SteveR Loc: Michigan

Affordable Care Act? What a misnomer. With high deductibles, what people are really getting is catastrophic care insurance. They might be able to see a doctor for a co-pay, depending on their plan, BUT, if they need lab tests, they'll have to pay out of pocket up front. AND whatever insurance they have will not knock that original lab charge of $200+ down to the insurance company contractual price of $35 until the deductible is met, so guess what, the individual is stuck paying the $200+. Same thing if he/she needs a $3000+ MRI which insurance would pay $950 for. The individual will get stuck paying the 3K if their deductible is as high as 6K. And for those of us who take part of our compensation in the form of quality health insurance getting hit with a luxury tax.....that's, well, that's just not right.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

8-) 8-) 8-) Health care? This is an outright scheme to register the entire population in a database that the federal government will use to control the entire nation. The socialists have been unable to register gun owners. Now the communists are trying to subvert society with a ridiculous scam of "health care". The care you need is what the government will dangle as the carrot for the control of your mind, or what is left of it. Barry O never showed a concern for health care when in congress. He has no interest in it now. The talk is not centered on the care, it is focused on the real issue, registration. Stalin would have loved this buffoon.

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

Oh Boy you better turn the fan down on low because you know it is coming. Wait for it. Wait for it Incoming

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Frankly, I don't think that post has anything to do with the original post, which questions the quality of the health insurance that is being pedaled by the ACA. Frankly, Ted Kennedy would roll over in his grave. My son had coverage in the Texas Health Pool with a $2500 deductible. Now he'll have a $6000 deductible.

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

That is true but I think both your post and the one David made are both true.

If you can find a policy it will cost more in premiums and also have much higher deductible.

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

The ACA is just a smoke screen to force everyone into the pit they can't afford and turn it into a single payor system pushing the insurance companies into bankruptcy.
Just one more step toward making everyone dependent on the democratic party liberals.

Fstop12 Loc: Kentucky

Steve I'm not sure that this is correct. It is true that some people are experiencing higher deductibles. I think it might be correct if the patient uses an out of network provider for their care. If the provider of medical services is in the network then it would work like this. I will use your example.
A patient needs an MRI. The facility doing the MRI is an IN-Network provider for the Patient's Insurance. What this means is the Provider agrees to accept the contracted Allowable payment for the MRI, NOT, the Retail Price. So if the provider Billed 3000 dollars for the MRI and the contracted allowable was 960 dollars, then the patient would be responsible for the 960 dollars if none of his/her deductible had been met. The 960 dollars would then be applied to the patient's deductible for the calendar year. This is usually explained on what's called the EOMB or Explanation of Medical Benefits the patient would receive from the Insurance company showing the Medical Provider's Charge, Insurance Allowable, and Patient's responsibility if any. This is how it used to work, I don't think it has changed.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

SteveR, I am sympathetic to your problems with a system with flaws (no a flawed system).

When I was teaching 2006-09, a Colonoscopy was an out patient process, so the Florida Teachers insurance would pay $200 of the $1000. A check of the stomach would have been an additional operation and probably another $1000.

When I was living in Argentina 2010, I paid $250 a month for insurance that covered everything. The Colonoscopy cost me $10 for disposable plastic ware. While I was anesthetized they also checked the stomach and removed 3 pollops. Biopsy was negative, the dermatologist told me the next week since I was on a computerized system and he had full view of all my health records!

Perhaps we could look at other countries and be amazed that their health systems work and work well and emulate them. I have experienced two, Argentina, and Australia; the people seem pleased. Surly there are flaws in those systems and any thing in life.

Perhaps because we are such a divided country that half the people and their representatives do no want the system to work and work against it. Texas is one state that is very anti-Obama even to the point of talking succession from the union (again).

Regarding fear of "registration" well at birth I was registered, at 16 in order to work, I was registered with Social Security, and at 18 registered for the draft. I even have a federal number for my time in the service.

The only registration I hated was the loyalty oath required for a job prompted by the Ted Cruz of the era, Eugene McCarthy... me a Communist, hell no, I was too poor to even be a Capitalist!! Socialist, yes, I was educated in public schools, drove on public streets. All were socialist except for that toll bridge which was privately owned!!

I do hope for the good of our nation that ACA is successful. Do we want, for example, children who are type one diabetic to never have health insurance. Do we want to have an emergency and go to an emergency room filled with people who are there for routine primary care? No, and that is what Romney-care was designed to eliminate.

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

The poor in this country have always been taken care of.
Yes, they often went to the emergency rooms at a higher cost than to be seen at a clinic, but it has never come near to the cost of what has already been pumped into Obummercare where no one has been covered for anything as yet.
As far as Romney care, that system is imploding on itself right now and it's future doesn't look good.

sye Loc: The Old Dominion Near DC

It still works that way with several existing NON-Obama healthplans

ole sarg Loc: south florida

That is true for any insurance.

There are various plans provided in the ACA and you get what you pay for.

This is a silly post.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I don't like Obamacare and I don't like Obama, but what you are suggesting is more than a little paranoid. Most working adults already have a social security card and pay in money to the IRS, and most of us have trackable smart phones and non smart phones, plus the government can track our online use. Many millions also have car tags that track our movement through toll booths. If the government wants to track and spy on us they already have plenty of ways to do it without Obamacare. Additionally, most of us who already have insurance through their employer will not be signing up for the Affordable Care Act. There are plenty of reasons to hate it without going over the top.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Really? What country are you talking about?

RockCity Loc: Denver

Works well for me. My kids were able to stay on my plan until the age of 26. Insurance cannot refuse people with prior conditions. My premiums have gone down, I was able to keep my same doctor, and all other countries have had similar or better national healthcare for more than 50 years. Makes one wonder about the true reasons why people try to label healthcare for most citizens as the end of the world as we know it.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I guess you are fairly new to chit chat. Don't be surprised if you are soon inundated with hate filled rhetoric and insults. This is a very touchy subject here. It's definitely safer to stick with the photography forum.