.4% of annual health care spending in the United States, or $55.6 billion per year in 2008.

[Fresno Bob]

Bernie Sanders released details on his universal health care proposal in advance of the Democratic debate:

"According to Sanders' plan, individuals would pay a 2.2 percent "premium" and employers would pay a 6.2 percent payroll tax to fund the healthcare plan. Individuals making $250,000 to $500,000 a year would pay a tax rate of 37 percent and those making more than $10 million would pay a 52 percent tax rate."

Or roughly what people paid under those mad socialists Reagan and GW Bush I