ACA kills again

[MajGenl.Meade]

Terrific - after going on Medicare (single payer - love it) I purchased Medicare HMO for December $52 and for January $99 from my carrier, Healthspan Ohio - very conveniently located for GP, labs etc.

So they take my money - cancel my Silver Plan (good) - but now I have no HMO because "they are backed up in data entry so right now your record shows you don't have any coverage" maybe 2-3 weeks. They took the money right away tho'.

And chatting today to the surgical nurse about some bloodwork, she said "You know Healthspan is going out of business in March, right?" WHAT!?!?!?

Yes, it's true - goodbye carrier, right in the middle of my first knee op. They took over from Kaiser 2-3 years back and have decided that Obamacare just doesn't make financial sense so.... sayonara clients! Bear in mind, this is doctors and nurses and all sorts of clinicians out of work too - this wasn't just a premium-taker (OK they got that down) but also an actual provider.

And they are just the first of many - it's all going into the hands of giant carriers now, such as Summa.

The AARP program I decided to switch to (perhaps) is....un oh... run by another carrier that's "considering" closing down too.

Well, it's not Obama's fault is it? Totally unpredictable that providers would find themselves unable to cope with all those ACA policies with tiny premiums - I hadn't thought that through very well either. Who would have guessed (ironic laughter)

So yes I'm grumpy. Four insurance premiums paid in December and I've got nothing but trouble to sort it all out

[Gob]

Go back to the UK then

[MajGenl.Meade]

No way - you'll be going there! Eh!

[Gob]

You're safe for another 2 years, promise.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Or longer if the vetting procedures I have in mind are put into place. Bwaaahahahaha

[Long Run]

Sorry to hear you are caught in the ACA vice. As you indicate, the insurers that went hot and heavy for the ACA exchange work by offering low-cost policies are mostly in deep doo-doo. They were counting on getting reimbursed for the high risk pool they ended up with, but there was only so much reinsurance money to spread around, so they got about 15 cents on the expected dollar. Of course, ACA being solely a D-party endeavor, the Rs will not bail it out, so we see a mass flight of insurers bailing on the program.

With the delay in the "Cadillac" health plan tax which was to fund the Medicaid expansion, it will be interesting to see how the pols deal with the potential of all those newly covereds being booted off of their Medicaid programs in a year of so.

[TPFKA@W]

Obamacare needs to die. It is absolutely the biggest mess I could have ever imagined. The insurance at my place of employment, which only offers what it legally has to, is an insult. It doesn't even cover diabetic treatment, WTF?

[wesw]

meade, I ended up getting my medicare prescript plan on deadline day, and I just got my silver plan papers, and I have a form from DE to see if I qualify for any subsidy on my premiums.

all this with help from our pastor and a really nice aide to a DE congressman, which I didn t really need as it turns out..., but they provided the impetus I needed to do it myself

so..., why is the silver plan so bad, meade?

[rubato]

I didn't know Kaiser even had a presence in Ohio. Apparently they sold out to Catholic Health Partners who renamed it.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Yeah they were quite a deal here in 1977 when I came to the USA. CHP is the Mercy group which might be a replacement for me... except they are down in Canton which is a bit of a pain. Summa looks a better bet.

[wesw]

darn, I forgot that he is ignoring me....

[Long Run]

Obamacare needs to die. It is absolutely the biggest mess I could have ever imagined. The insurance at my place of employment, which only offers what it legally has to, is an insult. It doesn't even cover diabetic treatment, WTF?

[Fafhrd]

Actaually, sugar doesn't cause diabetes; Bob may have dental caries, however. And Bob be getting fat(ter).

[Guinevere]

Obamacare needs to die. It is absolutely the biggest mess I could have ever imagined. The insurance at my place of employment, which only offers what it legally has to, is an insult. It doesn't even cover diabetic treatment, WTF?

Why isn't that on your employer? They chose the plan design, and they're the ones saving/making money by offering skimpy coverage.

[TPFKA@W]

Obamacare needs to die. It is absolutely the biggest mess I could have ever imagined. The insurance at my place of employment, which only offers what it legally has to, is an insult. It doesn't even cover diabetic treatment, WTF?

Why isn't that on your employer? They chose the plan design, and they're the ones saving/making money by offering skimpy coverage.

Oh I certainly hold them accountable for choosing that, but Obama\care makes that choice possible so....

[Guinevere]

The ACA made them at least chose a plan, too. Does it get any credit for something versus nothing?

[TPFKA@W]

The ACA made them at least chose a plan, too. Does it get any credit for something versus nothing?

\I give them full credit, as due, for this fricking piss poor mess. It is not actually really better than nothing if you are a dirt poor diabetic forced to pay for this shit or get fined.

[TPFKA@W]

To add: Prior to this mess a dirt poor diabetic could get OTC insulin and sort of manage the disease. Now they get the pleasure of coughing up money they don't have to pay for a plan that does not cover their illness. Other plans available? \But of course, for more money they don't have.

[Lord Jim]

Yeah, but at least their birth control pills are covered...

[Guinevere]

Again, that's the employer's choice, not a mandate by the ACA.

God forbid the private sector take any responsibility for making choices that line their pockets but don't sufficiently cover their employees.

The same private sector that kicked and screamed about providing *any* coverage for its employees in the first place.