<p>From what I understand in NC, the dotgov site is working fine. I heard this from several people. Just fyi.</p>
<p>Calmom, I don’t know why you persist in lecturing me about what I should and should not be bothered about related to MY health insurance policy.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no need for you to respond to every post I make. I won’t feel left out if you don’t.</p>
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<p>The Milliman report that dstark posted estimates that the individual risk pool will become less healthy in 2014 than it was in 2013, but will still be healthier than the large-employer risk pool. In other words, the people who have the burden of paying for insurance for sick people were and still are the people who work for large employers, according to the Milliman estimate. Not the people in the individual market. Milliman notes that their point estimate is extremely uncertain.</p>
<p>I’ve been paying more to cover sick people for the last three decades. Welcome to the club.</p>
<p>Poetgrl, I have posted my opinion and my feelings. I have as much right to my opinion as you have to yours. No “lecturing”. I’m sorry it bothers you that some people have a different perspective than yours.</p>
<p>You certainly do, calmom, but your opinions about my insurance and my feelings about my insurance are a tad condescending. “I choose to worry about things I can do something about.” Well, there are things I CAN do. None of this is settled yet.</p>
<p>CF</p>
<p>Because I work, I have the choice as to whether or not I want employer insurance. I imagine you decided that the spousal coverage was a good deal in the past, and clearly you think it is now.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you will keep your spousal coverage for long, or not. I understand the trend is to drop spousal coverage. It’s good you are up on the insurance ins and outs of the individual market. </p>
<p>I’ve been looking into it, and it looks like my employer plan is pretty darn good. I imagine I’ll go that route next year. It’s probably one of the self insurance things bluebayou keeps talking about, since it’s less expensive than the individual market.</p>
<p>Of course, I have no idea how that will play out once they bring the employer mandate online. It’s hard to know what the insurance companies will do with yet another captive market. I mean, I can imagine. LOL. But, who knows?</p>
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But their costs are hidden from them, so basically most employees have no clue what they are paying for insurance.</p>
<p>“I’ve been paying more to cover sick people for the last three decades. Welcome to the club.” </p>
<p>CF, want to trade insurance policies with me for next year?</p>
<p>Want to pay $23K, GP? </p>
<p>No, wait, that’s not age adjusted. I’ll age adjust it for you. Say, $30K for a family of three. You in?</p>
<p>[Obamacare</a> Unleashes Benefit Changes From Companies - Bloomberg](<a href=“http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-19/obamacare-unleashes-benefit-changes-from-companies.html]Obamacare”>Obamacare Unleashes Benefit Changes From Companies to Cities - Bloomberg)</p>
<p>This is particularly interesting:</p>
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<p>The whole article is interesting.</p>
<p>This article is really interesting. It seems that one of the main reasons companies want to drop spousal coverage is because the spouses use so much more health care than the employees. </p>
<p><a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;
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<p>CF, what’s your deductible and out of pocket maximum? No, were only talking two people. Large group plans do not age adjust. </p>
<p>So are you saying you would take the individual 2014 ACA-compliant plan over what you have now?</p>
<p>Employer costs aren’t completely hidden from employees anymore - not snce it now appears on our w-2 forms. </p>
<p>My H’s employer told him at outset of hire what those costs were for the company and for him. It was substantial.</p>
<p>Again, I caution folks to aim for media reports dated after 10/1. Prior to that, there was much uncertainty- even in the industries usually privy to various details. Another choice is to go directly to the sources.</p>
<p>There had been much condescension through the life of these threads. Few who were able to avoid it at all times.</p>
<p>In the bloomberg it’s about companies that already have made huge changes. It also points out they are blaming it on obsmacare but wanted to make changes anyway. </p>
<p>The other is huffpost and is talking about changes made by companies already. Neither is about the roll out fiasco.</p>
<p>I’m selling you my insurance as an individual policy, so I get to age adjust. Kids are cheaper. Remove the kid and we’re down to $19K, but then age adjust: $27K. Add a 9% increase twice ($23K was the 2012 rate, but I’m selling you a 2014 plan) and we’re up to $32K for a plan for two people. You in? I’m going to be nice, and not add a surcharge of (.85* 100/80) to make this an individual plan.</p>
<p>Yeah. It’s a really good plan. Do you want to pay $32K for it? </p>
<p>I’ll be fair though. There are a couple of things going on. First, northern California is even more expensive for health care than southern California, because of the Sutter monopoly, so I might be able to sell it to you cheaper. And then, employer health plans are tax-advantaged, so I have another advantage not granted to people in the individual market.</p>
<p>CF, you think people on these great plans have the potential to rack up more charges for medical services…because they can? On our Cadillac, we basically paid zip after our (highly subsidized) premiums. Even for some serious stuff, we paid minimal co-pays. We could opt for all sorts of testing, as long as the doc agreed. The insurer could have balked- but they didn’t.</p>
<p>I am not sure who your husband works for but a good friend has a large group plan with a $500 deductible, and he pays $750 a month before the company subsidy. </p>
<p>You never answered my question: Do you want to trade your plan for my 2014 ACA-compliant individual plan? What is your deductible?</p>
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<- Thanks emilybee, another “fun fact” learned and forgotten and relearned. We will sign up for a Silver plan. I don’t know if or how to qualify for additional cost sharing, but might as well preserve eligibility. </p>
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Our current 2013 monthly premium for 2, age 60, $3500 deductible, 30% copay, out of pocket max I forget, never paid a dime towards deductible is $680. This same plan (not ACA compliant) will cost us $908 next year, and of course no subsidies will be available because it is not an ACA plan. The silver plans I am looking at have "sticker" prices of around $1400 to $1550 per month, for 2014. After subsidy they will be $300 to $500 if our MAGI is $33k. I have a small amount of investment (dividend and interest) income that will barely get me out of Medicaid eligibility. I hope I can do some wage earning work but will likely make $2k to $4k for the year. Aside from taking gains and/or losses on investments the main tool I have for managing my income is converting traditional IRA to Roth IRA. This will only add to my income. I am not necessarily planning to "optimize" (maximize) my subsidy, but if my income was below the eligibility threshold I would certainly do some IRA conversion to add to my income, and likewise I will not do an IRA conversion that would put me over the subsidy limit. That would be kind of crazy wouldn't it?</p>
<p>“but will likely make $2k to $4k for the year.”</p>
<p>NJres, how do you survive on this amount of income?</p>
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I haven’t expressed any opinions about your feelings; I’ve stated how my opinion about my situation and my feelings.</p>
<p>NJRes - Sounds like it is 700-775 for a silver plan for a 60 year old in NC. </p>
<p>It might be best to push forward all the way soon to make sure you have no issues later. Unless I missed some posts, I don’t think anyone on this thread has gone all the way through on the dot gov site.</p>
<p>I don’t want to trade for your plan, GP. Doctors in southern California? I don’t like going to southern California. Too much desert, too many people. But if I had an ACA-compliant plan here I probably would be fine with it. </p>
<p>I have absolutely no idea what our deductible is.</p>