3 ms·

In MA my family premium is climbing from $950 to $1600/month. And this is with high deductibles, so if we want to actually see a doctor it will be out of pocke

In MA my family premium is climbing from $950 to $1600/month. And this is with high deductibles, so if we want to actually see a doctor it will be out of pocket.

wahern 10y ago
On the Massachusetts Healthcare Exchange you can find unsubsidized Gold plans starting at $1,200/month for a family of 4. I just checked. $1,600 is the highest Gold plan, and is the start of Platinum territory. $1,200 is typical for a decent-quality medical plan, if California is any measure. And California law has far stricter minimum coverage requirements than Obamacare. It's true that under Obamacare it has been more difficult for some people to stick with their same, preferred insurance provider. It seems some providers will jack up rates in an attempt to reconfigure their insured base. I can't see how that would change without restricting insurance providers even more. Less regulation, as is likely with Republican policies, would likely lead to more shenanigans. It might lead to slightly cheaper coverage for the well-off, but I'd take a slightly higher premium knowing that if I got laid off and lost income I'd still be able to afford decent healthcare. Even with Obamacare a major medical condition can still bankrupt you, especially if you lose your job. Purchasing insurance to subsidize income if you become sick or injured is still a smart thing to do. It's just that with solid minimum coverage requirements you're paying part of that premium directly in the cost of your healthcare.
toodlebunions 10y ago
What was it before with Romneycare?
- quicklyfrozen 10y ago
  That's true, it was higher then, about $1200/month. IIRC the deductibles were lower though, $3000/person vs. $6000 now. I just don't see how this system will work for insurers in the long run -- I know I'm certainly not going to the Dr. unless I'm really sick. Somehow even yearly checkups seem to cost me over $500 so I delay those until they threaten to not renew prescriptions.
  - toodlebunions 10y ago
    I don't see how the system will work for anyone. A $6000 deductible is basically a catastrophic policy, it discourages care which is perhaps the point. Of course if you have ever seen an uninsured ER bill then that $6000 suddenly looks comparably cheap. How expensive will it all get before it breaks?
    - wahern 10y ago
      Obamacare puts limits on the deductible for various types of common visits and procedures. As an example (though I'm unsure if this is in particular a federal or state mandate in California), the maximum deductible for child delivery is much less than a typical policy's maximum deductible in the aggregate. Our deductible on our family policy is $3,500, I think; but we only had to cut a check for a fraction of that. So when people say they have a $5,000 deductible, it absolutely does not mean that most care is entirely out-of-pocket. In fact, most routine preventative care has a very low deductible. Otherwise, as you said, it would basically be worthless to almost everybody.

In MA my family premium is climbing from $950 to $1600/month. And this is with high deductibles, so if we want to actually see a doctor it will be out of pocket.

wahern 10y ago

On the Massachusetts Healthcare Exchange you can find unsubsidized Gold plans starting at $1,200/month for a family of 4. I just checked. $1,600 is the highest Gold plan, and is the start of Platinum territory. $1,200 is typical for a decent-quality medical plan, if California is any measure. And California law has far stricter minimum coverage requirements than Obamacare. It's true that under Obamacare it has been more difficult for some people to stick with their same, preferred insurance provider. It seems some providers will jack up rates in an attempt to reconfigure their insured base. I can't see how that would change without restricting insurance providers even more. Less regulation, as is likely with Republican policies, would likely lead to more shenanigans. It might lead to slightly cheaper coverage for the well-off, but I'd take a slightly higher premium knowing that if I got laid off and lost income I'd still be able to afford decent healthcare. Even with Obamacare a major medical condition can still bankrupt you, especially if you lose your job. Purchasing insurance to subsidize income if you become sick or injured is still a smart thing to do. It's just that with solid minimum coverage requirements you're paying part of that premium directly in the cost of your healthcare.

toodlebunions 10y ago

What was it before with Romneycare?

quicklyfrozen 10y ago
That's true, it was higher then, about $1200/month. IIRC the deductibles were lower though, $3000/person vs. $6000 now. I just don't see how this system will work for insurers in the long run -- I know I'm certainly not going to the Dr. unless I'm really sick. Somehow even yearly checkups seem to cost me over $500 so I delay those until they threaten to not renew prescriptions.
- toodlebunions 10y ago
  I don't see how the system will work for anyone. A $6000 deductible is basically a catastrophic policy, it discourages care which is perhaps the point. Of course if you have ever seen an uninsured ER bill then that $6000 suddenly looks comparably cheap. How expensive will it all get before it breaks?
  - wahern 10y ago
    Obamacare puts limits on the deductible for various types of common visits and procedures. As an example (though I'm unsure if this is in particular a federal or state mandate in California), the maximum deductible for child delivery is much less than a typical policy's maximum deductible in the aggregate. Our deductible on our family policy is $3,500, I think; but we only had to cut a check for a fraction of that. So when people say they have a $5,000 deductible, it absolutely does not mean that most care is entirely out-of-pocket. In fact, most routine preventative care has a very low deductible. Otherwise, as you said, it would basically be worthless to almost everybody.