ACA Running Thread

[Deacs89]

The worst idea is to allow insurers to sell across state lines. They will do exactly what credit card companies have done. They will move their HQs to the states with the least protect of consumers and rates. If you think it's a pain in the ass to deal with insurance companies now, pray that they will never be able to sell across state lines.

It's also a myth that prices will drop if that happens. The giants will go into states and create virtual monopolies (even greater than today) and quickly have no competition. Rates will sky rocket with no way to control them.

well at least ACA has them on the run. Now they don't even want to deal with the government. much better.

 

[jhmd2000]

Isn't that they way virtually all Democratic plans are designed to work.....to provide for the lower income class and screw the middle class?

Working people who were doing the responsible thing before this bill was rammed through before it was even read are hurt most by this dreadful plan. They were much, much better off before their premiums skyrocketed and their deductibles rose to provide the give-away necessary for people who didn't have coverage. Pretty much everybody's plans went up, but the working middle class was in the worst position to absorb these increases. This, the most regressive tax increase passed by any President in my lifetime, is the signature act of this outgoing administration, and it is a complete failure. Imagine my surprise.

 

[Deacs89]

So it's actually Pubs fault that Obama's awful bill is awful. Sounds legit.

I think if you unpack this it is Bush's fault. Also deciding to pass it to find out whats in it may have not been the best strategy. I don't know why Dems can not call this a disaster at every stage in the process. They can be happy they have it but to deny the absolute shit show it has been is laughable the blame rests with the left, Obama and the hollywood whores that helped peddle this garbage.

 

[RJKarl]

Just reviewed some employees health care plans today. First one I saw jumped from $330/month to $814/month. Second one went from $315/month to $750/month.

I think pretty much all our employees are going to drop their coverage and just pay the fine. $10,000 a year for healthcare is ridiculous for pretty much anyone making less than $50,0000/year, and even if you are making over that it is going to be a stretch. This thing is going to get ugly before it gets better. Republicans are going to help fix a system of healthcare that they predicted would fail, and then predictably it did fail. They are going to to settle for nothing less than eliminating Obamacare and starting something new. The worse it gets, the better it is politically for them, so the leverage is all on their side. Will be interesting to see if Hillary breaks or if she rides out the storm and tries to turn around the spin. If she tries that to save Obamacare I think it haunts her entire presidency (however long that is).

MS has the worst healthcare in the country. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/m...ns/fund-report/2015/dec/2015_scorecard_v5.pdf

And this:

50 States and D.C. Ranked by Health Insurance Costs

Here is the full ranking of the 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst, according to their health insurance costs for the silver plan with the lowest monthly premium in each state.

1 New Mexico 18 Minnesota 35 Nebraska
2 Utah 19 Virginia 36 North Carolina
3 California 20 Iowa 37 Georgia
4 Texas 21 Nevada 38 Florida
5 Pennsylvania 22 New Hampshire 39 Alaska
6 Michigan 23 Maine 40 Tennessee
7 District of Columbia 24 Kentucky 41 Missouri
8 Hawaii 25 North Dakota 42 Colorado
9 Oregon 26 West Virginia 43 Wyoming
10 Idaho 27 Washington 44 Delaware
11 Wisconsin 28 Ohio 45 Indiana
12 Connecticut 29 Montana 46 Oklahoma
13 Arizona 30 Maryland 47 Mississippi
14 Louisiana 31 Arkansas 48 New Jersey
15 Illinois 32 South Dakota 49 Alabama
16 Kansas 33 Rhode Island 50 South Carolina
17 Massachusetts 34 Vermont 51 New York

Add to this that MS has the lowest per capita income and you have a perfect storm for working people in your state.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

the republicans had their chance to contribute positively to the development of the legislation

they chose to stamp their feet instead

 

[jhmd2000]

the republicans had their chance to contribute positively to the development of the legislation

they chose to stamp their feet instead

Correct. The working class whose premiums and deductibles are now going to cost their families health insurance have only one party to thank.

 

[Deacon923]

If only there were something that the state of Mississippi could do to make health insurance more accessible to the working poor... http://kff.org/health-reform/slide/current-status-of-the-medicaid-expansion-decision/

 

[Deacsfan27]

So it's actually Pubs fault that Obama's awful bill is awful. Sounds legit.

Some people think it's Obama's fault that the Republicans elected Donald Trump, so spare me.

Based on my income last year I had the option of a $160 per month Catastrophic plan, or a $400 per month basic plan. I obviously chose the former. Increased 19% to around $190 for the same plan this year. Not really sure what I'm going to do.

As a healthy 26 year old, I am the target market for who needs to buy insurance to help the costs go down, but it's nearly impossible for me to afford a "normal" plan monthly rate.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

Correct. The working class whose premiums and deductibles are now going to cost their families health insurance have only one party to thank.

yep, they had decades of time in power and chose to do nothing

 

[DG3]

Some people think it's Obama's fault that the Republicans elected Donald Trump, so spare me.

Based on my income last year I had the option of a $160 per month Catastrophic plan, or a $400 per month basic plan. I obviously chose the former. Increased 19% to around $190 for the same plan this year. Not really sure what I'm going to do.

As a healthy 26 year old, I am the target market for who needs to buy insurance to help the costs go down, but it's nearly impossible for me to afford a "normal" plan monthly rate.

Do these people post on these boards? Because there are people on this page who somehow blame the GOP for the ACA.

 

[jhmd2000]

Do these people post on these boards? Because there are people on this page who somehow blame the GOP for the ACA.

If you were new here, this would be either stunning or hilarious.

 

[DG3]

yep, they had decades of time in power and chose to do nothing

So, due to non-participation in the drafting of the bill and without ability to vote it down at the time, the GOP is at fault for the ACA? I'm just taking notes over here for the next time a woman catches me dead to left in something and I've gotta turn it around on her. This is good stuff.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

So, due to non-participation in the drafting of the bill and without ability to vote it down at the time, the GOP is at fault for the ACA? I'm just taking notes over here for the next time a woman catches me dead to left in something and I've gotta turn it around on her. This is good stuff.

well it seems like we all live in a fantasy world here so why the fuck not

 

[Deacsfan27]

Do these people post on these boards? Because there are people on this page who somehow blame the GOP for the ACA.

2and2

 

[DG3]

well it seems like we all live in a fantasy world here so why the fuck not

Even Simone Biles would be proud of this routine.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

better cash in those simone biles jokes, time's running out

 

[DG3]

2and2

That's in jest, no?

 

[Deacsfan27]

That's in jest, no?

Let me try to find it. I am almost positive that it is not in jest.

 

[Deacon923]

it's a pointless discussion that has been cycled through on this thread probably over 100 times.

The fact is that the ACA is a mess and needs to be fixed. Republicans have decided that "repeal" is the hill they're going to die on, and Democrats have decided that they will never, ever vote for anything that could be characterized as a "repeal". The only fixes that anyone has put on the table are:

GOP: go back to the McCain 2008 plan of "compete across state lines" but with some of the popular features such as no lifetime caps or prior illness exclusions. Democrats will never vote for this because it basically constitutes a repeal and does nothing to help poor people get insurance except blind trust in the magic of the market.

Dem: add a public option or Medicare buy-in, allow Medicare and public option to negotiate with providers and drug companies to bring down costs. GOP will never vote for this because it's not a "repeal", expands government, would require raising taxes, etc., and also will face huge lobbying opposition from the powerful Big Pharma/Big Hospital cabal so many Dems will also run from it.

Until someone puts together a coalition strong enough to take on the providers and push through a true single-payer system, the American people are stuck with this mess for the foreseeable future.

 

[RJKarl]

So, due to non-participation in the drafting of the bill and without ability to vote it down at the time, the GOP is at fault for the ACA? I'm just taking notes over here for the next time a woman catches me dead to left in something and I've gotta turn it around on her. This is good stuff.

The states that typically have the highest rates (especially as related to per capita income) are those who have governments who didn't want to participate. Those are GOP.