Posted on 12/02/2013 8:42:56 AM PST by Awgie
I was wondering what Freepers are doing with their own health insurance needs. How have you been impacted by ObamaCare? What are your plans to secure health insurance? What is your advise for others?
Perhaps we can share some insights and inform each other.
I am a self employed 63 year old married male. Neither my wife nor I have had health insurance for years. We are both fortunately, very healthy.
Wife takes thyroid and estrogen hormone replacement medications. I take none. I pay out of pocket for her meds and doctors when needed.
I do not plan to enroll in ObamaCare. I am 2 years from Medicare. She has 3 years to wait.
But I am uncertain about what to do. I know the penalty is very low the first year. Not sure after that.
Do the good Folk at Free Republic wish to share their personal strategies for dealing with their Health Insurance needs? It might be useful to others.
How do we handle the situation?
I’m on Medicare, so not affected directly.
Medicare is actually a decent insurance, although it is financially unsustainable and will degrade over time.
Because I’m a Rich Republican, I expect to be able to make up for whatever shortfalls Medicare has in the future, even if it means going offshore to accomplish it.
I received notice that my insurance would be terminated as of Jan. 1. What I thought was odd was that instead of telling me what policies would be available, I was simply told to look for a new policy ‘in or out’ of the exchanges. Why wouldn’t an insurance company try to sell me one of their policies?
I finally went looking and have applied for one that is a little cheaper than what I had before. (Outside of the exchange, as CoverOregon isn’t working.) I haven’t yet been accepted. And just Friday my original insurance company sent a message that they’ve been given permission to extend my coverage for another year. So if I don’t get accepted by the new company (or the rate turns out to be higher than posted), I can go back to the old policy.
That being said, I had a Facebook chat with a leftist the other day who was convinced that Obamacare could not be undone, as the insurance companies have already made these drastic changes. But if they’re allowed to extend, then we can easily undo Obamacare after the next election cycle. I just hope all of the exchanges keep having difficulties, and they have to keep letting insurance companies extend old policies.
Even if you make $100K, your fine would only be $2K. If you don't get sick - no monthly premium, no deductible, no out-of-pocket, no co-pays. You come out way ahead.
If you do get sick and need the coverage - you can always sign up then ...
You could help sink ObamaCare by signing up thus increasing the age of the risk pool but thern don’t make a payment so you aren’t out anything. After all Katherine Supersillyous is counting Lookie Lous as enrollees so give her back her own medicine.
I’m 61. My Blue Cross plan was canceled, but we all know that was a substandard plan anyhow (even though it wasn’t). I got an “approved” Blue Cross plan through a local agent.
Plan specifics are pretty much the same as I had previously and the premium is about the same, maybe a little less. I chalk that up to the fact that the very generous Obamacare supporting millennials are subsidizing me (even though I can well afford to pay the full freight myself).
So, unlike all the welfare leeches who don’t express any gratitude for what they get, I want to expressly thank all those young adults who are pinching pennies to help me with my insurance premiums so I can take the money I save . Your generosity is very touching. /s
Our family is insured through my wife’s employer. Her plan’s deductible just doubled for 2014. We’ll stick with this private insurer, but we plan on health insurance and health care costs being a much larger share of our budget. There’s just no way around it other than to stay healthy.
Insurance is based on the fear of the "what if's" of life. Generally, if you believe you'll profit with no insurance, as the odds say you will, you're better off without insurance. It's a choice people must make for themselves and the stinking federal government has no moral or constitutional right to commandeer that decision for you.
We’ve been self-insured plus catastrophic insurance for sometime because (i) we own a small business; and (ii) my partner is a diabetic and recently had 3 stints and a pacemaker. He hopes that there will be reasonably priced insurance for him on the exchanges. I am going to continue to do what I have been doing and pay the fine because I am 18 months from Medicare. The exchanges want $7800 to insure me with a $12500 deductible. I haven’t spent $12500 on my healthcare in my entire life (minus child birth). I am blessed by great good health.
Don’t expect the ‘subsidies’ to last very long....
Find a doctor who will take you for cash and pay him cash.
Cash is starting to work wonders. There was a recent letter to the editor in our local fish wrap re the cost of a full body MRI.
The prices were all over the ball park with none cheaper than 2K+ with the hospital MRI’s.
The letter writer ended up going to a private free standing MRI. Up front they said if he paid cash with no paper work or third party bs, the cost would be a little over $500. He opted for that one. He saved thousands of $’s.
We have been hearing the same thing re privately owned/free standing labs for standard lab tests. The prices for basically the same tests are anywhere from 50% off to less than the labs owned by the local supposedly non profit hospitals. Those tests are automated and meet the standard restrictions in the higher price labs.
Physical therapists are often willing to take cash versus billing. The advantage with a cash PT, is simple. You may have an injury that will take more visits than allowed by your plan, so you pay cash for what is needed. About 8 years ago I suffered a severe separation of my bicep head in my should with a aggravated rotator cuff tear. Medicare allowed two visits a week with a maximum of about 12.
As I neared my limits, the PT suggested that he donate a third visit to the two authorized visits. There was a tremendous difference in mobility and less pain when I had therapy 3 times a week. So I went on a cash basis for 3 visits a week, and in a few weeks, we tapered my visits to 2 and then once a week.
My wife broke her wrist and did the same option with her hand therapists. She paid for an extra therapy each week, while under coverage. Then, we paid out of pocket for 3 x a week until she was released. Her Orthopod was really impressed with her total recovery. He said that too many of his patients wouldn’t pay for any non covered therapy.
Stay healthy and use cash.
I’m eligible for Medicare in May. I figured if my policy got canceled I’d just go without for a few months. It did get canceled but, because of the new policy start date (Dec 31), I am covered for 2014. Sounded kinda weird but ok. Regardless, I’ll probably drop it before May.
Mrs NHD went on Medicare last year. However, our son got a cancellation and he’s going to do nothing for the time being.
RESIST!
“The exchanges want $7800 to insure me with a $12500 deductible. I haven’t spent $12500 on my healthcare in my entire life (minus child birth). I am blessed by great good health.”
For $20,300 a year, you could probably have a Stanford Chief of Medicine a concierge doctor, and a lot less for a good doctor in your area. You could have a good concierge doctor and spend $1,000 a month for top drugs and still have money left for lab tests.
Nothing. I’m staying way under the radar and hoping this POS is terminated.
I pay cash for services, as I have for the past 5 years.
But starting January I am off the insurance grid. I'll take the penalty next year, like you not sure what I'll do after that.
bfl
Maybe not immediately. But if I understand correctly, Obamacare will rob Medicare, shrinking payments to doctors who will probably refuse Medicare patients. Eventually older folks will face the not-so-tender mercies of the IPAB (Independent Payment Advisory Board.)
With Reid's Senate "nuclear option" rule change we can be certain that appointments to the IPAB will result in the "death panel" that Palin warned of. I'm not putting much faith in Medicare.
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