Community Chat

[adelle38]

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Everyone blames everything on O care instead of looking at the realities. I realize that some people have been hit with increases they didn't expect, but the OVERALL rise in the cost of health care has been lower in the last couple of years than at any time since they started tracking it in 1960.

When I had private insurance through BCBS my premium DOUBLED one year from $328 a month to $656 a month because THEY changed my plan. I changed to their Plan B and kept taking higher deductibles and higher co-pays to try and keep my premium down. The last year I was on it they were increasing my premium from $690 to $761 a month. Thank goodness I went on Medicare that year!

I expected my Medicare and Medicare supplement to go up for 2015, but they didn't... they remain the same for 2015 as for 2014. And my Part D only went up $6.00 a month.

There are so many things that affect the cost of insurance premiums - company or private insurance, did the company change your benefits or the percentage you pay, did you go from company insurance to private insurance, COBRA coverage does not have anything to do with the ACA - you simply pay the full premium for your insurance instead of it being split between you and your employer (or maybe your employer paid the whole thing)... but it just seems to be simpler to say it's the fault of O care - which is not true in most cases.

And remember, O care dictates that if an insurance company doesn't spend at least 80% of your premiums on your health care, they have to refund a portion of your premiums!

July 18, 2013

...In 2012, 13 million rebates went out, in all 50 states." Another 8.5 million rebates are being sent out this summer,

Total rebates in 2012 equaled $500,000,000.

Good points.

The real problem is not government involvement in health care. It's that we've let the insurance companies control healthcare and they, along with drug companies, are responsible for out of control costs. We need national health insurance.

[Gooday]

Remember O-care is a TAX. When did a tax get revoked or refunded? Not likely.

Time will tell. The entire system is messed up and will continue to be so until these lobbyists are cut off at the knees and I see that happening - NEVER!

[Qwackertoo]

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Everyone blames everything on O care instead of looking at the realities. I realize that some people have been hit with increases they didn't expect, but the OVERALL rise in the cost of health care has been lower in the last couple of years than at any time since they started tracking it in 1960.

When I had private insurance through BCBS my premium DOUBLED one year from $328 a month to $656 a month because THEY changed my plan. I changed to their Plan B and kept taking higher deductibles and higher co-pays to try and keep my premium down. The last year I was on it they were increasing my premium from $690 to $761 a month. Thank goodness I went on Medicare that year!

I expected my Medicare and Medicare supplement to go up for 2015, but they didn't... they remain the same for 2015 as for 2014. And my Part D only went up $6.00 a month.

There are so many things that affect the cost of insurance premiums - company or private insurance, did the company change your benefits or the percentage you pay, did you go from company insurance to private insurance, COBRA coverage does not have anything to do with the ACA - you simply pay the full premium for your insurance instead of it being split between you and your employer (or maybe your employer paid the whole thing)... but it just seems to be simpler to say it's the fault of O care - which is not true in most cases.

And remember, O care dictates that if an insurance company doesn't spend at least 80% of your premiums on your health care, they have to refund a portion of your premiums!

July 18, 2013

...In 2012, 13 million rebates went out, in all 50 states." Another 8.5 million rebates are being sent out this summer,

Total rebates in 2012 equaled $500,000,000.

One too many your in that sentence. You can delete the middle one. Just sayin'.

I know who wrote the bill.

As always . . . Follow The Money.

And I know how much those stocks have increased in value the last few years.

And yes, I'm quite invested in health funds.

At least last year they helped offset the energy losses. But they too will bounce back. They always do.

[croemer]

On 1/6/2015 Gooday said:

Remember O-care is a TAX. When did a tax get revoked or refunded? Not likely.

Time will tell. The entire system is messed up and will continue to be so until these lobbyists are cut off at the knees and I see that happening - NEVER!

Yep...

[mstyrion 1]

On 1/6/2015 adelle38 said:

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Everyone blames everything on O care instead of looking at the realities. I realize that some people have been hit with increases they didn't expect, but the OVERALL rise in the cost of health care has been lower in the last couple of years than at any time since they started tracking it in 1960.

When I had private insurance through BCBS my premium DOUBLED one year from $328 a month to $656 a month because THEY changed my plan. I changed to their Plan B and kept taking higher deductibles and higher co-pays to try and keep my premium down. The last year I was on it they were increasing my premium from $690 to $761 a month. Thank goodness I went on Medicare that year!

I expected my Medicare and Medicare supplement to go up for 2015, but they didn't... they remain the same for 2015 as for 2014. And my Part D only went up $6.00 a month.

There are so many things that affect the cost of insurance premiums - company or private insurance, did the company change your benefits or the percentage you pay, did you go from company insurance to private insurance, COBRA coverage does not have anything to do with the ACA - you simply pay the full premium for your insurance instead of it being split between you and your employer (or maybe your employer paid the whole thing)... but it just seems to be simpler to say it's the fault of O care - which is not true in most cases.

And remember, O care dictates that if an insurance company doesn't spend at least 80% of your premiums on your health care, they have to refund a portion of your premiums!

July 18, 2013

...In 2012, 13 million rebates went out, in all 50 states." Another 8.5 million rebates are being sent out this summer,

Total rebates in 2012 equaled $500,000,000.

<br />

Good points.

The real problem is not government involvement in health care. It's that we've let the insurance companies control healthcare and they, along with drug companies, are responsible for out of control costs. We need national health insurance.

right on, both of you

[kittymomNC]

On 1/6/2015 Qwackertoo said:

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Everyone blames everything on O care instead of looking at the realities. I realize that some people have been hit with increases they didn't expect, but the OVERALL rise in the cost of health care has been lower in the last couple of years than at any time since they started tracking it in 1960.

When I had private insurance through BCBS my premium DOUBLED one year from $328 a month to $656 a month because THEY changed my plan. I changed to their Plan B and kept taking higher deductibles and higher co-pays to try and keep my premium down. The last year I was on it they were increasing my premium from $690 to $761 a month. Thank goodness I went on Medicare that year!

I expected my Medicare and Medicare supplement to go up for 2015, but they didn't... they remain the same for 2015 as for 2014. And my Part D only went up $6.00 a month.

There are so many things that affect the cost of insurance premiums - company or private insurance, did the company change your benefits or the percentage you pay, did you go from company insurance to private insurance, COBRA coverage does not have anything to do with the ACA - you simply pay the full premium for your insurance instead of it being split between you and your employer (or maybe your employer paid the whole thing)... but it just seems to be simpler to say it's the fault of O care - which is not true in most cases.

And remember, O care dictates that if an insurance company doesn't spend at least 80% of your premiums on your health care, they have to refund a portion of your premiums!

July 18, 2013

...In 2012, 13 million rebates went out, in all 50 states." Another 8.5 million rebates are being sent out this summer,

Total rebates in 2012 equaled $500,000,000.

<br />

One too many your in that sentence. You can delete the middle one. Just sayin'.

I know who wrote the bill.

As always . . . Follow The Money.

And I know how much those stocks have increased in value the last few years.

And yes, I'm quite invested in health funds.

At least last year they helped offset the energy losses. But they too will bounce back. They always do.

Fine, if you want to get technical - a LOT of people will still be getting rebates on their premiums. $500 million in one year is not peanuts:

Beginning in 2011, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance plans to pay out a minimum percentage of premium dollars towards health care expenses and quality improvement activities, limiting the amount spent on administrative and marketing costs and profit. Under the law, large group plans are required to spend at least 85 percent of premium dollars on health care and quality improvement, while small group plans must spend at least 80 percent. These ratios are known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR). This analysis looks at the latest estimates provided by insurers to state insurance commissioners.The analysis finds that consumers and businesses are expected to receive an estimated $1.3 billion by this August in rebates from health insurers who spent more on administrative expenses and profits than allowed by the ACA. The rebates include $541 million in the large employer market, $377 million in the small business market, and $426 million for those buying insurance on their own. Rebates in the group market will generally be provided to employers, and in some cases be passed on to employees as well.Rebates are expected to go to almost one-third (31%) of consumers in the individual market. Among employers, about one-quarter (28%) of the small group market and 19% of the large group market is projected to receive rebates. The share of consumers in the individual insurance market expected to receive rebates ranges from near zero in several states to as high as 86% in Oklahoma and 92% in Texas.

[kittymomNC]

On 1/6/2015 Gooday said:

Remember O-care is a TAX. When did a tax get revoked or refunded? Not likely.

Time will tell. The entire system is messed up and will continue to be so until these lobbyists are cut off at the knees and I see that happening - NEVER!

May I ask how O care is a TAX? And it is proven in writing that rebates of premiums have been given out to millions of people - that cannot be disputed even though you might like to.

My son lost his job due to health issues and has not been able to go back to a regular job yet. Our state did not take expanded Medicaid, unfortunately, (we know who runs this state, don't we?), so without O care, he would have NO medical coverage whatever because no insurance company would have covered him.

If you ever wake up an hour after you go to sleep with a CLUSTER HEADACHE, and it happens every single night for months (sometimes two times in one night), you will be more than glad to have medical insurance so you can see a doctor for meds. He considers it a God-send, not a tax. If you don't believe it, look up cluster headaches - they have a nickname... "suicide headaches" - they're that bad.

[traveler]

Well, people just elected the reverse Robin Hood congress so they must want it.

[Qwackertoo]

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Fine, if you want to get technical - a LOT of people will still be getting rebates on their premiums. $500 million in one year is not peanuts:

Actually it is peanuts. Granted a rebate is better than no rebate. BUT in 2015 when B as in BILLIONS are tossed around and spent and even T as in TRILLIONs are spent with the stroke of a pen . . . 500 MILLION averages out to $1.58 per person in the USA.

AND we still have around 40 MILLION with an M . . . uninsured people in the USA.

I get it.

Some are very happy with ACA.

Some are not.

We don't have to all agree about the merits or lack thereof of the ACA.

edit typo

[kittymomNC]

On 1/6/2015 Qwackertoo said:

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Fine, if you want to get technical - a LOT of people will still be getting rebates on their premiums. $500 million in one year is not peanuts:

Actually it is peanuts. Granted a rebate is better than no rebate. BUT in 2015 when B as in BILLIONS are tossed around and spent and even T as in TRILLIONs are spent with the stroke of a pen . . . 500 MILLION averages out to $1.58 per person in the USA.

AND we still have around 40 MILLION with an M . . . uninsured people in the USA.

I get it.

Some are very happy with ACA.

Some are not.

We don't have to all agree about the merits or lack thereof of the ACA.

edit typo

The $500,000,000 has nothing whatever to do with the number of people in the USA. That's just silly to equate it to that. That $500 million goes directly to people who paid health care premiums - and as the saying goes "every little bit helps". I would have been glad to get it when I was paying through the teeth to the "big Blue"! Ask anyone who is having trouble making ends meet what even a $100 check would do for them.

And as for the number still uninsured... chalk the majority of that up to those governors who refused to take expanded Medicaid for their uninsured constituents - even though IT WOULDN'T HAVE COST THE STATES A PENNY FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS, and after that an extremely minimal amount. Not to mention keeping hospitals open and keeping people working. It's a shame to make a poli^tical statement at the expense of suffering people.

No one, including "O" has ever said the ACA was perfect. In fact, they have said it can certainly use improvement. But it's better than nothing, which is what has been offered by the now "controlling party".