As promised, I'm reporting my findings from my open enrollment packet:

 

My 2014 Premium will be increased:

Current rate for the coverage I chose is $55/month. It will increase to $62.62per month ($28.90 bi-weekly). On the same type of plan, increases for:

Employees & Spouse: Current monthly- $288, rising to $310.35

Employee & Children: Current monthly-$183, rising to $206.57

Family: Current monthly-$366, rising to $402.30

 

Highlights of the plan I reference above:

$500 deductible/$1000 per family (up $100 individual/$200 family)

$300 family prescription deductible

Out of pocket limit-$800/individual, $1600/family

No referral needed for specialist

Primary care co-pay-$15-does not cover lab work, minor surgery or x-rays inphysician's office

Specialist co-pay-$15-does not cover lab work, minor surgery or x-rays in physician’soffice

Other practitioner office visit (chiropractor) 20% coinsurance-$1000 annualmaximum

Preventative care/screening/immunization-no charge for in-network

Diagnostic tests-x-ray, bloodwork-20% coinsurance

Imaging-20% coinsurance

All drugs at 20% coinsurance-$100 coinsurance maximum for 30-day supply

Outpatient surgery-20% coinsurance

Physician/surgeon fees-20% coinsurance

ER services-$100 co-pay (up from $75 last year), 205 coinsurance

Emergency medical transportation-20% coinsurance

Urgent care-$50 co-pay (down from $75), 20% coinsurance

Hospital stay-20% coinsurance

Physician/surgeon fee-20% coinsurance

Mental/Behavioral Health/substance abuse outpatient-$15 co-pay per visit, 20%coinsurance

Mental/Behavioral Inpatient/substance abuse-$20% coinsurance

Prenatal, postnatal, deliver-20% coinsurance

Home health, rehab, equipment, hospice-20% coinsurance

Eye exam-no charge

Glasses-no charge

Dental checkup-No charge for the first $150, 25% coinsurance for the next $15,50% coinsurance for the next $2500-$1512.50 annual maximum per person.

Tobacco cessation products are covered under the prescription drug plan @ 100%

The most expensive type of coverage we can choose is “non-network”,and if I chose that, my current premium would have been $186/month, rising to$198.85/month, for employee only coverage.

“Under the Affordable Care Act, there are two separatefees which have to be paid to the government. The government will use the fees to fund a program that will assistinsurance companies in paying claims for high-cost individuals and to fund aninstitute that evaluates the quality and effectiveness of various medicines andtreatments. The cost of these fees isincluded in the 2014 employee premiums as shown in the summary below. The summary includes our current (2013)premiums, the premiums that would have been paid without the Affordable CareAct fees and then finally the new premiums for 2014 that included theAffordable Care Act Fees.”

Under that is a chart, which I’ll just put the info thatrelates to the plan I am enrolled in:

Employee Only:

Current-$12.69/weekly

4% increase without ACA fees-$13.20/weekly

Premiums for 2014 with ACA fees-$14.45/weekly

So…there you have it. My homework is done.

 

Corporate plans are really not relevant to the discussion right now since the Obama Admin gave the employer mandate a 12 month extension. Employers are still going to see large increases this year but a huge part of the problem won't be realized until next year.

 

The problem we are currently discussing are people with very good plans being taxed. Also people with substandard plans as defined by the Obama Adminstration losing there plan even though the President state if you wanted to keep your plan or doctor you could. Which by the million has been prove to be a lie.

 

Corporate plans are really not relevant to the discussion right now since the Obama Admin gave the employer mandate a 12 month extension. Employers are still going to see large increases this year but a huge part of the problem won't be realized until next year.

 

The problem we are currently discussing are people with very good plans being taxed. Also people with substandard plans as defined by the Obama Adminstration losing there plan even though the President state if you wanted to keep your plan or doctor you could. Which by the million has been prove to be a lie.

 

So....we can discuss corporate plans if we feel ACA is causing an unfair increase....but not if our increase is what one may consider reasonable?

So....we can discuss corporate plans if we feel ACA is causing an unfair increase....but not if our increase is what one may consider reasonable?

 

My point is corporate plans will see an increase and I guess what is fair or unfair is subjective. The point is on corporate plans a very large portion of the negative has been pushed back a year. There is still plenty of negative to discuss, but there will be even more next year.

 

Now individuals who already had individual plans , or individuals who choose not have to a plan, they are the ones getting drilled right now. You are getting either less coverage for a slightly higher cost, or the same coverage for a much higher cost. This is across the board for all young adults. It's just math, there is no debating it.

 

Then we have young adults who just don't feel the need for health insurance. We now have the government telling them they have to buy insurance or pay a penalty. So I can pay large premiums I never had before or be penalized upwards of 1% of my income. Either way I have less money than I did last year and not by any choice of my own.

 

Listen RM you can continue to paint this as not a big deal, but facts don't lie. We have program that eliminated the consumer free will to either buy or not to buy. Without that fundamental aspect of supply/demand curve you cannot affect price for all. The government can select winners/losers and affect price for some. But it's Economic 101 you can't eliminate purchasing power and then expect organic change in price.

Honestly I'm still waiting for people on this very board to apologize to other posters. There are posters on this board who accused some people of being liars and using scare tactics when talking about economic failure of what Obamacare would be. Now as we can see a large portion of it is coming true. Those crazy "tea partiers" actually were right. Obama adminstration can't even start a website without failure. They LIED to the American people about cost and keeping your current plan.

 

So many people who refused to look at the data. If people actually cared about how this plan would affect them the numbers were out there. I find it funny people call the conservatives the party who fears science. The last time I checked math is a science and the math involved with the economic portion of this bill was and is currently indisputable. The numbers don't add up to the results Obama promised. I'll say it if no one else will. If you still refuse to see the large holes in this plan you don't understand math.

So....we can discuss corporate plans if we feel ACA is causing an unfair increase....but not if our increase is what one may consider reasonable?

Not pertinent to the discussion just yet........but it will be in about a year or so.

Not pertinent to the discussion just yet........but it will be in about a year or so.

 

There is plenty of discussion in this thread about company funded plans increasing sharply and the blame assigned to ACA. I demonstrate a (IMO) reasonable increase that INCLUDES a pass thru of the ACA fees, and it's not pertinent yet? I'm so confused.

There is plenty of discussion in this thread about company funded plans increasing sharply and the blame assigned to ACA. I demonstrate a (IMO) reasonable increase that INCLUDES a pass thru of the ACA fees, and it's not pertinent yet? I'm so confused.

 

Company provided plans were delayed a year - illegally. But that is what they did to avoid the company provided plans where the company bears the total cost from going haywire.

Read the editorial in the Wall Street Journal which says that the administration's plan all along was to make non-Obamacare insurance so hard to get and/or expensive that consumers would be forced to buy Obamacare insurance. Of course, a basic tenet of Obamacare is that it must have a great number of paying customers in order to carry those who cannot pay. This is why the website debacle is so significant, i.e., if people can't/won't sign on, then the whole plan blows up. The editorial also posits that Obamacare's policy is to have everyone have the same insurance coverage, regardless of buying capacity. No free enterprise or market.

Honestly I'm still waiting for people on this very board to apologize to other posters. There are posters on this board who accused some people of being liars and using scare tactics when talking about economic failure of what Obamacare would be. Now as we can see a large portion of it is coming true. Those crazy "tea partiers" actually were right. Obama adminstration can't even start a website without failure. They LIED to the American people about cost and keeping your current plan.

 

 

 

So many people who refused to look at the data. If people actually cared about how this plan would affect them the numbers were out there. I find it funny people call the conservatives the party who fears science. The last time I checked math is a science and the math involved with the economic portion of this bill was and is currently indisputable. The numbers don't add up to the results Obama promised. I'll say it if no one else will. If you still refuse to see the large holes in this plan you don't understand math.

 

You know I can do the Math and I understood it was going to be significantly more costly for some. But Math isn't as important to me as the ability for all to get health care no matter their condition. There are many who think that way also and it trumps the cost. There are flaws in this plan, but geez let's let it take hold for a few years to see what really happens. If it is more costly but some people now can have a good quality of life because they finally received the care they could have never had or that I could have had and that is the result, count me on the side that is very happy with that.

 

If you want to save some money find it in other ways, just not with people's quality of life. Believe me, we all know there is waste. There in lies the whole problem with Math. A budget, whether personal or business, or government is nothing more than a value judgment. I want all to have health care, some others want to spend 400 Million on aircraft that have never been useful or worked. It is about values, not money. If we have to pull out of Afghanistan or not give weapons to whomever or build their schools and everyone have health care, then that's where I believe we start, but I also recognize others don't. That doesn't make any of us wrong, just we have different priorities. Don't give me this Math nonsense. I get the costs.

 

You know I can do the Math and I understood it was going to be significantly more costly for some. But Math isn't as important to me as the ability for all to get health care no matter their condition. There are many who think that way also and it trumps the cost. There are flaws in this plan, but geez let's let it take hold for a few years to see what really happens. If it is more costly but some people now can have a good quality of life because they finally received the care they could have never had or that I could have had and that is the result, count me on the side that is very happy with that.

 

If you want to save some money find it in other ways, just not with people's quality of life. Believe me, we all know there is waste. There in lies the whole problem with Math. A budget, whether personal or business, or government is nothing more than a value judgment. I want all to have health care, some others want to spend 400 Million on aircraft that have never been useful or worked. It is about values, not money. If we have to pull out of Afghanistan or not give weapons to whomever or build their schools and everyone have health care, then that's where I believe we start, but I also recognize others don't. That doesn't make any of us wrong, just we have different priorities. Don't give me this Math nonsense. I get the costs.

 

Oh my gosh! I am in complete agreement!

You know I can do the Math and I understood it was going to be significantly more costly for some. But Math isn't as important to me as the ability for all to get health care no matter their condition. There are many who think that way also and it trumps the cost. There are flaws in this plan, but geez let's let it take hold for a few years to see what really happens. If it is more costly but some people now can have a good quality of life because they finally received the care they could have never had or that I could have had and that is the result, count me on the side that is very happy with that.

 

If you want to save some money find it in other ways, just not with people's quality of life. Believe me, we all know there is waste. There in lies the whole problem with Math. A budget, whether personal or business, or government is nothing more than a value judgment. I want all to have health care, some others want to spend 400 Million on aircraft that have never been useful or worked. It is about values, not money. If we have to pull out of Afghanistan or not give weapons to whomever or build their schools and everyone have health care, then that's where I believe we start, but I also recognize others don't. That doesn't make any of us wrong, just we have different priorities. Don't give me this Math nonsense. I get the costs.

 

I read the line math isn't important and just laughed. That is the problem with this country.

Oh my gosh! I am in complete agreement!

 

Two people who like obamacare agree. Hold the presses.

You know I can do the Math and I understood it was going to be significantly more costly for some. But Math isn't as important to me as the ability for all to get health care no matter their condition. There are many who think that way also and it trumps the cost. There are flaws in this plan, but geez let's let it take hold for a few years to see what really happens. If it is more costly but some people now can have a good quality of life because they finally received the care they could have never had or that I could have had and that is the result, count me on the side that is very happy with that.

 

If you want to save some money find it in other ways, just not with people's quality of life. Believe me, we all know there is waste. There in lies the whole problem with Math. A budget, whether personal or business, or government is nothing more than a value judgment. I want all to have health care, some others want to spend 400 Million on aircraft that have never been useful or worked. It is about values, not money. If we have to pull out of Afghanistan or not give weapons to whomever or build their schools and everyone have health care, then that's where I believe we start, but I also recognize others don't. That doesn't make any of us wrong, just we have different priorities. Don't give me this Math nonsense. I get the costs.

 

I had to respond because your post is so flawed in the American way of life. You said if you want to save money then find other ways. Why should any individual have to find another way to save money due to a government mandate . You said we have to set priorities . Priorities that a lot of people don't think they should be forced to have . I mean good Lord are you reading what you type. Your entire posts stinks of socialism. . There is no way around it.

 

Math isn't important its all about intentions . Is this really the world you want to live in ? Forget the facts and numbers its all about ideology . I fear for our future . This law hurts the many to help the few. By definition this is government picking winners and losers.

I had to respond because your post is so flawed in the American way of life. You said if you want to save money then find other ways. Why should any individual have to find another way to save money due to a government mandate . You said we have to set priorities . Priorities that a lot of people don't think they should be forced to have . I mean good Lord are you reading what you type. Your entire posts stinks of socialism. . There is no way around it.

 

 

 

Math isn't important its all about intentions . Is this really the world you want to live in ? Forget the facts and numbers its all about ideology . I fear for our future . This law hurts the many to help the few. By definition this is government picking winners and losers.

 

I knew the socialism card was going to come out because that is all people can think to play when they do not understand or agree with what others think. They take their way of thinking and just assume those that don't think that way are socialists or some other classification like bleeding heart liberal blah, blah, blah. I did not say adjust your budget unless it is your personal budget then go for it. I believe the point I was making is that we should prioritize government budgets. Believe it or not, and you probably don't. If the democrats were in control they would balance the budget, you just wouldn't like how they do it. If the Republicans were in control they would balance it also, and I wouldn't like it.

 

Bottom line this is about values, don't make it about money, but you will. It wouldn't cost anyone an extra penny and maybe less if agreements could be made on where to cut spending and generate revenue equitably. Just because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to have affordable health care does not make me a socialist anymore than I will think you as a libetarian because you don't want government to have much say. And by the way, I do not believe the goverment should require you to have it, but you should have the option to purchase it at an affordable rate that does not deny you coverage because you have a brain tumor, can't work, but cannot get quality care. That is inexcusable for a country that has our means But then again, if that is what you call socialism, guilty. But then I will hear that the 400lb. obese 27 year old mom with four kids who will not work and help herself gets it to. Unfortunately, that is true, but we cannot deny those that truly need it because of a few not the many that take advantage.

 

The real elephant in the room is that values and beliefs have hardened so much in a judgmental fashion that many cannot even sit down and come to a reasonable agreement on how to manage this thing. And it isn't them, it's the other side. This goes both ways or several ways.

 

The real problem I had is that you inferred, in my thinking, was that if I supported ObamaCare that I couldn't do Math. Maybe you did not intend it that way, maybe you did, that is how I perceived it. I found that demeaning and elitist. The majority of people wanted this by electing Obama, Congress voted it in, now people that are not in the majority are waiting to pounce on every little problem and they are ineveitable no matter how hard we try.

 

This you cannot deny, this is the first time a President and Congress did something that gives everyone the opportunity to have affordable health care regardless of their socioeconmic status, race, gender, or preexisting position.

 

For over 40 years Presidents and their Congress have said they will do this but failed. I find this progressive, you may not, so be it. I'm thankful I live in a country where we can disagree.

 

This is the reality as I see it. I don't think I am alone.

I knew the socialism card was going to come out because that is all people can think to play when they do not understand or agree with what others think. They take their way of thinking and just assume those that don't think that way are socialists or some other classification like bleeding heart liberal blah, blah, blah. I did not say adjust your budget unless it is your personal budget then go for it. I believe the point I was making is that we should prioritize government budgets. Believe it or not, and you probably don't. If the democrats were in control they would balance the budget, you just wouldn't like how they do it. If the Republicans were in control they would balance it also, and I wouldn't like it.

 

Bottom line this is about values, don't make it about money, but you will. It wouldn't cost anyone an extra penny and maybe less if agreements could be made on where to cut spending and generate revenue equitably. Just because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to have affordable health care does not make me a socialist anymore than I will think you as a libetarian because you don't want government to have much say. And by the way, I do not believe the goverment should require you to have it, but you should have the option to purchase it at an affordable rate that does not deny you coverage because you have a brain tumor, can't work, but cannot get quality care. That is inexcusable for a country that has our means But then again, if that is what you call socialism, guilty. But then I will hear that the 400lb. obese 27 year old mom with four kids who will not work and help herself gets it to. Unfortunately, that is true, but we cannot deny those that truly need it because of a few not the many that take advantage.

 

The real elephant in the room is that values and beliefs have hardened so much in a judgmental fashion that many cannot even sit down and come to a reasonable agreement on how to manage this thing. And it isn't them, it's the other side. This goes both ways or several ways.

 

The real problem I had is that you inferred, in my thinking, was that if I supported ObamaCare that I couldn't do Math. Maybe you did not intend it that way, maybe you did, that is how I perceived it. I found that demeaning and elitist. The majority of people wanted this by electing Obama, Congress voted it in, now people that are not in the majority are waiting to pounce on every little problem and they are ineveitable no matter how hard we try.

 

This you cannot deny, this is the first time a President and Congress did something that gives everyone the opportunity to have affordable health care regardless of their socioeconmic status, race, gender, or preexisting position.

 

For over 40 years Presidents and their Congress have said they will do this but failed. I find this progressive, you may not, so be it. I'm thankful I live in a country where we can disagree.

 

This is the reality as I see it. I don't think I am alone.

 

Do you understand what socialism is ? I'm not playing a card. I'm calling a spade a spade. When you are saying the government should choose winners and losers , or that the government should hurt one group to benefit another . Well if its economics that is socialism .I'm sorry if you don't like hearing the truth.