I hate the Un-affordable Obama Care

[Beiruty]

Sticker shock of the first grade!

Be warned, Obama care is unaffordable.
What I was paying in 2013 Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, $2,000 family deductible and max out of pocket premiums are $13,200/yr Max out of pocket per year $15,200

Obama care starts below:
======================
Humana PPO Platinum for my wife and 2 kids alone is $10,108 for premiums and $3,000 out of pocket. Total for 3 healthy members $13,108.

My medicare premiums and supplemental plan is $580 per month or $7,070/yr.

New out of pocket for 2014 is $20,178/yr or $5,000 more or 30% increase!

Yeah the health care cost for family of 4 is $20,178 per yr. NO federal assistance if you make $94,000/yr or more.

[SewTexas]

can we just say thank you G-D! my husband's tumor was found this year and not after the employer mandates take effect! 'cause there is no telling what will happen at that point! I actually haven't seen all of the bills, basically because we don't even want to, we've seen some of them and that was more than enough.

[TomsTXCHL]

As Chris Mathews explained on one of the morning talk shows about a month ago, the Democrats have been trying to institute Universal Health Care since Roosevelt. Under Obama they were going to get it come hell or high water.

Sorry to hear of your shocking situation Beiruty. I do wonder how many people are going to say "screw it, I can't afford this--let 'em come after me with penalties."

[Vol Texan]

IBTL!

viewtopic.php?f=94&t=69346&hilit=closed&start=15#p858014

P.S. I truly hate that this is happening to you, and I am strongly on your side in my dislike of this law.

[cb1000rider]

I'm sorry that happened to you.
I want to be concerned along side you.. But I believe that some companies are taking cover under Obamacare and taking advantage. I think other people (not necessarily you) are not fully making an apples to apples comparison. Help me understand:

1) What were your "before" premiums? You mentioned "pocket premiums are $13,200/yr". I assume that is for all 3 of you at $1100/mo.
2) New premiums are $842.33 for 2 people, but you switch to medicare and supplemental insurance (new policy) at $580/mo for a total of $1422.33/mo

So moving from 3 people from a Blue Cross Blue shield PPO to a Humania Platnium PPO (2 people) and adding medicare plus a supplemental policy results in a cost increase of 29%.

Are the coverages on the PPO plans the same, worse, or better?


That data helps me decide...

What were prior year to year increases on the Blue Cross PPO? I know that we dropped them due to increases over the last 3 years.

[Beiruty]

We are a family of 4 myself on medicare, wife 31 and daughter 11 and son 7.
Myself and family were on group (employer) plan blue cross blue shield and total cost is 13,200 premiums and $2K deductible. and regular drug and visit co-pay. When I lost my full time job, I paid for COBRA for 18-months. Total cost per yr was $15,200.

After Cobra ended on September 9, 2013, I was switched to Medicare as primary health care coverage due to my ESRD. My yearly cost is $7070 for medicare plus my co-payment on the drugs.

I wanted to get a health care for my family, wife and 2 kids.
Humana plans
Quote 1: $7,300 family deductible and $630.8 per month premium, that is $14,860 total out of pocket for PPO silver plan.
Quite 2: $3,000 family deductible and $842.3 per month premium, that is $13,108 total out of pocket for PPO platinum plan.


My Medicare + 3 member family plan cost per year is $13,108 +$7070 == $20,178 per year.

I need to check with BCBS for 2014 plans. for 2012 and 2013 we had no increase with premiums.

[cb1000rider]

Did your employer pay for any part of your coverage, not outlined in your 13,200 premium?

[baldeagle]

Did your employer pay for any part of your coverage, not outlined in your 13,200 premium?

What difference does it make? He's concerned about out of pocket expenses, not who paid for what. If you have a plan last year that cost you $5000 annually and your employer paid $7000 annually, and under Obamacare you get to pay for all of it at exactly the same cost and coverage, that still represents more than a 100% bump in your out of pocket expenses. Since the law was written in a way that encourages employers to dump their coverage (because the real goal is a single payer system), of course the employees are going to pick up the difference.

Now that they have gotten the people (like Beiruty) up in arms about the cost they can move to the next step - "subsidies" for all followed by a full and complete government "health care" system like Britain's. Eventually even the rubes will realize they've been robbed, but by then it won't matter.

[Ameer]

Sorry to hear of your shocking situation Beiruty. I do wonder how many people are going to say "screw it, I can't afford this--let 'em come after me with penalties."

My sympathies too. One good thing about a corp or LLC is being able to pay yourself below the poverty line.

[RoyGBiv]

Sorry to hear of your shocking situation Beiruty. I do wonder how many people are going to say "screw it, I can't afford this--let 'em come after me with penalties."

My sympathies too. One good thing about a corp or LLC is being able to pay yourself below the poverty line.

Your real total earnings will get back to your 1040 via dividends, cap gains or partnership income, depending on how your accounting is set up.
I wish it were that easy.

[Tic Tac]

Hire an accountant who was with Andersen 12 years ago.

[rotor]

We are all only seeing the tip of the iceberg with Obamacare. My wife's Blue Cross plan went up about $40 a month and the letter specifically said because of the ACA and we were thrilled that it didn't get cancelled (at least not for next year). The real issue is what will your doctor do (see Obamacare people or not) or will you even get to see a doctor? I predict that most new insured will be in a medicaid style plan, will get assigned to a nurse practicioner or physician assistant ( or perhaps even less) and will not know what level of care they are receiving or not receiving. The rich and politicians will always get superior care. Pelosi can get into her private jet and go anywhere in the world. You had better pray that you have a good doctor, access to a good hospital and access to the best drugs. You don't necessarily want $4 WalMart chemotherapy when the real stuff costs $70,000 a month. Having an insurance card in your pocket doesn't mean a thing. Cash my friend is KING.

[cb1000rider]

What difference does it make? He's concerned about out of pocket expenses, not who paid for what. If you have a plan last year that cost you $5000 annually and your employer paid $7000 annually, and under Obamacare you get to pay for all of it at exactly the same cost and coverage, that still represents more than a 100% bump in your out of pocket expenses. Since the law was written in a way that encourages employers to dump their coverage (because the real goal is a single payer system), of course the employees are going to pick up the difference.

I'm sympathetic to anyone complaining about healthcare costs. I assumed that she listed her original rates and new rates to illustrate how Obamacare isn't affordable. I don't see how the employment change is a product of Obamacare, but maybe I missed it. She didn't say that her employer terminated all coverage and she said she was on COBRA, so something changed there. I just want an honest apples to apples comparison. You can't compare a plan that was employer subsidized and a plan that you're buying on the open market with no employer backing and blame the increase completely on Obamacare.. Again, I'm just looking for honest before/after apples/apples comparison here. I hope that isn't offensive.

You can, of course say that healthcare costs too darn high.. That was true last year and the year before. And I agree with you. The trend pre-Obamacare was disturbing too, don't you agree?

Eventually even the rubes will realize they've been robbed, but by then it won't matter.

Some of the rubes like me are trying to figure it out based on data, not on the political theater. Lots of health care provides seem to be hiding under the cover of "Obamacare" to make changes that are not good for consumers. I don't believe them at face value.

[cb1000rider]

Rotor provided data that I can understand. Same coverage, plan increased $40/month. The two pieces of data that I'd like (if he cares to share) are:
1) What is that in terms of % increase?
2) What were the prior two years in terms of yearly increases, if any?

And I totally agree -these plans are worthless if there are no in-network doctors.. Or no in-network doctors worth a darn.

[Beiruty]

Rotor provided data that I can understand. Same coverage, plan increased $40/month. The two pieces of data that I'd like (if he cares to share) are:
1) What is that in terms of % increase?
2) What were the prior two years in terms of yearly increases, if any?

And I totally agree -these plans are worthless if there are no in-network doctors.. Or no in-network doctors worth a darn.

Please see my second post above.
I was on an employer based BCBS. PPO plan, cost was $1100 per Month and $2K deductible. Premium was paid 60% by employer and 40% deducted from my paycheck
In May 2012 I lost my job and I was paying the full cost of the plan $1100 per Month and $2K deductible under Cobra for 2012 and 2013.
Cobra ended on September 9, 2013 and new quote for individual family plan (wife and 2 kids) is between $13k to $14K per year.
After Cobra, I am forced to be on Medicare, Yearly cost is $7,070

If I am not clear enough please, PM me.

Thanks,