"Foundation, the weighted average pre-subsidy price of a silver plan on the exchanges only increased by 3.6% from 2015 to 2016, which certainly seems good. But one way the ACA keeps premiums reasonable is by pushing people into plans with high levels of cost sharing. The average silver plan has a combined annual deductible (including prescriptions) of more than $3,000; the deductible for an average bronze plan is close to $6,000. In other words, one reason that insurance premiums are affordable is that those premiums don't buy you what they used to, as insurers shift more and more health care costs onto their customers."
So what you have are folks shelling out $10,000 a year for very mediocre health care. One well visit once a year and if you're lucky a blood workup. After shelling out for that insurance premium who can afford to pay the doctor visit and all the deductibles on top of it.
And you pay it year in and year out. In 10 years you've shoved the equivalent of your entire retirement savings into health insurance...with what to show for it? Nothing. If you have a major medical issue, you might come out even. Otherwise you're just throwing money hand over fist to the insurance companies, and you are punished by law if you do not.
Isn't this a great country?
__________________
It occurs to me that republicans seem to view black, Mexican, LGBT, Muslims and poor people in the same light as Nazi Germans once viewed Jewish people. We must be vigilant that it goes no further.
|