<p>Texas - Well, the subsidies are for people to pay for insurance so that is taxpayer money going to insurance companies isn’t it?</p>
<p>There’s also a tax to go into a pool to take care of the companies if they lose money. </p>
<p>They actually can’t lose money anymore. </p>
<p>Carry on</p>
<p>"Texas - Well, the subsidies are for people to pay for insurance so that is taxpayer money going to insurance companies isn’t it? "</p>
<p>We are not subsidizing insurance companies, we are subsidizing people in buying a product. Taxpayer money is going to pretty much every industry in this country to buy something or the other.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure this is exactly what the Obamacare folks had in mind when they asked for insurance company help.”</p>
<p>Actually, I think it is…</p>
<p>GP, I just got off the phone with Anthem…</p>
<p>It looks like there are a few multi state plans with Anthem. The ones calmom mentioned.
There is a bronze plan titled multi state where I live. That looks to be a misnomer. That plan is not on Anthem’s list of multi state plans.</p>
<p>I am getting information emailed to me…but I didn’t pursue getting more info about the multi state plans because I can buy a plan in NY and a plan in Cal for a lot less money.</p>
<p>I’ve read that if the insurer’s costs are more than 3% above their target costs, that the gov’t will pay 1/2 the difference, BUT if the costs are more than 8% of the target costs, the gov’t pays 80% of the difference. </p>
<p>Apparently the last year for this is 2016 (Obama’s last year in office). So that is when the death spiral could cause the whole system to implode. Insurance could rise to shocking levels.</p>
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<p>Nothing incompatible about this- his autopay didnt go through. </p>
<p>This author is not exactly strong on technical reasoning. He seems to seem to feel that because the <em>hospital</em> wasnt billing him correctly that indicated that insurance company web sites must not work. Huh?</p>
<p>He is saying its cat calling the kettle black since insurance companies are notorious for not responding to subscribers needs.</p>
<p>I am unaware of them mandating that people use a non-functional web site. </p>
<p>Look- they are just saying you can use are web site, sign up today and be done with it. All of which is true</p>
<p>How about what is missing which is the main reason some needs to go to the Govt website - subsidies?</p>
<p>I thought everyone had to make sacrifices? Seem to recall hearing that somewhere…</p>
<p>Anyway Fix2.0 is likely to involve subsidies for direct buy. Why wouldnt it? Its not like people who were cancelled are going to be able to shop for new plans on hc.gov and get payments made to them by the 15th.</p>
<p>Unless you have some information none of us are privy to, the only way to get subsidy is through the gov website. Fix2.0 at this time seems waay in the future if it is expected.</p>
<p>Wellmark is a monopoly in Iowa based on Cartera’s post at 86% market share. So if people decided to continue their current insurance directly with wellmark without knowing how ACA is providing them subsidies or Medicaid expansion, they are missing out on it.</p>
<p>None of this is a secret and before making a decision they have a responsibility to do a little research don’t you think?</p>
<p>This whole ACA law assumes most people are idiots. Maybe they are, but it’s offensive.</p>
<p>“There is a bronze plan titled multi state where I live. That looks to be a misnomer. That plan is not on Anthem’s list of multi state plans.”</p>
<p>All of the Covered Ca. Anthem plans are labeled multi-state in my region, too. How many people are going to sign up for these plans thinking they are truly multi-state when they aren’t. It is unbelievable they are getting away with this. The state has to be complicit with this fraud since it is their exchange.</p>
<p>I think many people do not get how complex a decision buying health insurance really is. </p>
<p>If you go strictly by monthly premiums, you may be in for a shock. </p>
<p>When we talked to a financial planner after being laid off, he outlined different scenarios about replacing what we had once COBRA ran out. None of the scenarios were pretty. </p>
<p>If we just looked at premium, we could have saved some, but if needed surgery, a whole different situation - unaffordable deductibles. </p>
<p>We all have to look at our big pictures. </p>
<p>The vast majority of people buying on exchanges or through brokers will not have discussed this issue to death or even seriously compared prices vs. services. They will buy what makes most sense…and that will likely be monthly premiums, mostly.</p>
<p>You know, another thing people overlook when sobbing about worst case scenarios is that they are not happening to the vast majority. If they were, insurance wouldn’t work.</p>
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<p>Vast majority has insurance through employer. It works great until your get sick and cannot work.</p>
<p>Oh, well then you can join us in these fabulous exchange programs. Welcome!</p>
<p>Well… Actually there are only approximately 15 million that have individual health insurance coverage while 35 million residents dont. </p>
<p>GP, I agree the names of the plans need to be changed on the exchanges if they are not multistate. </p>
<p>I chatted with one guy and talked to another guy at Anthem. Very nice guys. They didnt really know much about the exchange plans. They know about the plans on Anthem’s website. The exchange plans… Not so much. </p>
<p>A lot of the problems are with Anthem. The company does not provide enough information about their plans. </p>
<p>I asked if the bronze plan on the exchange is a direct access plan…meaning I dont have to use a gp first before seeing a specialist. The guys didnt know. I said the drug deductible is not noted on some of the plans. They agreed. </p>
<p>I dont blame the two guys. I think they are great. They werent given the information from the higher ups.</p>
<p>Plus… Anthem’s web site wasnt working properly. I couldnt see all the plans. :)</p>
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<p>I think I made my opinion of the exchanges well known.</p>
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<p>“residents”?</p>