How Is Obamacare Working Out for You?

[GenuineRisk]

Post that does have something to do with the thread-

Here's an example of why the low-cost, high deductible plans are bad, Rupert. I'll use an example from myself this summer, so apologies if it's TMI.

I had miscarriage this year that came on very suddenly and very severely. I called the midwife who had delivered my son, and who was, I thought, going to see me through this very much-wanted pregnancy, to ask what to do and she said the bleeding was bad enough that I needed to go to the ER.

My husband has good, employer provided health insurance, so I was aware our copayment for the trip would be something like $50 (in fact it was $100, which I wasn't thrilled about when I paid, but it's still not going to break us). So, fifteen minutes later, once my best friend had raced over to watch our son and once I was fairly certain I wasn't going to pass out in the taxi (I was getting a bit woozy at that point), we headed to the nearest hospital.

If I'd had one of these low-cost, high deductible plans that are no longer legal under the ACA, my mind would have gone to the cost of an ER visit ($500 just to get into the room, then add on everything they might have to do- D&C, the thingy they put in in case I lost too much blood and needed electrolytes or a transfusion, blah blah blah) and I'm looking at least a few thousand dollars, all of which I'd be responsible for, and which we didn't have, and I might have decided to stay at home in my bathroom and hope for the best. And I might have bled out and died on my bathroom floor and my son might have grown up telling the story of how his mom died from a miscarriage.

But, because I knew I had coverage, I went to the ER, they took care of me, and sent me home the same night to grieve the loss of a pregnancy, which sucked to be sure, but is nothing compared to a child grieving the loss of a mother.

Those catastrophic plans forced people suddenly confronted with a health crisis to choose between their physical health and their financial health. It's good they're gone.