Obamacare: Donk Failure Personified...

[OL FU]

Just saying Obamacare is causing health care rates to skyrocket is plain BS.

I've been paying & continue to pay a friggin arm & a leg towards health care. The health care system & especially its costs have been broken for years, it just didn't start today. I understand some public workers are going to hem & haw because they're now being asked to pay a percentage of their own health care now versus getting it for free in the past, but if anyone was paying attention to the Scott Walker's & Chris Christie's of the world that's been a centerpiece of their terms.

Neither side, conk nor donk, seems to be able to come up with any solutions to stop or even friggin slow down the runaway train that is health care costs.

I, too, like most have been paying increasing health insurance premiums. While we haven't finished this year's "negotiation" the increase for the company I work for, at present, looks like it is going to be 25% from last year. Now that could be for lots of different reasons, but............................

[OL FU]

Neither side, conk nor donk, seems to be able to come up with any solutions to stop or even friggin slow down the runaway train that is health care costs.

There are two ways to manage cost. Either real competition in the markets (The markets rationing it) or the government rationing it. We don't seem to want either one of those to occur.

[bluehenbillk]

Just saying Obamacare is causing health care rates to skyrocket is plain BS.

I've been paying & continue to pay a friggin arm & a leg towards health care. The health care system & especially its costs have been broken for years, it just didn't start today. I understand some public workers are going to hem & haw because they're now being asked to pay a percentage of their own health care now versus getting it for free in the past, but if anyone was paying attention to the Scott Walker's & Chris Christie's of the world that's been a centerpiece of their terms.

Neither side, conk nor donk, seems to be able to come up with any solutions to stop or even friggin slow down the runaway train that is health care costs.

Perhaps you missed this nugget:

A recent survey of 148 insurance brokers shows that ObamaCare is sending premiums rising at the fastest clip in decades.

"For the last, about, five years they've been doing this survey, so this was the largest percentage increase in any quarter since they've been doing (the survey)," said Scott Gottlieb of the American Enterprise Institute.

"But at 12 percent, 11 percent increase on average across all the states -- that puts it at the upper end of any increase we've seen for decades."

Just like everything else in life, healthcare costs go up. And they go up too much. NOW??? They go up even MORE (as in: FASTER THAN EVER) because of Obamacare. If you deny THAT, you're beyond help.

I heard that, but health care was already increasing exponentially every year BEFORE Obamacare. This argument is like the 1000's of things that "may cause cancer". If A does B, then C argument. Attacking Obamacare is fine, it's a program that can be improved no doubt. However 10 million people have it as insurance now & that number will most likely only grow every year, so repealing it will no longer be an option. Focus now needs to go back to what Obamacare has failed to do - it's failed to curb rising health care costs.

[AZGrizFan]

Perhaps you missed this nugget:


Just like everything else in life, healthcare costs go up. And they go up too much. NOW??? They go up even MORE (as in: FASTER THAN EVER) because of Obamacare. If you deny THAT, you're beyond help.

I heard that, but health care was already increasing exponentially every year BEFORE Obamacare. This argument is like the 1000's of things that "may cause cancer". If A does B, then C argument. Attacking Obamacare is fine, it's a program that can be improved no doubt. However 10 million people have it as insurance now & that number will most likely only grow every year, so repealing it will no longer be an option. Focus now needs to go back to what Obamacare has failed to do - it's failed to curb rising health care costs.

Wait just a cotton pickin' minute. You mean the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT isn't reducing healthcare costs?

[bluehenbillk]

I heard that, but health care was already increasing exponentially every year BEFORE Obamacare. This argument is like the 1000's of things that "may cause cancer". If A does B, then C argument. Attacking Obamacare is fine, it's a program that can be improved no doubt. However 10 million people have it as insurance now & that number will most likely only grow every year, so repealing it will no longer be an option. Focus now needs to go back to what Obamacare has failed to do - it's failed to curb rising health care costs.

Wait just a cotton pickin' minute. You mean the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT isn't reducing healthcare costs?

Well it did allow, or in cases, make people buy health care. In some ways it is more like a welfare plan. Not to say it's no good as it allows people with pre-existing conditions to now be covered. Lowering costs? Yea, that seemed to go out the window. I think America would settle for stagnating costs after the past decade of rate explosion.

[Baldy]

Wait just a cotton pickin' minute. You mean the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT isn't reducing healthcare costs?

Well it did allow, or in cases, make people buy health care. In some ways it is more like a welfare plan. Not to say it's no good as it allows people with pre-existing conditions to now be covered. Lowering costs? Yea, that seemed to go out the window. I think America would settle for stagnating costs after the past decade of rate explosion.

The problem now is we have gotten a decade of rate explosion in one year, and next year is projecting to be even worse.

[kalm]

Well it did allow, or in cases, make people buy health care. In some ways it is more like a welfare plan. Not to say it's no good as it allows people with pre-existing conditions to now be covered. Lowering costs? Yea, that seemed to go out the window. I think America would settle for stagnating costs after the past decade of rate explosion.

The problem now is we have gotten a decade of rate explosion in one year, and next year is projecting to be even worse.

So why is that? Hospitals had to eat the uninsured before, a cost which you assume would be passed on through increased rates thus raising premiums. Insurance companies were supposed to benefit from an influx of new customers. Honest question: We're we that underinsured to begin with?

[BDKJMU]

Perhaps you missed this nugget:


Just like everything else in life, healthcare costs go up. And they go up too much. NOW??? They go up even MORE (as in: FASTER THAN EVER) because of Obamacare. If you deny THAT, you're beyond help.

I heard that, but health care was already increasing exponentially every year BEFORE Obamacare. This argument is like the 1000's of things that "may cause cancer". If A does B, then C argument. Attacking Obamacare is fine, it's a program that can be improved no doubt. However 10 million people have it as insurance now & that number will most likely only grow every year, so repealing it will no longer be an option. Focus now needs to go back to what Obamacare has failed to do - it's failed to curb rising health care costs.

Majority of those people already had it. And 6 million lost it on the individual market. Repealing most of it is and will be an option.

[BlueHen86]

I heard that, but health care was already increasing exponentially every year BEFORE Obamacare. This argument is like the 1000's of things that "may cause cancer". If A does B, then C argument. Attacking Obamacare is fine, it's a program that can be improved no doubt. However 10 million people have it as insurance now & that number will most likely only grow every year, so repealing it will no longer be an option. Focus now needs to go back to what Obamacare has failed to do - it's failed to curb rising health care costs.

Majority of those people already had it. And 6 million lost it on the individual market. Repealing most of it is and will be an option.

Link?

[DSUrocks07]

[travelinman67]

Am enrolled in California's ACA approved healthplan with Blue Cross Anthem. Scheduled an appt with my Primary physician, A PLAN-APPROVED Dr., couple months back. Even checked with Blue Cross in January to make sure they hadn't changed any coverages...."No, everything's approved."

Recd a call a few hours before my appt from my Drs. office...Blue Cross no longer had my Primary listed as approved...changed effective February 1. Several calls later, I learned Blue Cross had made an internal change to comply with ACA, which "required" them to change the Primary care physician for some of their members...though they would change it back if the member insisted. The Blue Cross rep assured me, "...everything's fine."
Spoke to my Drs. secretary who indicated, "...everything's not fine." Under ACA, California insurers are making arbitrary changes in coverage to meet ACA compliance regulations which are added/changed DAILY!
As the Secretary put it..."It's chaos around here."

Lost my appt due to the change...after insisting that my Primary be restored as my covered physician...

...a new appt was set up...

...for another two months from now.

Thanks, Obamacare!

[Cap'n Cat]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04 ... n-decades/

A recent survey of 148 insurance brokers shows that ObamaCare is sending premiums rising at the fastest clip in decades.

"For the last, about, five years they've been doing this survey, so this was the largest percentage increase in any quarter since they've been doing (the survey)," said Scott Gottlieb of the American Enterprise Institute.

"But at 12 percent, 11 percent increase on average across all the states -- that puts it at the upper end of any increase we've seen for decades."

That is the national average in a survey done by Morgan Stanley. But in some states, it found rates are soaring.

"There are specific states with exorbitant increases," Gottlieb said. "Delaware had 100 percent increase, Florida had a 37 percent increase, Pennsylvania 28 percent increase, California had a 53 percent increase in their premiums."

Rates vary widely, often depending on the state and how highly regulated it was to begin with. Analysts, however, say the main reasons for the higher costs are not medical inflation, but rather the requirements of ObamaCare itself.

"There are certain regulations and certain requirements that had to be in there. And because of that it's driven up the costs of these benefits," said John DiVito of the Flexible Benefit Service Corporation, which represents hundreds of agents. Rate hikes include ten essential health benefits along with more than 20,000 pages or regulations.

The reported hikes are for the first policies issued under ObamaCare in 2014.

The Congressional Budget Office or CBO issued a report Monday saying the average premium for the silver plan this year will be $3,800, or just over $300 a month, rising to $4,400 in 2016, 15 percent below its earlier estimates in 2009.

Those early, higher estimates make costs now look better – but that does not include deductibles of as much as $5,000.

But the estimates are comforting to the White House.

White House spokesman Jay Carney says, "It shows that marketplace health care costs have gone down because premium estimates have gone down."

The CBO also projects future premium increases over the next decade.

Insurance companies will soon have to set rates for 2015, and analysts fear reported higher costs now will mean increases next year, as well.

"They're going to see an announcement that next year's premium's going to be 25 percent or maybe 50 percent higher than what they're now paying," says John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis.

John Divito of Flexible Benefit Service Corporation said, "we're reading studies where the rates could be 10 to 30, 40 percent higher. Again, it all depends geographically where these rates are being looked at but definitely an increase in rates."

Scott Gottlieb, a medical doctor as well as an analyst, added, "We've seen insurance premiums go up quite a bit over the period in which ObamaCare started to get implemented."

Insurance executives say the same thing. Marc Bertolini, CEO of Aetna, recently told an earning conference that he anticipates 2014 spikes of 20 to 50 percent, going as high as 100 percent in some markets.

Congratulations, Donks. Fucking idiots.

Two key words:

"Fox" and "News".

'Nuff said.

[AZGrizFan]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04 ... n-decades/



Congratulations, Donks. Fucking idiots.

Two key words:

"Fox" and "News".

'Nuff said.

It took you 10 months to figure that one out?

[travelinman67]

Two key words:

"Fox" and "News".

'Nuff said.

One word: Forbes

Health Plan Premiums Are Skyrocketing According To New Survey Of 148 Insurance Brokers, With Delaware Up 100%, California 53%, Florida 37%, Pennsylvania 28%

Health insurance premiums are showing the sharpest increases perhaps ever according to a survey of brokers who sell coverage in the individual and small group market. Morgan Stanley’s healthcare analysts conducted the proprietary survey of 148 brokers. The April survey shows the largest acceleration in small and individual group rates in any of the 12 prior quarterly periods when it has been conducted.The average increases are in excess of 11% in the small group market and 12% in the individual market. Some state show increases 10 to 50 times that amount.
The analysts conclude that the “increases are largely due to changes under the ACA.”The analysts conducting the survey attribute the rate increases largely to a combination of four factors set in motion by Obamacare:  Commercial underwriting restrictions, the age bands that don’t allow insurers to vary premiums between young and old beneficiaries based on the actual costs of providing the coverage, the new excise taxes being levied on insurance plans, and new benefit designs.The prior survey conducted in Januaryalso showed rates rising during the fall of 2013, but the new increases will come on top of those hikes and are even sharper. That prior survey of 131 brokers found that December 2013 rates were rising in excess of 6% in the small group market, and 9% in the individual market.
The hikes in the small group market, on average, have been largest for the Blues plans, which reported average rate increases of almost 16% year-over-year for renewing contracts. In the individual market, the publicly traded health plans had higher increases than the blues, at an average of more than 11%, and private and not-for-profit plans had the highest average increases overall at 13%.For the individual insurance market (plans sold directly to consumers); among the ten states seeing some of the sharpest average increases are: Delaware at 100%, New Hampshire 90%, Indiana 54%, California 53%, Connecticut 45%, Michigan 36%, Florida 37%, Georgia 29%, Kentucky 29%, and Pennsylvania 28%.
For the small group market, among the ten states seeing the biggest increases are: Washington 588%, Pennsylvania 66%, California 37%, Indiana 34%, Kentucky 30%, Colorado 29%, Michigan 27%, Maryland 25%, Missouri 25%, and Nevada 23%.

Obamacare FAIL!!

[travelinman67]

Am enrolled in California's ACA approved healthplan with Blue Cross Anthem. Scheduled an appt with my Primary physician, A PLAN-APPROVED Dr., couple months back. Even checked with Blue Cross in January to make sure they hadn't changed any coverages...."No, everything's approved."

Recd a call a few hours before my appt from my Drs. office...Blue Cross no longer had my Primary listed as approved...changed effective February 1. Several calls later, I learned Blue Cross had made an internal change to comply with ACA, which "required" them to change the Primary care physician for some of their members...though they would change it back if the member insisted. The Blue Cross rep assured me, "...everything's fine."
Spoke to my Drs. secretary who indicated, "...everything's not fine." Under ACA, California insurers are making arbitrary changes in coverage to meet ACA compliance regulations which are added/changed DAILY!
As the Secretary put it..."It's chaos around here."

Lost my appt due to the change...after insisting that my Primary be restored as my covered physician...

...a new appt was set up...

...for another two months from now.

Thanks, Obamacare!

Bump

P.S. ...

CAPPY FAIL!!

[Cap'n Cat]

For intelligent consumers of data on our fair board - a caution:

"Forbes = Fox News". Both Conk porn.

Sources suck. Life breathed out of thread.

The Cap'n dominates again.

Next.



P.S. Check out the Prez in that cool sig pic!

[travelinman67]

If ever questioned about ADA accessibility at CS.com...

...Chris can use Cappy's posts as proof of compliance.

"Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con....Eee-mow-teh-con....Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con...Eee-mow-teh-con....

Take that, Tman..."