Obamacare goes into effect, side effects already appearing

21 years ago when I first started working at my current company, I used to get money back everyweek because I didn't need the some of the part my company paid for...

Every year since then I have had to pay more and more to where today money comes out of my check to pay for that same coverage as 21 years ago.

You can blame Obama all you want but that just means you are simply ignoring the facts.

Insurance is a business and business are only in business to make profit.

Our country has tried several times to improve our national health issues only to have it mired in political infighting and defeated time and again.

Until the health of our nations people is out of the hands of a billion dollar industry we will be at the mercy of the bottom line.

And for the record, the Obama care that so many hate, its nearly the same plan the GOP put out on the table when the Clintons tried to do something about healthcare.

reply to post by SevenThunders


Cigna is the worst provider out there. My employer had them in the past. Not now, because of all the problems they were dropped once the contract was up. Cigna will literally loser your claims! In my opinion on purpose. Many, I mean literally many, of my claims have been "lost" by Cigna. Make copies of everything you send to Cigna, you will need them. Good luck with criminal Cigna as your provider.

reply to post by YeshuaWarrior


Yeah I've already heard the stories. I've got to find some kind of other coverage. I might even change jobs if necessary. They chose them because of cost, however it goes well beyond just their unwillingness to pay. The terms of the insurance are like not being covered at all. The latter is being forced on us by Obamacare IMHO.

reply to post by SevenThunders


Sure rates are increasing because health insurance companies are "for profit" and they fear losing investors.

Side effects are:

1. People get to choose their own doctors now instead of being told who they had to go see.
2. Sick kids can no longer be left to die because insurance companies will lose money on them.
3. Competition will increase between insurance companies because many will lose clients and thus money for their investors so they will decide to change their ways and start making decisions which will draw folks to their companies. These will be good in the long run for everyone. The companies which do not follow suit will go tits up in the ditch of history, and good riddance to them.

Those are few of the side effects. Of course these we will never hear about on Fox "news".

tt

I am a licensed health insurance agent and can shed some light here. First, everyone will be mandated to have insurance or pay a penalty. The penalty will be similar to the cost of a policy aprox 2k. Rates will most certainly go up for healthy people because they will have to pay for the high risk people that were not able to get insurance before.

As of this month, insurance companies, are not allowed to deny coverage to children that have pre-existing conditions. Many companies like Aetna, Assurant, United Health and Blue Cross have retaliated by not allowing child only policies. This means if I want to sign up my kid, I can not do it without having me or my wife on the policy as well. Before you used to be able to have a child only policy. The good thing is if your kid has cancer he/she can't be denied coverage. However, everyone will have to pay extra to make up for these sick kids.

I currently pay $169/ month for a policy that has me and two kids on it. This is a higher deductable policy with a 5K deductable. After all the changes are mandated, I will be required to purchase a better policy with like a 1K deductable that covers many more things at cost of about $800/ month and be mandated to pay.

In the long run, the insurance companies and sick people will be the winners. The insurance companies will increase thier premiums 100-400% and also get 30 million new customers. Sick people will be granted policies if they can offord them. The losers will be everyone else that will be forced to pay for the increase in premium.

And as of 2013, you will not need an agent any longer to purchase insurance because all insurance will be purchased online through exchanges. You will be mandated and told by the government what you should buy. That should be about another 30,000 jobs lost through the country.

If any one would like a glimpse of the future please check out the Massachusettes Health Exchange.

www.mahealthconnector.org...

reply to post by YeshuaWarrior


CIGNA was rated as the "best" insurer in the country just last week. But CIGNA has been quietly getting itself in trouble to the extent where individual state insurance departments are shutting down sales of new policies. I looked at the CIGNA website yesterday and they're now only licensed to do new business in 10 states. That's down from 37 states in 2008.

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Regarding the side effects of ObamaCare... Some of my clients are in the medical profession. These folks are salivating at the mouth due to the new provisions that went into effect on 9/23/2010. The pychologists and psychotherapists in particular.

People with new individual-owned policies, or employees with group plans that renew on or after 1/1/2011 will be able to get counseling for obesity, depression and tobacco cessation 100% free, with no limit on cost. Their health insurance must bear 100% of the burden.

Counselors will be able to charge whatever they want, for as many sessions as they feel necessary. One psychologist told me last week that he's looking for "Trifectas".. Those are Obese, Depressed, Smokers. He will be able to counsel and rehabilitate them and soak their insurance for $900 per hour. ($300 for each condition).

The government means well with HealthReform, but this legislation will cause premiums to skyrocket for everyone, because there are no limits on the cost of treatments. The words "Reasonable and Customary Charges" do not appear anywhere in the legislation. This is a HUGE loop-hole in ObamaCare that will increase the transfer of wealth from insurance purchasers to the medical professionals (via the insurance companies) in ever increasing $$$ amounts as the legislation is implemented between now and 2014.

By 2014, even with the subsidies shown at this page: healthreform.kff.org... , the cost of insurance will be 40% to 60% more than what Uncle Sam will pay. The families who make $80,000 or more per year (in 2014 dollars) will get no subsidies at all.

Bottom line is that unless reasonable limits are placed on what medical professionals can charge for treatments, tests, counseling, etc.. our country will end up with 100% socialized medicine and a much higher tax rate for every working American...The young, the old, the sick and the healthy.
-CWM

I think the common people in America are getting ripped off in all kinds of ways by high prices for everything and high fees, and the government just lets business get away with it. This is why I never liked this idea of being required to buy private health insurance because it just smells like another big rip off to me. I get very sick of it--and no one ever does anything for the ordinary people at all. We just get screwed all the time.

Originally posted by carewemust
reply to post by YeshuaWarrior

 

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Regarding the side effects of ObamaCare... Some of my clients are in the medical profession. These folks are salivating at the mouth due to the new provisions that went into effect on 9/23/2010. The pychologists and psychotherapists in particular.

People with new individual-owned policies, or employees with group plans that renew on or after 1/1/2011 will be able to get counseling for obesity, depression and tobacco cessation 100% free, with no limit on cost. Their health insurance must bear 100% of the burden.

Counselors will be able to charge whatever they want, for as many sessions as they feel necessary. One psychologist told me last week that he's looking for "Trifectas".. Those are Obese, Depressed, Smokers. He will be able to counsel and rehabilitate them and soak their insurance for $900 per hour. ($300 for each condition).

I can tell you that my faith in doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and other members of the "caring professions" is zero. I don't like them or trust them, and many other people feel the same way. We know they are ripping us off and no one even tries to stop it. .

Originally posted by Helmkat


And for the record, the Obama care that so many hate, its nearly the same plan the GOP put out on the table when the Clintons tried to do something about healthcare.

Can you cite the plan the GOP put on the table?

IMO much of the problem with health care costs (long before Obamacare) is simply that there is so little (if any) competition between insurance companies. Consider other forms of insurance - car, property, life, etc - now think of how often you see advertisements for companies that offer these types of insurance policies. And think of how seldom you see much advertising for health insurance providers by comparison. In my state I can count one one hand the "choice" of providers I can choose from, but yet I have literally hundreds of choices when it comes to other types of businesses that provide various services.

Imagine if you have a tiny town with two or three gas stations and no other gas stations for hundreds of miles around. Well, those station owners can get away with charging higher prices because they have a virtual monopoly and only have to compete against each other. More competition is needed amongst health insurers, it's a huge crock that car and other insurances can be sold from state to state but not health insurance.

Basically there is nothing to regulate the system (if you think Obamacare will do that you are sadly mistaken) to bring costs down. Wal-Mart has low prices because they have successfully competed against other retailers but not so the health care industry. There's really no incentive for one hospital or doctor to want to offer better, more affordable care to anyone than another provider.

Obamacare does little but round up a whole bunch of new customers (many unwilling) and hand them over to the insurance companies. So the IRS will be pimping for the health insurance industry - nice

And then there is so much that is unclear in this obtuse piece of legislation - what constitutes 'acceptable" insurance? Who makes that decision? Say you now have insurance (as I currently do) but what if it doesn't pass muster? What if you are self-employed like I am and you buy whatever policy you can afford and best meets your needs?

Other than having my rates raised (which my insurance provider has done faithfully every year, pricing me out into a higher deductible every year), I have no idea what will happen in my own situation.

If that sort of thing doesn't worry you, it should.

Another issue is that of finding a doctor - I have known a few people on medicaid who were basically blown off by various doctors (that is, if they could find a doctor that would even take medicaid) who logically didn't spend hardly any time on cases that they weren't reimbursed for at the same rate as patients with private insurance. I suppose medicaid is better than nothing but what's bad right now will only get worse with more people added.

Honestly I don't know why they just didn't raise the income level for programs like medicaid (where a little of something is better than nothing if you are desperate) and fund that with some selective taxes (the non-regressive sort) instead of trying to graft everyone into a huge regulatory system that many don't want or need.

Originally posted by carewemust
reply to post by YeshuaWarrior

 

CIGNA was rated as the "best" insurer in the country just last week. But CIGNA has been quietly getting itself in trouble to the extent where individual state insurance departments are shutting down sales of new policies. I looked at the CIGNA website yesterday and they're now only licensed to do new business in 10 states. That's down from 37 states in 2008.

According to US News and World Report, Cigna of New Hampshire is rated as the 9th best.

health.usnews.com...

reply to post by Blood Royal


BloodRoyal,
I just did as you suggested and am currently sitting here STUNNED! In Boston, the cheapest "Exchange" policy is $893 a month for a Male-Age42 / Female-Age39 with 2 children. This is the BRONZE health plan where no medical expenses are paid until the $2,000 deductible is met. After the deductible this poor family must pay 20% of the medical charges until they've paid a whopping $10,000 out-of-pocket!! What tight-budgeted family can afford $893 a month, with an additional $10,000 in potential medical bills. Heaven help them if the sickness or injury happens in December. A totally new deductible is due the next month, due to it being a new year. This Massachutes exhange has no deductible carryover provision like most normal free-market insurance policies.

The Silver (Better) and Gold (Best) plans are totally out of reach. $2,400 a month for this young family to have a Gold Blue Cross plan!! Here in free-market Chicago, this same Blue Cross plan is $658 a month for the same family.

As I said in a prior post, the government mandates and red-tape on individuals and insurance companies are/will make premiums so high in 2014 that their subsidies will only scratch the surface with helping families afford the insane premiums at that time. Thanks for the peek at what our future will look like if there aren't major adjustments to ObamaCare, BloodRoyal.
-CWM

Originally posted by Blood Royal

Originally posted by carewemust
reply to post by YeshuaWarrior

 

CIGNA was rated as the "best" insurer in the country just last week. But CIGNA has been quietly getting itself in trouble to the extent where individual state insurance departments are shutting down sales of new policies. I looked at the CIGNA website yesterday and they're now only licensed to do new business in 10 states. That's down from 37 states in 2008.

Sorry.. I should have read my source more closely. CIGNA was rated #1 in Missouri, North Carolina and Tennesse. Source was Google News with search on "CIGNA", and a 7 day look-back.
-CWM

According to US News and World Report, Cigna of New Hampshire is rated as the 9th best.

health.usnews.com...

Originally posted by SevenThunders


The Obamacare Juggernaut of evil is now upon us. My employer has cancelled my excellent insurance and replacing it with the worst tier of CIGNA. One year after this goes into affect, my coverage gets worse; most coverage disappears altogether. I will be given $400 to cover all health care expenses for my entire family for the entire year. After that I pay out of pocket until I reach some astronomical yearly limit and the co-insurance kicks in to cover 50-80% of the rest.

Since I need to get a cat scan every 6 months for kidney stones, and I average one kidney stone procedure a year I will expect to declare bankruptcy or perhaps simply choose to die an agonizing death.

You do know that kidney stones can be cured quite naturally, just like many diseases in the body, there is no need to pay extortionate bills for healthcare, healthcare is literally free over here in the UK but I still don't/won't visit a Doctor, they are just legalised drug dealers, peddaling snake oil salesmen is how I refer to them and the irony is that I work for a company that sub contracts to the NHS, just Google kidney cleanse.

reply to post by SevenThunders


all that and WHO ranks us at 37 in the world standing for health care---whoes fault is that??

Where I work our health insurance has already undergone drastic changes in coverage also. We have Anthem.

The rates also have risen.

A side note; all of our annual paid leave will be lumped together, (vacation, sick leave (now max of 5 days a year, down from 1,000 hours) and Holiday)

Carryover vacation will see annual decreases of one week until just 120 hour maximum.

You will begin each year with zero leave outside of what you carry over, and must accumulate paid leave in time. Which means if you get sick early in the year your paid leave will come out of your carryover vacation time until it is expired, then it is leave without pay.

We used to be able to carryover 6 weeks of accumulated vacation or cash in the excess, which was 240 hours. Our BoD now thinks we will be more competitive in the new marketplace by slashing our benefits. They also imposed 4-weeks of vacation as the maximum, folks already who have accumulated 5 and 6 weeks per year simply will lose the excess over 4 weeks a year. This is considered standard compared to our competitors.

Meanwhile if you are a federal employee with just 15 years of service you enjoy 6 weeks of vacation and two weeks of holiday time which means you work just 10 months a year for 12 months of pay. Nice huh?

reply to post by SevenThunders


Move to Australia the government covers your health in full gotta love a caring government!!

I could live in Australia, and I'm sure I would love to. Our company does not have an office in Australia, though we do in over 100 other countries. Sob.

Six Months to repeal Obamacare

Before Obamacare was passed six months ago today, former President Bill Clinton promised a leftist horde at the Netroots Nation convention: “The minute the president signs the health care reform bill, approval will go up, because Americans are inherently optimistic.” Fast forward to last Sunday, when, after Meet the Press host David Gregory played a clip of Clinton’s promise, the former President responded: “I was wrong.”

All I know as a fact is my company has its own insurance, it they pay for most of it out of there own pocket,I pay a monthly premium to my company. I have not received a raise for three years. I have not gotten any profit shareing for two years. the most my company has increased health care is 8%. I received my letter this week that due to obama care my insurance premium is going up 20%.My copay went from 10 to 20% and my out of pocket went up 25%. Those are the facts. What I find really funny is that the whole damn bunck of the yahoos in office rather they be rep or dem need the boot and we need term limits. This isnt about taking sides that is what little kids do. Were adults I like to think and last time I check they dont get in office unless we vote them in.This isnt a joke. All I know its getting worst. Time for a major change in this country lets throw all those mooching bums out of office and find some people who care more about people then themselves or a party. All I know is Im getting sick and tiried of being sick and tired.