Affordable Health Care Law under review by SCOTUS

[Hornsby]

Stealing this from the much maligned Nate Silver...the new Senate bill is has the following outcomes: The wealthiest people will get a substantial tax cut. The Poorest? They're the most likely to lose what insurance the have. The ACA was a redistribution of wealth that took money from the highest earners, and used it to pay for the poorest. The government also paid a fair share of the bill. Under the Senate Bill, many of those costs will now be paid by the poor...if they can afford it.

And for those who cry about redistribution of wealth...remember this. Wealth is ALWAYS being redistributed...mostly upwardly to the already wealthy.

[onejayhawk]

It sounds like this would be pretty good health care. Unless you got sick...or old...or needed a doctor...or a hospital...or chemo...or surgery...or physical therapy...or mental health services...or rehab. But so long as a person stays healthy, your way is good. I don't know what the Dems are squawking about.

We have Medicare and Medicare supplemental insurance now. It's more of the same. However, your reaction is typical of many Democrats.

The ACA doesn't set deductibles or premiums, which vary widely according to carriers, states, and circumstances.

The ACA needs revision, but it is miles better than the "national health care" described by onejay in the post to which I responded. In response to your post, I would say that I also want a modern, fair, single-payer universal health care system, but I don't want 23 million Americans to lose coverage while we are waiting for one.

The ACA mandated wide coverage and mandated employers to provide it. The first drives up costs and the second kills jobs.

J

[The Feral Slasher]

The insurance company has some actuarial experts that attempt to determine what you should pay out of your pocket (not including your premium) so that they can still make money.

I know that, I actually studied to be an actuary long ago. I was really just getting to the point that obamacare forces people to buy insurance, and to them claim that obamacare is not resposible if the insurance is overpriced seems like a weak argument.

[Redbirds Fan]

I know that, I actually studied to be an actuary long ago. I was really just getting to the point that obamacare forces people to buy insurance, and to them claim that obamacare is not resposible if the insurance is overpriced seems like a weak argument.

Obamacare requires some people to buy insurance, or to pay a penalty, but not everyone is required to purchase it.

Obamacare isn't the sole reason health insurance is too expensive. The costs of health care and health insurance skyrocketed well before Obamacare, due to many factors. It used to be it was the personal injury lawyers that were to blame, and that malpractice suits were why health care costs were high. Then it was tort reform. Now it is repeal and replace.

[The Feral Slasher]

Obamacare requires some people to buy insurance, or to pay a penalty, but not everyone is required to purchase it.

Obamacare isn't the sole reason health insurance is too expensive. The costs of health care and health insurance skyrocketed well before Obamacare, due to many factors. It used to be it was the personal injury lawyers that were to blame, and that malpractice suits were why health care costs were high. Then it was tort reform. Now it is repeal and replace.

I understand all that. my point is that many of the items in your response to one jay are not items that will be covered for many people under the current law due to deductibles. if you don't consider that part of obamacare, fine. I think that makes the "coverage" not very valuable. but they are insured which is what matters I guess.

[Redbirds Fan]

I understand all that. my point is that many of the items in your response to one jay are not items that will be covered for many people under the current law due to deductibles. if you don't consider that part of obamacare, fine. I think that makes the "coverage" not very valuable. but they are insured which is what matters I guess.

Of course they are 'covered'. Everyone has deductibles. If you are saying that some people will not have enough in medical bills to go past their co-pays, my response is that 'hey, that's great for you and your family'. They didn't acquire the soul crushing debt of a major surgery or an extended hospitalization. Maybe they weren't faced with severe conditions which required medications which ran $800-900 per month.

You don't necessarily have to get dollar-for-dollar return out of insurance in order for it to be valuable. I haven't gotten a thing for all of my life insurance premiums yet, but I'm relatively happy about the value it is providing.

[The Feral Slasher]

Of course they are 'covered'. You know how deductibles work. My insurance isn't through Obamacare, but I have deductibles. If you are saying that some people will not have enough in medical bills to go past their co-pays, my response is that 'hey, that's great for you and your family'. They didn't acquire the soul crushing debt of a major surgery or an extended hospitalization. Maybe they weren't faced with severe conditions which required medications which ran $800-900 per month.

You don't necessarily have to get dollar-for-dollar return out of insurance in order for it to be valuable. I haven't gotten a thing for all of my life insurance premiums yet, but I'm relatively happy about the value it is providing.

ok, obamacare is awesome. it provides great insurance for everyone at a reasonable price

[chancellor]

ok, obamacare is awesome. it provides great insurance for everyone at a reasonable price

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

[In the Corn]

I'm not calling you out by name, but you know who you are. Shame on you, I hope you get agonizing slow dying cancer and bankrupt your family. that would be justice

I think maybe you should. Call a sinner a sinner and let them repent.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

Welcome to my world or should I say, move over and make room for me...........

[GwynnInTheHall]

I think maybe you should. Call a sinner a sinner and let them repent.

Nah, it doesn't work in here, you have to pin em down in person for it to be effective.

[cardboardbox]

The costs of health care and health insurance skyrocketed well before Obamacare, due to many factors.

mine skyrocketed after obamacare and the coverage dropped to the point that I avoid doing things I probably should do, like blood tests.

[baldgriff]

I know that, I actually studied to be an actuary long ago. I was really just getting to the point that obamacare forces people to buy insurance, and to them claim that obamacare is not resposible if the insurance is overpriced seems like a weak argument.

And now we have another person confirm what I have been saying all along. The insurance companies were provided carte blanche to charge whatever they wanted to when the Dems forced Obamacare through. How can anyone be surprised that they havent capitalized on this. Even more amazing is the fact that these insurers keep pulling out of states, because they cant afford the expenses they pay related to Obamacare (even when they charge high premiums with crappy deductibles).

If they cant make money charging more and more and providing less and less - one has to wonder how overpriced some of this may actually be. We will never actually find out, as there is really no competitive market there.

[OaklandA's]

And now we have another person confirm what I have been saying all along. The insurance companies were provided carte blanche to charge whatever they wanted to when the Dems forced Obamacare through. How can anyone be surprised that they havent capitalized on this. Even more amazing is the fact that these insurers keep pulling out of states, because they cant afford the expenses they pay related to Obamacare (even when they charge high premiums with crappy deductibles).

Insurance companies have always been able to charge whatever they want. However, Obamacare forced insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money collected from premiums on health care costs. For insurance companies selling to groups of over 50 people, they must spend at least 85%. This was a good rule, and was designed specifically to make sure insurance companies used their money on health care instead of profits and bloated salaries.

The reason insurance prices went up is because a larger than expected number of sick people signed up, and not enough healthy people. The goal of the individual mandate was to bring in more young, healthy insurance purchasers. But not enough signed on compared to the number of expensive patients, so the average costs went up.

You ask why so many insurers have been pulling out of markets. A big factor is that for low income purchasers, the government was supposed to pay subsidies to the insurance companies since low income patients could not afford to pay on their own. But the Republicans and President Trump have been threatening not to pay these subsidies, and not surprisingly, the insurance companies are deciding its not worth the risk (see Anthem in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, for example - http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/anthe...-for-2018.html)

Finally, it's not clear why you think that insurance companies would charge whatever they want if people are required to purchase insurance. If there are more customers available for your product, that usually brings in more providers, who then have to compete with each other to offer a better product at a lower price. Requiring insurance for everyone should bring costs down, not increase them.

[Redbirds Fan]

Insurance companies have always been able to charge whatever they want. However, Obamacare forced insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money collected from premiums on health care costs. For insurance companies selling to groups of over 50 people, they must spend at least 85%. This was a good rule, and was designed specifically to make sure insurance companies used their money on health care instead of profits and bloated salaries.

The reason insurance prices went up is because a larger than expected number of sick people signed up, and not enough healthy people. The goal of the individual mandate was to bring in more young, healthy insurance purchasers. But not enough signed on compared to the number of expensive patients, so the average costs went up.

You ask why so many insurers have been pulling out of markets. A big factor is that for low income purchasers, the government was supposed to pay subsidies to the insurance companies since low income patients could not afford to pay on their own. But the Republicans and President Trump have been threatening not to pay these subsidies, and not surprisingly, the insurance companies are deciding its not worth the risk (see Anthem in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, for example - http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/anthe...-for-2018.html)

Finally, it's not clear why you think that insurance companies would charge whatever they want if people are required to purchase insurance. If there are more customers available for your product, that usually brings in more providers, who then have to compete with each other to offer a better product at a lower price. Requiring insurance for everyone should bring costs down, not increase them.

Welcome to the party, pal!