Chicago area and the ACA / Obamacare plans (Evanston, Des Plaines: co-op, buy)

[TBideon]

I didn't lose my insurance but it will go up 50 percent in February, which is not workable so I'll be looking at new plans next month. The self-employed are just getting murdered.

[Gemini1963]

Reporting back:

We will likely go with individual PPO plans from Harken, which is a new independent subsidiary of UnitedHealth. Below is a copy-and-paste excerpt from an Oct. 2015 Tribune article. They will have their own clinics at which patients can have unlimited free primary care (I think) but they also have a more familiar-looking PPO plan with a wide network.

Here is a link to their site (but I must add that I am NOT endorsing it for anyone else, just trying to contribute to the information on this thread):
https://www.harkenhealth.com/insurance

Tribune article excerpt:
Chicago-area residents who buy health plans on the federal online insurance marketplace will see some new options for 2016 that are a sign of where health care is headed.
Insurance startup Harken Health will launch in Cook County on Nov. 1, when the Affordable Care Act's third open enrollment season begins, company executives told the Tribune in an exclusive interview. Harken will combine an insurance plan with its own medical clinics in a kind of holistic system that President Barack Obama's health care law encourages.
Harken's entry comes at a time of upheaval in the Illinois individual marketplace. Assurant Health, which was new to the Illinois health insurance exchange this year, is shutting down its financially troubled insurance business and will not sell plans during open enrollment. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the state's largest health insurer, is eliminating its popular individual plan that had the largest network of doctors and hospitals. Blue Cross said on its website that it plans to announce details about a new product for the Chicago area later this month.
Plans and pricing for 2016 are expected to be available as early as Sunday on Healthcare.gov for consumers to begin window shopping.
"There's major flux in the market," said Bill Hallberg, chief enrollment officer at ACAenroll.com. "Carriers are reshuffling the decks on their offerings in order to reach some form of profitability."
Harken is a symbol of the changes. The company is an independently operated subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest health insurer. UnitedHealth has taken a cautious approach to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. It did not participate in the first year of the Illinois exchange in 2014 and this year offered individual plans only in Cook County. A company spokesman said UnitedHealth will offer plans in more Illinois counties in 2016 but declined further comment.

[sfcambridge]

Originally Posted by TBideon

I didn't lose my insurance but it will go up 50 percent in February, which is not workable so I'll be looking at new plans next month. The self-employed are just getting murdered.

Which plan? What are you considering changing to?

[sfcambridge]

Originally Posted by Gemini1963

Reporting back:

We will likely go with individual PPO plans from Harken, which is a new independent subsidiary of UnitedHealth. Below is a copy-and-paste excerpt from an Oct. 2015 Tribune article. They will have their own clinics at which patients can have unlimited free primary care (I think) but they also have a more familiar-looking PPO plan with a wide network.

Here is a link to their site (but I must add that I am NOT endorsing it for anyone else, just trying to contribute to the information on this thread):
https://www.harkenhealth.com/insurance

Thanks for posting this. Interesting.

A family member of mine has UHC through their employer. They have a very mixed reputation, so it is interesting to read about this Harken option.

Was this a decision you came to with the help of a counselor?

[Gemini1963]

We have had UnitedHealth in the past and my impression is mixed, as well, but as you pointed out in the initial post, the other primary option that we came across (Land of Lincoln, especially) had downright bad reviews, so this is "the lesser of two evils" - we hope.

The counselors that we located through healthcare.gov were extremely patient and good-natured, and were helpful in their own ways, but they really did not have information about the companies themselves -- and with a new company, I guess there is not much feedback available yet, anyway.

So, I'd say, No, we pretty much located Harken before our meeting, and reviewed the network and a few other basics during the meeting. The counselors really did not steer us towards Harken (or anyone else).

One thing I did learn in that meeting, however, which I had never known: Do NOT assume, when reviewing plans, that paying your deductible will go towards the "out of pocket" cap that apply to many plans. Sometimes payment of the deductible does go towards the "out of pocket" total, and sometimes it does not. You need to inquire about this from plan to plan. Ugh!

[MassVt]

"Land of Lincoln" health plans--not a bad name. I wonder if there's a "Prairie State" HMO somewhere?

Around here ( Boston), many health plans have the " Harvard" name attached to them. It's not necessarily a guarantee of anything exceptional , although there are tons of Harvard Medical School grads who never left the area..

[sfcambridge]

Originally Posted by MassVt

"Land of Lincoln" health plans--not a bad name. I wonder if there's a "Prairie State" HMO somewhere?

Around here ( Boston), many health plans have the " Harvard" name attached to them. It's not necessarily a guarantee of anything exceptional , although there are tons of Harvard Medical School grads who never left the area..

Yes - you probably have the best health care options of just about anywhere in the country. Hard to go wrong.

Even though Chicago is a lot bigger than Boston, there is a lot more variability. This is true even in the "good" research hospitals. We have experienced good care... and poor care... in each of our big 3 research hospital/clinic systems.

[sfcambridge]

Originally Posted by Gemini1963

We have had UnitedHealth in the past and my impression is mixed, as well, but as you pointed out in the initial post, the other primary option that we came across (Land of Lincoln, especially) had downright bad reviews, so this is "the lesser of two evils" - we hope.

The counselors that we located through healthcare.gov were extremely patient and good-natured, and were helpful in their own ways, but they really did not have information about the companies themselves -- and with a new company, I guess there is not much feedback available yet, anyway.

So, I'd say, No, we pretty much located Harken before our meeting, and reviewed the network and a few other basics during the meeting. The counselors really did not steer us towards Harken (or anyone else).

One thing I did learn in that meeting, however, which I had never known: Do NOT assume, when reviewing plans, that paying your deductible will go towards the "out of pocket" cap that apply to many plans. Sometimes payment of the deductible does go towards the "out of pocket" total, and sometimes it does not. You need to inquire about this from plan to plan. Ugh!

Thanks for sharing this.

I'm actually surprised there are not better resources to help in evaluating plans. It doesn't surprise me the counselors could only offer a little info. Their training is minimal and really focuses on helping you step through the site. I feel like it is a crap shoot when it comes to choosing a plan.

[sfcambridge]

Anyone else choose their plan yet, and still have one of the major hospitals in their network?

[sfcambridge]

Land of Lincoln is folding. That was my plan.....

Anyone happy with their Obamacare plan? And happy with their network?