Obamacare/Trumpcare Horror Stories

[nate]

24 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

Interesting that Trump dropped this bombshell the day after the 2018 California rates were made public.

I looked at the Bronze plans but they're really horrible. Deductibles of $4,800 and up before ANY benefits kick in. I need a Silver plan at least for my several health conditions that have arisen in the past couple years. I'm getting older and things are starting to unravel.

Of note is that renewal notices in most 60 day states, which are the most common, were probably about to be mailed or already mailed.

[fan_since79]

1 minute ago, nate said:

Of note is that renewal notices in most 60 day states, which are the most common, were probably about to be mailed or already mailed.

I just got an email from Covered California that mine will arrive in a few days.

 

[tennischmp]

Trump is playing poker with US people as chips

[UndertheHalo]

27 minutes ago, tennischmp said:

Trump is playing poker with US people as chips

White people are the big chips.  Obviously. 

[tennischmp]

9 minutes ago, calscuf said:

We usually just call "US people", "Americans."

That's what Trump calls those

[Thomas]

9 minutes ago, calscuf said:

We usually just call "US people", "Americans."

Just like a CIS White Male to assume that the term Americans is solely for those living in the US.

/Am I doing this internet arguing thing right?

[fan_since79]

I have a mini horror story. When I checked all the plans available at Covered California, I found that my doctor is in the network for exactly TWO of them. I might have to find another doctor.

I remember a time when I had really decent health insurance and it was affordable. That was in the 1980's. What the hell happened to our country?!

 

[fan_since79]

Guaranteed to raise your blood pressure and make you boiling mad: the compensation packages for health insurance CEO's.

Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealthcare received more than $100 million from the company in 2012 alone. Last year he got a paltry $17 million.

 

[Tank]

Just now, fan_since79 said:

Guaranteed to raise your blood pressure and make you boiling mad: the compensation packages for health insurance CEO's.

Stephen Hemsley of UnitedHealthcare received more than $100 million from the company in 2012 alone. Last year he got a paltry $17 million.

 

good to see that they're cracking down!

[Blarg]

Maybe Trump is a mad genius when it comes to affordable health care for the poor.

Trump's attempt to shut off the subsidy for copays and deductibles would cause a different subsidy to jump up, the one for premiums...  ..."It means many more Californians and people across the country will get a zero-premium bronze plan," said Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the health insurance marketplace in the nation's most populous state.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/healthcare/trumps-health-subsidy-shutdown-could-lead-to-free-insurance/ar-AAtIsJR?li=AA4Zjn&OCID=ems.display.welcomeexperience

 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Blarg

[gotbeer]

@Blarg Quiet you.  Don't you have some work to do?  You are killing the pitchfork and torch vibe.

[Blarg]

The mantra for the left is, think of the poor who can't afford Healthcare. Well, it seems that Trump's policy has managed to reach more of them than the standing ACA policies. I am certain it wasn't intended but if they get hold of the idea they can proclaim a temporary  victory while they think of a new plan. One that will probably be completely unusable, rejected and the status quo continues. 

[Rico]

18 hours ago, Blarg said:

Maybe Trump is a mad genius when it comes to affordable health care for the poor.

Trump's attempt to shut off the subsidy for copays and deductibles would cause a different subsidy to jump up, the one for premiums...  ..."It means many more Californians and people across the country will get a zero-premium bronze plan," said Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the health insurance marketplace in the nation's most populous state.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/healthcare/trumps-health-subsidy-shutdown-could-lead-to-free-insurance/ar-AAtIsJR?li=AA4Zjn&OCID=ems.display.welcomeexperience

 

Well yes.  This was all known beforehand.  The problem is by not making the subsidy payment the federal government will end up paying more for people on the bronze plan.  On top of that people that don't qualify for the bronze plan (the middle class) will see their premiums skyrocket even further.  Hardly ideal.

[Rico]

Also the bronze plan is shittier than shit.

[fan_since79]

Yeah, most of the Bronze plans are worthless. The only ones available to me have a $4,800 deductible before ANYTHING kicks in. There are a couple plans that have a separate $500 prescription deductible, then you pay 40% of full drug price.

The only good thing about the Bronze plans is they protect against huge hospital bills which could bankrupt most families. But for doctor visits, labs, etc, forget it. You'll be shelling out thousands before any benefits accrue.

 

[Rico]

On 10/13/2017 at 12:57 PM, Thomas said:

Just like a CIS White Male to assume that the term Americans is solely for those living in the US.

/Am I doing this internet arguing thing right?

Well America is two huge continents.

[nate]

21 hours ago, Blarg said:

Maybe Trump is a mad genius when it comes to affordable health care for the poor.

Trump's attempt to shut off the subsidy for copays and deductibles would cause a different subsidy to jump up, the one for premiums...  ..."It means many more Californians and people across the country will get a zero-premium bronze plan," said Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the health insurance marketplace in the nation's most populous state.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/healthcare/trumps-health-subsidy-shutdown-could-lead-to-free-insurance/ar-AAtIsJR?li=AA4Zjn&OCID=ems.display.welcomeexperience

 

Yea, you definitely don't understand how it works.

They already could have done that, but the Bronze plans are so shitty it is basically worthless to them since it will still bankrupt them if they get sick.  All that is really happening is that they are being priced out of the better Silver plans.

Edited October 21, 2017 by nate

[gotbeer]

So, is this the shift that is needed to reign in Drug prices?

Amazon has drug distribution licenses for at least 12 states

Just IMO, but I still think Amazon buying Rite Aid makes perfect sense.  Especially now that Walgreens is only able to buy a portion of Rite Aid.

[nate]

Those are just distribution rights, they can't actually sell to customers, just to pharmacies.  I doubt it makes any big difference.

Looks like CVS is going to buy Aetna.  It makes sense because Aetna has been trying to become more community oriented and CVS is already in the community, and does all the flu shot drives and everything else.  Could make things interesting.

[fan_since79]

A single-payer horror story from our neighbors to the north:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/it-s-insane-ont-patient-told-she-d-have-to-wait-4-5-years-to-see-neurologist-1.3661114

[Blarg]

And medical literature shows that, despite Canada’s universal health care system, long wait times disproportionately affect low-income Canadians because they don’t have the financial means to travel, he added.

“We have lost the moral high ground in saying that all of our patients have access (to care) regardless of need,” Dr. Whatley said.  “It’s just not true.”

Earlier this year, the Healthcare Access and Quality Index published in The Lancet medical journal placed Canada 17th when it comes to death rates from diseases that are normally considered treatable.

Please pay attention to these words, Libs. You are pushing us all towards health care hell except for the rich. No one will get service regardless of contribution, no choices, no other options. Just suffer with your pain because you will not get a referral for years and die quietly, you wanted this. 

Edited November 5, 2017 by Blarg

[fan_since79]

Speaking of health care, a friend's 95-year old father spent 18 hours in the emergency room last week before being seen by an actual doctor for his fever and breathing difficulty. At one point they had him on a gurney in a hallway and just left him there for four hours.

It turned out it wasn't serious, but still...

[Adam]

What happened to death panels?

[fan_since79]

5 minutes ago, Adam said:

What happened to death panels?

Maybe they were hoping he would pass while lying on the gurney.

 

[Stradling]

It would have made for a better story.