A Weekend Surprise That Wasn't a Surprise
We learned that more than one million health insurance plans will disappear because of Obamacare. Not only are plans disappearing, but the alternative for those losing their plans will carry premiums as much as 50% higher. The chickens are coming home to roost now for the soon-to-departing President's ironically named "Affordable Care Act."
Finding out you're losing your coverage can be a nasty surprise, but, really, why should it be? Insurance companies offering plans in the now-infamous insurance "marketplaces" set up under the ACA were required to offer coverage to all comers, even if they had serious, expensive, and ultimately fatal diseases. The company would have to provide extraordinary coverage, but have no way to adjust their premiums in consideration. How can a system like that last? (You don't need to have special math skills to understand the problem here.)
But what's even worse, we think, is the confusion caused by the complexity created by this health care "reform." Here's a comment by an ordinary citizen that puts that in context:
Such complexity is a common theme in government plans, even including the ubiquitous Medicare system. If you're looking to sign up or considering a decision to change coverage, Medicare provides a 135-page book to outline your choices. Think especially of seniors who may not be in the best of physical or mental health trying to parse through such a book. Think also of their children (if they have any who are willing to help out) having to assist them in understanding their choices and making a decision as to the right coverage to choose based on Mom and/or Dad's individual circumstances.
The words "stress" and "anxiety" spring to mind when even contemplating these scenarios.
As you let the current situation in the health care market sink in, consider the fog that now deflects our attempts to analyze and understand our jury-rigged financial markets and economy. A pattern of bureaucratic sticky fingers weaving webs of complicated rules and regulations emerges. Each department weaves its own web, not seeing (or if they do, not concerned with) the other webs being weaved throughout the federal Leviathan. As these all ultimately interconnect, the enormity of the mess we're in becomes apparent, the health care conundrum being just one example.
Finding out you're losing your coverage can be a nasty surprise, but, really, why should it be? Insurance companies offering plans in the now-infamous insurance "marketplaces" set up under the ACA were required to offer coverage to all comers, even if they had serious, expensive, and ultimately fatal diseases. The company would have to provide extraordinary coverage, but have no way to adjust their premiums in consideration. How can a system like that last? (You don't need to have special math skills to understand the problem here.)
But what's even worse, we think, is the confusion caused by the complexity created by this health care "reform." Here's a comment by an ordinary citizen that puts that in context:
Last year in Minnesota, Theresa Puffer, 61, used Obamacare to sign up for a BlueCross BlueShield plan after leaving her job following a skin cancer diagnosis. “I would have had a hard time finding any sort of coverage before the ACA,” Puffer said by phone.Yes, she got coverage that likely would not have been available pre-ACA. But look at her situation now. Is this a good solution? She's confused and perplexed. Her costs will likely increase dramatically - and she's not confident she's picking the right coverage to boot.
Next year, Puffer’s plan is disappearing from Obamacare -- making her one of about 20,000 Minnesotans in the same situation. To make matters worse, premiums for other plans in the state will rise by at least 50 percent, though subsidies under the law can help cushion the blow.
“Trying to determine which would be the best plan for my situation is not easy,” Puffer said. Her dermatologist appears to be out of network in other plans, she said. “I’m willing to pay a higher premium to see him, because when you have cancer you want to stay with the same group of doctors,” she said. “I’ve spent so much time trying to figure out what my options are.”
Such complexity is a common theme in government plans, even including the ubiquitous Medicare system. If you're looking to sign up or considering a decision to change coverage, Medicare provides a 135-page book to outline your choices. Think especially of seniors who may not be in the best of physical or mental health trying to parse through such a book. Think also of their children (if they have any who are willing to help out) having to assist them in understanding their choices and making a decision as to the right coverage to choose based on Mom and/or Dad's individual circumstances.
The words "stress" and "anxiety" spring to mind when even contemplating these scenarios.
As you let the current situation in the health care market sink in, consider the fog that now deflects our attempts to analyze and understand our jury-rigged financial markets and economy. A pattern of bureaucratic sticky fingers weaving webs of complicated rules and regulations emerges. Each department weaves its own web, not seeing (or if they do, not concerned with) the other webs being weaved throughout the federal Leviathan. As these all ultimately interconnect, the enormity of the mess we're in becomes apparent, the health care conundrum being just one example.
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