Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

It is not naive for several reasons:

1) Whenever there is competition , theoretically this drives costs down. There is now wide open competition concerning health insurance rates in many places, and this will increase as more and more states set up the mandated health insurance exchanges. Are you trying now to tell us that the market no longer works this way ? Republicans have claimed for years that it does.

2) All health insurance will now have to have free preventative health care in their policies. Are we to believe that if you prevent something that needs to be treated from happening, and thus prevent the need to pay for treatment, that this will not lower health care costs ?

3) Furthermore, that everyone will now be required to have health insurance and thus will be able to have illnesses treated before this requires emergency room attention should dramatically reduce treatment costs in hundreds of thousands of cases.

Now, if you don't believe any one of these propositions, please show us your reasoning. A lot of people find fault with ObamaCare simply because they don't want to admit that ObamaCare is one of the most significant programs ever to have come into existence. Believe what you want to believe, but this is how the market will work.

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

Actually, the Times article refers to predictions from various individuals regarding some people who presently have certain health plans.

As the Times is a loyal administration mouthpiece and weighed in heavily on the side of ObamaCare, it is not surprising they attempt to spin such sweeping generalizations before they even occur.

This is a quote from the article you posted, near the bottom of course, and hardly gives me much confidence that my rates will be reduced.

"The new premium rates do not affect a majority of New Yorkers, who receive insurance through their employers, only those who must purchase it on their own. Because the cost of individual coverage has soared, only 17,000 New Yorkers currently buy insurance on their own. About 2.6 million are uninsured in New York State."

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

This contention jumped right out at me. No, everyone will not be required to have health insurance. This would have rendered the "Act" unconstitutional. One can continue not to have health insurance but can then be taxed because of that choice. Certainly, as a continuous supporter of the "Act" you are aware of this? 8-)

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

I am aware of that.

tilly77

First off- you quote the NY-Times- that's your first mistake. 2nd- if immigration goes thru, tell me how health costs go down! This thing is a disaster through and through.

mickeys Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

the price of Health care has been going up way before Obama. the greed of Doctors, Hospitals, ect. ect.

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Under the AHCA we will still be paying for those same people to go to the hospital thanks to the "Government"(ie. our money) provided and/or mandated subsidies they will now receive.

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Funny thing, the article you reference makes no mention of the fact that health insurance premiums have increased close to 300% since the AHCA started making it's way through the legislation process. It's the old retailers trick, jack up the price 3 times, then market it to the consumer at the sale price of "50% off", and most will not even make the connection that they are really paying 50% more. The health insurers and the taxman are the real immediate winners in the AHCA

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Yes, we will still be paying for people to go to the hospital, but fewer of them will he going to the emergency room for treatment and more of them will be going sooner for regular, less expensive treatment. Getting one's medical needs attended to in the emergency room is much more expensive than having medical care through regularly scheduled medical appointments.

Is it just that you are against helping other people lead decent, healthy lives ? How mean-spirited can you get ? You know, we don't live alone. We live in a society. The nature of society is that we are banded together to help one another. It doesn't matter what culture you live in. That's the nature of society.

Can I suggest that you plunk yourself down in a place like Suvorov Atoll in the Cook Islands, where you can live alone ? You won't have to bother with other people in a place like that. Of course, because of the generosity of other people, who will occasionally stop by in their yachts and bring you gifts of coffee and bacon and such, you will become a minor burden on them. But they won't mind this.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Two different topics. The right wing has said health insurance rates would go up and they are not!

Cost of health care is entirely different.

What is covered will and is competitive just like today but more expensive to the individual to buy now than it will be under Obamacare!

You want to address health care costs then lets do so.

1. Have price controls on all health care!

Something I am not for but you seem to espouse. The trouble with the right wing is that you all never think a problem through to its logical ends.

2. Mandate that everyone walk at least 2 miles per day and change their diet.

3. Give the EPA sweeping powers to clean the air and water supply.

You right wingers ready for those actions?

You people make me laugh!

Get beyond the bumper sticker and think.

DEBJENROB Loc: DELRAY BEACH FL

Considering your situation .... thanks to Obamacare ... neither you nor your husband can be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions ..... You should thank Obama every day for that change

bw3 Loc: Vermillion, SD

BS

KW Conch Loc: USA

kcornman, can you cite a source for this ridiculous statement ?
My wife's insurance premium for her Aetna health insurance dropped from $546 to $466 monthly for the same coverage since Obamacare. How do you explain that ?

KW Conch Loc: USA

Richard, here is further evidence that Obamacare is working as intended. It comes from the state of Oregon. It's not perfect and it still has wrinkles to iron out. If only the Republicans would try to help make the plan work better instead of doing all they can to obstruct, problems could be fixed sooner than later.


Oregon Insurers vying to lower premiums because of Obamacare

5/10/2013 3:48pm by John Aravosis

Health insurance companies in Oregon are trying to lower their premiums, in order to compete with each other, ever since the state started publishing a policy-by-policy comparison online, per the requirements of Obamacare.

It seems the insurers suddenly discovered that if one of them charges people $169 a month, and the other $422 a month, for the same coverage, people might just choose the former rather than the latter.

It’s an amazing story. And it’s exactly what Obamacare is intended to do. Make it easier for consumers to compare insurance policies. Currently it’s a zoo. I tried comparing plans a few months ago, and couldn’t make heads or tails of the plans even within my own insurer, let alone between companies. Hopefully all that will soon change.

And insurance experts say that what’s going on in Oregon is only “a taste” of what’s to come.

Having said that, all is not gold. People on the individual market might be seeing premium increases as a result of insurers having to now cover people with pre-existing conditions. But, we also should, hopefully, see a lot more healthy people buying plans as well, to avoid the law’s penalties, so that should hopefully help even out premiums.

I know with my CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, it actually went down last year, for the first time, before going up a sizable amount this year I now pay $587 a month in premiums. When I checked on the “new” Obamacare plans in DC, the ones that don’t have annual limits on prescription drug coverage (my current plan has a $1500 annual limit on prescription drugs), the monthly would be $764. That’s 30% more just for the prescription drug coverage. They really are bastards.

But of course, if I don’t get the prescription drug coverage, then I’m subject to the other bastards, America’s pharmaceutical industry, and the politicians, of both parties, they’ve bought off. Americans pay up to five times what Europeans pay for the same prescription drugs made by the same pharmaceutical companies. Big Pharma simply charges Americans more, because they can. In Europe, many governments negotiate lower prices. So if you don't pay more for the premium, you pay more for the prescription drugs.

Best health care in the world, unless you get sick. Then it’s not so good.

Still, it’s a positive sign that at least there’s some competition coming somewhere from all of this. Hopefully, once things move into full gear this fall, we’ll see real savings across the country – at least in blue states. Red states that are refusing to implement Obamacare can pray for God to pay their hospital bills.

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

For perspective and accuracy. The above article is an opinion piece from the Americanblog and can be found here:
http://americablog.com/2013/05/oregon-insurers-vying-to-lower-premiums-because-of-obamacare.html

The bold face above was done by me. There seems to be quite a bit of hoping going on. Hmmmm......seems to remind me of something.

Here is the article the blogger based his interpretation on if anyone is interested:

Two Oregon insurers rethink 2014 premiums as state posts first-ever rate comparison
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/05/two_oregon_insurers_reconsider.html

Yep, the blogger is hoping that due to two insurers rethinking their premiums all will be well. Hey, who knows? I am still waiting for mine to go down. 8-)