Worse Than the Mob: The Insurance Industry Is Organized Crime

[matt819]

69. So much for the free market

I'm in NH, and my experience with Anthem has been mixed. And since I'm rushing out the door, I won't go into that. But one point I would like to make is that there is anything but a free market for ACA health insurance in NH. As WRP observes, Anthem is the only provider. Sure, they have 11 plans, and that's okay, but, well, but. . . monopoly. Okay, let's say you've found the plan you think you need and can afford. How the hell can you compare it to anything else? Other insurers in the state might not offer insurance of the same type, so you're never given the opportunity to compare apples to apples. And even if you thought you were comparing apples, you'd never know because the plans are so fucking dense with conditions, options, and the like.

On balance, the insurance premium for me and spouse is almost to the penny the same as it was with my previous Anthem plan and my wife's previous plan from another insurer. So far the coverage is pretty decent, and in the event of a disaster our out of pocket will be less than under the previous plans. So that's a positive. And they couldn't turn us down, so that's a positive as well.

I'll let you know later if we run into the same brick walls as WRP when you actually need a human response to a human need. It can be challenging.