Jennifer Slafter does not find Obamacare plans for her family very affordable.
November 21st, 2013
07:54 AM ET
7 years ago
How 'affordable' are Obamacare plans?
New York (CNNMoney) - Many Americans browsing the Obamacare exchanges are finding the Affordable Care Act isn't living up to its name.
It's not just premiums that are bringing up the costs. Consumers are finding high deductibles, co-payments and other expenses that make the Obamacare policies seem more like catastrophic plans than comprehensive insurance.
FULL STORY
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"Many Americans"
How many? And how many are seeking plans outside of their employer? Article doesn't say. Why is this family of four pictured above buying only catastrophic insurance? - don't their kids have to go to the doctor on occasion? Why are the "scrambling" to find insurance? Do they own their own business? Do they work for an employer? Article doesn't say.
After the inserted non-sequitur video clip about "sex workers" LOVING Obamacare, at the very bottom of the piece, we get this:
"And not everyone will have to fork over the full amount for premiums or cost sharing. Those with incomes up to 400% of the poverty line will get subsidies to defer premium prices to no more than 9.5% of annual income. Those earning less than 250% of poverty are eligible for additional subsidies that will lower their deductibles and co-pays."
See? Now CNN can claim that, hey, they "told the truth" in the article. They have been doing this crap for 2 months now.
Why not we drop down the premiums, cut reimbursements to doctors, Hospitals, give that leverage to consumers–lot better than spending on WARS, looting USA treasury. Tax the guys that make 250k or more to cover the costs. Obama administration needs to think this rationale.
Now that the ACA has gone into effect it would cost me more than double what I am already paying a month to keep the same plan I had before. Alot of my co-workers are very upset and aren`t sure of how to pay the xtra cost. Myself and a few others are lucky that we can use are VA benefits to fill the gaps. As for the others, they are forced to pay the higher cost. The ACA is bad for the working middle class.
The premiums for "Silver" plans vary widely from one state to the next, in some cases by nearly a factor of two. It also seems that the red states are usually the ones getting the worst deal of them all. I wonder if it has anything to do with the factt those states also have the highest percentage of overweight people.
I got a idea CNN next time put a family that its been helping!! Then again negativity sells!!
C'mon CNN, do you really need to pile on Obama? How about printing a story or two about the folks that Obama Care helps? Too much to ask?
The government has created a monster they can not control, the insurance companies will fight tooth and nail to do anything bug give you good insurance at a decent price much like big oil, they have the politicians in their pocket
CNN IS BECOMING FOX news. No positive new about Obama, everyone who comes out talks negative about him. You forget so easily. President Obama got this country back to its feet from a deep financial and economic crisis. He has the ended the Republican the Iraq war, and also now ending another. He is working on peace agreements in the middle east. Iran finally is on the table. He 3 fought wars without losing any US soul etc.. Why doesn't CNN repeat these good things? You only repeat the negative news. What a shame. I am losing faith in CNN too. CNN don't be like FOX news
Totally unaffordable..........it was designed to give health care free to half the country, while forcing the other half to pay for everyone.
While those plans may have high deductibles and copays they also cover preventive and diagnostic services for free – services that PREVENT the need to meet those high deductibles and copays by finding medical issues early before they become catastrophic and leave families destitute – and which were NOT covered by catastrophic plans.
Additionally, the insurance companies are now required to reimburse customers if at least 80% of their premiums were not used to cover medical services. Granted, that does include insurance payments made for preventive/diagnostic services, but again, were talking about services that PREVENT the need to meet those high deductibles and copays by finding medical issues early before they become catastrophic and leave families destitute – and which were NOT covered by catastrophic plans.
Not to be a counter factual in the Fox Lite reporting, but:
1. Current individual policy, BCBS of GA is 363/mo with a 10,000 deductible, only 2 co-pay doctor visits prescription coverage only for generics.
2. New policy purchase ON the Healthcare.gov site as of Tuesday 11/19, which verified my citizenship, calculate my subsidy and gave me a list of plans. Chose a Humana GOLD plan with national coverage,(previous only good in GA) with a 2500 deductible, 3500 out of pocket, no limit on co-pay doctor's visits, PCP is 25 and specialists are 35 per visit, blood work covered 100% on first 500(current policy no coverage until 10K deduct hit), prescriptions covered for generic and preferred name as co-pay higher(level 1 & 2) higher levels covered after 500 script deduct hit, new rate is 645 for individual unsubsidized, I will apply all of subsidy of 445 to premium ad so my portion is 200/mo and for 25 I also get major dental adult coverage.
Is Obamacare(s) a good thing? You better believe it!
Point? There will be success/failure stories on both sides of every issue. However, it would be nice if the "failures" listed the benefit comparisons between former policies and new exchange policies, Fox Lite seems to never want to discuss that aspect when the whiners complain.
Before you Fox trolls complain about you "paying my premiums" via a tax credit, be aware, your home mortgage interest, your real estate tax credits are the same type of "welfare" I am using to pay for healthcare, as my house is mine!