Wow! My insurance company just sent me another refund check!

[tridim]

The second check in three weeks, for a total refund of slightly over $200.

Damn you Obamacare!

These refund checks are going out to most insured people in the country thanks to the ACA's 80/20 rule, and still the GOP wants to repeal it. Good luck with that, GOP.

The ACA is going to be a huge asset for us in 2014. It's a pure winner.

[liberal N proud]

1. The GOP doesn't want the middle class to get refunds

Those refunds could be going to the wealthy and the GOP is pissed that they are not.

[tridim]

2. I'd love to see them debate that point. What can they say, really?

Bottom line is they're screwed, and I think they know it.

[TBF]

44. Exactly -

I think they know it and that is why they are focusing on the states. It is going to be important to work hard next year to try to vote these some of these folks out because they are wreaking damage - especially here in TX. But they know they've got a hard row to hoe on the national level.

[LWolf]

52. I'm not the wealthy.

I also am not getting any refund checks.

[msongs]

3. my insurance company (Kaiser) just sent a notice of a rate increase. nt

[tridim]

5. Change to an insurer that is following the law. nt

[hobbit709]

7. Most people are stuck with what they get at work.

[tridim]

17. Drop out of the company plan and get an individual plan. You will likely save money.

[hobbit709]

26. Not if the company pays most of it on their plan and nothing if you get your own.

[Recursion]

35. If the company is paying most of it why do you care?

How is that bad for you?

[KatyaR]

11. Yeah, our rates doubled.

Luckily, it's not a whole lot of money (because our coverage is crap) for a single person with no kids, but it still hurts. And there will definitely be no raises this year.

I've love to get a refund, but it's not gonna happen.

[LanternWaste]

20. Of course they did...

Of course they did...

[AllINeedIsCoffee]

4. THANKS OBAMA!

[hobbit709]

6. so you won the lottery.

[tridim]

12. No, my insurance premium went down. nt

[LanternWaste]

21. I imagine a refund and a lottery are rather difficult for many people to differentiate.

I imagine a refund and a lottery are rather difficult for many people to differentiate. I know a eight year old who doesn't know the difference either...

Good luck!

[hobbit709]

27. Might as well be a gamble if for every person that gets a refund, many do not.

[tridim]

37. "Many do not", based on what?

A hunch?

The ACA is the law, if your insurance company spends less than 80% of their profit on health care, you and everyone else they insure will get a refund check.

If they spend more that 80% on health care, you get good health care. Horrors!

[hobbit709]

41. Based on no one I know and I know quite a few people.

No you don't get health care what you get is health INSURANCE.

[bigwillq]

8. Happy for those who received a check (s).

I haven't.

[City Lights]

24. Ditto.

No refund check, but I do have rising premiums!

[bigwillq]

25. Me too!!

ACA! ACA! ACA!!

[onpatrol98]

53. No refund check for me...

Just a rate increase...maybe next year?

[Cha]

9. that's substantial bucks, tridim..

good on you and ObamaCare!

[Llewlladdwr]

10. Mine has not.

The ACA isn't doing squat for me.

[tridim]

14. Call your insurance company and ask when they plan to follow the 80/20 law.

[Llewlladdwr]

18. Pretty sure BCBS follows the law. nt

[bigwillq]

19. Not everyone will receive a 80/20 payment (nt)

[tridim]

22. I guess all the moral insurance companies won't need to send out checks.

How many companies self-cap their profits?

We'll see what happens.

[hobbit709]

42. MORAL insurance companies?

Next you'll be telling us there are honest banks.

[tridim]

43. That was my point, genius.

Without the ACA all insurance companies would remain immoral, maximizing profit at the expense of reduced services for their customers.

[hobbit709]

46. Even with the ACA they ain't MORAL

Want to talk to my friend Val who does billing. She'll tell you ll about those MORAL insurance companies


By the way, technically I am a genius,if all the test results were accurate. I don't feel I'm one though.

[tridim]

47. They are all bound by the 80/20 law, the law is moral regardless of the ins. company.

I work for a small insurance company BTW, billing is right outside my door. ObamaCare is a four letter word in my office, which is why I speak about it loudly and often. Some people are finally getting it.

[hobbit709]

48. The law is moral-since when?

I can think of a truckload of laws that are anything but "Moral" A lot of them aren't even ethical.

[tridim]

49. Obviously you haven't listened to a word I've said about the 80/20 law.

I suggest you read the law and then come back to discuss it. Until then, there's no point discussing it further with you.

[hobbit709]

51. What the law says and the insurance companies do are not the same.

Believe your little fantasy world all you want. The ACA was a sop to the insurance companies from Day 1. Otherwise we would have actual Health CARE instead of insurance..

But keep your blinders on if it makes you happy.

[stevenleser]

33. That means that those folks insurance companies are spending at least 80% of premiums on health care

That's still a good thing, no?

[bigwillq]

40. Yes (nt)

[Puzzledtraveller]

13. we dont get them, our employer keeps them

[tridim]

15. That sucks. I went individual and saved money, and then got a refund.

[Whisp]

16. don't you know you should sacrifice your refunds for single payer?

that ACA is a loser and if Obama would have just held out single payer would happen - in about 20 years....



who cares that it is actually benefiting real flesh and blood people and kids when there is a PRINCIPLE here.

oiy.

[Scurrilous]

23. I too blame Obama!

[progressoid]

28. Woo hoo! I had to borrow money from my mother-in-law to pay our medical bills.

No refunds. Just high deductibles and shitty coverage.

[tridim]

30. Why do people keep paying their insurance companies for "shitty coverage"?

Thank you sir, may I have another?

You're not locked in. Shop around, and shop around again in 2014 when the exchanges go online. Insurance companies are being forced to compete now, for the first time in US history. Take advantage of it!

[progressoid]

34. I have shopped around, thank you very much.

In Iowa, the options available to us aren't any better than what we have now. There is nothing in ACA that says they have to offer GOOD insurance coverage.

"Thank you sir, may I have another" is exactly what we are getting through for-profit health insurance.

Thanks for you help.

[tridim]

36. Competition will provide better and cheaper service. Econ 101.

It is already happening.

Zero co-pay preventative care is a big part of it, thanks to the ACA.

Sure, if you ignore the new law and keep letting your insurer screw you, you're simply going to continue to get screwed. That's your choice I guess.

[progressoid]

39. I'm not ignoring the new law.

It's just a simple choice of which insurer screws us the least. So far the competition isn't any better than what we have.

In case you haven't noticed, the United States has the most expensive health care in the WORLD. Zero co-pay preventative care isn't going to help when the insurance company requires tests that our doctor doesn't want. Zero co-pay preventative care doesn't pay for MRIs. Zero co-pay preventative care doesn't pay for the drugs that my wife has to ration. Zero co-pay preventative care doesn't pay for all of the middle men raising our costs.

[tridim]

45. My insurer isn't screwing me, they are following the law and sending out refunds.

It is BCBS if you're really interested, but I'm guessing you're not.

[progressoid]

56. Actually, I am interested.

Because we also have BCBS. And we aren't getting a refund check and we're paying a helluva lot more than 70 a month.

[CrawlingChaos]

29. Wow! Our rates went up 45% this year and we got a check for $3

Our premiums are a crushing expense and we can't afford to go to the doctor. We're hoping and praying it will get better for us when the exchanges and subsidies are up and running, but all we've seen so far are out-of-control rate increases and that whopping $3 refund check.

[Bradical79]

31. A few questions...

1. What determines if someone gets a refund?
2. Is your insurance through your employer, or did you shop around and buy it yourself?
3. How much are you paying for your insurance?
4. If someone's insurance is from an employee plan, does the employer get the refund?

[tridim]

32. .

1. If your insurance company profits are more than 20% of total premium taken in, they must return the excess to their policy holders. Most insurance companies make (or used to make) well over 20% profit.

2. I shopped around for an individual plan after being insulted by my company plan, both price and quality.

3. $70/month (which is half the price of my company plan, same deductible).

4. Not sure.

[Sgent]

38. Just to clear up

If insurance companies don't spend more than 80-90%, depending on type of plan (individual vs group, etc.) of their revenue on healthcare related expenditures then they must refund the difference.

The purchaser of the insurance product decides where the refunds go. In most cases with group plans it will be refunded to the employer, which should give you a proportional credit for any premium paid by you for the plan.

Individual plans until Jan are cheaper in most states if your healthy, and are ok with just so/so coverage. They are not available if you have pre-existing conditions, and even small pre-existing conditions can disqualify you.

[rl6214]

50. I've never gotten a refund check

Wanna share?

[tridim]

55. If you have insurance and your insurance company follows the law, you will. nt