ObamaCare 2018 Open Enrollment Runs from 11.1.2017 thru 12.15.2017 - News You Can Use.

November 1, 2017

The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka "ObamaCare" annual open enrollment started today. It will last until 11:59pm (PST) on December 15, 2017. All health insurance enrollments during this 45 day time-frame, will go into effect on January 1, 2018.

Unless ObamaCare is repealed/replaced, the next opportunity to buy health insurance, will not arrive until November 1, 2018.**

FYI: For those who earn more income than what this chart shows: obamacare.net... , you will not receive assistance, with paying your monthly premium.

To See what your 2018 premium is, and the potential help you'll receive from taxpayers in paying that premium, Visit: www.healthcare.gov... , and run a quick quote for yourself, or your family.

NOTE-1a: If you do NOT have PPACA-approved health insurance (ObamaCare, Government, Job Insurance), you must pay 2.5% of your annual income, or $695 per adult/$347 per child, whichever is greater, to the IRS as a penalty-tax when you file your 2017 tax return, in 2018.
Useful Penalty Information: www.healthinsurance.org...

NOTE-1b: Also, be advised that a huge chunk of Americans (estimated at 70%) who do NOT have PPACA/ObamaCare-Approved health insurance, will qualify for an EXEMPTION from the IRS penalty-tax. This info was hard to find when Obama was President, but it's now right on the official PPACA government website.
See: www.healthcare.gov...

Premiums are 145% higher for 2018, than whey were when ObamaCare plans came online, in 2014. But even with that hideous increase, paying $1,500 a month, for a $7,400 deductible, is often times cheaper than paying for one's on medical care, because the number of expensive medical treatments grows exponentially every year. (i.e. Teenager in Iowa uses $1.2 million a MONTH in medical care.)

-CareWeMust

**PPACA-ObamaCare health insurance CAN be purchased year around, if you experience a special "life event" and can prove it happened.
For a list of those, see: www.healthcare.gov...

a reply to: carewemust

God I am so happy I got a good job now and don't have to deal with that disaster.. I thought it was a bit strange when my psychiatrist told me she couldn't meet me in the same town anymore because she "had to get a real job" so she could afford health insurance. That pretty much spells it out, I think.

a reply to: carewemust

Thanks much---very useful information.

a reply to: carewemust

Glad you posted this. We have to get our insurance this way because we are self-employed.

Please bear in mind that much of the increase has to do with market instability aka "repeal and replace" votes plus worry over what would and would not be funded...

a reply to: carewemust

I wouldn't trust that site 100% for accurate information as it is not the official ACA site. The fact that it calls it "Obamacare" is suspect, and the "this is privately owned" disclaimer at the bottom of the site makes me wonder who is behind this...

Please be careful using this site...

OP - the regular healthcare.gov is the best place to get answers for individuals regarding cost.

Full price plans are actually topping out at around $644 without assistance in my state... I can work with that.

Healthcare.gov

a reply to: AboveBoard

Is that number, $644, for a single-individual plan? As an unmarried, non-smoking 34-yr old (no pre-existing conditions [I’m 1099ing again]) male, I’m looking at $573/month for the “middle-of-the-road” plan come January. I can and will self-insure for much less. The hilarity of it almost compels me to take a pic of the letter I got last week, but this is the Internet and there’s no telling what I may expose myself to...and we’re discussing it on a CT forum, so I’m packing my healthy amount of paranoia. Thanks in advance!

a reply to: carewemust

you pretty much listed why ACA failed.

albeit a brilliant system in a rich Northwest European country

originally posted by: sine.nomine
a reply to: carewemust

God I am so happy I got a good job now and don't have to deal with that disaster.. I thought it was a bit strange when my psychiatrist told me she couldn't meet me in the same town anymore because she "had to get a real job" so she could afford health insurance. That pretty much spells it out, I think.

I'm surprised your psychiatrist didn't "cash in" on the new Mental Health EHB in ObamaCare. Every OCare policy contains a wealth of mental health coverage, and the increasing premiums drive more customers to use that benefit.

originally posted by: Willtell
a reply to: carewemust

Thanks much---very useful information.

The exemptions from having to pay the Penalty-Tax to the IRS seem to be the most unknown aspect. The government collected over $3 Billion dollars from 6.5 million people. It's estimated that 70% of them would have qualified for an exemption from the penalty, if those exemptions weren't so hard to locate in 2016.

a reply to: AboveBoard

If you re-examine the post that started this thread, you'll see WHY I referenced the sites that I did. Including, providing the official www.HealthCare.gov website for accurate QUOTES and SUBSIDY numbers.

originally posted by: BeefNoMeat
a reply to: AboveBoard

Is that number, $644, for a single-individual plan? As an unmarried, non-smoking 34-yr old (no pre-existing conditions [I’m 1099ing again]) male, I’m looking at $573/month for the “middle-of-the-road” plan come January. I can and will self-insure for much less. The hilarity of it almost compels me to take a pic of the letter I got last week, but this is the Internet and there’s no telling what I may expose myself to...and we’re discussing it on a CT forum, so I’m packing my healthy amount of paranoia. Thanks in advance!

Before ObamaCare health plans became the only LEGAL insurance a person could buy, a 34 year old in Illinois would pay $187 for a top-quality policy from Blue Cross, with a $1,500 max out-of-pocket. After the MOOP, everything was paid 100% by the plan, including prescriptions.

Now, that 34 year-old pays $504 for a $6,200 MOOP...and 60% of the doctors/ 30% of the hospitals in the state will not accept the insurance.

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: BeefNoMeat
a reply to: AboveBoard

Is that number, $644, for a single-individual plan? As an unmarried, non-smoking 34-yr old (no pre-existing conditions [I’m 1099ing again]) male, I’m looking at $573/month for the “middle-of-the-road” plan come January. I can and will self-insure for much less. The hilarity of it almost compels me to take a pic of the letter I got last week, but this is the Internet and there’s no telling what I may expose myself to...and we’re discussing it on a CT forum, so I’m packing my healthy amount of paranoia. Thanks in advance!

Before ObamaCare health plans became the only LEGAL insurance a person could buy, a 34 year old in Illinois would pay $187 for a top-quality policy from Blue Cross, with a $1,500 max out-of-pocket. After the MOOP, everything was paid 100% by the plan, including prescriptions.

Now, that 34 year-old pays $504 for a $6,200 MOOP...and 60% of the doctors/ 30% of the hospitals in the state will not accept the insurance.

interesting you use that as an example, you obviously know full well non of the changes trump has attempted to pass would have affected this in a positive way.

obviously you're one of the millionaires that the tax breaks will benefit, hence your party political broadcasts, so how much would you save?
must be cushy being a millionaire spending all your time on a conspiracy forum.

a reply to: cinerama

True story,my insurance I got through work was fine,till Obamacare came around,all of a sudden go to some crap insurance with a 20k deductable,costing much more and why?,to pay for deadbeat liberals,all this did was drag down the economy,something liberals are good at

originally posted by: AboveBoard
a reply to: carewemust

I wouldn't trust that site 100% for accurate information as it is not the official ACA site. The fact that it calls it "Obamacare" is suspect, and the "this is privately owned" disclaimer at the bottom of the site makes me wonder who is behind this...

Please be careful using this site...

OP - the regular healthcare.gov is the best place to get answers for individuals regarding cost.

Full price plans are actually topping out at around $644 without assistance in my state... I can work with that.

Healthcare.gov

Just in case someone missed this .

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: AboveBoard

If you re-examine the post that started this thread, you'll see WHY I referenced the sites that I did. Including, providing the official www.HealthCare.gov website for accurate QUOTES and SUBSIDY numbers.

Sorry. Not trying to diss you - there are sites that spread disinformation and it struck me as possible.

I actually really appreciate you posting about it.

originally posted by: BeefNoMeat
a reply to: AboveBoard

Is that number, $644, for a single-individual plan? As an unmarried, non-smoking 34-yr old (no pre-existing conditions [I’m 1099ing again]) male, I’m looking at $573/month for the “middle-of-the-road” plan come January. I can and will self-insure for much less. The hilarity of it almost compels me to take a pic of the letter I got last week, but this is the Internet and there’s no telling what I may expose myself to...and we’re discussing it on a CT forum, so I’m packing my healthy amount of paranoia. Thanks in advance!

Family of 3.

Sorry you are looking at a high price! Do you qualify for a reduced price?

originally posted by: cinerama

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: BeefNoMeat
a reply to: AboveBoard

Is that number, $644, for a single-individual plan? As an unmarried, non-smoking 34-yr old (no pre-existing conditions [I’m 1099ing again]) male, I’m looking at $573/month for the “middle-of-the-road” plan come January. I can and will self-insure for much less. The hilarity of it almost compels me to take a pic of the letter I got last week, but this is the Internet and there’s no telling what I may expose myself to...and we’re discussing it on a CT forum, so I’m packing my healthy amount of paranoia. Thanks in advance!

Before ObamaCare health plans became the only LEGAL insurance a person could buy, a 34 year old in Illinois would pay $187 for a top-quality policy from Blue Cross, with a $1,500 max out-of-pocket. After the MOOP, everything was paid 100% by the plan, including prescriptions.

Now, that 34 year-old pays $504 for a $6,200 MOOP...and 60% of the doctors/ 30% of the hospitals in the state will not accept the insurance.

interesting you use that as an example, you obviously know full well non of the changes trump has attempted to pass would have affected this in a positive way.

obviously you're one of the millionaires that the tax breaks will benefit, hence your party political broadcasts, so how much would you save?
must be cushy being a millionaire spending all your time on a conspiracy forum.

Yes...you're 50% correct.

originally posted by: Oldtimer2
a reply to: cinerama

True story,my insurance I got through work was fine,till Obamacare came around,all of a sudden go to some crap insurance with a 20k deductable,costing much more and why?,to pay for deadbeat liberals,all this did was drag down the economy,something liberals are good at

That's because ObamaCare-related TAXES are hitting employers and unions especially hard. Another one goes into effect in 2 months, and a huge one at the end of 2019... unless the Trump Tax Reform gets rid of them.

Almost every American would have more take-home pay, if all employers in America weren't saddled with an increasing burden of ObamaCare taxes.

a reply to: AboveBoard

When I first signed up, I was unemployed (from end of Oct 2016 to March 2017) and was asked some sort of question along the lines of “what do you expect to earn in 2017 (the question, I believe, paranthetically said to report $0 and then adjust when you are earning income)”. I called and told the exchange I was in a holding pattern but I was 99% sure I would get the same gig (it’s a DoD contract for hazardous waste removal/disposal at Ft Detrick/Meade and the change in administration had everything in a holding pattern as subcontractors go). At any rate, I did receive some assistance the first 5 months, but one early July day I was in a hotel room checking my account transactions/balance and saw a $477 charge...not enough of a description in transaction details to know what it was so I assumed the hotel made a mistake and I’d handle it later. Nah. It was Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

I called both the exchange and BCBS. I got passed around like someone trying to cancel the cable subscription. It was disappointing, to say the least. I was offered the bare bones plan for $277/month — they made an exception and told me I could have that new plan beginning October 2017 — but I had to continue to pay $477/month or go without. I was truly boxed into a corner. Then last week I open up the letter reminding me I earn too much to get assistance and that my premium would increase some 20% beginning in January. It’s a bummer.

Health insurance companies have asymmetric information* and are gonna use it to price healthy people like myself out and cry foul...I just wanna insure myself against major/catastrophic medical expenses...paying ~$7k/yr will force me to take that risk and self-insure...ultimately, my cohort of individuals dropping out of the exchange will trickle down and cost others. Unless your family is chronically poverty-stricken, I don’t see how any sane person would buy the notion a male who hasn’t been to the doctor in 5 years (it was a Memorial Day mishap and I sprained the AC joint in my shoulder) should be paying the equivalent of a family of 3. In what actuarily sound universe does that add up? To anyone, politics aside? And I’m not railing against you or suggesting your family should pay more, but seriously, I have no reason to lie about any of this, so does it make sense to you that an acuarily sound system would price a “middle-of-the-road” plan for a healthy mid-30s male as the same as a family of three (regardless of the cohort y’all fall into)?

Seriously, this isn’t personal (you seem like one of the nicest ppl on ATS, so I’d seriously wanna slap myself if you felt this to be a swipe at you and your family) or political. I spent way too many a night in grad school, essentially, being an actuary and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this result is the product of one agent (health insurance companies) having asymmetric information and the transaction costs of my cohort of individuals being too high to collectively fight back. It’s not Health Economics 101, but it is rather simple if you understand the power of asymmetric information and the issue of moral hazard in the sphere of public health. Enough stream-of-consciousness, thanks for getting back to me and hopefully my ramble made a bit of sense...plus any additional thoughts are welcome because I’ve had this conversation several times over the last 10 or so days.

*The ‘bending of the cost curve’ is being bent in the wrong direction because of asymmetric information and moral hazard (old and sck ppl are, and were, the first to enter the market and that’s highly inefficient).

a reply to: BeefNoMeat

Allowing the government to be involved in your health care and health insurance is the primary cause for the anguish you experienced.

People who buy directly from the insurance company have far fewer complaints, and never come close to emotional breakdowns, like those who buy through the government's healthcare.gov.

The only problem is that most people cannot afford the premiums without government assistance. The Republican repeal replace plan would have eliminated the need to go through the federal government to get subsidized health insurance, but that was killed off.