My hellacious health care nightmare -- Obamacare has ruined me

[pnwmom]

102. According to a 2012 post, you used to pay $700 monthly before Obamacare. MORE than now.

You say you pay a "price gouging" $650 now -- though you don't explain why, if your income is so low, you don't qualify for a huge subsidy.

But three years ago, before the ACA went into effect, you were paying $700 a month for your personal policy. And you also posted a about suing an HMO doctor for malpractice -- also unrelated to the ACA.

So I don't think you should shouldn't be blaming all your problems on the ACA.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=934510

July 12, 2012

Bingo. My deductible is so high, I've declined tests I need but can't afford.

$2,000 deductible. I need an MRI, but have no savings. Already had a couple other expensive tests, and still have to pay those off. I have to pay $700 a month in premiums too, just for me, because I've had cancer before and this is the cheapest I can buy. It's shameful! And I will probably die anyway one of these days if I can't get diagnosed properly because I can't afford thee tests.





http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=675938

Dec. 17, 2013

I know it helped many people including friends of mine. But my policy was cancelled. I'm in CA which decided NOT to let people keep their plans another year.

I can't qualify for subsidies and couldn't afford anything in the Obamacare because my income was a bit too high. So I'm stuck paying over $100 more a month for a lousy policy with a much higher deductible and higher copays with a company with terrible reviews,, and when they are forced to be ACA compliant in January the rates get jacked up another 5%. I already had my rates TRIPLED to get any coverage at all last year, so this is horrible. I can't afford it, but can't afford no coverage either. I'm 55 and wish they'd just let me go on Medicare early. This is terrible.

I should add I was on Aetna with a great plan. They pulled out of CA due to Obamacare. Then I was on Blue Shield, a better policy at slightly more. They cancelled me with no notice, too this month and I'm stuck now with CIGNA which had bad reviews. I have no other options. I am paying $550 or so a month now for ONE PERSON and it goes up 5% more in January.

How is this "reform?"??????? I head a nonprofit, earned only $8,000 a year last year but becaause of my husband's income I cna't qualify for anything. His income goes 100% for our mortgage, 2 car payments, utilities, food, property taxes, insurance for homes and cars, and virtually nothing else. We're in CA where cost of living is high, hihgest utilities in the nation. Damn, this is NOT what I voted for!


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And AETNA, your preferred provider, has been subjecting its customers to large and unjustified rate increases:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/policyholders-struggle-to-pay-covered-california-premiums-shows-need-for-rate-regulation-says-consumer-watchdog-300092917.html


June, 2015

In May, the California Department of Managed Health Care said Aetna demonstrated a pattern of unjustified rate hikes. The nation's third-largest health insurer in April raised rates by 19.2%, on average, for about 16,000 people covered by small employers. State officials asked Aetna for a smaller increase that would have saved these employers at least $11 million, according the Los Angles Times, but the company refused. Over the past two years, DMHC found two other rate increases by Aetna unreasonable.