freeman3 wrote:Here is a fairly balanced article on the subject.
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-rate ... rm-2013-10Yes, there are going to be some healthy younger upper-middle class people who pay more. Because of the 3:1 rule some wealthier older Americans will benefit. But millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions will benefit, millions will get coverage that never had it, and millions will benefit from the end of life-time caps that used to cause many bankruptcies. And Republicans have no interest in passing any of their ideas on health care reform. So the net gain for the country is going to be enormous.
The article is one man's opinion.
Here's what you've not grasped: "scoreboard." That's a sports term, meaning "You can say whatever you'd like, but check out the scoreboard--we won."
The President's popularity has nosedived since . . . the ACA website rollout. The ACA is underwater and pretty much has been. There are at least as many anecdotes of people getting shafted by the law as there are being helped by the law.
And, as I keep saying, the other shoe store to drop (with millions of shoes) is the employer mandate. When that hits, all hades will break loose. You may not be able to measure the ACA's popularity because it will have so little. The President's numbers will slide even further because people will (rightly) hold him responsible.
He said we could keep our insurance. He lied.
He said we could keep our doctor. He lied.
He said we would save money. He lied.
(In fact, I saw a clip of his spokesman saying the nation, companies and individuals will all save money. That is, essentially, the "free lunch" paradigm.)
This gives some idea of what is coming. Sweeping differences in health care exchange pricing among states and counties is leading to sticker shock for some middle-class consumers and others who aren't eligible for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
The average prices for the most popular plans are twice as high in the most expensive states as those with the lowest average prices, according to a USA TODAY analysis of data for 34 states using the federal health insurance exchange.
PPOs, the most popular type of health care plan, carry monthly premiums that range from an average of $819 a month in the most expensive state to $437 in the least expensive. Plans on the federal and state exchanges are grouped into four categories that cover 60% to 90% of out-of-pocket costs. USA TODAY looked at the pricing of PPOs and HMOs across these bronze, silver, gold and platinum categories.
The premiums for bronze-level plans are generally the least expensive, but "the deductibles are simply not affordable," says Laura Stack, a former financial analyst looking for full-time work and using her 401k to pay for health insurance. "Many will not be able to afford the per person deductibles before insurance begins to pay. What are you really paying for?"
About 4.4 million people in the individual insurance market are not eligible for the subsidies and tax credits that can help cover premiums and out-of-pocket costs, including deductibles.
Insurance brokers and "navigators" helping people apply for insurance say there are shockingly high prices for some consumers who aren't eligible for subsidies. Without much competition in some states and because they know so little about their new customers, insurers may have priced higher than they would have otherwise.
Now, to be fair, if the President had sold this program as "everyone paying a bit more so we can all get the benefit of having everyone covered," then this would probably not be a problem. However, this is the President who promises no one will have to sacrifice--except those nasty rich people. So, when the middle class finds out they've been clowned by the President, they won't be very amused.
Scoreboard.
20 Nov 2013, 10:49 am 
