Obamacare- Deductibles are the death panels
By: DrJohn
obamacare is open
Here’s Alzheimer’s sufferer Nancy Pelosi speaking the words she no longer remembers.
“And everybody will have lower rates, better quality care and better access.”
Obama promised that the average family would save $2500 in premiums yearly.
As is always true of anything democrats say, the devil is in the details.
“We’ll do it by investing in disease prevention, not just disease management; by investing in a paperless health care system to reduce administrative costs; and by covering every single American and making sure that they can take their health care with them if they lose their job,” he said at the time. “We’ll also reduce costs for business and their workers by picking up the tab for some of the most expensive illnesses.
“We won’t do all this twenty years from now, or ten years from now,” he said. “We’ll do it by the end of my first term as President of the United States.”
No we won’t. We’ll do it with the magic of high deductibles:
Never mind rate shock. Today, the Detroit Free Press hits a topic I’ve been writing about for weeks now — deductible shock. This, even more than the higher premiums, is the main reason I’ve written that Obamacare is junk insurance. If your deductible goes up, it leaves you paying for more of own care, so that means you’re not as well insured as you were before.
Many of the people seeing their policies canceled right now were in situations like mine — they previously had individual market plans with what they thought were already high deductibles. Then Obamacare goes into effect, and boom! The only plans coming anywhere near to being comparable in terms of premiums carry significantly higher deductibles than anyone was used to or willing to accept:
In southeast Michigan, deductibles in most of the 14 bronze plans listed on the marketplace — those with lower premiums — top $5,000 for a single person and $10,000-$12,000 for a family. Insurance won’t kick in until those out-of-pocket costs are met.
“(People) are saying ‘I can afford to buy health care, I just can’t afford to get sick,’ ” said Allen Zuppke, a Southfield insurance broker who helps consumers weigh risks, costs and options in buying health insurance….
The democrat Governors of three states- Jay Inslee of Washington, Steve Beshear of Kentucky and Dannel P. Malloy of Connecticut- penned an op-ed in the Washington Post in which they blather on about how they made Obamacare work.
One such person is Brad Camp, a small-business owner in Kingston, Wash., who received a cancellation notice in September from his insurance carrier. He went to the state exchange, the Washington Healthplanfinder, and for close to the same premium his family was paying before got upfront coverage for doctor’s office visits and prescription drug , vision and dental coverage. His family was able to keep the same insurance carrier and doctors and qualified for tax credits to help cover the cost.
Since Howard Stovall opened his sign and graphics business in Lexington, Ky., in 1998, he has paid half the cost of health insurance for his eight employees. With the help of Stovall’s longtime insurance agent and Kentucky’s health exchange, Kynect, Stovall’s employees are saving 5 percent to 40 percent each on new health insurance plans with better benefits. Stovall can afford to provide additional employee benefits, including full disability coverage and part of the cost of vision and dental plans, while still saving the business 50 percent compared with the old plans.
In Connecticut, Anne Masterson was able to reduce her monthly premiums from $965 to $313 for similar coverage, including a $145 tax credit. Masterson is able to use her annual premium savings of $8,000 to pay bills or save for retirement.
There’s something left out of all three stories- the deductible.
As I live in Connecticut I thought I’d visit Accesshealthct.com and see for myself how affordable Obamacare is. I found out.
For the sake of argument, we’ll use a Silver Point of Service plan whenever possible.
For a couple aged 65 and 62 with no dependents making $120,000 per year, the monthly premium is $1360 with a deductible of $10,000 and an annual maximum out of pocket cost of $12,500.
For two married 40 year olds making $45,000 having no dependents the monthly premium is $350 with a deductible of $6000 and an annual out pocket cost of $12,500.
For a single 27 year old in New Haven County making $63,000 the monthly premium would be $300 with a deductible of $3000 and an annual out of pocket cost of $6250.
For a single 25 year old making $30,000 in New Haven County the monthly premium is $208 with a $3000 deductible and an annual out of pocket cost of $6250.
For a married couple in Hartford County, age 55 and 54, with three kids, 20, 17 and 14, making $100,000 the monthly premium is $800 with a deductible of $6000 and an annual out of pocket cost of $12,500.
The same family making $60,000 per year faces a monthly premium of $350, a deductible of $5,000 and an annual maximum out of pocket cost of $10,400.
A 23 year old making $21,000 looking into a Bronze plan has some interesting options. One offers a virtual zero monthly premium but a deductible of $6000 per year and a maximum out of pocket of $6250. Per year. Or he or she might choose a plan with a $7 per month premium with a deductible of $3250 and an annual out of pocket cost of $6250 but has to pay 40% of any ER costs.
For me, a Silver plan would cost me far more than I pay now, with a higher deductible and a lot more in out of pocket maximum. As far as I am concerned, the junk plan is the one Obama would push me into.
I am trying to find out more about this Anne Masterson. Search as I might, I locate only one Anne Masterson, who is identified as an attorney in Norwich.
For many, rates might come down, but the deductibles are the rest of the story and they are onerous. Obama supporters do not understand the difference between coverage and care. Getting coverage is easy. They are going to find out that getting care is expensive.
And getting sick will kill you.
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About DrJohn
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education. DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed. Except for liberals being foolish.
