Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Obamacare

I still don't get it.

Last summer, we received a letter from our health insurance saying that under the new law, we were under-insured---even though we chose our own plan and were fine with our ridiculously high deductible. Basically, we considered that what we have is "catastrophe" insurance. Fortunately, we can afford to pay for ourselves.

Fast forward to the deadline to sign up for Obamacare. Butch called our insurance company to ask some questions. He was told that our insurance was going to go up between 15% and 30%---but they didn't know yet what it would be. He then asked about signing up under Obamacare. We did and are now saving about $100 a month AND we have better insurance than we had before---with the exact same company. I just don't get it. Kind of looks like strong-arming people to sign up for Obamacare.

Here's what I don't get. If we were fine paying for our healthcare, and now we're paying less, someone has to cover it. Maybe it's our government. Who knows. Butch says that by more people in the system, means the cost goes down (now I'm not quoting him because I might have that wrong). See what I mean, I just don't get it.

I do understand that businesses are going to carry a larger burden of the cost. But for all the people that did not have health care because they couldn't afford it---how are they going to afford it now---at any cost? I guess we'll have to wait and see how it all pans out.

One thing that does sound good about the new Affordable Care Act is that you cannot be refused insurance and there are no "pre-existing" exclusions.

As Obama says, "the debate is over. The affordable care act is here to stay." All we can do is comply.

Now, I'm going to post a disclaimer here---I may not really understand this at all---but then, I don't understand much about government anyway.


3 comments:

  1. Here in the Uk I think we have been watching this whole debate with some fascination. Our system is so very different

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  2. All I truly understand is that my taxes will go up to cover everyone else's health care AND we now have the government in a position of telling us what treatments we do or do not qualify to receive. Scary thought.

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  3. Hmmm....goes way over my head! Thankfully as Sian says is very different here x

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