Obamacare, or, I might be up a creek w/o a paddle

[try2bfrugal]

Ok, see, that is the beauty of Obamacare. The insurance company CAN'T just arbitrarily kick you off! That's it! You get it! Or maybe you don't realize you get it. But all the health care horror stories I'm reading here are the VERY ISSUES OBAMACARE IS TRYING TO ADDRESS!
People being kicked off for no good reason, losing their life savings/going bankrupt from health costs, spouses being screwed for being, well, spouses. These ARE the issues Obamacare addresses. Despite all the scare-mongering the right is throwing out (and they are DESPERATE now)

Well said. It seems from here and other forums many people are rallying against the ACA who will benefit greatly from its provisions. And many others who are one job loss away from benefiting but for some reason can't understand the "there but for but the grace of God go I" aspect.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well the thing is the weaknesses with Corba, since Corba is a government program anyway (which doesn't mean there's any heavy subsidization, it's mostly just buying at the employer rate) could have been addressed anyway if anyone in power had cared to. Clearly noone ever did. (Although honestly people who don't pay their bills on time and then get kicked out aren't the most sympathetic victims in the world).

[try2bfrugal]

Well the thing is the weaknesses with Corba, since Corba is a government program anyway (which doesn't mean there's any heavy subsidization, it's mostly just buying at the employer rate) could have been addressed anyway if anyone in power had cared to, clearly noone ever did. (Although honestly people who don't pay their bills on time and then get kicked out aren't the most sympathetic victims in the world).

So would you go back to the old way of no COBRA for you since you missed a single payment, and no health care for your relatives, or subsidized, affordable health care under the ACA, whether you are employed or not, and Medicaid for your family?

You don't have any third choices. There are only these two options. Go forward with something that is not perfect but 85% better or go back to where you miss a COBRA payment, maybe get cancer and die untreated because you have a pre-existing condition and can't get any other insurance even if you could manage to pay for it?

[bae]

Well the thing is the weaknesses with Corba, since Corba is a government program anyway (which doesn't mean there's any heavy subsidization, it's mostly just buying at the employer rate) could have been addressed anyway if anyone in power had cared to. Clearly noone ever did. (Although honestly people who don't pay their bills on time and then get kicked out aren't the most sympathetic victims in the world).

COBRA. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.

Corba - Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Corba - Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

I actually vaguely remember that. Vaguely, very vaguely

[bae]

I actually vaguely remember that. Vaguely, very vaguely

Oh my, I am so terribly terribly sorry! I did not mean to expose you to those trigger words!

What medications did they put you on? They told me last year they expect to be able to take off my nice white jacket any day now!

[gimmethesimplelife]

Ok, see, that is the beauty of Obamacare. The insurance company CAN'T just arbitrarily kick you off! That's it! You get it! Or maybe you don't realize you get it. But all the health care horror stories I'm reading here are the VERY ISSUES OBAMACARE IS TRYING TO ADDRESS!
People being kicked off for no good reason, losing their life savings/going bankrupt from health costs, spouses being screwed for being, well, spouses. These ARE the issues Obamacare addresses. Despite all the scare-mongering the right is throwing out (and they are DESPERATE now) The ACA is more just a set of regulations for the insurance industry than anything, coupled with personal responsibility for everyone to accept at least a small portion of their health care costs, even if it's just a small part.

I would urge everyone to cut through the BS flowing from those who have a vested interest in the ACA NOT being fully implemented, and seek the truth. Go to the gov sites and see for yourself. And while you are there, check out the nifty little chart that compares your state to other states. Especially those of you who have republican legislatures who refuse, and actually throw up roadblocks, to you getting the best deal/health care available. Keep in mind that these people are so bent on their hatred of Obama, and keeping Obama from achieving anything, at all, they are willing to toss their own citizens of their states under the bus. They want them to have as much trouble getting affordable health care as they can. They WANT them to be miserable. Think about that. And remember it. But do the comparison.

Neil deGrasse famously said that the best thing about science is that it's true, whether you believe it or not. The same goes for facts. Get the facts.

Bravo, Peggy! I agree with what you have posted here. That being said, I do believe, as I have posted elsewhere, that the Obama administration has not done an effective job in educating the public about ObamaCare, and due to this, all kinds of misinformation is out there. I really hold the administration accountable for this - It's almost as if Barak was thinking, Ok, I've got the masses covered, leave me in peace now so I can go play a few more rounds of golf. Or something like that. Great that ObamaCare has survived and is being more and more implemented, don't get me wrong, but poor communication/education about what ObamaCare is all about and what's in it for the average person/why exactly should they support it. Rob

[CeciliaW]

A quick note, not having read all 11 pages of posts, but today when the Cover.Oregon website went live, I went there, plugged my numbers in and was given a choice of 13 different plans at 3 different levels, ranging from about $400-$535 and an estimate of what the subsidy would be. For me it will be amazing to have access, even with the deductible.
I know I'm not the only one on these boards that has been paying cash for years and years.
Everyone I've talked to that has looked at the real numbers has been pleasantly surprised.
Let's give it another few months to settle in.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Give it another 10 years (or at least 5) to determine if it's really controlled costs. Because aren't the basic things that are broken: ok the insurance system to some degree but it may not be the worst of it, runaway hospital pricing, runaway pharma pricing.

[gimmethesimplelife]

A quick note, not having read all 11 pages of posts, but today when the Cover.Oregon website went live, I went there, plugged my numbers in and was given a choice of 13 different plans at 3 different levels, ranging from about $400-$535 and an estimate of what the subsidy would be. For me it will be amazing to have access, even with the deductible.
I know I'm not the only one on these boards that has been paying cash for years and years.
Everyone I've talked to that has looked at the real numbers has been pleasantly surprised.
Let's give it another few months to settle in.

I'm glad you had a pleasant experience with the Oregon exchange. Here in Arizona I was able to create an account but am able to go no further than that - I am hoping that the glitches can be worked out soon so that I can get online and get insured.....Rob