[dinopello]

I went digging around to find this "no politics" version of the Obamacare thread (even though the conspiracy one seems to be more popular) and see the last post above

Anyway, someone on our local news forum posted their experience with enrolling and he is self employed (paying a huge amount) and this link will take you to his story...

[Pops]

Sorry Dino I've expunged the potty mouth post, (and the potty mouth for some period as well) LOL

[Loki]

Looks like I'm going to do a paper application since the Cover Oregon website apparently won't be functional for the foreseeable future. I believe Feb 15 is the deadline to get coverage by Apr 1, the latest date to avoid the penalty tax.

One thing I'm not clear about is the subsidy. This is described as a tax credit. I really hope this doesn't mean I'd have to pay full price for a plan for all of 2014, then get a check from the IRS some time in 2015. This would destroy my finances, not to mention make it impossible for me to save for the high deductibles that these plans have.

Speaking of which, I'm still not entirely clear about whether the out-of-pocket maximum includes prescription drugs. For example, one plan that the Cover Oregon site says would cost me $19/mo has a $5000 deductible, a $5000 prescription drug deductible, and a $6350 out-of-pocket maximum.

So let's say I had a medical problem that cost $5000 in medical bills and $5000 in drugs. Would my out of pocket be $6350 or would I have to pay the full $10k?

[Pops]

Loki, the subsidy shows up as pre-paid paid on your statement. So if your total premium is $100 and your subsidy is $50 your first statement shows a balance due of $50. So no, you don't pay the full boat and hope for a refund next year.

Drugs are pretty vague. They are considered "essential services" so fall under the OOP cap but only one drug in each category of drugs are required, the IssurCo decides which one, what percentage they pay, whether the entire deductible gets paid before benefits kick in, on, and on, and on.

My biggest cost is drugs, (and insulin too ) I show a $15 - $75 co-pay (depending on the InsCo's ranking of the drug - but to be honest I don't even really know how much I'm going to pay until I show up at the pharmacy the first time

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'L')oki, the subsidy shows up as pre-paid paid on your statement. So if your total premium is $100 and your subsidy is $50 your first statement shows a balance due of $50. So no, you don't pay the full boat and hope for a refund next year.

[Subjectivist]

My adult foster son's girlfriend needs insurance in Michigan, any suggestions?

[Cog]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', 'M')y adult foster son's girlfriend needs insurance in Michigan, any suggestions?

[SeaGypsy]

Just to piss in you guys pockets a moment- at 50-75kpà in Australia, I have the option of government Medicare at about 1.5% including disability insurance, or private, which has to compete on costs & extras. I am 48 with wife & two young kids who are classed as low income if I stay under about 65kpa & they pay nothing for medicare. Private & medicare patients get referred to the same specialists- usually with an understudy working at less than premium rates, but supervised by the top surgeons.

Still looks like Americans are being ripped off by the insurance industry.

[Subjectivist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', 'M')y adult foster son's girlfriend needs insurance in Michigan, any suggestions?

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', '
')
Still looks like Americans are being ripped off by the insurance industry.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', 'M')y adult foster son's girlfriend needs insurance in Michigan, any suggestions?

[Cog]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', 'M')y adult foster son's girlfriend needs insurance in Michigan, any suggestions?

[AgentR11]

Trying to be as NON_POLITIC as possible here..

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'S')till looks like Americans are being ripped off by the insurance industry.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AgentR11', '
')
Its not so much a ripoff, as it is the system ended up with some unintended motivations. One of the biggest of which is a requirement for 80% (I think thats the number) of premium payments must go towards provided benefits.

So... if you want to grow your insurance company, and grow your absolute net profit, the only way you can do it is by driving up benefit payments and thus premiums.

[Lore]

That's why the ultimate solution is to be like most other Western countries and go with single payer. Why continue to pay for a protection racket that takes 20% off the top for nothing and only adds fire to inflate the system all the way down the channel.

[Cog]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Lore', 'T')hat's why the ultimate solution is to be like most other Western countries and go with single payer. Why continue to pay for a protection racket that takes 20% off the top for nothing and only adds fire to inflate the system all the way down the channel.

[Lore]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Lore', 'T')hat's why the ultimate solution is to be like most other Western countries and go with single payer. Why continue to pay for a protection racket that takes 20% off the top for nothing and only adds fire to inflate the system all the way down the channel.

[Cog]

Color me less than impressed with the sophistication of the federal bureaucracy as it has played out.

[Lore]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'C')olor me less than impressed with the sophistication of the federal bureaucracy as it has played out.