Sara
I love that you have an Anthem ad on this blog! I signed up with them on the Covered California site in January--I couldn't get health insurance previously as a newly self-employed epileptic (only able to be covered as an employee through a group plan) and I've started a small business--and the rate with Covered California/Anthem was a shade less than through the group plan and coverage was actually better than through the group plan. My neurologist said that the ACA is a "godsend" for his patients and that he's "thrilled" it is law. Thanks for the ad!
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I am convinced that this post is "Astroturf" (fake grassroots) and probably merely a dressed-up comment from Mr Ed Bronson or Ms. Liz Champlain.
Yet I am choosing to take this comment seriously, so as to expose all the more the terrible consequences of this law, and how one or two accounts in the beginning will give way to rationing, inefficiencies, fraud, waste etc.
(Regarding privacy and Obamacare, however, I wonder what "Sara" would say to this).
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| Dr. Dan Harrop, MD (Providence, Rhode Island) |
I even met one person who said "I love Obamacare!" because their younger relative was able to get surgery, and the insurance could not deny them coverage because of a preexisting condition.
The problems with these "success" stories, sadly, is that they are growing fewer and far between.
Here are some comments from Dr. Dan Harrop to explain why:
Dr. Dan Harrop, associate medical director for Aetna Heath, acknowledged that Obamacare enjoyed some popularity: “Clearly there are people who are able to get insurance who could not get it before.” Still working part-time as a psychiatrist, Harrop added: “I have more business because of Obamacare.” He then acknowledged that the program was unsustainable:
“I can tell you the trends that are bad for the whole program. Don’t worry about the insurance companies. They will eventually make a profit. The issue is how much the government will have to underwrite these insurance plans.”
Sharing personal anecdotes of people who lost their health insurance, doctor, or hospital of choice, Harrop affirmed that without young and healthy people signing up, the whole system will collapse.
For the record, just because someone gets insurance does not mean that he or she will meet with a doctor. I must also emphasize that the millions who are losing their health insurance, who are witnessing higher premiums, who are witnessing fewer doctors who will accept Obamacare-insurance, or who are even choosing to remain doctors in the profession!
So, Sara, that's my answer to that. Regarding advertisements, they do not condone or validate the efficiency or effectiveness of anything in and of themselves. Thanks for writing, comment, etc.
That is, Sara, if you are a "real success story".
By the way, this little poster explains the scam behind Obamacare all too well:
https://twitter.com/kksheld/status/445421343861768192/photo/1
Oh, I'm not part of some "Astroturf" thing, Arthur. That's a Koch Brothers thing. But let your paranoia run wild and be sure to be on the lookout for whatever it is that floats around in that whacked-out mind of yours. I think you've gone WAY off the rails. Get some help.
ReplyDeleteI am one of the 5 – 6% of Americans who buy their insurance in the individual marketplace. I currently have a high deductible plan, which is one of the plans that will not meet the minimum requirements of the new law so my old plan is being phased out.
ReplyDeleteWith the changes in the law that have already been implemented, I have already benefited from Obamacare. Before the law changed and health insurance policies were required to cover preventative screenings, I had put off getting a colonoscopy because I would have had to pay for the entire amount myself (the $3000 cost being less than my deductible).
My family history for colon cancer is downright scary. My father and both of his parents had colon cancer. My father was diagnosed at age 45 and died 4 years later from the disease after “living” with several surgeries, radiation treatment and chemotherapy during his last years. His mother lived into her 80’s before succumbing to the disease and his father died of other causes in his 50’s before the colon cancer could get him.
In the years leading up to and past the age that my father was diagnosed and then died of colon cancer, I had a nagging fear that the disease would visit me also.
Finally, in my later 50’s, the ACA changed what my policy was required to cover and I scheduled my test since my insurance company was now required to pick up the tab.
Years of stress melted in relief when I saw the photos of my healthy, pink colon after my test. Another test isn’t needed for 10 years. The peace of mind I was able to experience because of the new law is more valuable even than the money I was able to save.
I recently found out through coveroregon.com that I qualify for a substantial subsidy toward my health insurance premiums under the new law. So although my current plan is being phased out, I have the choice of upgrading my plan and keeping my premiums about the same or paying even less, or signing up for a similar (but better) plan to the one I currently have and paying much less than I have been.
I am sure there are hundreds of thousands, and probably eventually millions of stories similar to mine. I understand that there are a small percentage of people who will end up paying more for health insurance, but almost all of them are so well off that they do not qualify for government subsidies. Most of these people can afford to pay a bit more.
There is a lot of noise from the people who want to kill, stop, impede and otherwise throw a monkey wrench into what is being called Obamacare. The true source of this noise is not anyone who actually cares about helping people – it is about protecting power and money. Too bad the press has been giving this B.S. so much airtime.
If I had my way, there would be universal health care for everyone – but the political climate makes that impossible right now. I think the Affordable Care Act is probably about as much improvement to our broken health care system as we could have hoped for right now.
John G
Ashland Oregon
For those of you who bitch about ObamaCare or say it doesn't benefit you or anyone you know, let me tell you a story.
ReplyDeleteIn 2012 at the age of 22, I put myself in over $100,000 debt, facing CERTAIN DEATH for a condition I didn't even know I had. Every single hospital in area turned down my case because I had no heath care coverage. My case was finally taken by Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis as "EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY AND A TRAINING EXERCISE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DOCTORS".
Because my disease is so rare they continued to see me after my surgery (I had several "masses" in my abdominal cavity & some growing off the area where my right ovary used to be.) At this time I filed for Medicaid and any other insurance I could and was turned down due to "preexisting condition" or that my disorder is not cancer so I did not qualify and I was wait listed by State HIP coverage.
After less then 6 months of the hospital letting me build up my debt, they decided they could no longer treat me. I have not been seen by a Dr. in 2 years, although they warned me I must receive regular check ups since I kept my left ovary and my disorder is aggressive & would probably return.
After being wait listed for 2 years, due to the expansion of State coverage by ObamaCare I was finally approved for coverage February 1st of this year. Tomorrow is my first check up. Now that I have health insurance I find it to be ironic that in order to keep it I must do a list of preventive health care tests and doctors visits, when before I could not even be seen by anyone and that if I had been able to have any preventive care before it may have prevented me from having to have Emergency surgery because my tumors where so large they were crushing my internal organs & Doctors were afraid all my organs would fail before they could even get me on the operating table.
It is almost funny I am able to make these non-emergency check ups now when I had worn out my welcome in every ER around me. I am very thankful for this! And you now you know someone and someone's family whose directly benefited from this program.
Please re-post & share my story.
~ Alyssa Marie Klimek, Indiana
More ACA success stories here: https://www.facebook.com/acasuccessstories
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