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Obamacare gaining state foothold

March 21, 2013

nurseCalifornia officials responsible for implementation of the Affordable Care Act are in Sacramento to discuss the state’s entry into the program.

One state lawmaker, Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, was spotlighting a new Health Access California report analyzing how this state is adjusting to the health-care overhaul.

Benefits accruing to California residents are many, according to the report by the statewide health care consumer advocacy group based in Sacramento. It claims “millions” of beneficiaries of so-called Obamacare.

According to the report, entitled “Three Years of the Affordable Care Act: Counting the Benefits, Countdown to Coverage,” the largest impact “has come from expanding coverage — getting people the care they need and providing economic security from financial ruin. The most recent 2013 estimates are that more than one million Californians have been able to get coverage through new options provided under the ACA.”

The report added:

More than 6 million Caifornians enjoy expanded coverage; 21,160 people denied coverage due to health status are now covered; 435,000 young adults have been able to remain in their parents’ health policies through age 25;  and 642,000 people in 53 counties have new coverage.

Also, by introducing rate oversight capabilities, 1.5 million state insured people have saved more than $175 million from rate hikes rolled back, retracted or withdrawn by major health care insurance companies.


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The proverbial nail in California’s coffin…


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State regulation of car insurance rates has worked well.


It’s time to do the same thing for health insurance rates!


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Of course, there will be no doctors to service all those “millions of beneficiaries”.


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I was denied med insurance because of a pre-existing. (Not as young as I think I am.) My denial made me eligible for PCIP: California Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. For my age: Payment = $406 per month, $2500 deductible, = $7372 per year! Percentage wise per annual income, I can’t imagine how this is considered affordable? I am lucky enough to be able to afford it, but I can’t imagine how in the world someone say making a teachers salary, with rent/mortgage payments can afford to pay for med insurance. And This policy was CHEAP in comparison!! I was told PCIP was a Fed program handed over to the state to run.


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Wait ’till you get even older! My wife and I have a small group plan. Our premium is going up 20% this year – from $1360 to $1632. Our deductible is $3,000 each and the plan only pays 70% after that! I can’t wait until we qualify for Medicare.


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Do you really believe Medicare will be there when you retire ? lol.


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Holy smokes, you are getting ripped off, that’s nearly $20,000 per year and without your deductible..

Ours went to $1100 per month for a family of three and I am a senior. Like I said I back tracked over the years and my calculations for a total paid out came out to $240,000.00 that I paid Blue Cross and I know my hospital visits totaled far less than that.


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IF we can just get down to the Docs’/Hospitals charging REAL costs rather than the padded-to-pay-close costs. I was charged $45k for less than 24hours at French back 5 years ago. Did NOT include the doctors’ bill. The hospital charged me $120 for ONE 500mg vicodin. It was insane. We need to demand REAL costs, it will bring things down to reality, instead of $20,000 a year for a “just in case” coverage.


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This seems to be the crux of the problem too much management and too high prices based in lack competition. If insurance premiums were based on real claims (or lack of )and health care in general were based in providing the service to the patient instead of the insurance companies, and there might not be the huge gouging that is general practice today. I do not fault doctors for charging what they do, because if their fees are compared to plumbers, auto mechanics or God forbid ambulance chasers, their fees seem fair.

That being said, when I had my arthroscopic back surgery 20 years ago, I was shocked at the price for almost everything except the actual doctors who actually did the procedure. The hospital charged $1000 per day for the bed, $40 for saline that they never used, $900.00 for a consulting doctor who never saw me, and I could go on and on. Bottom line the procedure cost $120,000 all told and I was only in the hospital for 24 hours.

The entire process is broken and needs more than a huge cumbersome bill like obamacare, it needs an overhaul starting with the entire health care management system, making insurance competitive(especially across state lines) and hospital oversight. None of this will ever been done because they are all in bed together and like prevailing wage work there is much protection of the system by unions and those in admin…

And until 2014 we will really know how expensive or damaging obamacare is…


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Stop the government from sabotaging the medical market and the medical market will take care of itself.


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Costs are skyrocketing because of what already has been implemented and in preparation for what will. Many parts have been, the having to provide insurance for twenty six year olds and the infrastructure that has to be in place for the increase in paperwork. If your healthy you will not be able to find a private plan, since no one will be turned down your plan just changed to a large group type policy. Large group policy’s are expensive because no one gets turned down. Most don’t know how much they really cost because your employer pays a portion. Many of these policies are over $1,000 a month for just decent healthcare. Your employer will have an option of dropping coverage and paying the tax. Most will pay the tax. Leaving you to pay for your own policy or you will have the option of paying the tax until you get sick than you can sign up. If you don’t work or make any money yours will be paid by the working people if there is any left..


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Why ObamaCare Will Fail: A Reading List


http://mises.org/daily/3737


Excerpt from Murray N. Rothbard:


“Our very real medical crisis has been the product of massive government intervention, state and federal, throughout the century; in particular, an artificial boosting of demand coupled with an artificial restriction of supply.


The result has been accelerating high prices and deterioration of patient care. And next, socialized medicine could easily bring us to the vaunted medical status of the Soviet Union: everyone has the right to free medical care, but there is, in effect, no medicine and no care.”


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Oh, one other thing, when I spoke to three well known health insurance agents in SLO, each to the word said they had no idea how this will play out until 2014, but to be sure all premiums will go, except those below the povery mean income, who are the ones picked and subsidised by the rest of us.

Since our policy was in an “old pool” we dumped it and got a new policy with same deductible and benefit package for half of what I paid last fall. Each of the agents said that all policies will start anew in 2014 and most likely be much more expensive( a minimum of 27% immediately) than now.


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Since it will not come into fruition until 2014 I would wonder about the claims being made.

But, I can speak from my own experience as a self employed head of house hold provider with anthem blue cross insurance, my own insurance went up over 53% just last year, we do not go to the doctor and do not make regular claims. I have been the only one in the family who has had to make a claim of any size and the would have been only three times on 40 years. I sat down and added up just my premiums over all that time and I could have paid for my proceedures and had a sizable amount to invest in a HSA.

I believe that the only ones going to benefit from this boondoggle are those on dole who will keep their government insurance package regardless or those who have never have insurance and make frequent trips to the ER and do not pay taxes. They will be picked up and paid for by all the rest of us who do pay in.


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Per the article…


“Also, by introducing rate oversight capabilities, 1.5 million state insured people have saved more than $175 million from rate hikes rolled back, retracted or withdrawn by major health care insurance companies”


Really? We have saved money?


That really does not explain why last month my monthly heath insurance was raised by 27%.


27% folks……..and I have never made a claim on the policy for 15 years; nor have I aged into a new age category; nor do I have existing medical conditions. I am one heathy person.


I am also much poorer too; as I am paying dearly for what I fear might well be a boondoggle for America. Time will tell.


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Ditto, 19% last year and just another 19% increase since the first of January.


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You may be right but I have to also question whether the big insurance companies are doing this solely to get your support in their efforts to fight back. I have great concerns about the costs of ObamaCare but I have also seen, both personally and second-hand, the abuses and greed of the big insurance companies. I am skeptical of the motivations behind anything they say or do.


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