Consumers getting skinned (Idiot's ACA buyer's remorse)

[FaC]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026371293

canoeist52 (2,060 posts)

Consumers getting 'skinned' by health insurers -Wendell Potter


"Our marketing folks came up with an almost Orwellian name for this cost shifting —consumer driven health care. In retrospect, it was a brilliant strategy, and one that got virtually no pushback from lawmakers or regulators. Little by little, year after year — and long before many people outside of Illinois had ever heard of Barack Obama — Americans began putting more of their skin in the health care game. They had no choice.

The strategy has been so successful that insurers are back in Wall Street’s good graces. Their profits keep breaking records, and so does the price of their stock.

But what’s good for them has been anything but good for a growing number of Americans. Out-of-pocket expenses have gotten so high that nearly half of American families don’t have enough money in the bank to pay their deductibles if they get really sick.

That was one of the findings of last week’s report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which decided to look into how the skin-in-the-game strategy is affecting family budgets. KFF’s researchers found that 49 percent of American households wouldn’t have enough liquid assets to meet what their out-of-pocket obligations would be if they were in a plan with a $2,500 individual deductible and $5,000 family deductible."



http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/03/16/16905/consumers-getting-skinned-health-insurers

cilla4progress (4,212 posts)
1. I found this to be true.

When we were looking at ACA polices back in 2013, we found that although the premiums were within our single-earner household budget (I had just been laid off work), the deductibles were enormous.

We were fortunate the union baled us out (Teamsters). My husband was able to get coverage through them, and we've never had better insurance.

Union family all the way here. For a small monthly dues cost, we are protected. People just don't get how much unions protect workers. It's been a massive brainwashing campaign since the 60s to think unions are bad.

Damn shame.

Octafish (44,861 posts)
2. That is the take-away.

People will still go bankrupt and tossed from their homes.

Other than that.

BrotherIvan (5,478 posts)
6. Or won't seek care because the deductable is too high

That happened when I was in a major accident. The paramedic wanted to call the ambulance to take me to the hospital, but since I didn't feel any immediate effects, I said my deductible was too high to go just to get checked out. He nodded sadly and said yes, he hears that all the time. And that a person might have a concussion and not know and just go home and die in bed.

It's the best of all worlds for the health insurers: I pay premiums but they don't have to pay out. My ACA Silver Plan is junk. I can't use it out of state and they keep shrinking (considerably) the number of doctors in the network. I keep it as emergency insurance, but if I really needed it, I'm sure I would go broke with all the loopholes.

As an aside, I'm going to be doing some extensive travelling and since my insurance doesn't work, have priced what they call "expat" insurance. The price of my current insurance is $379 per month. To be covered under expat insurance that covers most of the world is $177. But it does not cover the US for which I would have to pay $477. Told me all I needed to know.

jwirr (28,210 posts)
3. I suspect that the high deductibles were that high because even the Democrats who created this

plan are out of touch with just how bad it is down here.

L0oniX (27,301 posts)
4. Free health insurance to and for all ...with a $1,000,000 yearly deductible.

canoeist52 (2,060 posts)
5. The best health insurance we had was actually an HMO in the 80's.

$5. co-pay for doctor visit, $5. co-pay for medication. It cost us $68. per month for a family of four, with no deductible. Basically what MassHealth (Medicaid) is today.

Remind me again who was president in the 80's?

virgogal (7,629 posts)
7. My son had Masshealth and had trouble finding a

doctor close by that would accept it.

I'm on Medicare and most MDs accept that so I assumed Masshealth would have been similar.

No so,apparently

Unpossible - I thought that the MA plan was better than sliced bread.

Star Member Doctor_J (31,467 posts)
10. Feels more like I have been gutted then skinned, but whatever

Probably the biggest con job ever perpetrated on the American populace

We told you that this was how it would end DUmbasses

 

[wasp69]

Star Member Doctor_J (31,467 posts)
10. Feels more like I have been gutted then skinned, but whatever

Probably the biggest con job ever perpetrated on the American populace

If only you had been warned...

Enjoy your insurance, DUmbass, and quit being such a racist pig towards your president.

[thundley4]

I can remember a time when people paid for routine visits, yearly physicals, vaccinations and whatever out of pocket.  Insurance was used for covering major problems and accidents.

State and federal regulators forced insurance companies to cover more and more things and costs went up. Hospitals and doctors faced more and more regulations causing their costs to go up, so their prices went up.

Since insurance was used to cover so much and patients had only their deductibles and co-payments to make, doctors and hospitals were able to even charge more.

Then on top of all of that, add in the technological advances and the fact that people are living longer than ever before and needing more and more expensive care towards the end of life.

[Gina]

jwirr (28,210 posts)
3. I suspect that the high deductibles were that high because even the Democrats who created this

plan are out of touch with just how bad it is down here.

You asshole.  Your "democrats" even excluded themselves from this crap.  That should have told EVERYONE everything.  But no, you and your ilk ruin families finanacial situations with this piece of crap.

[txradioguy]

Star Member Doctor_J (31,467 posts)
10. Feels more like I have been gutted then skinned, but whatever

Probably the biggest con job ever perpetrated on the American populace

You voted for it DUmbass.  You think this sucks...wait til Government provided internet takes over.

Morons ALWAYS want...no demand free shit...til they actually get it...then all they do is bitch about what they begged for.

[Lacarnut]

Many Democratic voters are too stupid to understand that the socialist in the W.H. #1 agenda was to seize government control of the health care system.. Insurance companies and the AARP helped to write this monstrosity.   

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

BrotherIvan (5,478 posts)
6. Or won't seek care because the deductable is too high

That happened when I was in a major accident. The paramedic wanted to call the ambulance to take me to the hospital, but since I didn't feel any immediate effects, I said my deductible was too high to go just to get checked out. He nodded sadly and said yes, he hears that all the time. And that a person might have a concussion and not know and just go home and die in bed.

It's the best of all worlds for the health insurers: I pay premiums but they don't have to pay out. My ACA Silver Plan is junk.

When Obama broke his "if you like your plan you can keep your plan" promise the Proglodytes assured us that it was OK because those catastrophic coverage-only plans were junk because didn't cover day-to-day medical expenses.

Do y'all remember that?

Because I remember that.

Now it looks like we all have junk plans.

Socialism isn't about lifting poor people up; it's about tearing everyone else down while the elitists keep the good stuff for themselves as a reward for their noble efforts.

[JohnnyReb]

WOW! What a profit making idea....sell insurance that no one will take and you never have to pay out any money.

[jukin]

The most expensive (insert whatever but in this case health insurance) is sold as freeeeeeeeee!!

Still waiting for just one of the arguments against ObamaCare to be proven wrong.

The useful idiots wanted government so bad in health care and they got it so bad.

[Mike220]

BrotherIvan (5,478 posts)
6. Or won't seek care because the deductable is too high

That happened when I was in a major accident. The paramedic wanted to call the ambulance to take me to the hospital, but since I didn't feel any immediate effects, I said my deductible was too high to go just to get checked out. He nodded sadly and said yes, he hears that all the time. And that a person might have a concussion and not know and just go home and die in bed.

No. Just no.

Out of every call I've ever run where a patient refused transport, this particular excuse has never come up.

[docstew]

No. Just no.

Out of every call I've ever run where a patient refused transport, this particular excuse has never come up.

You must not have met my sister. She has told me multiple times that she will deny transport because she can't afford it.

[Carl]

You mean it wasn`t FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!




Note to DUmbass lurkers,the actual free healthcare you dream of is far worse.

[Ptarmigan]

Well gees. Uh.

[98ZJUSMC]

It's been a massive brainwashing campaign since the 60s to think unions are bad.

Not in the slightest, putz.  My father learned it long ago.  I learned from my father.

Oh, and :    and die soon.

Star Member Doctor_J (31,467 posts)
10. Feels more like I have been gutted then skinned, but whatever

Probably the biggest con job ever perpetrated on the American populace without one, NOT ONE, Republican vote.

Which you wholly supported.  Remember this:



and this:


Surely, you remember this:


The gloating, the lying, the unlawful delays in implementing law, the bogus statistics, on and on and on....




Hi there!  I was talking about you!


And now, after you were told repeatedly by the adults that you were stupid, you're all:

Own it, you little piece of shit.  You're too stupid to live.

[obumazombie]

How does it feel getting Grubered ?


edit: space

[HawkHogan]

Didn't we warn the Dummies that insurance companies would be the major benefactor of Obamacare?

[Chris_]

Didn't we warn the Dummies that insurance companies would be the major benefactor of Obamacare?

They don't listen.

[obumazombie]

They don't listen.

To rational people.

[jukin]

The easiest people to fool are those that think they are very smart.

Applies times 100 to DUchebags.

[DLR Pyro]

Which you wholly supported.  Remember this:

I do remember that because it was a big f'ing deal according to slow Joe.

[DLR Pyro]

I can remember a time when people paid for routine visits, yearly physicals, vaccinations and whatever out of pocket.  Insurance was used for covering major problems and accidents.

I remember a time when employers were not required by the government to provide health insurance and did so as a fringe benefit as a way to attract the best and brightest away from their competitors.

[J P Sousa]

A favorite line; If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.



“If more government is the answer, then it was a really stupid question.”
― Ronald Reagan