<p>If it’s welfare, so is that other huge govt expenditure. We have to watch TOS (dang, I’ve never been on a thread where this had to be reminded so often.) We live in a nation where “sharing” is both an underlying value and practice AND a major source of griping. </p>
<p>Of course we have actuaries working on Medicaid. </p>
<p>Oh for heaven sake peeps, the object of this entire discussion is HEATHCARE not Health Insurance, though the latter is historically and obstensibly via insurance :)</p>
<p>So saying
Is kinda sophist. Have at, Hoyle :)</p>
<p>The thing for a humanist to care about would be the “care” part!</p>
<p>If you don’t qualify for subsidies, your premiums have increased by up to 56% because of Obamacare.</p>
<p>“According to a cost report from eHealthInsurance, a nationwide online private insurance exchange, families are paying an average of $663 a month and singles $274 a month, far more than before Obamacare kicked in. What’s more, to save money, most buyers are choosing the lowest level of coverage, the so-called “bronze” plans.”</p>
<p>“The firm provided the costs to Secrets through their new online price index, which gives the averages of what people are paying for insurance sold through their system. In California, for example, some families are paying a high of $2,604 a month and in New York, $1,845.”</p>
<p>The middle class is getting screwed.</p>
<p><a href=“Health insurance premiums up 39% to 56% under Obamacare, reach $2,604 a month in California | Washington Examiner”>Health insurance premiums up 39% to 56% under Obamacare, reach $2,604 a month in California | Washington Examiner;
<p>Like shooting fish in a barrel. Not only is the wording less than you suggest, the linked chart shows a drop since 11/13.</p>
<p>Of course the average would go up… Those that make under 400 percent of poverty no longer go to ehealth… They would go to an exchange and get a subsidy…</p>
<p>This leaves those who have incomes in the TOP TWENTY PERCENT of the population as customers of EHealth. </p>
<p>If EHealth is able to sell plans with subsidies, premiums will plummet.</p>
<p>CF, Charles Gaba just raised his projection of sign ups to 6.23 million. It is just a matter of time before he raises the projections above 6.3 million. And these projections dont count ehealth sign ups . :)</p>
<p>I know… Your bet is a win win for you. :)</p>
<p>LF, do you go to acasignups.net?</p>
<p>You will feel good if you go there. :)</p>
<p>Didn’t read the article (since there’s always the motive of the source rebuttal) but the declining premium rate might be due to decreasing age of the enrollee.</p>
<p>That would be true…</p>
<p>As would the fact that ehealth’s users have much higher average incomes than the population buying individual private plans.</p>
<p>If 1/3 of the sign ups insurance bills arent due, that would explain most of the unpaids.</p>
<p>Historically, 95 percent, maybe more, pay their premiums.</p>
<p>I am seeing somebody that has been working with the insurance industry on ACA in about an hour. </p>
<p>I am not really interested in arguing this because I know. ;)</p>
<p>Uh-oh</p>
<p><a href=“Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines | Las Vegas Review-Journal”>Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines | Las Vegas Review-Journal;
<p>That Las Vegas guy won’t be left holding the bag for those bills. But when it gets worked out, will that be news?</p>
<p>Probably not. But, that’s how news works. In other words; It is not news when the plane lands safely.</p>
<p>
Until they steal the checkbook, humanists are pretty cool.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Our admin and insurance agent were pretty close to a stroke after spending close to 25 hours last week over the phone to get coverage for 8 people (5 were citizens or permanent residents).</p>
<p>dstark, you’re on to me. Taking the under of 6.3 million is indeed a win/win for me. But even if it weren’t, I think it’s correct. We’ll see.</p>
<p>Flossy, I congratulate you on finding, at last, an Obamacare horror story that is real. That poor guy. He won’t be left holding the bag-- there is no way that guy will pay those bills, and everyone knows it-- but the folks at Xerox have a lot to answer for. I don’t trust the insurance company, either. It’s quite evident that the guy bought and paid for insurance from their company. They should shut up and pay. They were covering him (there is no way they could have turned him down) even though they didn’t know it.</p>
<p>catahoula, I think I linked the chart from the article before, but here it is, from esurance:</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/affordable-care-act/price-index”>https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/affordable-care-act/price-index</a></p>
<p>You’re right that the declining premium rate over the last three months is due to the declining age of the buyers. It would pretty much have to be, wouldn’t it? Insurance premiums for 2014 haven’t changed in the last three months, and buyers on esurance were already picking Bronze plans. The only other way for average premiums to decline would be a change in the mix of areas where people were purchasing.</p>
<p>Ok…had a little talk with somebody who knows…we primarily talked about Calif. </p>
<p>Expects the Percentage paid number to get into the 90’s. A few Jan bills have not been sent out yet. </p>
<p>Does think some of the networks are too small so premiums will probably rise a little bit and networks will increase in size…</p>
<p>The insurance companies think they priced their plans correctly. </p>
<p>Dont know about the young person ratio yet. Didnt look at last weeks numbers. </p>
<p>The amount of sign ups in Cal is great. Looks good. :)</p>
<p>Dstark, can you ask your insurance company contacts for an estimate of what the elements of the premium price increase are? Here are some reasons why premium prices might have gone up:</p>
<p>Increase in health care costs year to year
Mandated benefits like pregnancy and flu shots
Community rating
3-1 age rating rules (would make prices rise for young people and men, fall for older people and women, net effect zero)</p>
<p>Could you ask them which of these factors made the most difference? A breakdown would be even better. I’m convinced the lion’s share of the price increase is community rating.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s amazing. A few January bills HAVEN’T BEEN SENT OUT YET? What are they waiting for? </p>
<p>It is too late. She left. I think the Kaiser Foundation had a good breakdown of why premiums increased. Community rating was one of the big factors. </p>
<p>She did make a joke about some of the people complaining about Obamacare when they wouldnt have had any insurance coverage without it. :)</p>
<p>CF, there have been some screwups. 
</p>
<p>The communication with the exchanges is not perfect. :). </p>
<p>It is going to work out. :)</p>