New Study Finds Health Insurance Premiums Skyrocket After Obamacare Passes

[tonymctones]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/28/obamacare-sends-health-premiums-skyrocketing-by-as/#!


The Affordable Care Act was supposed to make health care more affordable, but a study of insurance policies before and after Obamacare shows that average premiums have skyrocketed, for some groups by as much as 78 percent.
 
Average insurance premiums in the sought-after 23-year-old demographic rose most dramatically, with men in that age group seeing an average 78.2 percent price increase before factoring in government subsidies, and women having their premiums rise 44.9 percent, according to a report by HealthPocket scheduled for release Wednesday.

The study, which was shared Tuesday with The Washington Times, examined average health insurance premiums before the implementation of Obamacare in 2013 and then afterward in 2014. The research focused on people of three ages — 23, 30 and 63 — using data for nonsmoking men and women with no spouses or children.

The premium increases for 30-year-olds were almost as high as for 23-year-olds — 73.4 percent for men and 35.1 percent for women — said the study, titled “Without Subsidies Women & Men, Old & Young Average Higher Monthly Premiums with Obamacare.”

[Primemuscle]

My and my wife's 2015 healthcare insurance premiums are going down by about 30%. We buy our insurance directly and not through the healthcare exchange.

[tonymctones]

My and my wife's 2015 healthcare insurance premiums are going down by about 30%. We buy our insurance directly and not through the healthcare exchange.

great to know, it means absolutely jack shit in terms of the majority of other people but......good to know!!!

[Straw Man]

great to know, it means absolutely jack shit in terms of the majority of other people but......good to know!!!

does the report you posted actually say the rates went up for "the majority of other people"

I can't read it on my phone because some flash program won't load

the last sentence of you post said it didn't take in account the subsidies either so if a 23 year has a premium that is 78% higher but then doesn't consider that he also has a subsidy offsetting that then what's the point of the study since it's not actually reflecting what is going on in the real world

[tonymctones]

does the report you posted actually say the rates went up for "the majority of other people"

I can't read it on my phone because some flash program won't load

the last sentence of you post said it didn't take in account the subsidies either so if a 23 year has a premium that is 78% higher but then doesn't consider that he also has a subsidy offsetting that then what's the point of the study since it's not actually reflecting what is doing on in the real world

the report as I understand it from the brief reading was on premiums without subsidies.

I dont know why that matters as all it means it WE ARE PAYING MORE FOR IT!!!

I know you dont remember but obama said this shit sandwich would reduce premiums.....

[Straw Man]

the report as I understand it from the brief reading was on premiums without subsidies.

I dont know why that matters as all it means it WE ARE PAYING MORE FOR IT!!!

I know you dont remember but obama said this shit sandwich would reduce premiums.....

why are you SCREAMING

can't you have a conversation without losing your mind

I just asked you a simple questions and leaving off the fact that subsidies offset the increase is disingenuous at best. 
The plan was designed with subsidies so to ignore them is bullshit

[tonymctones]

Premiums are skyrocketing, if the individuals dont pay for someone else does.

mainly people like myself who pay a shit ton in taxes

[tonymctones]

why are you SCREAMING

can't you have a conversation without losing your mind

I just asked you a simple questions and leaving off the fact that subsidies offset the increase is disingenuous at best. 
The plan was designed with subsidies so to ignore them is bullshit

the plan was designed to reduce premiums, premiums are skyrocketing

[tonymctones]

The study was about what was happening to premiums. It doesnt matter if they are all being absorbed by the individual being insured or not.

PREMIUMS ARE SKYROCKETING!!!!

[tonymctones]

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=554162.0

here you go straw, a link to another thread showing how entitlements have grown to now be over 70% of the budget and are expected to continue growing due to programs like obamacare.

But hey as long as the people are getting their subsidies who cares that premiums are skyrocketing, RIGHT?

[Primemuscle]

the report as I understand it from the brief reading was on premiums without subsidies.

I dont know why that matters as all it means it WE ARE PAYING MORE FOR IT!!!

I know you dont remember but obama said this shit sandwich would reduce premiums.....

Why use the healthcare exchange to purchase healthcare insurance at all if you don't qualify for subsidies? All healthcare insurance providers are operating under the same rules now as a result of the Affordable Healthcare Act. The primary reason for buying insurance through the exchange is to avail yourself of the subsidies.

You implied that my and my wife's healthcare situation is somehow unique. It is not. We do not qualify for any subsidies. My wife's annual healthcare costs are high enough that we do qualify for a fairly good medical deduction on our Schedule A itemized deductions. Last year we spent more than $8,000 out of pocket. I expect this year will be even more.

[tonymctones]

Why use the healthcare exchange to purchase healthcare insurance at all if you don't qualify for subsidies? All healthcare insurance providers are operating under the same rules now as a result of the Affordable Healthcare Act. The primary reason for buying insurance through the exchange is to avail yourself of the subsidies.

You implied that my and my wife's healthcare situation is somehow unique. It is not. We do not qualify for any subsidies. My wife's annual healthcare costs are high enough that we do qualify for a fairly good medical deduction on our Schedule A itemized deductions. Last year we spent more than $8,000 out of pocket. I expect this year will be even more.

the fact youre receiving a reduction in your premium is unique. I myself had a 7% increase in my premiums and I get my insurance through my employer. The fact is most people are seeing an increase in premiums, to what extent my vary.

I dont qualify for subsidies either..........

[Straw Man]

The study was about what was happening to premiums. It doesnt matter if they are all being absorbed by the individual being insured or not.

PREMIUMS ARE SKYROCKETING!!!!

I still don't know why you feel the need to scream
when I get home I will find you stories about actual premium dropping and then maybe you can scream about that too

[tonymctones]

I still don't know why you feel the need to scream
when I get home I will find you stories about actual premium dropping and then maybe you can scream about that too

you mean the ones paid by the insured or the portion covered by me and other tax payers?

[tonymctones]

“Another important consideration in the discussion of subsidized premiums is that the subsidized portion of the premium still must be paid by the government through the money it collects from the nation,” says the study. “In other words, the subsidized costs of health insurance do not disappear but instead change payers.”

[Primemuscle]

the fact youre receiving a reduction in your premium is unique. I myself had a 7% increase in my premiums and I get my insurance through my employer. The fact is most people are seeing an increase in premiums, to what extent my vary.

I dont qualify for subsidies either..........

During the 30 years I worked for my previous employer, our family medical insurance rates went up each and every year. Sometimes as much as 12%, but usually only about 8%. In no way did CPI increase this much nor did our raises which were based on COLA. The insurance industry in this country has been out of control for a very long time.

One of the main drivers in the cost of premiums today is prescription drug coverage. The drug companies which must base their price in all other developed countries on government contracts, are free to charge whatever they choose in the U.S. There are some cancer treatment drugs which are not covered by insurance and which cost as much as $10,000 a month. In the U.S. people who cannot afford these drugs die.

I don't know if the Affordable Healthcare Act is the ultimate answer. I do know that we couldn't continue on the same path we were on in the U.S. I think we should look more into single payer insurance plans, much like those found in other developed countries.

You are right in that folks with medical insurance pay for those who do not have insurance. One of the goals of Obamacare is to help change this. People without insurance currently seek treatment in the ER which is far more costly than going to a doctor is. The difference is that a doctor can turn you away if you cannot pay upfront and don't have coverage, a hospital ER is required to treat you or at least have a doctor see you even if the only reason you are there is the sniffles.

[tonymctones]

During the 30 years I worked for my previous employer, our family medical insurance rates went up each and every year. Sometimes as much as 12%, but usually only about 8%. In no way did CPI increase this much nor did our raises which were based on COLA. The insurance industry in this country has been out of control for a very long time.

One of the main drivers in the cost of premiums today is prescription drug coverage. The drug companies which must base their price in all other developed countries on government contracts, are free to charge whatever they choose in the U.S. There are some cancer treatment drugs which are not covered by insurance and which cost as much as $10,000 a month. In the U.S. people who cannot afford these drugs die.

I don't know if the Affordable Healthcare Act is the ultimate answer. I do know that we couldn't continue on the same path we were on in the U.S. I think we should look more into single payer insurance plans, much like those found in other developed countries.

You are right in that folks with medical insurance pay for those who do not have insurance. One of the goals of Obamacare is to help change this. People without insurance currently seek treatment in the ER which is far more costly than going to a doctor is. The difference is that a doctor can turn you away if you cannot pay upfront and don't have coverage, a hospital ER is required to treat you or at least have a doctor see you even if the only reason you are there is the sniffles.

Im not quite sure what the answer is either, one thing I think we all agree on is the problems that obamacare have put on us though were forseeable and called out by many people.

Obamacare was not and is not the answer.

sorry boss I already pay a butt load in income taxes and I dont think I should be asked to pay anymore when there are people that dont pay any income taxes. When everyone has skin in the game lets talk about how we spend our money.

right now were talking about how we spend those who pay income taxes money, thats not fair....

[Primemuscle]

“Another important consideration in the discussion of subsidized premiums is that the subsidized portion of the premium still must be paid by the government through the money it collects from the nation,” says the study. “In other words, the subsidized costs of health insurance do not disappear but instead change payers.”

This is an important consideration. Like you, I pay a fair amount in income tax every year. Some of what I pay is channeled into social services. I would much rather choose which charities I want to support and I do to some degree.

What you may not have considered is that these costs are not new with Obamacare. People who pay taxes have been subsidizing the poor, including their healthcare expenses for decades. Countries, such as Germany that have socialized medicine and many other socialized programs have higher income taxes as well as value added tax. People appreciate the benefits this offers, but like us, they don't much care for paying the tax bill it takes to make this system work.

[tonymctones]

This is an important consideration. Like you, I pay a fair amount in income tax every year. Some of what I pay is channeled into social services. I would much rather choose which charities I want to support and I do to some degree.

What you may not have considered is that these costs are not new with Obamacare. People who pay taxes have been subsidizing the poor, including their healthcare expenses for decades. Countries, such as Germany that have socialized medicine and many other socialized programs have higher income taxes as well as value added tax. People appreciate the benefits this offers, but like us, they don't much care for paying the tax bill it takes to make this system work.

so the answer was to institute a program that caused premiums to skyrocket? one would think that forcing those who dont have insurance to pay their bills is a lot more fair than forcing others to pay for them....Im not saying thats the answer but its as credible/assinine as having others pay for them.

again you want to talk about spending money on social services, make sure everyone has skin in the game first.

Dont talk to me about how we need to spend more money on social services, when half the country pays no income tax.

[Primemuscle]

so the answer was to institute a program that caused premiums to skyrocket? one would think that forcing those who dont have insurance to pay their bills is a lot more fair than forcing others to pay for them....Im not saying thats the answer but its as credible/assinine as having others pay for them.

again you want to talk about spending money on social services, make sure everyone has skin in the game first.

Dont talk to me about how we need to spend more money on social services, when half the country pays no income tax.

Is there a way to force people to pay their medical bills? If so, I am not aware of it. The only way to insure everyone pays for medical services is to deny them services if they don't pay up front for them. A hospital room runs about $1,000 a day. How many people without insurance would be in a position to pay this each day they are in the hospital upfront? Even some people with modest incomes, would not be able to afford to do this.

Let's say we deny medical services to people who can't pay. Let's say there is an Ebola or some other communicable disease outbreak in this county. How would you handle this? Turn the sick people away at the hospital or doctor's doors, sending them home to infect even more people who can't pay for medical services?

Surprise, some young people do get sick. You know, those in the 22 to 30 year old range who choose to risk going it without any medical insurance. If they get sick and need medical care which could only be paid for in advance, how would they pay it? Do you imagine they have $30,000 in a savings account to cover emergency surgery? Statistics suggest that people aren't even saying for their own retirement, much less for emergencies.

Of course premiums are skyrocketing. People who had no or little medical coverage must now buy it. To go from paying nothing to paying anything is a "skyrocket" in premiums.

[Soul Crusher]

We were promised 2500 reduction

[Primemuscle]

My sister barely gets by on her SSD income and a small retirement from her job both of with total around $1,500 a month gross. Before she qualified for disability, she was living on unemployment from a job which she'd held for 15 years and which fired her because she is disabled. She had a seizure while swimming in a lake and nearly drowned. She ended up in the hospital for almost two weeks. The bill was $58,000. Even if she wanted to pay it, the is no way she could afford to.

There is a possibility that my sister's disability, which has worsened in the past couple of years, is caused by Huntington's Chorea. If this is so, she will end up completely incapacitated, living in a skilled nursing facility until she dies an early death. Can you even fathom what this will cost? How do you propose people in these types of situations pay their own medical expenses?

[Soul Crusher]

Forcing middle class people to pay more is not it

My sister barely gets by on her SSD income and a small retirement from her job both of with total around $1,500 a month gross. Before she qualified for disability, she was living on unemployment from a job which she'd held for 15 years and which fired her because she is disabled. She had a seizure while swimming in a lake and nearly drowned. She ended up in the hospital for almost two weeks. The bill was $58,000. Even if she wanted to pay it, the is no way she could afford to.

There is a possibility that my sister's disability, which has worsened in the past couple of years, is caused by Huntington's Chorea. If this is so, she will end up completely incapacitated, living in a skilled nursing facility until she dies an early death. Can you even fathom what this will cost? How do you propose people in these types of situations pay their own medical expenses?

[Soul Crusher]

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says nearly 9,000 inmates have signed up for Obamacare amid a rising mental health problem in county jail.

"Systemically, over the course of decades, we've sort of carved back all the mental health services to the point where there literally was this question: 'OK well we've carved 'em back to next to nothing, now where are we gonna put 'em?' And the response was, 'Well let's just see what happens with them.' Which everyone would understand eventually means the criminal justice system for many of them, and everyone seems to be frankly OK about it," said Dart in an interview on WGN AM-720's "The Sunday Spin."

Added the sheriff: "As far as the people in government who could make a difference, the silence has been deafening on this one. ... I run the largest mental health hospital in the state of Illinois and maybe in the country, and I'm a history major who didn't seek to become a late-in-life doctor. But yet I'm the one overseeing this."

Last week, Dart published a Chicago Tribune op-ed on the subject entitled "How We Shaft the Mentally Ill."

He said some 3,000 out of 10,000 inmates need mental health care and pinned the escalating situation on closures of mental health facilities that led to increased incarceration for those suffering from illness and ballooning costs for a jail un-equipped to treat them. With Obamacare, he said they now "have the ability to at least have care paid for -- if they can find it someplace that’s still open. But that’s the big problem, to find a place that’s still open."

Dart joins a growing movement to reform a broken U.S. prison system afflicted by limited access to mental health treatment in addition to overcrowding, too-harsh prison sentences and a disproportionate number of non-white inmates.

"There's no psychologist in the world -- or psychiatrist -- who would suggest that say a treatment plan for, say, someone with schizophrenia is 'Let's put them in a four-by-eight concrete room with a complete stranger who has a different diagnosis and let's see what happens over the course of the next few months," he lamented, adding: "Nobody would do that."

[tonymctones]

Is there a way to force people to pay their medical bills? If so, I am not aware of it. The only way to insure everyone pays for medical services is to deny them services if they don't pay up front for them. A hospital room runs about $1,000 a day. How many people without insurance would be in a position to pay this each day they are in the hospital upfront? Even some people with modest incomes, would not be able to afford to do this.

Let's say we deny medical services to people who can't pay. Let's say there is an Ebola or some other communicable disease outbreak in this county. How would you handle this? Turn the sick people away at the hospital or doctor's doors, sending them home to infect even more people who can't pay for medical services?

Surprise, some young people do get sick. You know, those in the 22 to 30 year old range who choose to risk going it without any medical insurance. If they get sick and need medical care which could only be paid for in advance, how would they pay it? Do you imagine they have $30,000 in a savings account to cover emergency surgery? Statistics suggest that people aren't even saying for their own retirement, much less for emergencies.

Of course premiums are skyrocketing. People who had no or little medical coverage must now buy it. To go from paying nothing to paying anything is a "skyrocket" in premiums.

again im not sayin that is the answer but it is just as credible/assinine to think that paying for everyones is....

the premiums arent skyrocketing from 0 boss, they are skyrocketing from last years premiums!!!!