General Discussion

Major Nikon

(36,925 posts)

57. Here's the big difference

Wed Sep 25, 2013, 01:35 AM

Sep 2013

Prior to ACA if you couldn't get a group plan you were at the complete mercy of insurance companies. By the time you paid your premiums and deductibles it was almost impossible to come out ahead at the end of the year and the plans had catastrophic maximums that were extremely low which virtually guaranteed the insurance company was always going to win. If you had a pre-existing condition, forget it. It wasn't covered, ever.

From the insurance companies' perspective, this only made sense. People who didn't fall under group plans generally didn't buy insurance unless they knew they were going to use it.

With ACA, everyone who buys insurance on the exchanges falls into a group which spreads out the risk which is the only practical way insurance can work effectively. That's why employer sponsored plans were always cheaper and covered more. Now everyone has access to a group plan which lowers costs for the same coverage.

Compare any non-group plan pre-ACA to an ACA plan off the exchanges and you'll find the coverage is much greater even if the price is the same or slightly more.

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How affordable are the Health Care Exchanges really? [View all] JayhawkSD Sep 2013 OP

You are missing a lot. lancer78 Sep 2013 #1

That's only if you count gross, not net telclaven Sep 2013 #5

$596 / wk= $1200/ 2 weeks. Which is what that poster (lancer) said uppityperson Sep 2013 #12

No, he said that it was that for TWO WEEKS karynnj Sep 2013 #15

OP said $569 every 2 wks. Lancer78 said $125O every 2 wks. TelClaven said $569/ wk is about right. uppityperson Sep 2013 #16

- I misunderstood who you disagreed with karynnj Sep 2013 #20

No problem, I went back and tried to clarify. uppityperson Sep 2013 #24

No way does the sum of federal, state, ss and medicare take 50% of the total amount for some one at karynnj Sep 2013 #18

One thing MFrohike Sep 2013 #89

You misread the chart karynnj Sep 2013 #91

You sure? MFrohike Sep 2013 #92

I.m not a tax expert either, but the 10% band does not go to the slightly over 36K karynnj Sep 2013 #98

Hahaha MFrohike Sep 2013 #102

and it's based on ADJUSTED GROSS SoCalDem Sep 2013 #17

Actually the tax credit can be paid to the insurance company in advance. PoliticAverse Sep 2013 #2

+1. As for how affordable the plans will really be... we'll know soon enough. n/t winter is coming Sep 2013 #3

Yeah, that would suck if you had to pay the full premium up front, Nye Bevan Sep 2013 #4

i.e. Corporate welfare Lydia Leftcoast Sep 2013 #8

Corporate welfare is when a corp is tax subsidized. Nuclear Unicorn Sep 2013 #33

Well, that helps the issue considerably JayhawkSD Sep 2013 #10

Yea, lets pay the irs in advance, love that idea ... this whole ACA is subsidizing insurance comps MindMover Sep 2013 #29

Of course it is. I haven't had health insurance in five yrs and my husband is on SammyWinstonJack Sep 2013 #38

Fortunately, Obamacare is also eliminating the donut hole. Hoyt Sep 2013 #80

Thanks! MFrohike Sep 2013 #90

how affordable will health CARE be? alc Sep 2013 #6

Indeed one of the big questions is how many young, healthy people will sign up for insurance PoliticAverse Sep 2013 #7

ACA allows up to 10% (but not over) enlightenment Sep 2013 #9

Not to mention increased costs being billed by providers JayhawkSD Sep 2013 #11

Not true according to this. The states decide whether to approve pnwmom Sep 2013 #14

If it's 10% or over. enlightenment Sep 2013 #25

Even increases below 10% Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #45

Sure, if they increase them TOO much. enlightenment Sep 2013 #66

It really doesn't matter what HHS believes about 10%. Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #72

Christ on a cracker. enlightenment Sep 2013 #73

The question of premium increases has absolutely no relation Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #74

Nice deflection enlightenment Sep 2013 #76

I have no idea what argument you thought I was making, Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #82

Okay. enlightenment Sep 2013 #96

Yes, that is the argument she was making. Try reading it again. n/t pnwmom Sep 2013 #94

Nicely presented. truedelphi Sep 2013 #42

Where gave you been? Dr. offices already production lines Pretzel_Warrior Sep 2013 #68

Indeed. There are incentives in ACA for that to happen. It's a work in progress. Hoyt Sep 2013 #83

For me, if I continue my current ins outside exchange, cost will double. Inside exchange, uppityperson Sep 2013 #13

Have you ever actually worked out the consequences of what will happen to you if Egalitarian Thug Sep 2013 #19

Tough to fight the glass half full mentality of some on DU. They are doing the facts-lean bluestate10 Sep 2013 #21

Are you talking about me? Not sure where or how you came to that conclusion since I stated otherwise uppityperson Sep 2013 #23

Yes. That is why I have had that policy and am very much looking forward to ACA uppityperson Sep 2013 #22

Something serious? You mean like this? pnwmom Sep 2013 #40

Umm....the consequences are a lot less dramatic with a stop loss at $10,000 Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #47

If you can't even raise $500 it doesn't matter whether it's $10K or $10M. n/t Egalitarian Thug Sep 2013 #48

If you can't raise $500, Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #53

Yes, it does matter. I could eventually deal with $10k, never $10 mil. Why are you dissing me? uppityperson Sep 2013 #61

I'm not dissing you at all. I asked you a question which you answered, thank you. Egalitarian Thug Sep 2013 #67

I bet the deductible is huge too Skittles Sep 2013 #26

2200 yearly for me OOP Steerpike Sep 2013 #77

what's bad is, 2200 is considered pretty good now Skittles Sep 2013 #93

lol Steerpike Sep 2013 #97

electing high deductible is an effort to try to make the premium reasonable Skittles Sep 2013 #100

The question I have, after reading it today, is where does the money for the government subsidy Drahthaardogs Sep 2013 #27

Taxes. The PPACA included several taxes designed to pay for the law... PoliticAverse Sep 2013 #36

The bulk of the money was freed up from student loan reform, though Recursion Sep 2013 #52

Taxes on tanning booths. Also, taking banks out of the student loan loop Recursion Sep 2013 #51

according to the calculator, my son who makes $10.00 an hour and will be 21 notadmblnd Sep 2013 #28

and if he is living with you, then 77 a month is worth it .... ? MindMover Sep 2013 #31

I don't think 20 a week is too much for health insurance if that's what you are asking. notadmblnd Sep 2013 #39

As long as he is living under your roof, 20 is not too much ... if he was living out here on his own MindMover Sep 2013 #44

ACA will cover your kids to Age 26 whether or not they live with you. They can get their own ins uppityperson Sep 2013 #62

but just one injury and a trip to the ER would be a whole lot more notadmblnd Sep 2013 #70

sadly, you are probably correct in your assumptions ... dangerous to his health as they are .... MindMover Sep 2013 #75

Its going to be a whole lot more whether he pays that 20 dollars a week or not... Humanist_Activist Sep 2013 #79

everyone should go here and then check back Steerpike Sep 2013 #81

That's for premium subsidies, not copays and deductible subsidies... Humanist_Activist Sep 2013 #85

I was recently trained on the program Puzzledtraveller Sep 2013 #30

YA GOT THAT RIGHT .... subsidizing insurance companies is not a good idea .... MindMover Sep 2013 #32

That's exactly what it does. Puzzledtraveller Sep 2013 #37

You know Medicare and Medicaid are both provisioned by private insurers, right? Recursion Sep 2013 #50

I really do not know what you are smoking or what virtual reality you are playing ... MindMover Sep 2013 #56

Do you understand the difference between "funded" and "provisioned"? Recursion Sep 2013 #58

This message was self-deleted by its author MindMover Sep 2013 #59

Correct for paper pushers .... the word provisioned is normally used as funding MindMover Sep 2013 #60

What part specifically causes you to think this? n/t PoliticAverse Sep 2013 #34

Any part that insurance companies are involved in will eventually blow up .... MindMover Sep 2013 #35

So is your advice have no insurance? uppityperson Sep 2013 #63

Me too cilla4progress Sep 2013 #54

Here's the big difference Major Nikon Sep 2013 #57

I think you are wrong Pretzel_Warrior Sep 2013 #69

Aside from the expanded Medicaid, I think you're right Yo_Mama Sep 2013 #71

I don't think you are missing anything. LWolf Sep 2013 #41

And if and when they need care or the ER or surgeries, how will they pay for these? NYC_SKP Sep 2013 #46

So far, LWolf Sep 2013 #65

Very affordable, for the people in my town I've checked on the exchange bhikkhu Sep 2013 #43

In most cases the subsidy goes straight to the insurer Recursion Sep 2013 #49

Yes. You're missing half the mythical mans mzmolly Sep 2013 #55

You can adjust your withholding to allow for the credit. WCGreen Sep 2013 #64

everyone should go here and calculate Steerpike Sep 2013 #78

It depends on where you live, if you qualify for a subsidy dflprincess Sep 2013 #84

I'd get ripped of with my employer's plan... Humanist_Activist Sep 2013 #86

I think it will be okay for people who do qualify for subisdies dflprincess Sep 2013 #87

Like I said, I would qualify for subsidies, if my employer didn't offer insurance.. Humanist_Activist Sep 2013 #88

It's really about getting rid of employer-based health insurance for most people duffyduff Sep 2013 #95

I agree. Companies have always hated providing the health care Nay Sep 2013 #101

We know big biz is trying to get around the company mandate, and they will succeed. duffyduff Sep 2013 #99

They are not affordable at all..... but they are more affordable than what we've had KentuckyWoman Sep 2013 #103