Forget the debate over Democrat vs. Republican...neither party has an answer to the health industry problem, and they are not really trying to fix it. The entire industry is controlled by the health care and insurance lobby. They contribute hundreds of millions to BOTH parties. They don't care who has the majority in the Senate or the House, because that doesn't matter as long as you control the legislation. Stop and consider the fight over the ACA...despite all the rhetoric, the insurance providers have now increased their client base by millions of previously uninsured customers due to the legislation that was passed, despite the hand wringing and speeches about how this was a step toward socialized medicine that they ostensibly opposed. Compare the premiums for the ACA plans vs. private sector...there is very little difference bottom line for comparable benefits. The providers are not being forced to sell insurance at lower rates. What they gained was the federal government paying individuals a SUBSTANTIAL subsidy, so they can afford to buy the insurance at the market rate.The Annoyed Man wrote:We got a notice from Blue Cross/Blue Shield 4 or 5 days ago. Beginning on January 1st, our Obamacare coverage goes up $220.00 per month—an increase of 17.26%. That's quite a handsome piece of inflation. I hate democrats.
I'm a "small group category" employer and have had the same provider for over 15 years. This major hospital group has their own health insurance plan and they provide excellent care and treatment. When I started with them, we had a $0 deductible plan with one price for all employees ( same as large group plans), no exclusions for pre-existing conditions (which was the primary reason I changed to them, as I had two employees that had suffered heart attacks and couldnt get insurance under my existing plan at that time. Every couple of years I had to go to a higher deductible to try and keep the insurance affordable for me and my employees. We went from $0 ded. to $500, then to $1000, then to $2000, $4000, $5000, and for last 2 years I'm at $7000 deductible. During that time the premiums for my wife and I (both employees), have gone from $419 per month w/$0 ded. to $845 w/ $7000 ded. in 2014 ( also from 80/20 plan to 70/30). My quote for 2015 just came in last week and the same coverage is going to $989...that's a 16% increase for a non-obamacare plan. It's not JUST the ACA plans that are going up...they all are.
I'm as ardent an Obama critic as you will find, but as CB1000 stated, the Republican party is not going to have Obamacare to point their fingers at and blame for all the issues moving forward, and they have no solution either. One huge advantage for a large group of people is that now they have a source that does allow them to get insurance with a pre-existing condition which previously has kept them tied to their provider and at their mercy. I've been in that category for a number of years. Since I had 3 heart stents put in in 2006, I have been unable to get coverage anywhere else, and have had to accept whatever increases they put on me. This was discussed in an earlier post on this thread by Mojo84 and SFJ control. I tried to see about getting a $10,000 ded. policy from the Texas Health Pool for myself and change my wife's coverage from my company plan to an individual plan with the same hospital group that would be at about $200 per month less than my "rated" premium for employees. They declined to cover her individually although she has been covered by them for 15 years, based on a pre-existing condition, citing a diagnosis of a herniated disc ,resulting from an accident in 1984, when a vehicle she was a passenger in, was struck by a train. She took pain meds for a couple of months following the wreck, and has never had any further treatment for it. They said they would be happy to continue her present coverage as long as we maintained our existing plan uninterrupted. I was told by the Texas Health Pool that I didnt' qualify for their coverage because I WAS able to obtain private coverage, regardless of price. When we checked with other providers for my wife, one of the first questions asked is "have you ever been declined coverage by another provider"...she now has been, and because of that, they also declined. So we have been bent over a barrel for awhile. There are A LOT of folks in similar situations that now, at least have a way to get coverage of some kind that was not an option before. It is extremely difficult to take something away from people once you've given it to them and I doubt any politician of either political party has the stomach to try it in this case. I suspect there will be all the usual posturing, speechifying, and finger pointing...in other words, business as usual, and no real solution.