Thanks Obamacare...not really

Can't you stick with the insurance you currently have?

Andrina - That is the increases for next year of my current insurance, I just can't afford $430 a month for Asacol along with a 30%+ increase in my premium and hospital stays. I am looking into other insurance options/providers right now, but I do not want to lose my PCP and GI because they are no longer in my network if I change.

Dr-A - I have BS of California, originally they stated a 6% increase for the premium, well they released a 30% increase instead. All I can think of is they are preparing for the flood of claims from everybody joining Obamacare.

The anthem blue cross companies(CA BCBS is one of them) are the biggest crooks in the business. Probably ought to blame them and be really glad that with Obamacare you can switch companies. Try a Kaiser HMO.

I am really not getting how they can change your insurance contract unless the company you work for did that. In that case you are on a group health plan and Obamacare has nothing to do with your change in coverage. Your company just screwed you and blamed Obamacare.

If you are on a grandfathered plan, an insurance company can't pay claims in the new Obamacare policies with your premiums. That is not how insurance works.

I just read an article that was talking about the amount of money being spent to educate people about the ACA. The government spent $40 million up to that point. The Heritage foundation and others that oppose it have spent $400 million. Truth is the democrats greatly exaggerated the number of people this law effects. The GOP ran with the ball and transformed it into a government take over. It really effects only the uninsured and those with individual polices. People on group health(2/3rds of workers) and on medicare will hardly be effected at all. Democrats can't push back against the employers and the crooks in healthcare that are using Obamacare as an excuse to cheat people. They need the campaign cash.

UC is a poster child for mandatory insurance, insurance reform and a ban on preexisting conditions. Our healthcare system ruins the lives of people with chronic medical conditions. You are limited on who you can work for and where you can live. You are stuck on a plan for life if you have a individual policy. It defeats the purpose of insurance which is to make your life predictable and secure. When you really need the benefit of insurance, they kick you off. You go broke and end up on government care. The very nature of employer provided healthcare is that those that are really sick don't get help because they lose their job and insurance.

The ACA has problems but those problems all existed before it passed. The big one is we are spending 2.6 times the amount per person on healthcare as the rest of the modern nations. We get no benefit from that. Falling into the lap of the "do nothing crowd" will not stop this. We have to demand more health reform not help destroy what little we have.

This whole insurance business makes me sick.

out of curisoity, do you guys purchase insurance on your own? It's not company provided, thru your emplyer?? I keep hearing about premiums sky-rocketing, etc. But, we have family coverage w/Tufts thru my husbands employer, & nothing's changed. I know it's early, but not a word about increases, etc. Who is telling you the premiums will go up next year? I worry about insurance constantly...

I'm on Medicare but too many people I know, like my daughter, are preparing for the worse. Her insurance is going up approx 50% because of the demands of inclusions with Obama care. She only wants major medical and it seems, at this time, she can not have it. Hopefully, more information will evolve that will calm her fears because she can't afford the changes. Her husband's insurance does not accept working partners.

It really depends on your state and their previous health care laws/requirements. If your state was very lenient (not strict in their health care laws) then premiums will likely go up due to the ACA (ObamaCare) because the new national requirements are much more comprehensive (no pre-existing conditions, can't be dropped or price increased due to claims, annual and preventive health screening, etc...) all these things cost money and are probably positive changes for anyone with an IBD.

I live in NY and NY State all ready had many of these rules in place so with competition now I am see my premiums go down.

I have the same opinion of Blue Cross, they are the worst.

You do not have to buy from the Health Care Exchanges, you can buy private insurance which may be better for you. If you qualify for a subsidy then you would have to buy from the Exchanges to get it.

"Her insurance is going up approx 50% because of the demands of inclusions with Obama care. "

I am pretty sure this isn't possible. Grandfathered plans have to meet the minimums set by the ACA. If it didn't she would get a cancellation letter not a premium increase. The bar set by the ACA isn't very high. The grandfathered plans don't have to meet much of the laws requirements. Honestly, if a plan doesn't meet Obama care it probably isn't worth having.

If you are under age 30, the market place has catastrophic plans which are nothing but high deductible major medical. The subsidies and CSR available on silver plans do make them very affordable for lower income people.

One of the really stinky things that are coming out is how variable the rates are in different regions. If you live in a region dominated by a single health network, you will get screwed.

Eva -- is the open enrollment period for his insurance in November or July? We were told to be expecting our packets in the mail any day now, so I'll keep everyone updated. Should be interesting!!

Old Mike said...
Since regular asacol is no longer distributed in the USA,do you mean asacol HD.

Here is a new replacement.

OM

http://www.delzicol.com/index.jsp

Yes, AsacolHD, i just get lazy and dont put the HD there sometimes.  Delzicol falls under the same catagory as a non-formulary and so does Lialda.

My husband and I were just talking about how we NEVER had to worry about insurance -- it was just kind of a benefit to working for a large company. Same with pensions. Now we manage our 401k and our health insurance benefits...and worry about both.

IDK about Obamacare affecting our insurance policy, but I just received a letter in the mail stating Asacol HD will not longer be covered under our plan. I had to laugh because our insurance (before Obamacare was initiated) has gotten so expensive, we had to opt for the high deductible plan which does not cover prescription meds at all and it is not cheap!
We've had to pay out of pocket this year for Asacol HD ($1100 3 months) Prednisone ($15 cheapest drug), Uceris ($600 for 2 weeks worth and the rest donated by MD because she felt sorry for me) - thank god we found FT and SCD because I was looking at paying full price for either Remicade or Humeria and telling our kids sorry pay for your own college degree we've been carefully saving for the past 9 years.
My spouse supposedly works for one of the top financial firms in the US and our income would be considered upper-middle class so it's crazy how a problem like UC can cripple you financially because of the greed of the medical structure in this country.
Something needs to be done for those stuck in between the 1% and the poverty class because we are paying a small fortune for insufficient insurance to cover serious medical conditions while our insurance gets to pick and choose what drugs they will or won't pay for. Ugh!

Post Edited (Adventureuc) : 10/28/2013 1:17:43 PM (GMT-6)