Way to go Obongo!

[kd]

mattkime wrote:
I think this thread got overly negative because your vague displeasure with your options bares some resemblance to slurs against Obamacare. Hopefully this won't be an issue now that we have something of substance to discuss.

The reaction was rather amazing. I expected to be ignored as is usually the case.

[kd]

Dennis S wrote:
People like kd have been allowing and would continue to allow millions and millions of people to suffer, die, and go bankrupt just to satisfy their own irrational inhumane political fetish.

Dude, you're probably a nice guy in person but here you sound demented. I hope this is just your "internet personality".

[RgrF]

kd wrote:
[quote=Uncle Wig]
kd, allow me to apologize on behalf of the forum for the behavior of Dennis S. and davester.

I just started looking at rates in my state (via WebMD, as the Federal site is swamped and our gov. is refusing to participate). It looks like at my income, my rates could go down by about 30%. But I have not been able to compare plans. I won't say what percent of the poverty level my income is, but it's higher than yours. I'm also curious as to what plan you've been able to afford that sounds so good. My plan is expensive (to me, self employed) and not very useful.

You're very kind. I did notice that davester seems to have a burr under his saddle, but I think it has mostly to do with whatever's rattling around inside his own head. Since he's just some random dude on the internet and doesn't know me at all, I don't take it personally and it doesn't bother me.

Most people wouldn't consider my plan good, in that it has a large deductible, but it suits me. I pay the first $5000 and they pay 100% of everything after that. It works well for me because although my income is currently low, I have plenty of money and am only concerned about truly catastrophic events.
And there's the rub. ACA was designed to provide insurance for those who don't have a lot of money or couldn't qualify for insurance under the current system. Seems you are just another case of I've got mine, screw you.

[kd]

michaelb wrote:
They mystery of this thread is that before the ACA it was essentially impossible to buy individual health insurance as a private individual for a reasonable cost. Certainly not at a poverty level income. So whatever coverage kd is talking about was either provided in large measure by an employer (as a wage), or was a high deductible plan, or was set up in some other way that fails the ACA's "minimum essential coverage" standard. If average folks could have bought affordable insurance before, there would not have been this overwhelming need for reform of the entire marketplace.

Anyone medicaid eligible is not eligible for a subsidy, so if you reject Medicaid you would have to pay the full cost on the exchange, which would be a large portion of your income. There was no change for Medicaid for seniors on Medicare, so they still have asset tests and lower income eligibility levels.

I don't think it is possible to pay "extra" if you are on Medicaid. Medicaid prohibits balance billing as a condition of participation, so your medical providers cannot accept anything more than the Medicaid rate which must be considered payment in full. You could privately pay for non Medicaid participating providers.

Thanks for this helpful post.

I had not intended to be mysterious and hope I've clarified elsewhere. Indeed, few people at my current level of income would be able to afford the plan I have, or really, any reasonable individual plan. I'm atypical in that I have lots of money but little income.

You are correct to surmise that it's a high deductible plan, but some of the ACA-qualified plans offered by the same insurer for 2014 have even higher deductibles so I'm not sure whence comes the disqualification.

[kd]

RgrF wrote:
And there's the rub. ACA was designed to provide insurance for those who don't have a lot of money or couldn't qualify for insurance under the current system. Seems you are just another case of I've got mine, screw you.

Just what is it I said that makes you think that's my attitude? Because it isn't.

You know, you could have a civil discussion instead of being a jackass to people who don't deserve it.

[kj]

Speedy wrote:
[quote=kd]
[quote=Speedy]
Medicaid is the best plan out there. Minimal co-pays and no deductibles.

Cost-wise it seems amazing, but I assume it's harder to find doctors who take Medicaid patients (or maybe really good doctors who do)?
My daughter receives Medicaid. We have never had a medical provider refuse care. We have had dentists who would not accept Medicaid as well as optical (eyeglass) vendors.
In all fairness, it must depend on area because here it's next to impossible to find a doctor who takes medicaid. I don't know that it will continue to be the case though. kj.

[$tevie]

kd wrote:
[quote=michaelb]
They mystery of this thread is that before the ACA it was essentially impossible to buy individual health insurance as a private individual for a reasonable cost. Certainly not at a poverty level income. So whatever coverage kd is talking about was either provided in large measure by an employer (as a wage), or was a high deductible plan, or was set up in some other way that fails the ACA's "minimum essential coverage" standard. If average folks could have bought affordable insurance before, there would not have been this overwhelming need for reform of the entire marketplace.

Anyone medicaid eligible is not eligible for a subsidy, so if you reject Medicaid you would have to pay the full cost on the exchange, which would be a large portion of your income. There was no change for Medicaid for seniors on Medicare, so they still have asset tests and lower income eligibility levels.

I don't think it is possible to pay "extra" if you are on Medicaid. Medicaid prohibits balance billing as a condition of participation, so your medical providers cannot accept anything more than the Medicaid rate which must be considered payment in full. You could privately pay for non Medicaid participating providers.

Thanks for this helpful post.

I had not intended to be mysterious and hope I've clarified elsewhere. Indeed, few people at my current level of income would be able to afford the plan I have, or really, any reasonable individual plan. I'm atypical in that I have lots of money but little income.

You are correct to surmise that it's a high deductible plan, but some of the ACA-qualified plans offered by the same insurer for 2014 have even higher deductibles so I'm not sure whence comes the disqualification.
Are you in fact being refused the ability to purchase anything except Medicaid? Or are you merely seeing that with your income you only "qualify" for Medicaid? In other words, does it say anywhere that you will not be allowed to spend money for any of the healthcare plans available, if you wish to? Have you called and asked a human being to find you a plan similar to the one you are losing? They do have human beings available to assist you. Or you could have an insurance broker do it, if you have lots of money it could be well worth it to you to skip the need to do all the research. It sounds to me like you can purchase whatever insurance you want wherever you want, so why limit yourself to the ACA web site.

[Dennis S]

"I have plenty of money and am only concerned about truly catastrophic events myself.

Yes, dude, I am a truly nice person in person. So nice that I care a lot for the unfortunate. I am fed up with people who don't.

[$tevie]

I think you misunderstood him, Dennis. What he means is he can afford a sprained wrist or a slipped disk, and is only concerned about stuff like being hit by a bus or getting cancer. He sounds like a young'un.

[kd]

$tevie wrote:
Are you in fact being refused the ability to purchase anything except Medicaid? Or are you merely seeing that with your income you only "qualify" for Medicaid? In other words, does it say anywhere that you will not be allowed to spend money for any of the healthcare plans available, if you wish to? Have you called and asked a human being to find you a plan similar to the one you are losing? They do have human beings available to assist you. Or you could have an insurance broker do it, if you have lots of money it could be well worth it to you to skip the need to do all the research. It sounds to me like you can purchase whatever insurance you want wherever you want, so why limit yourself to the ACA web site.

I'm not limiting myself to the exchange, but it's one of the options I have to consider in my due diligence. I have been told that the exchange will not offer me anything but Medicaid. I don't understand why it wouldn't also offer me unsubsidized plans, but I've been told that it won't, and a third party website that I checked a couple of days ago seemed to confirm that. The exchange itself has not worked for me so far so I can't be certain.

So based on the information I've seen to date, my choices will be either Medicaid, or an unsubsidized private plan outside the exchange. After all the time I spent researching and picking my current plan, it's a hassle being back to square one, but I don't expect to need help doing it all again provided the details are available in writing.