It's astonishing how bad this thing really is... and no subsidies for me...

[eleanor_ramilly]

Did you know that NONE of the major hospitals* in Seattle [Swedish Hospital, University of Washington Medical Center, Providence Hospital, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Veterans Medical Center] are in-network on the plans offered on the Exchange? I read this and couldn't believe it, so I actually did some fact checking myself. I didn't check every

Comments

[blessed02]

Hang in there, baby. Can you buy on the Alabama exchange?

[eleanor_ramilly]

No, I can only actually buy in NC unless I claim WA residency, which I can't do without breaking other laws. I've been around and around, trying to satisfy everything I'm subject to, and buying in NC is really my only option, either on or off exchange. It's all utterly FUCKED for me. I'm going to end up being an uninsured person getting care for minor ailments in the ER. Cynically, I suspect our goddamn President would be totally fine with that -- for every non-supporter like me who loses access to care, one of his voters probably gets it and thinks O's saved the world.

Mostly I'm just horrified that it's like this. I mean, where are all the people who believe in this scheme and are going to buy on the WA exchange going to GO if they need a hospital? Are they going to go to the big hospitals with the best doctors and the most procedures, not be covered, and end up in exactly the kind of medical bankruptcy the ACA was meant to stop? This is really quite bad.

[yaya_mama]

Just wanted to chime in and agree that this sounds completely outrageous. Seems like there are a lot of lawsuits afoot? Awful.

Hang in there.

[eleanor_ramilly]

Thanks. I'm just scared, I guess. My ankle is suddenly on a rapid decline, and I'm scared I won't be able to get it fixed because of this. And sooner or later I'm going to take a perfectly ordinary step off a curb and that which they warned me about will happen: I'll shatter it beyond fixing and I'll spend the rest of my life using a cane and wearing orthopedic shoes.

[paisley_days]

This actually more of an insurance company problem & WA state law thing then Obamacare. In Washington health insurance companies must be non profit. Most of the companies left Washington & we are stuck with few options even before health care reform. Premera has jacked up prices all over the state (my work insurance went up 17%, the rep told us that they had to raise rates due to no one picking the most expensive plan anymore) and they are excluding big hospitals & emergency rooms.

Children's is already suing & I'm sure others will too. They are suing the insurance commissioner who will in turn go after the companies. It's a cluster for sure but it isn't going to be permanent. You have a pretty unique situation, so maybe NC is better for now?

[eleanor_ramilly]

Buying in NC is problematic because the exchange plans reflect the trend that insurers have chopped their provider networks for next year, leaving those who spend significant time out of state hosed. Actually, after digging a lot, I can't find a plan on the NC exchange that really works for my situation. So I have to go direct through an insurer, and the cost is jaw-dropping and unsubsidized. Especially when compared line by line with my canceled non-compliant policy. I think I would be taking this a lot better if O hadn't spouted so much crap about keeping plans*, and if not, then we'd all be finding a better plan for less money, and how my old plan must have been terrible, etc, etc, etc. An acknowledgment that some people were actually going to get fucked and that he thought we were acceptable collateral damage for something he thought more important would have gone a long way. I would be pissed, but I'd respect the honest assessment a lot more than the lying bullshit about everyone being better off. Oh well

[_vivace_]

Doesn't school offer really inexpensive student plans?

[eleanor_ramilly]

Yes, but open enrollment was in August. Also it has a *really* limited network. However, my insurer has decided to take advantage of the new directive and so I can keep my plan. I'm pretty excited.