Rates More Than Doubled For Middle-Class Family – Story
As of January, 2016, our Healthcare provider has notified us that our rates will more than double. They increased by almost 20% from 2013 to 2014. The coverage amount in many areas has decreased (less prescriptions covered, procedures allowed), and has increased in areas in which we will not be utilizing- pregnancy care, mental health care services, etc.
Our deductible has increased, as well as our out-of-pocket (O.O.P.).
We are now facing paying $16,800 in premiums alone, with a $6000 deductible per person, $12,500 O.O.P. If we were to have a severe medical emergency, we would be potentially looking at almost $30,000 to pay out. This is not acceptable. We are a healthy family of four, take diligent care of our bodies, and make under $200,000 annually. We are by no means “wealthy”. Our family works hard to make what we have. How is this justice, forcing some families to pay 16% of their income towards mandated healthcare, while others pay nothing at all through subsidies? This system penalizes those who have worked hard to better themselves.
There is no logic in not having every single American citizen pay on some level for care they receive, barring the elderly and disabled. Those who do not have skin in the game will not appreciate nor respect the care they receive, and are far more likely to abuse it (trips to the ER for cold or aches). We were told by our provider that our rates will likely continue to climb annually. We will lose our incentive to better ourselves financially as a nation, until all citizens take some level of personally responsibility. Taking from those deemed “fortunate” (middle class in this case) and handing to others is simply not a sustainable system.
Melissa
I am with you! I was forced by Obama Care to get insurance through my husband’s company since they kept “losing” my application online. We pay 1/4 of my husband’s net income for insurance now and that is just for the two of us. With the high deductible we have to pay, I can’t afford to go to the doctor. I have been extremely sick for the past few weeks and am afraid something is seriously wrong, but know I can’t pay the bill for the tests that need to be done. My doctor didn’t even want to do more tests last time because she new it wouldn’t be covered under my 1 annual exam. This is not affordable insurance, and if I wasn’t forced into getting insurance, I would be at the doctor’s office right now with the money I could have saved. Honestly, if something happens to me because I can’t afford to go to the doctor, it will be because of Obama Care. And no, I do not qualify for the tax credit or cheaper insurance.
Kali
We went through the same thing. Only difference is that I am blaming the real problem. It is not the ACA that is to blame. It’s those same people running these multi million dollar corporations that offer you Health Care. Be angry with them. Go to them. Tell them you will not stand for it. They dictate their prices and they are washing their hands of it by saying “ObamaCare”. Which is complete and utter nonsense. ACA has done more good than bad. Every new process has a few bugs. Sure, there are a few problems, but not so big that they kill a person. The problem with most people is that they are not willing to have things handed to them that is not cookie cutter perfection. Now let me tell you about a boy who became ill at a very young age, qualified for Medicare/Medicaid and got a kidney transplant. His transplant eventually failed. He was a hard worker, went to school and had dialysis 3 times a week. He eventually was fired from his job because of insurance, although they said it was because they could not accommodate his dialysis schedule anymore. It was a choice of live or die working. He chose life. Him and a few other people who also had similar illnesses were let go. They all, including this man, lost their insurance. If the ACA was there, he would have had coverage and received the BEST treatment possible. The dr’s would not have found a reason to take him off the list for a transplant. The dr’s would not have rejected him and thrown him to another doctors care because that is where he now belongs. His mother paid an extrodinary amount of money to keep COBRA. That only lasted a while. He was then DENIED insurance by every company for preexisting conditions. He was even denied by Medicare/Medicaid. When he finally was approved for Medicare/Medicaid after several appeals, they did not care about the hundreds of thousands of dollars he owed. They did not cover the medication he needed to take care of his now heart condition. 500$ a pill. He had to fight to prove it was medically necessary, all the while his heart was getting worse. In the end, the story becomes more tragic, just when it all aligns and hope is there on the horizon he has a surgery that was necessary months/years ago. The surgery, because of his weakened state, killed him. It wasn’t the governments fault, it was the insurance company that said we can’t afford to keep you alive, so we won’t. He never got his transplant and he eventually died. If the ACA was around when all this was happening, he would more than likely still be alive. He would have had insurance because he would not have been denied for preexisting condition as soon as they fired him, and he would have seen the money his class action suit won against corporate greed. You see, this boy fought for life the majority of his childhood and young adulthood. He fought for life and it wasn’t ACA that took his life, it was insurance trying to save money. He purchased insurance and worked because he wanted to live. He believed it would help him live in case anything happens again. And when something did happen, they were not there like they promised. He lost everything, even his life insurance. I hope nothing like this ever happens to you or your family, but if it does, at least you have the ACA to back you up. You still have a chance to live.
Tim Sorg
If you are healthy, why not join a health sharing ministry? Why deal with traditional insurance??
ObamaCareFacts.com
It would only make sense if your faith matched up. If it did, then we personally think health sharing ministries are a great choice. It’s gotta be how you live your life though, faking it could be dangerous because of the way you will be relying on the community.