Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Many of you have complained that under ObamaCare the cost of health care is going to go up instead of down. This is misinformation at best and disinformation at worst. The latest New York Times has an article about how health care costs are being cut in half through the new insurance exchange for New York State.

You may find the article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/health/health-plan-cost-for-new-yorkers-set-to-fall-50.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130717&_r=0

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Get a grip, Richard. The article is about the cost of health insurance NOT about the cost of health care. These premiums that are going to be so cheap: what's covered, and, more importantly, what's not; what is the annual deductible; how much are co-pays or cost share; is there an annual total out-of-pocket expense?

Are hospital charges (inpatient or outpatient) going down? Are physicians' and surgeons' charges going down? Are prescription meds going down? Are lab fees going down? Are medical tests (MRI's; X-rays; CT scans; EEG's; EKG's; etc.) going down? Are ANY health care costs going down? NO!

Obamacare does NOTHING to decrease the cost of health care; it mandates insurance, period.

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

I just got a letter from my insurance company and it said due to Obama care my premiums are going UP.

Someone posted in another thread that he could not get insurance at affordable rate due to pre existing condition and now he can. While that is great for him what he don't realize is that is because others will pay more so he can pay less.
For a few it may be good for the rest of us it SUCKS.

Frank T Loc: New York, NY

Actually Bart it does impact on the cost of healthcare and bringing that cost down. Some of the changes that went into effect such as not reimbursing hospitals if you're readmitted for the same condition within 30 days of discharge the hospital doesn't get paid because it assumes they didn't treat you correctly the first time are causing hospitals to give better careat a substantial cost saving..
No Obamacare isn't the do all and end all for healthcare but overall it will help. Presently you're paying for all the uninsured people that go to the hospital through increased insurance premiums and increased taxes to support government owned hospitals.
I personally saw a substantial reduction in my health insurance premium so I guess it doesn't, "suck" for me.

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

I'm happy for you. For my wife and I it is costing about $120.00 per month "MORE" for now anyway but I look for it to increase much more in the near future when Obama Care is fully implemented.

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

You are right. My imprecision. The cost of insurance to the consumer is what is discussed. I have a grip, thanks. People have been whining for months about how costs are going up to the consumer. When the cost of health insurance goes down, then this means that the insurance companies are unable to charge as much as before. The cost of insurance is going down for the consumer in New York.

You are right. But you raise a bunch of red herrings, also. Here at last the market is working the way it is theoretically supposed to work, and you still won't believe it.

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Then, if the cost of your premiums are going up, maybe instead of just complaining you ought to be shopping around. When your state has a health exchange showing you all the different rates and all the different plans available to you, you will be able to exercise choice based on facts.

To get your present plan, how much shopping did you actually do ?

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Your final sentence in this post shows how complex your thinking and your investigations are. Is preventative care cost going down ? (Hint: yes)

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

Hmm, good for you, I have been eagerly waiting for a reduction since the unread Affordable Health Care Act has been implemented.

So tell me Frank, which health insurance plan do you have that has substantially reduced it's premiums? Perhaps I will switch. 8-)

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

I switched last winter because this company was the lower price but it is going up.

I find it amazing that you would assume that someone needs you advice to shop for the best deal.
Somehow I managed to think of that on my own. :roll:

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Richard, I apologize for the sharpness of last night's post. I spend much of my time focused on health care for my family. In my family of four, two have serious, chronic health conditions; the other two, chronic but non-serious conditions. Last year, my husband had 92 medical appointments - that wasn't a typo - ninety-two. So far this year, only 35. But, if he can ever get clearance from his cardiologist for three needed (but non-critical) surgeries, this year's appointments could exceed last years. Now, that number does include all lab work, tests, etc.; sometimes he only sees a technician, not a doctor.

I can't think of anything that the gov't gets involved in that results in reduced costs. Can you name a government program that is not rife with fraud? The gov't sticking their fingers in my family's health care scares the dickens out of me.

Yes, I do understand that one focus of Obamacare is to put focus on preventive care by legislating that the insurance companies make certain tests and procedures fully covered. But, NOTHING IS FREE. We will all pay for it, one way or another. My concern with this is what government red tape will be involved. Say, for instance, they pay first dollar for a colonoscopy, perhaps one every five years. I have one, everything is fine. Two years later, I become symptomatic for colon polyps. Insurance won't pay for another scoping for three more years! What kind of hoops am I going to have to jump through and government red tape will be involved for me to get this test approved? This is the type of thing that concerns me. I believe it will remove a lot of our personal control from our personal health care.

For the past many, many years, we have paid an enormous amount of money for our health care. One would think that I would be salivating over the prospect of reduced health care costs. I'm not. I'm just scared.

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

You are easily amazed. A lot of other people do need that advice.

jvo Loc: left coast of the east coast

how can we determine health care costs are going up OR down! call a hospital, ask them how much a procedure will cost... bet you never get an answer!

we will never know how much our health care costs because we have an insurance middle man and we cannot "shop-around" as you would if you had a free market. (you do find out - after the fact)

that's why all we can argue about is health insurance, we can't shop for health care. so much money is wrapped up in health insurance, yet we have no sensible understanding of what a major player (the ins. co.) is making other than a lot of money on our sickness.

like willy sutton said - "it's where the money is."

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

I think it is getting easier to find out costs of individual procedures from hospitals. But we can certainly get information about what a specific insurance plans cost and what they include, if there in your state one of the mandated insurance exchanges ObamaCare requires. It may be a little longer for these healthcare exchanges to become fully established. A lot of Republican-run states are dragging their heels.

However, one thing is certain. Health insurance costs in the State of New York have been cut in half. To assume that insurance doesn't cover things it used to cover is just that -- an assumption generated either by ignorance, the desire for obfuscation, or by the Republican disinformation machine. People are unlikely to change what they want their insurance to cover just because they change to a lower costing plan. If they want hospital stay coverage now, they will probably opt for a plan that includes hospital stay coverage.

The New York Times article I referred to states that health insurance costs are half what they used to be. So now we have strong evidence that at least this aspect of ObamaCare is working the way it was intended to work.

Find the New York Times article HERE: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/health/health-plan-cost-for-new-yorkers-set-to-fall-50.html?nl=afternoonupdate&emc=edit_au_20130717&_r=0

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Hi, Richard. Me, again. There are a multitude of insurance policies available with a wide range of coverage and a wide range of cost. The insurance companies are still businesses. To assume that you are going to get better coverage for a lesser cost is very naïve.