Obamacare Winners and Losers

[whell]

Interesting article on regarding PPACA impact.

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-wo...osers-bay-area

"Vinson, of San Jose, will pay $1,800 more a year for an individual policy, while Waschura, of Portola Valley, will cough up almost $10,000 more for insurance for his family of four."

"I was laughing at Boehner -- until the mail came today," Waschura said, referring to House Speaker John Boehner, who is leading the Republican charge to defund Obamacare. "I really don't like the Republican tactics, but at least now I can understand why they are so pissed about this. When you take $10,000 out of my family's pocket each year, that's otherwise disposable income or retirement savings that will not be going into our local economy."

Now, both folks mentioned in the article are twice impacted by provisions of health care reform: the phase-out of premium subsidies which offset the cost of health insurance premiums for middle and lower income individuals, and community rating, which changes how medical insurance in the small group and individual market is priced. Community rating limits the variability of premiums based on the health of the insured, but the result is significant increases in premium for individuals who are historically healthy, and have historically benefited from discounted medical premiums due to their good health.

Vinson and Waschura are paying increased premiums, even though they are historically healthy, to fund coverage for others who aren't historically healthy. "People like Marilynn Gray-Raine. The 64-year-old Danville artist, who survived breast cancer, has purchased health insurance for herself for decades. She watched her Anthem Blue Cross monthly premiums rise from $317 in 2005 to $1,298 in 2013. But she found out last week from the Covered California site that her payments will drop to about $795 a month."

The "Robin Hood" impact of health care reform.

[finnbow]

Yeh, the system before Obamacare was great, fair and bestowed upon us by God. I get it.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Yeh, the system before Obamacare was great, fair and bestowed upon us by God. I get it.

Yes, the advocates of health care reform are sarcastic, smarmy, and feel that God has given them the ownership rights to the concept of fairness.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Yes, the advocates of health care reform are sarcastic, smarmy, and feel that God has given them the ownership rights to the concept of fairness.

I'm no fan of Obamacare, but I also don't believe cherry-picked anecdotes or extortion tactics..

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I'm no fan of Obamacare, but I also don't believe cherry-picked anecdotes or extortion tactics..

Then go log in - if you can - and see what coverage would cost you.

"Extortion tactics." pfft. I see you do believe in hyperbole.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by whell

Then go log in - if you can - and see what coverage would cost you.

"Extortion tactics." pfft. I see you do believe in hyperbole.

So sayeth the addict to hyperbole. Pffft, indeed. Still subscribing to the Fox model that this isn't a shutdown? "It's a slimdown!"

Whiners and Losers would've been better thread title.

[BlueStreak]

Yeah, so?

You honestly believed that it's possible to design a system that extends help to those with greater need and less means that doesn't cost anyone anything? Like wars that pay for themselves and all of that silly BS.........

You must be a Republican.

You also noted that Mr. Waschura says he now understands why Republicans are so "pissed"...but still supports Obamacare, despite the fact that it will cost him more, didn't you? I know that level of generosity must be a difficult concept for Gordon Gekko fan to grasp.

Dave

[Zeke]

Cherry picking is so lame.

[barbara]

I have checked out my state's website. And, while this phase targets the uninsured and the underinsured.... I was pleasantly surprised at the rates and subsidies and love fact that pre existing conditions can not be held against a person.

It's not perfect... But a step in the right direction.

[icenine]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4129661.html

I think people are forgetting that most Americans realize that it takes a while for a government program to hit its stride. I think Obamacare is a slow train coming.
And people in Kentucky are not going to like having a bunch of Tea Party types take away their health care. These small pebbles will create a mountain in a few short years.