It is simply not possible for Obamacare to raise anyone's premium

[hootinholler]

Jeebus, think for a minute.

If someone is paying health insurance premiums, and they don't find a better deal in the exchanges (which might be possible) they would just keep their current policy at the same rate.

This is the root of why all those stories are bullshit.

[gopiscrap]

1. there was just some one on here who said the ACA would raise their premium

and then immediately said they would stick with their current insurance so yes, you are right.

[B2G]

2. Not impossible

Not all existing plans qualify under the ACA. So coverage will go upfor some.

[DevonRex]

10. If their insurance doesn't even meet minimum value, minimum essential coverage

and affordability standards set by the Feds, they were getting totally shafted by some greedy bastard 5th rate insurance company that shouldn't be in business. AND will be able to get a better deal either on price, coverage or both - their choice - on ACA. Or just get catastrophic since their current policy totally fleeces them and doesn't cover shit.

[B2G]

12. Not necessarily

Prior to ACA, most companies allowed people to pick and choose what they were covered for. For instance, a young male or an older couple could select a policy that didn't include maternity.

They no longer have that choice. Maternity has to be included (one example. Pediatric dentistry coverage is another). This is going to raise those premiums. It can't NOT raise them.

[DevonRex]

20. Then you don't know how insurance pools are done.

This changes ALL insurance to a POOL insurance calculation. They aren't raising rates over having to include things since by population percentages they know exactly how many women in the pool are in that "risk" category. Same for all the other categories. They still won't be delivering any babies for couples in their 60s no matter how they calculate it. Trust me on this. They won't be doing many quadruple bypasses for 25-years old women, either.

ETA: You're also talking about their previous insurance company. So they're a bunch of assholes. And? Not the ACA's fault, as I've demonstrated. The math doesn't work out that they had to raise rates. They're just greedy asshioles.

[displacedtexan]

22. Citation, please.

I need to see a reputable source that requires a young single man to pay for maternity insurance.

[B2G]

25. This has been known for years

Here's once source, but you can google "aca essential health benefits" if you think I'm pulling this out of my ass. Which the majority here seem to think I am. Nothing like shooting the messenger.


General questions about Essential Health Benefits

Q. How are “essential health benefits” defined?

A. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health plans offered in the individual and small group markets, both inside and outside of the exchanges, to offer a core package of items and services, known as “essential health benefits.” EHBs must include, at a minimum, items and services within the following 10 categories: ambulatory patient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management; pediatric services, including oral and vision care.

http://healthnetpulse.com/broker/2013/09/09/reform-update-essential-health-benefits-final-rule/

[displacedtexan]

31. The only direct source for this claim is on a Hannity forum.

I emailed my doctor (yes, it's a Kaiser perk), and he LOLed me back. He says he knew idiots would jump on the wording of the benefits section.

[B2G]

34. bs

Look at the bill itself.

[eomer]

35. Not sure what you're saying but maternity and other coverages are now required.

All private health insurance plans offered in the Marketplace will offer the same set of essential health benefits. These are services all plans must cover.

The essential health benefits include at least the following items and services:

• Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital)
  
• Emergency services
  
• Hospitalization (such as surgery)
  
• Maternity and newborn care (care before and after your baby is born)
  
• Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (this includes counseling and psychotherapy)
  
• Prescription drugs
  
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices (services and devices to help people with injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions gain or recover mental and physical skills)
  
• Laboratory services
  
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
  
• Pediatric services

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-does-marketplace-health-insurance-cover/

[DevonRex]

3. Thank you hoot.

One would have thought that was obvious. But for some people, like the tea people, many things are fuzzy at best.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. Not true. Obamacare called me this morning and told me my rates were going up. I asked why

and it said "Just for the LULz". I was like "WTF?". Then it said something about my mother and got all personal and shit.

I'm just slightly exaggerating the kind of dumb ass calls one hears on talk radio.

[hootinholler]

8. Cool story Bro!

[kentuck]

11. +1

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. Heh. +1 n/t

[CatWoman]

30. :)

[djean111]

5. I think what may be happening is that existing policies are raising their premiums

for next year, and blaming that on the ACA.
That sentence is worded badly, the companies selling existing policies may be raising their premiums and blaming that on the ACA.

[rhett o rick]

6. This is happening for sure. At least in cases near me. nm

[kentuck]

9. But they do have to offer more coverage...

They cannot establish lifetime limits on their policies and they cannot exclude pre-existing conditions. I suppose they may think that will drive up one side of their ledger?

[B2G]

13. Yes. And it will overall.

[kentuck]

16. But they have to spend 80% on benefits per the new ACA law...

So if they overcharge, they will probably have to give a lot back to the customer. Or they may drive the customer to check out the exchanges?

[B2G]

18. One thing I am unclear on...

80% for each person covered? Or is that 89% of some sort of pool of insured?

Need to research that.

[kestrel91316]

24. No. They have to spend 80% of total premiums collected from all insured

on services for those insured in total. Obviously if they had to do that for each person it wouldn't even be insurance. It would just be like everyone paying $100 to them and only getting $80 in services for their trouble.

Though they'd probably like that.

[Stargazer99]

28. You got it right! Insurance companys tell them it is because of the ACA

And they fall for it!

[littlewolf]

7. here is one possible thing that may be happening.

Lets say a business has x amount of money budgeted for insurance.
The company they have the plan with states the policy you have, the rates are going to double but we have this plan that barely meets ACA
standards, you can have that plan for what your paying now.

[Whisp]

14. Exactly. All kinds of complete BULLSHIT stories out there

and here too.

The President must have said this about a hundred times, that I heard:

You can keep the insurance you have if you want to. No one is going to force you to change.

Just assholes looking for more trouble for Obama and Obamacare, making shit up.

[B2G]

17. Which was only partly true.

You can keep your existing policy if it conforms with ACA. If it doesn't, that policy will need to change to conform, which may result in increased coverage and premiums.

Some policies will be grandfathered in but not all of them.

I don't know how many times this needs to be explained. It's been on the web for 3+ years now.

[Llewlladdwr]

15. What about people whose employer drops their plan? nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

19. I'm a big fan of the ACA, but his is not true.

Employers and insurers are revamping their group policies to be compliant with the standards imposed by the ACA. It is very possible that one's existing group plan has low premiums, low deductibles and a low lifetime cap.

What is more likely is that people who are complaining that their employer-provided policy is going way up in price had a shitty-bordering-on-useless policy and they didn't know it.

[DevonRex]

23. Look, that is NOT an ACA plan. It's his/her employer's plan. So don't feed the tea party meme. nt

[B2G]

26. Most major employers are compliant with the new rules

That's what the ACA patterned them after. It's individual plans and smaller companies that will most likely be impacted.

And WTF is your problem anyway? You have a problems with facts?

[lumberjack_jeff]

27. ACA defines minimum requirements for employer plans.

http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/healthpolicy/ppaca12.pdf

See page 4.

it's not a tea party meme, it's the law.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3817512

It is very possible that the preexisting plan isn't compliant with the new standards. An employee might have shitty insurance and not realize it.

[DevonRex]

32. So you feed the meme because their employer shafted them BEFORE ACA? That's bullshit, too.

Their policy was worthless before. Now it actually INSURES them. So they're buying insurance for the first time instead of whatever that shit was their employer foisted on them before. I'm sure he got it from his brother or other relative or ACME Insurance Company with the Road Runner & the Coyote with a stick of dynamite on the policy.

[lumberjack_jeff]

36. That is all immaterial to the inaccurate statement of the OP.

The employers plan may very well have been worthless before. Nevertheless, the employees new (compliant) plan may be more expensive.

[kentuck]

33. Yep.

Insurers are bound by the new law.

[Journeyman]

29. I may be able to cut our premiums by 66% -- without using the Exchange. . .

Because I can buy insurance on the open market & not be restricted by "pre-existing condition," I may be able to cut our premiums by 66%. So though I'm not getting insurance through the Exchange, my insurance situation will be infinitely better because of the ACA.

A false positive on an in-office finger-prick test for diabetes consigned me to seven years of ever-increasing premiums. No other test has ever shown me to have even a "pre-diabetic" condition, yet the insurance company I'm with insists I'm diabetic. And as a self-insured individual, with a wife who does have an active condition, it's been a devastating "diagnosis" -- our premiums have gone up a minimum of 20 to 40% every year since then.

So even though my "pre-existing" condition was "non-existent," it has cost me nonetheless. But through the ACA, I'll be able to change insurance companies and get a better deal.

We need single payer. However, until that comes to pass, I'll be pleased with any help I can get. I favor single payer because it will be best for us all. But because of my experiences with getting screwed so much by the insurance companies, my desire to see single payer is partly fueled by a desire to see these rapacious corporate insurance vampires put out of our misery.

[ThoughtCriminal]

37. A lot of people buy worthless private policies. WORTHLESS.

And think they are covered. Get bone cancer?

Oh you broke your leg skiing when you were 20? Pre-existing condition!

And they don't care what your doctors say.

[TeamPooka]

39. This

[TeamPooka]

38. Some premiums may go up because they only sold you 4 wheels but now

The law says they have to give you the whole car