18 Reasons the Affordable Care Act Is the Greatest Achievement for the Middle Class

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

1. A Harvard study found that 45,000 Americans die every year for lack of insurance. Pretty mush everyone dies, nobody has ever died from not having insurance.

2. After a century of trying, President Obama was the first president to sign a law that would achieve near universal health insurance coverage. Not even close actually.

3. For the first time, health insurers are required to spend 80 to 85 percent of customers’ premiums on actual care. More than $1.3 billion in overcharges will be returned to consumers and employers this year. No profits for businesses that take risks, sounds like a fine idea to me.

4. The law allows many Americans under age 26 to stay on their parents’ health plans. Today, as many as three million young people have already taken advantage of this benefit. 26 is no longer young, go out and be a grown up for fks sake.

5. Tens of millions of people now getting preventive care at no extra cost, including cancer screenings and vaccinations. Last year, 32.5 million Americans on Medicare and up to 54 million Americans with private insurance received one or more free preventive services. Oh there is a cost.

6. 3.2 million small businesses — employing 19.3 million workers nationwide — were eligible last year for tax credits worth $15.4 billion or $800 per employee. Unless you actually pay your employees a decent wage.

7. 3.6 million Medicare beneficiaries saved on average of $600 each as part of the phasing out of the donut hole. Would have been better to stop the fraud.

8. Health care fraud prosecutions are up 27 percent. Recoveries are up 58 percent, taking in $4 billion last year. Needs to be better, easy system to take advantage of because it is so poorly run, like all government agencies.

9. Most health plans cannot deny coverage to children under age 19 because of pre-existing conditions. This will make things WAY cheaper...

10. Insurance companies can no longer cap the dollar amount of care you can receive in a lifetime. Same as #9

11. Insurers cannot drop your coverage due to a mistake on your application when you get sick. Or what? That is the question.


Beginning in 2014:

12. Marketplaces will be established in every state for people and small businesses that buy their own health insurance. Pregnancy, contraception and newborn care, along with vision and dental coverage for children, will be covered in all exchange plans and new plans sold to individuals and small businesses. Unless they do not want it.

13. Plans will no longer be allowed to turn away people with pre-existing conditions. #9

14. If your income is less than about $88,000 for a family of four and your job doesn’t offer coverage, you may get tax credits to pay for insurance. That is wealthy in much of the country.

15. The national Medicaid minimum eligibility level of 133% of the federal poverty level ($29,700 for a family of four in 2011) for nearly all Americans under age 65. Good. This should have always been the case.

16. Health care insurers will no longer be allowed to charge women more than men for their coverage. Private businesses should be able to charge whomever, whatever they want. Don't like it go to a competitor.

17. Up to 30 million Americans who are currently not insured will be covered, saving thousands of American lives. #9

18. How is this all paid for? By slight tax increases on the investments of Americans earning over $250,000 a year, “Cadillac” insurance plans, medical device companies, penalties for businesses and individuals who can afford insurance but choose not to get it and tanning. I think as a business owner it is for me to decide what I can and cannot afford to buy/provide.

To point 3. Id much rather have the CEO of United Healthcare pull in 300 million a year and myself have to pay for half my medication because they decide not to cover the full amount anymore.
PS I am very happy you Are not affected by the fires.

[Clip-Clop]

Originally Posted by jms62

To point 3. Id much rather have the CEO of United Healthcare pull in 300 million a year and myself have to pay for half my medication because they decide not to cover the full amount anymore.
PS I am very happy you Are not affected by the fires.

I do not agree with any company paying salaries like that to anyone. If I am a shareholder I would be pissed. I also disagree with the way insurance companies operate as well, especially when it come to prescriptions, while I am medicine free my wife is not, but the way this has been written it is going to make things worse IMO.
Thank you for the PS, we actually thought we saw something burning in our area this morning on our run but it was a distant reflection of the sunrise. Paranoia is rampant around here.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

Thank you for the PS, we actually thought we saw something burning in our area this morning on our run but it was a distant reflection of the sunrise. Paranoia is rampant around here.

Seems like things are temporarily looking up there, glad you guys are still okay. Still hot, dry, dangerous.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by jms62

To point 3. Id much rather have the CEO of United Healthcare pull in 300 million a year and myself have to pay for half my medication because they decide not to cover the full amount anymore.
PS I am very happy you Are not affected by the fires.

you want to know whats funny?

Prior to Obamacare I only had to pay $10 for scrips

Ever since Obamacare passed and United Healthcare dramatically changed their insurance plans... I now must pay the full amount.

Obamacare turned my personal insurance to absolute ****.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

you want to know whats funny?

Prior to Obamacare I only had to pay $10 for scrips

Ever since Obamacare passed and United Healthcare dramatically changed their insurance plans... I now must pay the full amount.

Obamacare turned my personal insurance to absolute ****.

Or did United Healthcare see it as an opportunity to gouge knowing they could deflect the blame.

[Clip-Clop]

Originally Posted by jms62

Or did United Healthcare see it as an opportunity to gouge knowing they could deflect the blame.

Weren't gouging opportunities supposed to be eliminated by this?

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

Weren't gouging opportunities supposed to be eliminated by this?

That's what they say but I will withold judgement and placing blame until it ACTUALLY goes into affect.

[Danzig]

http://factcheck.org/2012/06/romney-...re-falsehoods/


fact check on obamacare.


and i have to say, i find a republican griping about the feds getting between you and your doctor to be quite disingenuous, and highly ironic.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by jms62

Or did United Healthcare see it as an opportunity to gouge knowing they could deflect the blame.

that could very well be the case, but it doesnt change my insurance plan back to a good one.

according to UHC, the cadillac tax which will come into affect in 2014 was the reason they were changing the plans... my former plan was certainly no caddy in my eyes. now my plan is equivalent to a bicycle.

at any rate, I've only been hurt by the new health care law, and things wont be getting better.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

that could very well be the case, but it doesnt change my insurance plan back to a good one.

according to UHC, the cadillac tax which will come into affect in 2014 was the reason they were changing the plans... my former plan was certainly no caddy in my eyes. now my plan is equivalent to a bicycle.

at any rate, I've only been hurt by the new health care law, and things wont be getting better.

it's why the title of this thread is a misnomer. tony and i are middle class, the garbage doesn't do a thing for us. of course we'll pay for it-maybe that's what was meant? or perhaps it's in comparison to the current economy? because that's doing wonders for us caught in the middle as well. just grist in the mill.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by jms62

Or did United Healthcare see it as an opportunity to gouge knowing they could deflect the blame.

the health insurers are going to have to do everything they can to continue to make a profit. you ever run a business? there aren't many who can only put 15% of their money into the business and keep it running.

the company i work for announced that there will be rebates forthcoming to their health plan participants. their health insurer spend only 84.7% on claims, so they get to distribute a whopping .3% rebate. a couple of dollars. yeah, that's so worth having coverages changed, curtailed, removed...but at least there are 'free things' being covered now.
lmao. yeah, free.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Danzig

the health insurers are going to have to do everything they can to continue to make a profit. you ever run a business? there aren't many who can only put 15% of their money into the business and keep it running.

the company i work for announced that there will be rebates forthcoming to their health plan participants. their health insurer spend only 84.7% on claims, so they get to distribute a whopping .3% rebate. a couple of dollars. yeah, that's so worth having coverages changed, curtailed, removed...but at least there are 'free things' being covered now.
lmao. yeah, free.

Nothing really needs to be said.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/12/...n-11_land.html

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by jms62

Nothing really needs to be said.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/12/...n-11_land.html

yep...people think that by passing laws to control costs that they're helping..but companies ceo's, stockholders, big players etc are still going to get theirs. does anyone really think that someone will willingly take a cut so that prices don't go up??? yeah, right! yeah, the co's are going to lower their bottom line, and pass on savings. ha!!! yeah, i have ocean front property here in arkansas for sale, cheap.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

the health insurers are going to have to do everything they can to continue to make a profit. you ever run a business? there aren't many who can only put 15% of their money into the business and keep it running.

the company i work for announced that there will be rebates forthcoming to their health plan participants. their health insurer spend only 84.7% on claims, so they get to distribute a whopping .3% rebate. a couple of dollars. yeah, that's so worth having coverages changed, curtailed, removed...but at least there are 'free things' being covered now.
lmao. yeah, free.

The Affordable Care Act instituted consumer protections against price-gouging, one being that insurance companies must spend at least 80% of your insurance premium dollar on actual health care (rather than, oh, golden parachutes and management bonuses).

Oh, my - you are getting a rebate! That is reason to

A) Be happy your insurance company can no longer price-gouge you
B) Hate the law that protects you from price-gouging
C) Get help for the cognitive dissonance - at least you're covered for that now, by law

[paulo537]

Originally Posted by Riot

The Affordable Care Act instituted consumer protections against price-gouging, one being that insurance companies must spend at least 80% of your insurance premium dollar on actual health care (rather than, oh, golden parachutes and management bonuses).

Oh, my - you are getting a rebate! That is reason to

A) Be happy your insurance company can no longer price-gouge you
B) Hate the law that protects you from price-gouging
C) Get help for the cognitive dissonance - at least you're covered for that now, by law

You seem to think that being in the health insurance business is just a racket for price-gouging, unethical evil doers. If it was so easy, why have all but 5 major comanies stopped writing group health insurance nationwide?

With your logic, we should be surprised that there are not 20 or 30 doing so, like there was 25 years ago.

By the way, there is absolutely nothing in the new law that insurance companies cannot manage. No annual maximums?.... ok, raise rates. No rating up for pre-ex conditions? .... no problem, raise rates. "Free" PReventive Care? ... sure, ... raise rates.

Health insurance rates are going to skyrocket. The pool of all insured people
through commercial carriers is going to deteriorate, health-wise. It has to.

The only question is whether the modest number of positives in the bill outweigh the higher cost for every person who is insured. Maybe that happens.

This is what is happening now:

1. Small Employer (<51 emps) plans will drop like flies. The penalties are just too soft.
2. Nothing has been reformed in health care. Just health care insurance has been reformed.

If you think that increased screening during preventive care and covering the kids until they are closer to an AARP card than their first birthday outweighs the unadressed reasons why HC itself costs so damn much then you should be a very happy person.

If you think insurance companies are shaking with fear at the new law, think again.

[Clip-Clop]

Insurance companies are evil. Therefore we insist you buy their product.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by paulo537

You seem to think that being in the health insurance business is just a racket for price-gouging, unethical evil doers. If it was so easy, why have all but 5 major comanies stopped writing group health insurance nationwide?

With your logic, we should be surprised that there are not 20 or 30 doing so, like there was 25 years ago.

By the way, there is absolutely nothing in the new law that insurance companies cannot manage. No annual maximums?.... ok, raise rates. No rating up for pre-ex conditions? .... no problem, raise rates. "Free" PReventive Care? ... sure, ... raise rates.

Health insurance rates are going to skyrocket. The pool of all insured people
through commercial carriers is going to deteriorate, health-wise. It has to.

The only question is whether the modest number of positives in the bill outweigh the higher cost for every person who is insured. Maybe that happens.

This is what is happening now:

1. Small Employer (<51 emps) plans will drop like flies. The penalties are just too soft. 2. Nothing has been reformed in health care. Just health care insurance has been reformed.

If you think that increased screening during preventive care and covering the kids until they are closer to an AARP card than their first birthday outweighs the unadressed reasons why HC itself costs so damn much then you should be a very happy person.

If you think insurance companies are shaking with fear at the new law, think again.

that's the big question right now, who will drop coverage? the answer is most, if not all, small groups will. if it's cheaper to pay the fine than continue to carry the coverage, and knowing employees can get it thru exchanges, why would any small employer keep their current plan? if you can save money by dropping and paying the fee, why wouldn't you? and that's the first budget breaker, as the cbo planned on only a few million losing small group coverage. in fact, most will. 'they' said it could be as low as 3 million people, but....it could be as high as 30 million. when they did the figuring back when members of congress said it 'must cost less than a trillion' they lowballed the number used to figure people losing coverage.


and yes, they will have to raise rates. how could they not? insurance companies have to pay out 85% in claims-but watch the claims come pouring in.
like i said, at least it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. wonder when we get downgraded again.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

you want to know whats funny?

Prior to Obamacare I only had to pay $10 for scrips

Ever since Obamacare passed and United Healthcare dramatically changed their insurance plans... I now must pay the full amount.

Obamacare turned my personal insurance to absolute ****.

No. That's your personal insurance company screwing you real good one last time.

There is zero in "Obamacare" that has gone into effect that has anything at all to do with that.