Best Of Obamacare Fall 2013
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Best Of The Obamacare Blog Fall 2013
For Better Or Worse, For Richer Or Poorer, I thee wed to Obamacare
To recap: Jan 1. policy cancelled, President said you can keep it, Blue Cross said no you cannot and the continuing myriad of website issues. For the record, I would be more than happy to keep my current policy in comparison to the offerings by Obamacare. Yesterday I went in to healthcare.gov to see if I could sign up – but the mail came.
And what does the mail hold? A bill from Blue Cross. Really? I have stacks of letters from Blue Cross reminding me my policy is cancelled Jan 1.
What is the bill for? So I called Blue Cross – on hold for one hour and two minutes – why yes, it is a bill for a new plan they switched me to because they “didn’t want me to be without insurance.”
Really? How cavalier – except I have no details, no knowledge, no costs of the plan. So in essence I would be paying for a bare minimum plan with a six month wait on pre existing conditions – paying the same for 200% less coverage and more cost and higher deductibles than my prior plan. Lovely. And then this little notice regarding new State and Federal taxes added to each bill.
I may be breaking this engagement.
Help Wanted: healthcare.gov Website Wizard
Qualifications:
*Faster than a speeding bullet
*More powerful than a locomotive
*Able to leap over government hurdles in a single bound
Responsibilities:
*Change healthcare.gov on a moments’ notice after every presidential speech *Change healthcare.gov after presidential speech, but every states’ insurance commissioner must approve change
*Change healthcare.gov, but every insurance agency approve change
*Fix garbled code, decrease load times, fix application process, allow users to create accounts and actually apply at healthcare.gov.
Hiring immediately.
Deadline Nov 30 Apply at : U.S. White House
Pushed Into Obamacare
I’ve been closely following the evolution of Obamacare and in particular the sign up process since October lst. In October I received notice my Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) insurance which I have purchased for over 10 years would be cancelled. In November the President said you can keep it.
The state ruled the insurance policy could be continued, but BCBS said no. It was at great expense and deliberation to purchase an individual BCBS policy; but the decision was originally made to take advantage of job opportunities and not feel held to a particular company due to health insurance. And with that was the understanding that the pre existing condition policies of the insurance companies would always be a hindrance which could not be overcome until the laws were changed.
Actually I was grand fathered in to the 2013 BCBS policy since it was long discontinued. As of January lst, BCBS involuntarily switched me to a new policy with slightly lower rates and a much higher deductible with less benefits. I was told it was to ensure my coverage did not lapse.
The chart compares three policies: old BCBS, new BCBS, Silver Obamacare policy. Bottom line: All said and done, all costs compared, I wanted to keep my old BCBS policy, it served my needs at this time. The ‘new’ BCBS policy meets neither my needs nor my finances. The Silver Obamacare policy does increase the benefits; however, the maximum annual outlay drastically increased by $3,500 a year and the monthly premium is increased by $130 per month.
I am an unwillingly guinea pig in the first wave of Obamacare and not a happy little guinea.
Twelve Days Of Obamacare
On the first day of Obamacare the government sent to me…
• One cancelled insurance
• Too many exchanges
• Three levels of insurance plans
• Foreboding premiums
• Five website logins
• Six ways to pay
• Seven ways to subsidize
• Eight opposing Senators
• Nine opposing Representatives
• Ten media blitzs
• Eleven major headaches
• Twelve computer glitches and a website which still doesn’t work…
The journey into Obamacare continues, as the insurance policy turns. Here’s hoping next week will show additional progress.
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