Posted on 08/18/2013 7:10:17 PM PDT by Red Steel
The Obama administration has quietly delayed until 2015 yet another significant portion of Obamacare that would put a cap on patient out-of-pocket costs.
The limit on out-of-pocket expenses was not to have exceeded $6,350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family, however, the New York Times reports, federal officials placed a one-year delay on these caps providing insurers the ability to set their own limits in 2014.
The delay was noted on the Department of Labor’s website since February, however, as the Times notes, it went unnoticed until now.
In 2009, Obama touted the provision to cap out-of-pocket expenses.
“We’ll place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because no one in America should go broke because they get sick,” Obama said in an August 2009 weekly address; a sentiment Obama repeated that September before a joint session of Congress, the Times reported.
An unnamed senior administration official explained the delay to The Times by saying that companies need to upgrade their computer systems.
“We knew this was an important issue,” the official said. “We had to balance the interests of consumers with the concerns of health plan sponsors and carriers, which told us that their computer systems were not set up to aggregate all of a person’s out-of-pocket costs. They asked for more time to comply.”
The revelation comes at a tenuous time for the administration as it tries to keep the ball rolling in preparation for the opening of the health care exchanges on Oct. 1 and continues to face Republican opposition to the sweeping law — with House Republicans voting for the 40th time to denude Obamacare before they left for recess and some GOP lawmakers threatening to hold up funding for the law.
What happens when someone gets sick in the middle of the night and rushes to the ER and they don’t have Obamacare? Will they be treated? Who pays? What happens on follow up treatment?
Wasn’t Rush talking about this last week?
Insurance is not the main problem - Doctor care is the problem and under current conditions, it will be much worse!
I don’t care how much insurance you have if you can’t get help from a qualified Doctor. All of this is such a bogus argument. Won’t be lone until we have nobody going into the medical field as it is totally unprofitable.
What are you going to do then? Go to the local car repairman for help?
I doubt anyone can you a definte answer right now.
It would seem that you’d be fined the $250 or whatever, be forced to sign up and be treated
Insurance is not the main problem - Doctor care is the problem and under current conditions, it will be much worse!
I don’t care how much insurance you have if you can’t get help from a qualified Doctor. All of this is such a bogus argument. Won’t be elevated until we have nobody going into the medical field as it is totally unprofitable.
What are you going to do then? Go to the local car repairman for help?
My current "out of pocket cap" is $1,000 individual, $1,500 family of 4.
Not good enough for shithead obama, he wants me to pay more.
Once again, laws mean nothing to Obastard.
“What are you going to do then? Go to the local car repairman for help?”
In essence, yes. His name will be something like Dr. Mahmoud Abbas.
The field will be flooded with women just as in the old Soviet Union.
“We had to balance the interests of consumers with the concerns of health plan sponsors and carriers, which told us that their computer systems were not set up to aggregate all of a person’s out-of-pocket costs.”
And really, how can we expect to win a mid-term election to hold the Senate and try to take back the House if people’s health care is falling down around their ears?
That’s the real reason for all these extra-legal delays. The Republicans should demand strict compliance with the law as written and sue 0bozo all the way to the SCOTUS to force him to comply!
Will WebMD be fined for telling people how to heal themselves.
Obama/Sebelius WebMD: Take an aspirin.
Is pretty mediocre insurance coverage no limit is not insurance at all.
No way does Obama want the disaster that is Obamacare to be fully implemented on his watch
Out of pocket does not include premium. One auto accident or heart attack could wipe you out if there is no cap. My wife has run up about $300,000 this year with no emergencies. My out of pocket has been $0 (first year Medicare supplement coverage is a real good idea).
Out of pocket does not include premium. One auto accident or heart attack could wipe you out if there is no cap. My wife has run up about $300,000 this year with no emergencies. My out of pocket has been $0 (first year Medicare supplement coverage is a real good idea).
I'm aware of that, I was just pointing out how absurdly high a max out of pocket of $12,700 is. It's like not having insurance, in my case, based on my family's history and am also aware that could change with one major illness or injury.
I have medicare, my wife and minor children do not. My former employer is my supplementary provider and their primary provider.
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