5 ms·

Check out non-ACA-qualified insurance. Mine is cheap, low-deductible, and covers catastrophic events. For working numbers, its $415 per month, $2500 deductible

Check out non-ACA-qualified insurance. Mine is cheap, low-deductible, and covers catastrophic events. For working numbers, its $415 per month, $2500 deductible and per person/year maximum out of pocket, $5000 for the family. I pay a bit more to get a larger provider network. I had a plan a couple years ago that was < $200/month, $1500/$3000 maximum OOP, but we had to drive across town for an in-network provider. These kinds of plans were common (and cheaper) prior to the ACA. The biggest change is that the post-ACA plans have smaller provider networks, where before, they were similar to employer-provided benefits. The biggest "downside" is it is absolutely, no exceptions, cash payments until you hit the yearly deductible. Even then, the negotiated rates for procedures are sometimes cheaper with insurance, sometimes not. So, I had to get a head MRI late last year. Doc wrote a script for a local hospital that would take my insurance, which was a $3K procedure. I called up a local imaging company, it was $615 cash. A little bit of price shopping saved me $1800 ($2500 OOP - $615 or so). US citizens forgot that a lot of private insurance was really quite good compared to post-ACA plans, and as long as you get "illegal" insurance, it still can be.

learc83 6y ago
>These kinds of plans were common (and cheaper) prior to the ACA. They weren't comparable because before the ACA these plans almost exclusively had lifetime and yearly coverage limits, and they could raise your premiums to affordable levels the next year if you actually developed a long term serious illness. If you ended up with cancer, a plan like you're talking about would have dropped you like a hot potato after they blew through your $100k a year coverage limit.
- rdtwo 6y ago
  But because no preexisting condition clause in aca you just need to bridge the gap to the open enrollment period
rhombocombus 6y ago
And back then folks who, say, had type ii diabetes were entirely literally uninsurable in many states. Generally those states were the same ones where it was also nearly impossible to get medicaid. The outcome of this is a lot of folks committed their fortunes to the local hospital, pre aca was not some halcyon era of good benefits for everyone.
anonAndOn 6y ago
Quite good... if you could get it and stay healthy. Have a pre-existing condition? Sorry, not available. Get diagnosed with some ongoing or chronic condition? Buh-bye.
lotsofpulp 6y ago
> US citizens forgot that a lot of private insurance was really quite good compared to post-ACA plans, and as long as you get "illegal" insurance, it still can be. This is ridiculous, of course insurance is cheap if you don’t have to help pay for pregnancies and cancer and diabetes and other chronic condition.

learc83 6y ago

>These kinds of plans were common (and cheaper) prior to the ACA. They weren't comparable because before the ACA these plans almost exclusively had lifetime and yearly coverage limits, and they could raise your premiums to affordable levels the next year if you actually developed a long term serious illness. If you ended up with cancer, a plan like you're talking about would have dropped you like a hot potato after they blew through your $100k a year coverage limit.

rdtwo 6y ago
But because no preexisting condition clause in aca you just need to bridge the gap to the open enrollment period

rhombocombus 6y ago

And back then folks who, say, had type ii diabetes were entirely literally uninsurable in many states. Generally those states were the same ones where it was also nearly impossible to get medicaid. The outcome of this is a lot of folks committed their fortunes to the local hospital, pre aca was not some halcyon era of good benefits for everyone.

anonAndOn 6y ago

Quite good... if you could get it and stay healthy. Have a pre-existing condition? Sorry, not available. Get diagnosed with some ongoing or chronic condition? Buh-bye.

lotsofpulp 6y ago

> US citizens forgot that a lot of private insurance was really quite good compared to post-ACA plans, and as long as you get "illegal" insurance, it still can be. This is ridiculous, of course insurance is cheap if you don’t have to help pay for pregnancies and cancer and diabetes and other chronic condition.