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Obamacare

Signed up

0 votes

Got a rate, but didn't sign up

2 votes

Didn't check, doesn't affect me

15 votes

My effing insurance got canceled!!!

0 votes

Obamacare is evil, and Barry Obama is a muslim, socialist devil.

2 votes

A Boy Named Seo Nov 13 2013 02:28 PM

The number of enrollees throughout the nation (and California) are getting reported, and I was curious if anyone checked it out, signed up, got a rate but didn't sign up, etc. I have insurance through my employer (a decent PPO), but I checked Covered California anyway to see what the real rates were, and to find out who was full of shit or not about how much it really costs. I'm a 38, single, non-smoking, fairly healthy dude and the cheapest HMO was around $185 IIRC (edit: per month), and the cheapest PPO was $220/mnth. I was expecting higher and was fairly surprised. There was a boatload of options at various price points and from different providers to drill through. Like I said, I already have a PPO through work (and it's cheaper per month by about $100), but it was reassuring to know I could get something pretty affordable if I quit and went self-employed or whatever. So anyone else have a look? BTW- I tried to check it out the first week, but the site was a piece of shit. Had no probs about 2 weeks later.

Ceetar Nov 13 2013 02:37 PM Re: Obamacare

I just checked it out, about $700-$750 a month for the Silver breakdown for me and my wife in NJ. This of course is completely useless as I have no idea how much she pays, and it's pretax, for our healthcare.

A Boy Named Seo Nov 13 2013 02:45 PM Re: Obamacare

Silver breakdown? They tier it like Met tickets?

Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2013 02:51 PM Re: Obamacare

Yes, but the line at the HealthCare.gov Shake Shack has a three-month wait.

Ceetar Nov 13 2013 02:53 PM Re: Obamacare

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Silver breakdown? They tier it like Met tickets? pretty much. "Covers 70% of costs"

TransMonk Nov 13 2013 03:15 PM Re: Obamacare

I'm on COBRA until June, but I really need to take a look. I've got some pretty heavy pre-existings...so I'm expecting a premium in the $350/month area. The starting of this thread put checking out the rates on my to-do list for this weekend. I will report back.

Ceetar Nov 13 2013 03:16 PM Re: Obamacare

TransMonk wrote: I'm on COBRA until June, but I really need to take a look. I've got some pretty heavy pre-existings...so I'm expecting a premium in the $350/month area. The starting of this thread put checking out the rates on my to-do list for this weekend. I will report back. it took less time than it took to to write the reply to this, fwiw.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 13 2013 04:21 PM Re: Obamacare

It's enrollment time at my work too (we lost a nice plan when Wifey Bucket left her job earlier this year and got on my company's shit plan). I know our rates are going up and I wouldn't mind sticking it to them if I found something comparable. Will report back.

themetfairy Nov 13 2013 04:35 PM Re: Obamacare

We're insured through D-Dad's job - we're not affected.

TransMonk Nov 13 2013 04:36 PM Re: Obamacare

Well, I'm not sure where you went, but I went to healthcare.gov and it took about 20 minutes to register and submit my info...(the "Create Account button did not work for me in Firefox, but did in Chrome). Also, the tools used to narrow the list of plans by deductibles and premiums desired did not work for me...so it took longer to compare. It looks like I can find a similar or slightly better plan than the COBRA plan I am on now for a price that is slightly less than the $350 I was expecting. I have dozens of plans to choose from and will have to do some comparisons. I'm going to spend some time sifting through. I'll end up choosing one of these coverages because my company does not offer insurance. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised by the price and the fact that I will not have to switch doctors.

Mets – Willets Point Nov 13 2013 04:44 PM Re: Obamacare

Haven't looked it, even out of idle curiosity because I don't want to add traffic to the site. My employer offers amazing benefits so I'm fortunate to not have to look elsewhere.

TransMonk Nov 13 2013 05:40 PM Re: Obamacare

I can't change my poll vote, but I signed up for a 01/01/14 effective date. Current plan: $396 per month / $2500 deductible / $6000 max out-of-pocket / $25 family doc co-pay / $10 generic drug co-pay ACA plan: $362 per month / $0 deductible / $1700 max out of pocket / $20 family doc co-pay / $4 generic drug co-pay Again, I'm on COBRA, so if I were still with my old employer I would only be paying about $150 a month towards my current plan. But considering I've been on COBRA for almost a year, I'm now used to paying the high premium and would rather be able to budget for a monthly premium than be stuck paying a big deductible if something goes wrong. I know that goes against most people's betting on insurance, but I've dipped into deep deductibles more than a couple times in my life and it's a headache I could do without. For argument's sake, PPO plans that were offering a $2500 deductible through the ACA were averaging between $250-$300 per month for my demographics. The website wasn't anywhere near perfect, but it worked. I used to be licensed to sell health insurance, so I could navigate the plan descriptions and terminology fairly easily...but I could understand if some people would be easily confused by the presentation on the site.

A Boy Named Seo Nov 13 2013 09:22 PM Re: Obamacare

Ah, cool. I'm glad it worked in one instance anyway, because I think the idea of it at its core is a good thing. We'll see how the IRL implementation lives up to it. Maybe COBRA's such a racket to begin with that it wasn't the toughest price to beat. Glad for the Monks, just the same. Curious, pre-existings are not supposed to be an issue as I understand it. Any indication whether that was the case for you?

TransMonk Nov 14 2013 06:40 AM Re: Obamacare Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 14 2013 07:10 AM

Nope. I input my DOB, SSN and gave them my non-smoking status. No health questions were asked. My COBRA rate is essentially the rate that my old employer got that they were splitting with me when I worked there (approximately a 70/30 split where they payed about 70%). COBRA gave me the option of keeping the coverage (which I had to do because my wife was pregnant at the time and individual health plans didn't accept actively pregnant women). I should explain that the rates in the post above are just for me. I got my wife and child off the COBRA plan (which was costing over $1000/month for the 3 of us) onto their own individual plans after my daughter was born. In addition to the high premiums, we had a $5000 family deductible that needed to be met before any insurance went towards the birth expenses (which we knew going in and planned on, so I'm not really complaining about...but it goes to show that hospitals and insurance companies took a lot out of cash out of me this year.). Neither my wife or child had any pre-existings, so they were able to get their own affordable rate coverage back in July. I had to stay on the COBRA due to my health history. Again, having worked in health insurance before, I know that prior to the ACA I would have been declined individual coverage due to pre-exisitng conditions. I am very much a beneficiary of the ACA. Without it, I would have very few and astronomically expensive options for health care coverage for myself. I suppose Paul Ryan would call me a taker, but I make a comfortable living for a small company that doesn't offer a health plan. I pay my taxes and am willing to pay higher premiums for coverage rather than have no coverage at all. Another group that will benefit from the ACA: retired pro athletes. I know from experience that unless they went to work for some corporate company after their pro careers ended, it was very hard for them to find health coverage on their own simply due to the wear and tear that their bodies went through playing sports. In the past they would have likely been declined individual coverage and would have had to pay out of pocket for any health care they received after their retirement.

sharpie Nov 14 2013 06:58 AM Re: Obamacare

covered through the work plan. Both my kids are also covered through my work also but my daughter will age out in a little over a year.

metirish Nov 14 2013 07:04 AM Re: Obamacare

TransMonk wrote: Nope. I input my DOB, SSN and gave them my non-smoking status. No health questions were asked. A much needed success story for that website. what a disaster that has been. Covered through my job thankfully.

d'Kong76 Nov 14 2013 07:23 AM Re: Obamacare

Didn't check, doesn't affect me A little over 100,000 have enrolled so far by one account. 500,000 were projected for the first month ... so much for projections. Millions will or have lost their existing coverage. The Prez has apologized and it's seemingly been accepted. What a mensch. Oh, and the government didn't shut down but nothing's being done about that little detail looming large on the horizon. Again. Our premium goes up approx 12.5% Jan 1 ... glad everyone is happy with the new system.

sharpie Nov 14 2013 07:44 AM Re: Obamacare

My premium at work is going down.

d'Kong76 Nov 14 2013 09:22 AM Re: Obamacare

sharpie wrote: My premium at work is going down. Interesting, I wonder why.

Mets – Willets Point Nov 14 2013 09:27 AM Re: Obamacare

My understanding is that people are being cut from their healthcare coverage because douchebag corporate types are being douchebags and taking advantage of ACA to save expenses. And people are surprised? Obama's biggest mistake was to model ACA on a plan by the right-wing Heritage Foundation that had been previously put into practice by "Mr. 47%" himself Mitt Romney. But Obama was afraid of being called a Socialist and so in the typically Democratically spineless way got behind a plan which provides big government handouts to corporate interests. He got called a Socialist anyway. He should've fought for a single-payer system with which we'd all be better off.

A Boy Named Seo Nov 14 2013 09:33 AM Re: Obamacare

Kong76 wrote: sharpie wrote: My premium at work is going down. Interesting, I wonder why. Mine was the exact same this year. First time that's ever happened in the 9 years I've worked here. I don't know if was the same for all of my co-workers.

sharpie Nov 14 2013 09:36 AM Re: Obamacare

I think mine went down as the company got bigger in a merger and so was able to lean on the insurance company for better rates. Isn't that the way insurance works -- the larger the pool the smaller the premiums should be?

d'Kong76 Nov 14 2013 09:36 AM Re: Obamacare

Mets – Willets Point wrote: My understanding is that people are being cut from their healthcare coverage because douchebag corporate types are being douchebags and taking advantage of ACA to save expenses. There's a lot more reasons than to save expenses, but if painting it that way helps you I'm cool with that. I don't see big business as the enemy ... I see big government as one. I just hope I never have to go on a government-run anything plan in my lifetime but time will tell.

Ceetar Nov 14 2013 09:57 AM Re: Obamacare

TransMonk wrote: Well, I'm not sure where you went, but I went to healthcare.gov and it took about 20 minutes to register and submit my info...(the "Create Account button did not work for me in Firefox, but did in Chrome). oh, I didn't go through apply, just looked at rates. Trying now. waiting for the confo email. Poorly programmed verification crap here. "Ceetar" is not a valid username. bleh, why does my username have to be a super special password? and to digress, "Favorite radio station" is a dumb security question. Favorite when? when did I sign up? do I remember? I put WFAN, which won't be the case once the Mets are on whatever the letters are. But on a different day I might've put WQXR.

TransMonk Nov 14 2013 10:06 AM Re: Obamacare

Yes, the security question options are some of the poorest I've ever seen. The phone number of a relative? I haven't remembered a relative's phone number in years.

Ceetar Nov 14 2013 10:07 AM Re: Obamacare

TransMonk wrote: Yes, the security question options are some of the poorest I've ever seen. The phone number of a relative? I haven't remembered a relative's phone number in years. pick an important date to you! Hope it's the same date you guess next time! sorry, 10/10/10 is not formatted correctly, but 101010 is okay. hope you remember that next time too!

Mets – Willets Point Nov 14 2013 10:13 AM Re: Obamacare Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 14 2013 10:17 AM

Kong76 wrote: I don't see big business as the enemy ... I see big government as one. My fear is big business taking control of government, and the ACA is another means by which a piece of government has been sold off to corporate interests. They're making the government smaller by consolidating power in the hands of the elite few. This is not a good thing. I believe in "government of the people, by the people, for the people." The people currently number over 317 million. That's a big government and that's what we should be fighting for. Big government is us.

d'Kong76 Nov 14 2013 10:13 AM Re: Obamacare

101010 was Mariano's number in binary code so that should be easy to remember. Some guy named Robinson too.

A Boy Named Seo Nov 14 2013 10:16 AM Re: Obamacare

Lame and dated Obamacare security questions: What is your best friend's beeper number? What is your favorite soft drink: RC Cola, Jolt, or new Coke? What is your favorite Molly Ringwald movie? Please register using your AOL user name. Standard dial-up rates apply.

Edgy MD Nov 18 2013 07:35 AM Re: Obamacare

Just met yesterday with a friend with a chronic illness and a modest income (related to her chronic illness). She's among those losing her insurance and she's left to pick among more expensive packages that offer her less and her life just got notably worse. That's real. Another friend runs a restaurant, had to cut his own insurance to make it through a dry spell, and then his cancer returned. His life just got notably better. That's real too.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2013 01:43 PM Re: Obamacare

With all this talk of Hillary running again for Prez ... I can't help but wonder why no one remembers as Presidential Partner she vowed to reform health care and failed miserably.

Edgy MD Nov 19 2013 01:47 PM Re: Obamacare

She couldn't get the support in Congress. Maybe her plan would have ultimately been a better reform package. Then, as with President Obama's package, the newly elected Democratic president tried to get it through at the beginning of this administration, before the midterms weakened his position. He had the advantage (I guess) of trying to sell it (initially, anyhow) as part of his economic recovery package. She also was hurt by the perception that she was operating with cabinet-level authority, while not being a cabinet secrecretary.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2013 01:51 PM Re: Obamacare

Edgy MD wrote: She couldn't get the support in Congress. Famous last words

sharpie Nov 19 2013 01:54 PM Re: Obamacare

Both Roosevelts, Truman and Nixon also tried to get it done and failed. No one said it was easy.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2013 03:05 PM Re: Obamacare

*golf clap* .... I suppose, you're right

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2013 06:21 PM Re: Obamacare

Still, 8 years is a lot of time to get something done. She didn't bark about it much in her primary push for Prez.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 19 2013 07:26 PM Re: Obamacare

Once you had the suspiciously-well-funded opposition and "Harry and Louise," and the Democrats splintered behind her instead of rallying to reform/support the plan, and it died in Congress... yeah, that was it. And then, later the same year, the Gingrich House. She didn't have eight years... she had 18 months, made a couple of missteps, and that was that. And yeah, she didn't talk THAT much about that particular effort. Because when you're running for President, you don't highlight your political failures.

d'Kong76 Nov 19 2013 07:38 PM Re: Obamacare

I don't get what people see in this family... but whatever. Gonna research Pelosicare next. Wtf has this lady done. Ever?