<p>Shrinkrap, I have a cousin (in her 60’s) who is schizophrenic and she has been on welfare and medicaid and SS and it has still been costly to the family. I would be interested to hear how ACA will alter that, too. I suspect it will be similar coverage tho not sure.</p>
<p>What each of us currently pays, what’s covered and how, our deductibles, seems to depend on where we live, age, whether an employer covers us, etc. How do we compare or learn from each other? </p>
<p>There is no one source of the details that really need to be considered, to make wise choices. If circumstances change, we have to revisit-? Are we going to be poring over new details, weighing whether we can afford a salary increase, a move, or rerunning numbers if our kids need to move back onto our plans? The weight of what we have to learn, now and going forward, is too much.</p>
<p>This group is smart, but even we’re confused. I hope my rates drop, don’t expect it, will be pleasantly surprised if they do. But too much depends on our states.</p>
<p>
Yes! The government has hired people to explain it all. Now that will be interesting, because the government doesn’t even understand the law with all of its complexities and unanswered questions.</p>
<p>Dstark,</p>
<p>all the visible tumor was removed. She had to have another series of surgeries 4 months after that to try to deal with seizures, which helped but did not eliminate them completely. However, at this point the doctors are saying that from what they are seeing on the scans she should not have seizures. But she still does (infrequently - but enough for her not to attempt to drive in 3 years). She goes to Mayo clinic every now and then for MRIs, but I don’t know how often. She is a very private person (and stubborn). For a very long time it was just me in our social circle who knew what she was dealing with (she swore me to secrecy). I would say it took her more than a year to get back on her feet. But it is all relative.</p>
<p>Speaking of miracle tumor stories. I have one about my mom. When I was in high school, the doctors discovered that my mom had benign, but inoperable ovarian tumors (I don’t know scientific name - it was back in Russia). As long as they would not grow, she would be fine. One of the side effects was that she would never have any more children, which was fine with everyone, because she already had two children and was not planning to have any more. </p>
<p>Fast forward several years later. We are in US, my mom calls me at work and tells me that she is pregnant. It was such a shocking news (she was 44 years old at time, my dad was pushing 50), that at first I misunderstood her and thought she meant that my unmarried sister was pregnant. I was kind of amused that she was so calm about my sister having out-of-wedlock baby. But, it turns out it was my mom who was pregnant.</p>
<p>She told me that she kept gaining weight and would go to Good Will every week and buy a pair of bigger pants, until my dad decided to buy a home pregnancy test. Because of my mom’s age and health history, the doctors were very worried and monitored her pregnancy really closely. The tumor looked like it was growing on ultra-sound. They planned a c-section, but my brother decided to come out early. After my brother was born, the doctors decided to open my mom up and see if there is anything could be done for her inoperable tumor. When they opened her up, to everyone’s amazement - there was no tumor - it disappeared! The doctors think it was because of her being pregnant with my brother.</p>
<p>My brother is almost 17 now, and my mom still has a clean bill of health in that area.</p>
<p>That is a long post and OOT, but I love to tell this story, because I am so grateful that my mom is still here with me. </p>
<p>P.S. I also have a nightmare insurance story to tell that is related to my mom’s tumor, if anyone is interested.</p>
<p>Lerkin, </p>
<p>I think people that have brain tumors should get to handle them anyway they want. If they want to be stubborn that is their right. </p>
<p>Hmmm…interesting that the doctors think the tumor will grow back. Must be difficult to live with that.
Epilepsy…
Multiple surgeries…more than a year to recover…that sucks. And then maybe she has to go thru it again…
I dont know how you keep brain surgery a secret.</p>
<p>Your mom’s story is a great story.
I would like to read about the insurance angle…</p>
<p>NYT says an HHS report finds that rates are dropping in 10 states - California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington - plus DC. They looked at the “silver” level and the cheapest option in that range and found an average drop of 18%. For small business, they looked at six states and also found an 18% drop. (Some of the states were still reviewing small business plans so they are in the 10 but not the 6.)</p>
<p>Are the rates dropping because now they think everyone will have to pay for insurance? I wonder how that will work when many still don’t sign up, and prefer to pay the penalty instead. I also wonder if people will move to the states where they can get a better insurance deal, and if states will have to raise taxes if they realize there isn’t enough money in the coffers.</p>
<p>Those of us who live in Calif may find this interesting…not in a good way.</p>
<p>[Kaiser’s</a> Obamacare rates surprise analysts - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/12/business/la-fi-kaiser-health-rates-20130613]Kaiser’s”>Kaiser's Obamacare rates surprise analysts)</p>
<p>I would feel better about ACA if I knew one person in a situation similar to ours (individual family plan) whose premiums are not scheduled to drastically increase.</p>
<p>This morning DH called a colleague who move to NY State 3 years ago, his medical insurance was almost 125% more for a plan w/ a higher deductible than the one he had here (inland northwestern state). With ACA he still isnt sure what his health insurance will cost but his accountant is encouraging him to find a way to decrease his taxable income for 2014. There is a 0.9% ACA tax on income over 200K/250K (joint) and an additional ACA tax on dividend income. </p>
<p>My sister works for a company which offers cadillac health insurance but starting next year she will have to drop her husband from the plan or pay an additional $380/month.</p>
<p>We have been unable to get any definitive information from our carrier as to whether we can keep our current HSA they claim our state insurance board is still waiting on clarification from HHS. Several friends who live in WA State have opted for catastrophic only coverage because even bronze level plans are almost 50% more than their current high deductible/high stop-loss plans.</p>
<p>What seems baffling to me is how HHS and California have released data suggesting it will be cheaper with exchanges when it isn’t an apples to apples comparison. The data is flawed, though. Comparisons for the individual market are different for group market. </p>
<p>Forbes says they predict costs for Californians to go up between 60-150% over what can now be purchased by individuals. </p>
<p>[Rate</a> Shock: In California, Obamacare To Increase Individual Health Insurance Premiums By 64-146% - Forbes](<a href=“http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/30/rate-shock-in-california-obamacare-to-increase-individual-insurance-premiums-by-64-146/]Rate”>Rate Shock: In California, Obamacare To Increase Individual Health Insurance Premiums By 64-146%)</p>
<p>So which is it? Cost savings or increase? More services or less? </p>
<p>Will our employer change plans? Will we be buying out pocket? What happensif we get laid off? What would the new version of COBRA look like with ACA? </p>
<p>I noticed the subsidies for a family of four in California. It may seem big in many parts of the US, but in California with high taxes, it will be a big shock. There will be a lot of families not getting the subsidy because they make too much. They will be some of the same families here realizing their EFC is more than they can afford, especially withbpotentially higher health insurance outlays. Those will be some really interesting threads to come.</p>
<p>When I asked my carrier if you are not covered by an employer plan do you have to purchase via the exchanges or will individuals/families be able to continue on their current plans? Answer was the state insurance board is waiting for clarification from HHS.</p>
<p>There is a really fun calculator at the Covered California site:</p>
<p>[Health</a> Insurance Calculator | Covered California?](<a href=“http://www.coveredca.com/calculating_the_cost.html]Health”>Uh oh. This page does not exist.)</p>
<p>Try some hypotheticals. I ran a few with different scenarios with different incomes. </p>
<p>Also read up on what plan offers. The individual family plan we purchased in 2011-2012 had more comprehensive coverage at substantially lower cost.</p>
<p>I ran the same hypotheticals on the Washington State site. </p>
<p>[Washington</a> Health Benefit Exchange :: Individuals & Families Cost Estimate Calculator](<a href=“http://www.wahbexchange.org/index.php?cID=472]Washington”>http://www.wahbexchange.org/index.php?cID=472)</p>
<p>Family of 5
110,000
Cost monthly 1600
Federal subsidies 735
Silver plan cost a month after federal subsidy 871</p>
<p>If you made 115,000 for same family of 5, no subsidies and its 1607 a month. Before deductibles. </p>
<p>Yeah. That makes sense.</p>
<p>I have run the numbers on the calculator and our premiums would increase 60-65% for a bronze level plan -which is why I want to keep my current HSA plan.</p>
<p>SLS – so if you make $5K over $110K your health insurance outlay is almost $9k/yr more??? jeez!!</p>
<p>Right now, my brain is overloaded with all this. I feel like just comparing base monthly rates is limited.</p>
<p>CA compared indiv plans that will be available in Jan, to rates today under employer plans. Roy rebutted with comparisons of individual plans. He says “focusing on the five cheapest [eHealth plans] is the fairest comparator to the exchanges.” Is eHealth par in terms of availability, coverage and out of pocket? Or like the banner ads I used to get that told me I could get car insurance for some pittance I may never qualify for or that only covers me in narrow circumstances?</p>
<p>Btw, everything I see says this: Only young adults under 30 and individuals exempted from the individual mandate because they cannot find affordable insurance are allowed to purchase catastrophic plans.</p>
<p>[ok, now I am looking at the missing detail, via those links, gathering my reactions.]</p>
<p>I am trying to compare apples and apples…</p>
<p>I have the bluecross ca smart sense 6000 plan. </p>
<p>It is not a cadillac plan…</p>
<p>I may post the plan later so I can get an additional post. :)</p>
<p>I dont like the news reports that are promoting the savings. I am not sure they are accurate. Definitely not accurate in many cases.</p>
<p>I love the calculator that Samurai posted. Since we dont really have official rates in Ca there may be inaccuracies. I think the numbers are going to be close.</p>
<p>I think I have something similar to a bronze plan. The ACA silver plan definitely costs more. Maybe 25 percent more than what I project to pay next year. The ACA bronze plan costs more too but with the increases I see every year from Blue Cross , the ACA cost and what I am going to pay next year with BC look similar. </p>
<p>I dont see much difference so far and I dont see savings either.
People should not be promoting savings unless there is savings.</p>
<p>In Washington State, silver plan, a family of two adults, with two kids ages 21-25, with an income of $60,000/year (an average family), will pay $487 a month. Now THAT’S a really good deal. </p>
<p>As for people making $115,000 in Washington State, they can afford health care - the problem has been that, in many cases, no one would sell it to them. That problem has been solved.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Depends on where you live.</p>
<p>NPR did a brief but informative piece on this today.
If you live in a state where insurance is less regulated, where for example it’s legal to sell policies with $10K deductibles or $3K benefit caps, and to refuse to insure people with pre-existing conditions, then your premiums may well increase. If you live in a state where it’s already illegal to refuse people with pre-existing conditions, where there already are standards for minimum benefits, maximum deductibles, and such, then chances are your premiums will go down.</p>
<p>No one can really know what the costs will be until people either sign up or don’t. I often do some reading for the families to whom I teach literacy, in terms of forms and documents, and some folks would be amazed at how many just won’t bother to sign up for benefits they are eligible for. That is always a surprise to official type folks, but it is true nonetheless and statistics bear it out. At least here.</p>