Healthcare Disaster

[dr_scott]

Some really good reporting from WaPo on why the Federal exchange was such an expensive failure here. I haven't written much about it because the press is now on the case and digging into the story.

Administration spinmeisters are trying to plug the leaks when real people report their premiums have increased for less coverage. One of the half-

Comments

[mrdreamjeans]

I am now enrolled in my company's insurance. Aetna is raising premiums 6% in January and blaming it on the Affordable Health Care Act. It's what's happening all around. The companies are raising premiums as they always do just because they can. I don't agree with your final paragraph. I don't blame the government. I blame the health care companies who don't want to see reform succeed.

[billeyler]

We live, we die. We have between 60 and 80 years to do stuff in between.

[dr_scott]

Health and longevity is closely related to individual habits - eat unprocessed foods with plenty of protein and good fats, limit sweets and grains, exercise, and stay out of trouble, and your chances of a long, healthy life improve. There's some percentage of death and disease which is simply random - that heart valve defect, that cosmic ray that turns a cell cancerous - and some percent due to your environment, which to some extent is under your control

[dorisduke]

My current insurance is being deleted. It has a high deductible of ten grand but that was fine with me and paid 95 percent after that. What is being offered now at the cheapest is 500 bucks more a month and could go up to 1700 bucks more a month depending on which one I choose. I am not too pleased at this point in time.

[dr_scott]

I hear rumors that companies are offering gap insurance (6 months to a year) which can be cheaper (not ACA compliant). I am expecting a lot of new policies sold off-exchange that might have better terms or networks (but they may be just as expensive.) One could get a gap policy and then shop carefully as the situation resolves next year.

[pklexton]

Under the pre-ACA system my premiums went up 20% a year virtually every year for the last 10 years. Rick's insurance is more than our mortgage, as someone over 60 with pre existing conditions in the individual market. Something needed to be done. Clearly it is flawed. There is lots of spin and lies on both sides. It would be wonderful if some on the GOP side actually engaged constructively to fix it. They have an opportunity to convince me that they have a positive contribution to make. I am not holding my breath.

[dr_scott]

People trying to keep or gain political advantage will be all over this because it is waking up millions of voters who don't want to be bothered, who were anaesthetized to the dangers to them personally of the proposed changes by the President's assurances that for them, nothing would change and they'd *save* money! I'm doing economic and moral analysis, not trying to gain power for myself

[dr_scott]

... contd

There are, it turns out, far more big losers than big winners. Those people were lied to and they are angry; anger means political turmoil. We can't just repeal the ACA because insurance plans have already been disrupted. The best course now is to modify - keep some provisions but reduce the social-do-gooder's laundry list of preventative care and other coverages added on in the fantasy that everyone should pay for everyone else's expenses regardless of their habits or sacrifices. Bring down the cost of the minimal decent care package to something almost everyone can afford, and subsidize only those who would otherwise not receive necessary care.

I'll post an anonymized version of this on Facebook since I seem to be a reporter now...

[pklexton]

Please don't post our story on Facebook, even anonymized.

[tdjohnsn]

We're so lucky to have insurance through Ron's employer. We are right on the edge financially and if we we were forced onto the exchanges we would have to choose between health insurance and I don't even know what. We can't run our budget any tighter.