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The unemployed (without assets) and poor already have access to healthcare through Medicaid. And they will continue to have that same (actually, expanded by 400% income threshold) access.
Not around here, nor in 21 other states which are refusing govt money for Medicaid expansion. Our existing Medicaid roles are being reduced 50,000 b/c our all-knowing governor won't expand Medicaid, he intentionally reduced income threshold to get these people off BadgerCare (Medicaid), so those 50,000 who previously were on BadgerCare no longer qualify because of new income limit. He's pushing them to the exchanges - he thinks. Another 38,000 on waiting list for BadgerCare still out there. He thinks he's getting a waiver from the govt. for those who fall between his lowered ceiling and ACA floor. We'll see. We'll also see if these indigents can pay any part of their medical copays/deductibles/premiums. I think not.
Unfortunately, young men between ages 25-36 who don't have employer covered health insurance are in the worst position with rate increases over 50 percent. That is huge IMO.
Unfortunately, young men between ages 25-36 who don't have employer covered health insurance are in the worst position with rate increases over 50 percent. That is huge IMO.
Source??? Please, link something that backs this up. How much are these 25-36 year olds making?
Badgercare costs a premium. It was a safety gap measure by the state of Wisconsin to cover non-insured families who were too well off to be on welfare and not well enough off to afford health insurance through a competitive insurance company. Forward Health is Medicaid, I think.
And as for the sickly, the pre-existing condition is so that if a person had cancer 5 yrs ago and is now healthy and vibrant again the person will be judged and priced by current physical health and not carry the baggage of the old illness.
Added benefit of this is that Americans will start getting healthier if health permits so that the insurance premiums are cheaper and they are considered good candidates.
I am sure somehow your health status will work into your credit score and report. It will affect the amount of money you make and everything else in everyday life.
If too many people refuse to get health insurance the penalties will get stiffer in some way or another. And the enrollment period has to stay open because each day people are getting off of Medicare and Medicaid, graduating HS and getting jobs.
Like I said, maybe YOU have it all figured out for YOUR situation but not everyone is going to have a HSA and not everyone is going to be able to afford to pay for healthcare when there is a high deductible.
Many folks are underemployed or in a lot of debt at a young age and don't have the extra resources to plan for anything.
Not trying to argue with you. Just saying that because a person has healthcare insurance, it doesn't mean they are going to be indemnified from medical debt, nor does it mean they will have more access to healthcare, if the deductible is high and the copay is either a very small percentage or non-existent. And many of these plans only pay a portion for drugs, as well.
When an insurance policy is essentially catastrophic insurance (high deductible)- and that is basically what the cheapest ACA policies are - then it is not very helpful except to help offset large medical debt.
And maybe you were wealthy at 27, but for me, $12,700 would have been an insurmountable amount of money out of pocket. You threw that figure around like it was $12.70, lol.
Put it this way, how many times in your life have you had a medical need that would have been billed out at over $200,000? How many times did you go to the doctor last year? What were those visits for?
I've been researching some plans from a couple states so far, they have had plan choices with co-pays and without co-pays.
$95 or 1% of your HOUSEHOLD income which ever is greater for plan year 2014, $325 or 2% of household income for 2015, and $695 or 2.5% of household income, which ever is greater 2016. Figuring out the penalty for our house, the penalty in 2016 is about $1000/year under what we pay for premiums now....but then again, we've had over $150,000 in billed medical bills so far in 2013 so we are WAY better off with insurance....
>Put it this way, how many times in your life have you had a medical need that would have been billed out at over $200,000?
While not that common, there are medical conditions that can be treated leaving you completely healthy, with a normal life expectancy, but with a cost well over 200K. Some kinds of heart surgery come to mind. You want catastrophic insurance for catastrophes: things that are uncommon but very expensive if they happen.
>Put it this way, how many times in your life have you had a medical need that would have been billed out at over $200,000?
While not that common, there are medical conditions that can be treated leaving you completely healthy, with a normal life expectancy, but with a cost well over 200K. Some kinds of heart surgery come to mind. You want catastrophic insurance for catastrophes: things that are uncommon but very expensive if they happen.
Exactly....and if you find yourself in a situation where you do have to pay your full out of pocket max and you can't, you make a payment arrangement with the provider, just like you would if something happened to you today.
We've had over $150,000 if billed medical charges this year so far....we've paid our $6000 out of pocket max though and now everything is covered at 100% for the rest of the year
Yes, but you really don't want to mess up your life with medical debt and then a bankruptcy....not only will you not get credit for 10 years, your insurance rates (auto, home) will skyrocket, if you can even get it, getting an auto or home loan is next to impossible and if you do, you will end up paying more in interest then your medical premiums will cost...same with the home/auto insurance, etc.
I think that part of the apparent disconnect here between posters is the implicit assumption by some people (like you) that people work hard/have a "work ethic" - have decent jobs (or aspire to decent jobs even if times are tough now) - "save for a rainy day" - are rational - plan - can defer gratification - etc. Other people (like me) assume just the opposite - at least when it comes a fair % of the population.
Like Gloria Steinem said:
Rich people plan for three generations. Poor people plan for Saturday night.
Although I'm definitely in the first category of people in terms of my personal behavior - I know - simply by observing the world around me - that many people aren't. How many? I don't now. But it wouldn't be unrealistic to think along the lines of Mitt Romney's infamous 47%.
And - for these people - many of whom are living from paycheck to paycheck - I think the co-pays and deductibles under the exchange plans won't be affordable. E.g., Obamacare: Is a $2,000 deductible 'affordable?' - Jun. 13, 2013. I guess it's possible for these people to try to arrange payment plans with providers if they incur these co-pays and deductibles. But - based on my recent experiences - most providers want these things paid up front. Robyn
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