TimS Loc: GA

Can you please quote the section in the editorial where it says how much CA taxpayers have to pay per month for each plan? It says the cost to the insured for the silver is $276/month but does NOT say whether or not CA taxpayers have to subsidize that policy to being it down to $276/month for the insured. In other words, is the actual cost $500/month with the CA state govt chipping in $124/month or something similar?

Please quote the report from the link you provided that answers that question. Also provide a quite from the story at the link you provided that discusses the reasons why my healthcare rates have skyrocketed since Obamacare was passed.

Rbode Loc: Ft lauderdale, Fla

Put your hat back on, you'll need it if you follow the Pied Piper. I read it, the collection of predictions, guesses. As Huey said in another post,"give it 3 or 5 years".

MyPharo Loc: New Jersey

So what you are saying is INSURANCE COMPANIES are screwing you and taking in more money because of Obamacare .. Yep, I do believe you need to sip from that stream of knowledge because you are blaming the Victim not the perpetrator. You believe that Obam is causing the Greedy Insurance Corporations to fill its pockets now because they many not be able to continue to make the obscene profits like they have been in the future. Maybe you need a more than a few sips ..

TimS Loc: GA

I just went on to coveredca.com to give me the cost for healthcare to cover my entire family of a wife and 3 kids all under 21.

All I have to say is WOW. I WAS TOTALLY WRONG. THE CA INSURANCE IS REALLY STINKING AFORDABLE!!!!!! *sarcasm*

My estimated silver monthly premium would be $1,028.

IF I WIN THE LOTTERY THEN $1,000 per month for health insurance sure is affordable!!!

The government also pays for a portion of the premium depending on your income. It seems as though the author of Forbes article cut and pasted above seemed to leave out the fact that the government will subsidize the premiums. The premium remains the same. If I only made $60,000 per year then the govt would give me $682/month. Where does that money come from? That's right...those of us that actually pay taxes. You know - that 48% of us.

TimS Loc: GA

Obamacare mandates that certain procedures and medications be covered 100%. They need to make up for that increased cost somehow. The only way is increase premiums and/or decrease coverage.

I am still waiting for you to respond to my question asking for you to tell me exactly where in the OP article my questions were answered.

I asked a simple question: does the govt have to pay a portion of the premium to get the cost down to $276/month? I also discussed my personal example where my overall healthcare costs took a step increase every since Obamacare was passed.

To that you said I was 'stupid' and that I couldn't read. Well, I ask again. Where I the article that you claim I cannot read does it even discuss those two questions?

Since that post, I have learned that the gov't does indeed subsidize the premiums - depending in income/age/number of family members it can be quite a substantial subsidy. The premium may be affordae to the person buying it but its not affordable to me who will have to pay a portion of it.

Also, insurance rates NEVER drop. Next year, expect the premiums to be web higher. After the law is in full effect for a year and all the wrinkles to iron out, I expect the premiums to be much much higher. Now, the govt may subsidize a larger portion so the policyholder doesn't have to pay much more but that would be at the expense of the taxpayers - like me.

Instead of determining the affordability of coverage based solely on the cost to the insured - you need to factor in the entire cost (which the Forbes author failed to do.)

TimS Loc: GA

In other words, before calling me stupid and that I need to re-read the article, I suggest you learn how to read yourself. Perhaps English is not your native language?

charryl Loc: New Mexico, USA

I, too, just went to the website and did a quick calculation.. Two in our household and our premium estimate is $1380 per month. Thank heavens I have alternatives and don't live in CA.

gmcase Loc: Galt's Gulch

Is it impossible for you to learn not to double or triple post every time you type some collectivist nonsense and insult everyone else's intelligence? Try Ginkgo Biloba or some other brain aid, please. :roll:

MyPharo Loc: New Jersey

Today, the average cost of a family health insurance offered by an employer is $13,375. That’s up 131% over the last decade—a period in which inflation rose only 28%. And one estimate says that if costs continue on their current trajectory, premiums will go up another 166% in the decade ahead.

This is a hard fact. And has been for a long time. Greedy Insurance companies making crazy profits and paying crazy high exec salaries and perks. This is not on Obama was in process way before him. He is in the Office now so he takes the heat. When Congress should have stepped in long ago to lock this down .. Again I say, we are willing to spend Trillions of $$$ on Arms to Kill people, and fund wars that should not be... And yet not seem to be able to find the money to Have health Care for our Citizens. If it was up to me . would would have a US HEALTH CARE for every Citizen of this country and I would place a control on the Profits and CEO Salaries and Perks. They are like a utility and they are out of control it will get to a point where if you are rich you can see a doctor and if you are not . to bad . die ..

KW Conch Loc: USA

I can give you a real world example. I am on Medicare, but my wife still has private insurance through Aetna. She was notified two months ago that her premium is being reduced from $546 monthly to $466 monthly for the same benefits. That is a REDUCTION of $80 month.
Thank you Obamacare ! We live in NC.

TrainNut Loc: Ridin' the rails

I posted this on another page and thought it would fit here too.

The great thing about statistics is if you don't have the whole story you can manipulate them.

Last year michigan had 10 highway deaths over the Memorial day weekend.
7 people were wearing their seatbelts.
3 people were not wearing their seatbelts.
It is safer not to wear your seatbelt, the statistics prove it. :hunf:

Jblanke Loc: Metairie, LA

Well, Koombaya around the bankruptcy fire is still BS.

TimS Loc: GA

Perhaps it's the ever increasing burdens of regulations and lawsuits that are driving up costs. When I first started paying my own medical bills, I dealt with my doctors offices. Now there are associates degrees in medical billing.

Think about that for a minute. Why is medical billing so complicated that it takes someone with a college degree to understand how to send someone a bill for the procedure they just had?

Maybe premiums increase because the govt forces them to continue to cover more and more people, more and more procedures, and more and more medicines. Why does an insurance company need to offer certain things in their plans? Why can't they just have a 'we will cover half your doctor bills and half your prescriptions' plan? Why can't they have a 'we will cover just your well child visits and your yearly physicals and nothing else' plan?

Why can't health insurance be like any other contract? Lay out all the terms up front, let people decide, and if they like it then sign up? The problem is most people won't read the terms and will botch and complain when the company doesn't help defray the cost for procedure X or drug Y. Just like the idiots who did not read their contracts they signed when they bought their house.

But enough if that. It seems your issue is with insurance companies making money. In a capitalist society, they have the right to make as much money as they like and to pay their executive as much as their shareholders will allow. The problem arises when govt tries to meddle with the free market. For example, the insurance companies in my state know they have a somewhat captive audience. They don't need to compete with companies outside GA. They lobby congress to keep it that way. If congress would allow me to get health insurance from a company based in Alaska then perhaps we'd see competition and premiums decrease. Without competition, capitalism breaks down and ceases to function.

You sound like you prefer a socialist form of economics.

TimS Loc: GA

Good for her. Mine went up. So did my neighbor's.

If someone wants to go to the doctor then let them pay for it. I shouldn't have to pay part of their bill.

Jblanke Loc: Metairie, LA

Hey KW, can you send some of that my way??