Mixed Feelings about ACA – Story
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After three years without insurance I was grateful for the opportunity to get coverage. It didn’t take long to realize that there were very few doctors that took my insurance. I pay more for insurance per month than my mortgage, can’t save any money because it all goes to that and I can’t find a decent doctor. Not to mention vaccines and tests I could benefit from cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, with insurance, and weeks to get an appointment. If I were younger, I’d pay the penalty and pay cash.
Sue
I, too, was glad that Obamacare caused my husband to be able to obtain coverage at 63 when he lost employment. However, Covered CA Exchange led us to believe that at our income level we would be subsidized by 1/2 of the premium, so we merrily went along paying about $500/ month and then had to pay back the other $450 / month at tax time!! Big shock. California mortages are expensive, but the cost of healthcare insurance is outrageous as we pay about 60% of our mortgage in just insurance premiums on a bronze level plan. Sure we get one well visit and mammogram yearly “free”, but our HMO group gouges us for everything else and we have to pay whatever they charge as they are the insurer and the provider: example: $400 billed for a 30 minute psychiatrist visit for medication adjustment for mild to moderate depression, meds I used to obtain through a primary care doctor. $450 billed for a 50 minute health assessment interview. $1200 for aspiration of a non-cancerous breast cyst, and $200 each for 4 10 minute follow up visits with a PA even though the surgeon did not feel follow up was indicated at all. I finally said I wasn’t coming back. I am now looking for some kind of affordable alternative; I do not find Obamacare affordable at all!
ObamaCareFacts.com
The only note we’d make is that the ACA caps maximum out-of-pocket costs $6,600 for an individual plan and $13,200 for a family plan and many preventive services and screenings a free. If of course the screenings and tests you need aren’t preventive, and therefore covered at a copay or coinsurance amount, and a high deductible is stopping you from getting the care you need you can look into our page on subsidy tricks and perhaps try to find a plan this next enrollment period that offers better cost sharing on the services you need without raising the premium too much.
https://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-subsidies/
Angela
So you people think everyone just has THIRTEEN THOUSAND dollars laying around for the family plan? And you expect us to pay EXTREMELY HIGH monthly premiums with ZERO benefit until the deductible is met? My whole life my family has had coverage until you people changed and caused all THIS MESS. Shove it if you think you will tell me we have to have coverage we CANNOT AFFORD! This is MY MONEY, NOT YOUR MONEY that I earn every day! I guess all us middle class in this position will just DIE because of SENSELESS IDIOTS who created this system.
ObamaCareFacts.com
You are right, $13,000 for a family plan that still has a big deductible is not reasonable.
The root cause of costs is the healthcare system itself, the ACA caused rates to go up for some due to having to cover basics and sick people (especially when cost assistance is available), but the reason the base premium and cost sharing is so expensive is the healthcare system itself.
If you had cheaper coverage before it was because insurers were pushing the sick and poor out of health insurance and getting away with rescinding coverage and offering subpar coverage. Doesn’t solve your situation, but helps shed the correct light on it.
Adrian
In response to Obamacarefacts.com’s claim that the reason for high premium costs is the health care system itself…….WHAT? If that is truly the case, then shouldn’t our (beloved) leaders be championing HEALTH CARE REFORM instead of illegally forcing hard – working Americans to pay EVEN MORE MONEY for the deadbeats in our society? As it is, the government is doing EXACTLY what the health care industry does. Treat the symptoms and piss on the cure.