Insurers already calculating 2015 premiums as Obamacare kicks in

Los Angeles Times ^ | March 30, 2014 | By Chad Terhune

[Oldeconomybuyer]

After months of head counts for Obamacare, it is the medical bills that will start to matter now.

Even before enrollment closes Monday, California has far exceeded its initial goals for signing up people under the Affordable Care Act. Although the sheer volume of 1.1 million policyholders is impressive for a brand new government program, the number of sicker patients is what's likely to draw the most attention.

WellPoint Inc., parent of California's leading health insurer in the exchange, Anthem Blue Cross, has already predicted "double-digit-plus" rate increases on Obamacare policies across much of the country.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[mazda77]

So who is the White House correspondent for the LA Times? There will be a calling to the wood shed, or worse, that person will not be called on to recite the prescribed questions.

[Diogenesis]

[trebb]

On the flip side of these "outstanding" numbers: More than 85 percent of enrollees in Covered California plans through January were eligible for subsidies, but Covered California did not have statistics on how many of the enrollees previously had no health coverage. About 80 percent of those who had signed up for coverage had paid their first month’s premium.

The "good" news is that they have a lot of people signed up. The bad news is that most of them are those sucking money from the system instead of adding to its solvency.

[Principled]

... Davidson could buy a Silver plan from Blue Shield of California that costs her $92 a month — thanks to a federal subsidy.

a. wait til she finds out she has to see a non-english speaking PA in a mall 125 miles away

b. wait til she finds out she has $6000 deductible per person

c. wait til she finds out her prescriptions are now $275 instead of $40

d. wait til she finds out subsidies must end.

[GailA]

DOD NEW BUDGET MUGS RETIRED MILITARY

TRICARE LIFE Retired Military over 65 just received this noticed 2 weeks ago, takes effect 4/14/2014, why they sent a prelim with out the drug list is WASTEFUL spending in itself!

DOD MANDATE is forcing us to use either Base whose drugs are limited by size of base and is not wheel chair or handicap friendly or Express Scripts MANDATED Tricare Life. starts next month. 4/14/14, still have not got the formulary, waste to do 2 send outs. Express Scripts is a sorry excuse of a provider. You never know if your order is right, what generic, what manufacture, or what country. All thrown up on your porch for the local thieves and meth makers to steal.

YOU WILL LOSE YOUR PHARMACY THANKS TO NEW DOD BUDGET!
THERE IS A VERY LARGE LACK OF TRUST IN EXPRESS SCRIPTS, DO TO UNETHICAL PRACTICES, BAD DRUGS, WRONG DRUGS, BILLING, AND YOUR MEDS TOSSED ON THE PORCH WITH NO ONE SIGNING FOR THEM BY UPS. SOME DRUGS HAVE TO BE KEPT REFRIGERATED.

This is a Prelim letter, we don’t even know at this time which drugs are going to be on the list. Waste of money to not send out the full thing.

1 Transfer your medication from a retail pharmacy to save , convenient Tricare Home Delivery and pay less out of pocket! A typical cost for a 90 day retail supply is $51 but only $13 for Home Delivery.

2 Ask your doctor about using a low cost generic that is not among the medications included in the Pilot Generics can still be filled at retail for $5

3 Transfer maintenance medications under the Pilot from retail pharmacy to a military pharmacy. Call your local military pharmacy to see if they have you medication

4 Continue to get you selected maintenance medications at a retail and pay 100% of the cost of the medication starting with your third refill.

If you refill your selected maintenance medication’s at a retail pharmacy after March 14, 2014 you’ll get letters from the Tricare Pharmacy contractor Express Scripts, Inc about switching to Home Delivery. Remember, starting with your third fill you will be responsible for 100% of the cost of the medications if you chose to continue to obtain them at a retail pharmacy.

If you have other health insurance with a prescription benefit, you do not fall under the Pilot. There will also be a process to obtain waivers on a case by case basis, due to personal need or hardship, emergency or other special circumstaces-0 such as living in a nursing home. After participating in the Pilot for 1 year you may opt out.

Military Waste and Fraud Continue In the Middle of the Government Shutdown HERE IS YOUR PROBLEM : PALM GREASING
Washington’s Blog lots of links
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/10/wasted-military.html

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/pentagon/#article/part1

Mugging the Military
http://www.ijreview.com/2012/06/9466-mugging-soldiers/

Mugging our Troops
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/pentagon/#article/part1

Pentagon Outlines Increased Tricare Fee Proposal
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/03/05/pentagon-outlines-increased-tricare-fee-proposal.html?comp=7000023317828&rank=1

0bama to Force Military Families Away From Tricare ...By Tripling Their Fees. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.”

This one is a damned if you do, what you get is people unemployed, buy outs, 2 yrs UE + any other benefit they can get.

State Side Tricare Service Centers Closing April 1
http://m.military.com/daily-news/2014/01/14/stateside-tricare-service-centers-closing-april-1.html

Tricare PRIME
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS06/308020011/DoD-silent-major-changes-Tricare-Prime
2 links
Starting Oct. 1, the Pentagon plans to reduce Tricare Prime service areas to within a 40-mile radius of active or former military installations, forcing 173,000 retirees and their family members to switch to Tricare Standard or seek a waiver if they live within 100 miles of an existing network.

The decision will affect retirees and their dependents in Prime, and those on Tricare Young Adult Prime. That totals 98,771 people in the Tricare South

Military Pay Chart: http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp

CBO: The military is getting squeezed for domestic spending cash
http://www.humanevents.com/2014/02/26/cbo-the-military-is-getting-squeezed-for-domestic-spending-cash/

Pentagon Outlines Increased Tricare Fee Proposal
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/03/05/pentagon-outlines-increased-tricare-fee-proposal.html

Many Tricare users will pay more for healthcare under Pentagon’s budget proposal
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2014/02/many_tricare_users_will_pay_mo.html

[Beagle8U]

“That meant Davidson could buy a Silver plan from Blue Shield of California that costs her $92 a month — thanks to a federal subsidy.

“I probably neglected my health the last few years because of the expense,” Davidson said. “Now I’m going to have every test known to man.”

She plans to undergo lab tests for her diabetes, a mammogram, a bone density scan and a colonoscopy — everything she put off while she went without comprehensive insurance.”

She’s paying $92 a month, that should cover it, I mean...what could go wrong?

[Yardstick]

...More than 85 percent of enrollees in Covered California plans through January were eligible for subsidies...

Would be interesting to know what the average subsidy is.

[Yardstick]

Yeah, really. 92 bucks probably covers about fifteen minutes of labor at a typical doctors office. Thankfully we can stick the evil rich with the rest of the tab.

[txrefugee]

Wanna bet they will be forbidden by The Won from releasing those premium hikes until after November? Stroke of his pen…….

[Sirius Lee]

She’s paying $92 a month, that should cover it, I mean...what could go wrong?

Wait until she learns what a co-pays and high deductibles are. Teaching moment in 3...2..

[OldMissileer]

Wait until she learns what a co-pays and high deductibles are.

Most medical facilities, including Primary Care Physicians, require the co-pay to be paid before you get the service.

I would like to see her face when she finds out the co-pay and the deductible make her pay for almost all, if not all, of her visits and tests.

[trebb]

Thanks for the data - I hadn’t heard about it yet. Still 3 years before I hit 65, but I need to start planning. Express scripts has been around for a while and hopefully it will be functioning better than ACA sites. Not too concerned about the difference between generic and non-generic, and already don’t have access to all the same meds the active duty folks enjoy, but this will definitely be a bump in the road.

[Artie]

“Wait until she learns what a co-pays and high deductibles are. Teaching moment in 3...2.. “

I’m thinking she could forgo the fentanyl and versed for the colonoscopy, that’ll save some on the out of pocket.

[HangThemHigh]

"Thankfully we can stick the evil rich with the rest of the tab."

And the evil rich is anybody who makes enough to pay taxes.

[Flick Lives]

“I probably neglected my health the last few years because of the expense,” Davidson said. “Now I’m going to have every test known to man.”

The "free lunch" mentality, in a nutshell; "well, if someone else is paying..."

[Beagle8U]

Exactly!

This mess will cost taxpayers a trillion a year!

[GailA]

Not sure what they are going to do with active duty, but they will see premiums go up, and co-pays. The whole idea is to force us onto Obamacare after they Gutted Medicare and Tricare forms. ck pm.

[Bender2]

[Mike Darancette]

I’m thinking she could forgo the fentanyl and versed for the colonoscopy, that’ll save some on the out of pocket.

How much do they charge for a rawhide pillow to bite down on?