ObamaCare, 2014, when does it start?

[obgyn65]

Yes, and I am fine with this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Broke your resolution on the last day of the year.

[SkisALot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut Oh, yes! In both cases they had children who would no longer have had insurance. In one case a child was about a month away from getting insurance from her work when he was laid off. In another, a child got very ill just after graduating college. Both, were covered by the new rule requiring coverage for children until their 26th birthday.

My premium went up $64.00 a month when this new provision went into effect. I don't have children so I'm paying for others' children, not mine. Nothing's free; someone always pays. I just hope the people with 25 year old "kids" thank those of us who are paying for their health insurance.

[steelyman]

My mom is a retired schoolteacher in her mid-80s who receives Social Security but with a reduction due to the WEP. Prior to this month, she had received $492/month from SS. I noticed, when going through the statements this month, that this has now dropped to $380 which, percentage-wise, is quite a bit. I wonder - is this likely due to increases in Medicare premiums?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelyman My mom is a retired schoolteacher in her mid-80s who receives Social Security but with a reduction due to the WEP. Prior to this month, she had received $492/month from SS. I noticed, when going through the statements this month, that this has now dropped to $380 which, percentage-wise, is quite a bit. I wonder - is this likely due to increases in Medicare premiums?

You need to do some investigating - the decrease shouldn't be related to Medicare premiums. This year's premium changes were small, and actually decreased for many of us. Plus, any premium change won't be seen until January.

Edit: 30 days or so before SS changes the amount of benefit your mom will receive they send her a letter. That should tell you what changed and why.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo You need to do some investigating - the decrease shouldn't be related to Medicare premiums. This year's premium changes were small, and actually decreased for many of us. Plus, any premium change won't be seen until January. Edit: 30 days or so before SS changes the amount of benefit your mom will receive they send her a letter. That should tell you what changed and why.

Thanks, I will definitely follow up on this in January. She has four primary sources of income: her own relatively modest pension, IRA RMDs, SS, and my (deceased) father's fixed pension. SS was never a lot, but any bit helps and her monthly expenses have recently tripled as she had to be moved from an independent to an assisted living facility. It's my job to keep track of the books so it was a little eye-popping to see that drop!

[kramer]

My question is, to what year will they look back at your income when determining your rates?

Obviously, rates for the new plans will be much, much higher than current rates when anyone can join the insurance plan. However, there are subsidies for those with lower incomes.

I am presuming that when you apply for a plan, presumably near the end of 2013 (?), that they would look at your 2012 income?

I am considering keeping my 2012 income lower because of this.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer My question is, to what year will they look back at your income when determining your rates?

If they don't fix the incredibly steep cutoff of subsidies for those who have an income of 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL), there will be a lot of incentive to get under that line. For those only a hair above it, you can bet they'll at least try to bundle income into every other year so they get the subsidy 1/2 of the time.

[Dog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkisALot My premium went up $64.00 a month when this new provision went into effect. I don't have children so I'm paying for others' children, not mine. Nothing's free; someone always pays. I just hope the people with 25 year old "kids" thank those of us who are paying for their health insurance.

Agreed - nothing is free....someone is paying for this program!

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obgyn65 A few patients of mine have always been conservative, but they are now happy to take advantage of the reforms already. What a shame.

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I thought you swore off making political comments about healthcare...

Quote:

Originally Posted by obgyn65 Well I made an exception, didn't I ?

Well, since you started - how is it 'a shame'?

Now, if they were given a chance to opt out of the plan, and somehow could then avoid being affected by any of its consequences, and then tried to take advantage of the benefits, I could see the hypocrisy. But this is just dealing the cards that were dealt.

There is another analogy/question I'd like to pose to you - but that would take it off the deep end of politics and hi-jack the thread, so I won't.

-ERD50

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkisALot My premium went up $64.00 a month when this new provision went into effect. I don't have children so I'm paying for others' children, not mine. Nothing's free; someone always pays. I just hope the people with 25 year old "kids" thank those of us who are paying for their health insurance.

Correlation is not the same thing as causation. This could be simply due to regular medical inflation, or an insurer taking advantage of an excuse to jam you, or due to the effect of space aliens orbiting Uranus. Or it could be a direct result of the law change. I suppose if you have your tinfoil helmet screwed on tight, it is clear which of these things caused it without a shadow of a doubt.

[powerplay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelyman My mom is a retired schoolteacher in her mid-80s who receives Social Security but with a reduction due to the WEP. Prior to this month, she had received $492/month from SS. I noticed, when going through the statements this month, that this has now dropped to $380 which, percentage-wise, is quite a bit. I wonder - is this likely due to increases in Medicare premiums?

Check her other pension(s) that create the WEP reduction. Perhaps the lower SS is an offset to a COLA on another pension. It is definitely worth finding out why the SS amount dropped by that much though.

[Letj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkisALot My premium went up $64.00 a month when this new provision went into effect. I don't have children so I'm paying for others' children, not mine. Nothing's free; someone always pays. I just hope the people with 25 year old "kids" thank those of us who are paying for their health insurance.

That's the price we all pay for living in a society with others. Unless, we all move to our own private island, there will always be a price to pay for living in an organized and prosperous society.

[Chuckanut]

The Obamacare debate reminds me of what went in in California when Prop 13 was passed all those years ago. The property tax system was busted and was hurting people. The people who had the power to fix it, did little. They nibbled at some minor problems, but did little to reform the systyem, all the while saying "Trust Us! We will fix it someday." Finally, the people got fed up and passed Prop 13 for better or worse.

Medical care in the USA is the same. People are denied it, or can get it only at huge expense (your money or your life!) and all the while the people who could fix the systyem do little, promsing that if we trust them, it will get better someday. So, they ended up with Obamacare, for better or worse. My 2 cents.

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkisALot My premium went up $64.00 a month when this new provision went into effect. I don't have children so I'm paying for others' children, not mine. Nothing's free; someone always pays. I just hope the people with 25 year old "kids" thank those of us who are paying for their health insurance.

I hope all of us say thanks to those 25 year olds when we get our medicare benefits that they are helping to pay for.

[obgyn65]

Like you I don't want to hijack the thread, so I won't start another debate. I wish you good health for 2012, ERD50.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 There is another analogy/question I'd like to pose to you - but that would take it off the deep end of politics and hi-jack the thread, so I won't.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by obgyn65 I wish you good health for 2012, ERD50.

As do I for you! I guess that is the best way all around to limit our exposure to
some of the issues of this topic.

-ERD50