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Administration Concedes: Obamacare Is Prohibitively Expensive
Weekly Standard ^ | 23 December 2013 | Spencer Cowan

Posted on 12/26/2013 7:19:55 PM PST by Lorianne

In a rare moment of candor, the Obama administration has acknowledged that the so-called Affordable Care Act is making insurance less affordable for millions of Americans.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services the other night issued a press release that outlines new options for the nearly 5 million Americans who have received cancellation notices from their health insurers. Not surprisingly, these Americans are “finding other coverage options to be more expensive than their cancelled plans or policies,” CMS explains.

Courtesy of the administration's ad hoc announcement, these 5 million Americans—regardless of their age—may now enroll in Obamacare-compliant catastrophic plans, which were previously limited to people younger than 30 years old. But these plans aren’t cheap, in part because they must still provide preventive services—such as contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients—at no cost to the policyholder. Indeed, a 26-year-old in Milwaukee faces a $1,983 premium for the least expensive catastrophic plan. And in Philadelphia, the cheapest catastrophic plan for a 29-year-old carries a $2,189 premium.

Because the administration has only now widened the eligibility requirements for catastrophic plans, we do not know how much these plans will cost for Americans over 30 years old. California’s state-run exchange website, which is among the more user-friendly Obamacare exchange websites, lists only bronze, silver, gold, and platinum prices for individuals 30 and older. Likewise, eHealthInsurance.com, which lets consumers compare off-exchange Obamacare-compliant plans, lists no catastrophic plans for the over-30 demographic.

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS:
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To: GeronL

With zero income, you’d automatically qualify for Medicaid, wouldn’t you? Who needs subsidies when your coverage is “free” (well, except to the taxpayers)?


21 posted on 12/26/2013 7:46:36 PM PST by Bob
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To: Lorianne

Am I to understand that “premium” is the new word for “deductible”? BTW, I got my cancellation notice in August. As an early casualty, what does that get me? LOL, not really.


22 posted on 12/26/2013 7:55:14 PM PST by printhead (Standard & Poor - Poor is the new standard.)
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To: savedbygrace

You checked on the deductible for the Bronze Plan? I think it is something like $5K.


23 posted on 12/26/2013 8:05:59 PM PST by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: Lorianne

Obama is killing the American dream.


24 posted on 12/26/2013 8:07:13 PM PST by mylife (Ted Cruz understands the law, and he does not fear the unlawful.)
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To: Lorianne

Rip it out by the roots.


25 posted on 12/26/2013 8:15:39 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks ("Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth.")
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To: Gene Eric
What did Obama promise the insurance companies in exchange for this nightmare?

That was discussed behind the closed locked doors of the open transparency meeting.
No Conservatives or Conservative leaning GOP members were invited.

26 posted on 12/26/2013 8:22:52 PM PST by MaxMax (Pay Attention and you'll be pissed off too! FIRE BOEHNER, NOW!)
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To: Lorianne
In a rare moment of candor, the Obama administration has acknowledged that the so-called Affordable Care Act is making insurance less affordable for millions of Americans.

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit.

27 posted on 12/26/2013 8:23:56 PM PST by Slyfox (We want our PRE-EXISTING HEALTH INSURANCE back!)
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To: Lorianne

Bump


28 posted on 12/26/2013 9:08:17 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: Lorianne

When the only “affordable” choice is Medicaid, there is no market competition.

That’s the intent behind Obamacare - get you enrolled in state-run health care.


29 posted on 12/26/2013 9:40:33 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: The_Media_never_lie

The true issue is....no one with a business background...or actual medical organizational background....ever was part of this planning process. They didn’t need experts...they didn’t want experts. They “knew” everything. In the end, it’s like asking a bunch of six-year old kids to design the Panama Canal. This is the solution that you’d expect from six-year old kids on medical care in America.


30 posted on 12/26/2013 10:31:30 PM PST by pepsionice
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To: Lorianne
In a rare moment of candor, the Obama administration has acknowledged that the so-called Affordable Care Act is making insurance less affordable for millions of Americans.

Translation: Single payer is coming soon.

31 posted on 12/26/2013 10:58:19 PM PST by Mark17 (Chicago Blackhawks: Stanley Cup champions 2010, 2013. Vietnam Veteran, 70-71a)
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To: Lorianne
But these plans aren’t cheap, in part because they must still provide preventive services—such as contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients—at no cost to the policyholder.

Preventive care is a few blood tests and an annual physical.

32 posted on 12/26/2013 11:06:04 PM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: GeronL

Nope. $6,000.


33 posted on 12/27/2013 4:58:48 AM PST by savedbygrace (But God!)
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To: GeronL

At the link, the options are in the left column.


34 posted on 12/27/2013 4:59:35 AM PST by savedbygrace (But God!)
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To: Little Ray

Everything varies depending on your zip code.

Deductibles are usually $4,000 to $6,000. But for some, if you are willing to pay a large monthly premium, the deductible can reach $0.


35 posted on 12/27/2013 5:04:44 AM PST by savedbygrace (But God!)
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To: GeronL

That is strange.


36 posted on 12/27/2013 5:05:12 AM PST by savedbygrace (But God!)
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To: The_Media_never_lie
it was always primarily a wealth distribution scheme

I suspect it's something else. It's a social engineering scheme. The fear of pregnancy has been erased from even the youngest girls, so it seems more to be a scheme to destroy and depopulate what's left of minority neighborhoods. It doesn't make the poor any richer, it gives them more drugs and makes them even less independent in making healthy choices. It has the feds in the name of medicine giving meds to anyone who they determine has a less than perfect compliant personality. It decreases the demand for cheaper alternatives for staying healthy.

If anything, it hands lots of government and working America's money to the insurance companies and the providers of medical care and products.

It might actually help unemployment by giving people jobs providing substandard but covered health care. The irony is it might save money for some elements of the middle and upper classes who don't buy in and decide it's to their benefit to stay healthy and self insure.

37 posted on 12/27/2013 5:20:14 AM PST by grania
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To: Lorianne

I feel a Republican landslide in ‘14 midterms. Unfortunately we will pick up a lot of RINOs in the process.


38 posted on 12/27/2013 5:26:39 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: mylife
Obama is killing the American dream.

The full intent of Obama's entire presidency.
And it's racially motivated as well - yes, there I said it.

39 posted on 12/27/2013 5:27:04 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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