Politics ObamaCare Sicker Shock

[Denny Crane]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamacare-sicker-shock-1471042481

Why average premiums are soaring 18% to 23% across the country.

Hillary Clinton admits she’s running to extend the Obama legacy, and so far she’s had a free ride in defending it. She hasn’t even had to explain the increasingly obvious failures of ObamaCare to deliver the affordable insurance that Democrats promised.

The Affordable Care Act is now rolling into its fourth year, and even liberals are starting to concede that the insurance exchanges are in distress and Congress may have to reopen the law. Premiums are high and soaring; insurers have booked multimillion-dollar losses and are terminating plans; and the customer pool is smaller, older and less healthy than the official projections.

The natural result is another round of rate shock for 2017. Insurers in 49 states have submitted their premium requests to regulators, and the average “enrollment-weighted” rate increase, which accounts for market share, is in the range of 18% to 23%. The Congressional Budget Office projected 8%.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

Really susprised, I thought for sure covering everyone including preexisting conditions would have made it cheaper.

 

[MarAzul]

covering everyone including preexisting conditions.

HA! I don't see how anyone could expect a different result. What we buy now is not insurance. Insurance is a fixed cost that is better than the potential alternatives, it stands on it's own as the smart choice. What we get now is not worth the cost for the vast majority, if it was, the government would not need a penalty for not buying it. It is a Tax via a third party, to cover the preexisting conditions, and the vast number of people put out of work by the policies of this administration (many).

To enlarge the pool of people buying insurance, is the reason Obama put a tax on employers that live up to their employment agreement with retirees. His law makes it legal by Federal law for the employers to break the prior agreements to provide the retirement healthcare coverage. Not only do they save the cost of the healthcare by dropping the retirees, they avoid the Tax on the healthcare they were providing. Gee! Who could have predicted that out come? Millions of retirees now have piss poor healthcare coverage and can not even buy the equivalent to what they had.

I find it incredible that the American people did not see this result coming. I did, no crystal ball needed. When I see people brag about how wonderful it is for them, now that they can get insurance, it really pisses me off. Obama really did fundamentally change America, by fucking millions of people. Many are working part time now, and don't even know why.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

It's fine with me though, everyone working part time still needs insurance on their cars and they also need haircuts. That's why the wife and I lived well over the last 10 years.

I didn't choose my job because it was the only thing I could do.

I'm just hoping we can kick the can down the road another 30 years. I'm just not confident that they will.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

I honestly don't know if the family farm is still in the family. It was in escrow in 2005 or 2006 to be sold but the crash hit.

125 acres of prime Marijuana growing land could be a real winner in the future.

I just don't talk to them so I don't know if they still own it.

 

[Denny Crane]

Binders of women. Way more important to report on that than these staggering ObamaCare price hikes.

 

[barfo]

Binders of women.

Still bitter about Romney losing? No worries, you'll soon be able to be bitter over Trump losing.

Or better yet, as Trump suggests, you can skip the wait and get bitter about his loss right now.

The election is rigged! The polls are skewed!

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

Still bitter about Romney losing? No worries, you'll soon be able to be bitter over Trump losing.

Or better yet, as Trump suggests, you can skip the wait and get bitter about his loss right no

The election is rigged! The polls are skewed!

barfo

Not bitter about it. Just pointing out how the media has abandoned its duties as the "fourth branch of government."

They're supposed to keep government honest. But they're not honest themselves anymore.

I won't bother to respond to the rest of your gibberish.

 

[barfo]

Not bitter about it. Just pointing out how the media has abandoned its duties as the "fourth branch of government."

They're supposed to keep government honest. But they're not honest themselves anymore.

If the media was actually suppressing stories as you claim, you wouldn't be able to provide links to those stories in the media, as you have done here and in your other rants against the media.

If you want to prove your point, you need to mention some of the stories that aren't in the media, like the entire population of Connecticut is made up of escaped felons, or that Barack Obama's teeth are made from crepe paper and cheddar cheese.

barfo

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If you want to prove your point, you need to mention some of the stories that aren't in the media

http://projectcensored.org/

 

[barfo]

http://projectcensored.org/

Good stuff. If I hadn't looked at that, I wouldn't know that:

Donald Trump attracts racists
Women are objectified
Orlando shooter was a security guard

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

If the media was actually suppressing stories as you claim, you wouldn't be able to provide links to those stories in the media, as you have done here and in your other rants against the media.

If you want to prove your point, you need to mention some of the stories that aren't in the media, like the entire population of Connecticut is made up of escaped felons, or that Barack Obama's teeth are made from crepe paper and cheddar cheese.

barfo

That's not on CNN or NBC or ABC or CBS. That does prove my point. It is my point.

A 20% rate hike in an unpopular program might be a wee bit more important than Trump Told A Bad Joke.

You know: policy, substance, actually news. Something voters really might want to consider when it's time to vote.

 

[barfo]

That's not on CNN or NBC or ABC or CBS. That does prove my point. It is my point.

A 20% rate hike in an unpopular program might be a wee bit more important than Trump Told A Bad Joke.

You know: policy, substance, actually news. Something voters really might want to consider when it's time to vote.

Oh, horseshit.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ob...companies-set-hike-obamacare-premiums-n564226

http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/15/news/economy/obamacare-premiums-insurers/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-new-evidence-of-rising-obamacare-premiums/

Your complaint is actually more like 'the news should only show the news I think is important'. Tip for you: The kinfolk say Fox News is the place you oughta be.

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

Oh, horseshit.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ob...companies-set-hike-obamacare-premiums-n564226

http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/15/news/economy/obamacare-premiums-insurers/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-new-evidence-of-rising-obamacare-premiums/

Your complaint is actually more like 'the news should only show the news I think is important'. Tip for you: The kinfolk say Fox News is the place you oughta be.

barfo

April, barfo.
10%, in June, barfo.
11% in June, barfo.

Not 20%+.
Not recently.
It would not be the narrative they want at this point in the election.

 

[e_blazer]

Just curious as to how many other Obamacare enrollees there are on this board. For my wife and me, our premiums run $1,350 per month this year. That's about $500 a month more than we were paying before the ACA kicked in. We make a bit over the subsidy threshold. The plan has a $3,600 deductible for each of us. Of course there's a "free" annual physical and colonoscopy every 10 years. I think I'd rather be putting the $6,000 in higher premiums into a HSA and pay for those benefits myself, but I guess Obama thought I'd be better off helping to pay for someone else's insurance. If premiums go up 20%, I'm not sure what I'll do.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'm enjoying the Sicker Shock title.

 

[e_blazer]

I'm enjoying the Sicker Shock title.

I've definitely been feeling sicker since I heard about the price increases.

 

[Denny Crane]

Just curious as to how many other Obamacare enrollees there are on this board. For my wife and me, our premiums run $1,350 per month this year. That's about $500 a month more than we were paying before the ACA kicked in. We make a bit over the subsidy threshold. The plan has a $3,600 deductible for each of us. Of course there's a "free" annual physical and colonoscopy every 10 years. I think I'd rather be putting the $6,000 in higher premiums into a HSA and pay for those benefits myself, but I guess Obama thought I'd be better off helping to pay for someone else's insurance. If premiums go up 20%, I'm not sure what I'll do.

I had a good look at ObamaCare a few weeks ago. I'm shocked at how crappy it is for the money.

 

[e_blazer]

I had a good look at ObamaCare a few weeks ago. I'm shocked at how crappy it is for the money.

There were quite a few plans offered last year, but they were all pretty equally crappy. Now, with more companies dropping out, I expect to pay more for even less. Next year Medicare kicks in for us, which should help, if that doesn't go belly up.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

There were quite a few plans offered last year, but they were all pretty equally crappy. Now, with more companies dropping out, I expect to pay more for even less. Next year Medicare kicks in for us, which should help, if that doesn't go belly up.

I'm available if you need anyone on your death panel.

 

[e_blazer]

I'm available if you need anyone on your death panel.

Thanks, but I think I'll try to save on groceries first by eating dog.

 

[barfo]

April, barfo.
10%, in June, barfo.
11% in June, barfo.

Not 20%+.
Not recently.
It would not be the narrative they want at this point in the election.

What is the recent news, exactly? I'm afraid I can't read your link in post #1, since I don't pay the WSJ, but I can see that it is an opinion piece, not an actual news story.

So... is there any actual new news, or are you just complaining that the networks don't run right-wing opinion pieces as news?

barfo

 

[Denny Crane]

What is the recent news, exactly? I'm afraid I can't read your link in post #1, since I don't pay the WSJ, but I can see that it is an opinion piece, not an actual news story.

So... is there any actual new news, or are you just complaining that the networks don't run right-wing opinion pieces as news?

barfo

18-23% is the news. They were projecting 8%, and then 10% or 11% just a few months ago.

Sorry it's not binders of women, which you do understand.

 

[Denny Crane]

https://www.healthinsurance.org/delaware-state-health-insurance-exchange/

Delaware health insurance exchange / marketplace

Insurers request rate hikes ranging from 24% to 32.5%

2017 proposed rates

There are two companies that offer health insurance through Delaware’s exchange: Aetna and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware. Aetna has a PPO division and and HMO division, which are listed as separate entities for rate filings. The proposed rate increases for 2017 are:

• Aetna Health (HMO): 25 percent
• Aetna Life (PPO): 23.9 percent
• Highmark BCBS of Delaware: 32.5 percent

 

[Denny Crane]

https://www.healthinsurance.org/maryland-state-health-insurance-exchange/

Maryland health insurance exchange / marketplace

15% avg requested rate hikes; Still 240k residents eligible to enroll

Looking ahead to 2017

Maryland is one of many states where UnitedHealthcare is exiting the individual market at the end of 2016. The rest of the carriers that participate in the state-run exchange—Maryland Health Connection—in 2016 will continue to do so in 2017, and have proposed the following average rate increases:

• CareFirst Blue Choice (HMO): 12 percent
• CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield: 16 percent
• Cigna: 30 percent
• Evergreen: 8 percent
• Kaiser Permanente: 25 percent

 

[Denny Crane]

http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/08/14/4-reasons-your-obamacare-healthcare-premium-is-pro.aspx

4 Reasons Your Obamacare Healthcare Premium Is Probably Going Up by at Least 10% in 2017

Obamacare enrollees should be prepared for sticker shock in the coming months.

It's hard to pick out a single culprit, as nearly every state that's reported insurer rate hike requests thus far has an average or weighted increase north of 10%. One standout is Arizona, where the two largest insurers in the state, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Arizona and Phoenix Health Plans, which insure 113,400 of the state's 152,600 Obamacare members, are requesting respective premium increases of 64.9% and 60%. In Tennessee, BCBS of Tennessee, which enrolled roughly 222,800 of Tennessee's 304,300 Obamacare members in 2016, is requesting a 62% premium hike in 2017. Once more, BCBS of Illinois, which controls 70% of the Illinois Obamacare market, is asking for a 50.2% premium hike. Humana (NYSE:HUM) isn't much better, either, with a 46.3% rate hike request on the table in Illinois.

In virtually every state a big premium hike appears likely.

 

[Denny Crane]

https://www.healthinsurance.org/maine-state-health-insurance-exchange/

Maine health insurance exchange / marketplace

Anthem, CHO, and Harvard Pilgrim will offer plans in 2017

Proposed rates for 2017: More than 20% weighted average increase

There are five carriers in the individual market in Maine, including both the HMO and PPO arms of Harvard Pilgrim. Three of them—all except Aetna and Harvard Pilgrim PPO—will offer on-exchange plans in 2017. Proposed rate changes are:

• Anthem: 14.1 percent increase (15,650 current members)
• Community Health Options: 22.8 percent increase (58,750 members)
• Harvard Pilgrim HMOs: 18.7 percent increase (7,100 current members)

 

[Denny Crane]

https://www.healthinsurance.org/new_york-state-health-insurance-exchange/

In mid-May, the New York Department of Financial Services published a list of the proposed rate changes for all of the state’s individual and small group carriers, including both on and off-exchange plans. In the individual market, the initial proposed weighted average rate increase was 17.3 percent, and in the small group market, it was 12 percent. These rate filings were later revised by the carriers, and final rate approval was published by the NYDFS in early August.

At ACA Signups, Charles Gaba has calculated a weighted average rate increase of 16.6 percent for the individual market in New York (including on and off-exchange carriers). This is a little lower than the 17.3 percent weighted average proposed rate increase that the carriers initially filed in May.

 

[dviss1]

Blame your insurance cartel.

 

[Denny Crane]

Blame your insurance cartel.

The insurance cartel is losing $trillions. I don't think it's up to them to go out of business so ObamaCare stays solvent a few years longer than it otherwise could.