 |
| Iowa Pastor Tony Angran |
From an Iowa Pastor from WHO-IA, based in Des Moines, Iowa.
The report on this case:
With just two weeks before all Americans must have a form of medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act, one local pastor says it’s anything but affordable.
Pastor Tony Angran of Centerville was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in January. He had insurance, but it did not cover certain things, like chemo. Since then, he has racked up $50,000 in medical bills and emptied his savings account.
So Angran signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange. But with premiums of $850 per month, Angran says it isn’t affordable either, and he can’t get the treatment he needs until he has the right insurance. “I’m struggling here with stage three cancer and they’re sending me to the financial person to find out how are you going to pay for this?” Angran says.
Under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, Pastor Angran also has to wait two weeks before the coverage will kick in, so he has to put off his cancer treatments until then.
If anyone wants to call the pastor a liar, be my guest.
If anyone has a fact-check to debunk his condition or his situation, feel free to share.
The pastor was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in January. He had insurance, but it did not cover certain things, like chemo. How is his old plan's lack of coverage at all the ACA's fault? That his premiums under ACA are expensive for him is--again--not at all unique to the ACA. You are exposing nothing with this other than that cancer sucks, which is the same whether you are trying to treat it via a long-standing group plan or the ACA. This is nothing but exploitation by conservatives to play to the sympathies of people and drum up opposition to the ACA--it proves nothing negative whatsoever about the legislation. Try again.
ReplyDeleteFrom WHO-TV: "He had insurance, but it did not cover certain things, like chemo. Since then, he has racked up $50,000 in medical bills and emptied his savings account."
ReplyDeleteSo Art--thanks!!! You made the argument for a single-payer system for me!!! Appreciate it!!!
"So Art--thanks!!! You made the argument for a single-payer system for me!!! Appreciate it!!!"
DeleteThis is about a single-payer system for you! Now you have affirmed "If you like your health care, you can keep it" was a lie:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=harry%20reid%20single-payer&sm=3
It's over Jim. It's over. In the words of John Sununu: "You're struggling! You're struggling!"
This was not an ad by a conservative or a liberal agency -- this was a news report from WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. It's not even an ad!
ReplyDeleteWow, Jim. You have fully exposed you agenda. How shameful. This man has fully announced that he cannot afford the new health insurance. He has to pay more. The Affordable Care Act has made health insurance unaffordable. It's over, Jim. You can argue with yourself at this point.
It's over, Jim. You stubbed this time. How dare you impugn this pastor and his suffering!
Whop said anything about it being an ad? Merely pointing out that he had a plan--under the pre-ACA system---and it didn't cover what he needed covered and sent him to the poor house. The ACA could and would cover him, but it's expensive. Guess what, Art? This is and has been a fact of life for the un- and under-insured for years! Never said it was an ad, pal. You need a reading comprehension class, son. Maybe you can get the Koch Brothers to pay for one for you.
DeleteOnce again, I sought a fact check, found nothing to debunk this man's situation or condition. If you find information of a sort, then feel free to post it here, and I will follow up on it. Otherwise, all is confirmed: Obamacare is a horror story, and more people are suffering because of it.
ReplyDeleteYou "sought a fact check". Did you actually DO one? What is this man's income? What is his real name? You have NO FACTS, but you say, "all is confirmed". ObamaCare isn't a "horror story" to those of us who are now covered. You'd better get some goddamn facts.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Schaper,
ReplyDeleteThe obvious fact here is that Pastor Angran had insufficient health care coverage when he was diagnosed with cancer. Due to that he had to spend $50k to get the treatment he needed. Had he had sufficient coverage like that available to him under the ACA he would only have had to spend $800 per month plus his deductibles. Yes $800 a month with a deductible is expensive. It is however a better option than coverage that excludes the treatment needed.
My heart goes out to him and his family. He is the victim of a broken healthcare system. I think it is shameful that pundits like yourself choose to vilify the system that had he participated in it earlier would have saved him significant $ and possibly his life.
"He is the victim of a broken healthcare system." Absolutely -- broke and broken because of Obamacare! Repeal the law, impeach the President, and remove the government from administering our health care.
DeleteDid the news station double check those numbers before running the story? The prices as quoted are nearly impossible if the plan were purchased through the exchange. Perhaps the base premiums are $850 and the Angrans are not aware the tax credits can be applied monthly, bringing their outlay to a little more than $50 per month? That's the only scenario where I can make the numbers work.
ReplyDeleteThey state Pastor Angran's deductible is $7000. The only plans available in his area of Iowa that have a deductible nearing that are 2 Bronze plans, one with a $6300 deductible, the other $6350. The most expensive of those, with 2 enrollees at the maximum age eligible (64), is $1231 per month. If, as stated at the end of the original video, the Angrans are eligible for almost $800 in tax credits this policy would cost them about $450 per month, or about what was being paid for the policy that would not cover his chemo. The $1231 base premium quoted for the Bronze plan above would go down, as would premiums for all plans, if either Pastor or Mrs. Angran were several years younger than 64.
For Pastor Angran to be facing a $1650 premium (his portion plus tax credit) he would have had to opt for a Gold or Platinum plan. The deductibles for those range from $500-1600. This is far less than the $7000 quoted.
I went to healthcare(dot)gov/find-premium-estimates and plugged in the maximum age, 64, as this would give the highest premiums. Monthly base premiums are fixed by age for each plan regardless of income, increasing for older enrollees. Deductibles remain stable for each plan regardless of age or income. Tax credits can be applied monthly. There are no surcharges for pre-existing conditions. That estimator has proven extremely reliable when I've used it in the past.
The Pastor has to pay more for his health insurance, and he still cannot get the care that he needs. Obamacare is more like Obama-Don't-Care, and you want to quibble about the math of plans that he may or may not have purchased? Unbelievable! Obamacare supporters are desperate to justify this terrible law, which has created more expenses, rationing, and confusion for Americans. Terrible!
DeleteNo, I'm not "quibbling" as you call it. The numbers given in the video and original story do not add up with what is offered to someone in the Angran's area in Iowa. The costs of all plans available to them are readily available for anyone to check. None of the plans has a $7000 deductible. None of the plans has a base premium close to the $1650 claimed unless it is a Gold or Platinum plan and those all have deductibles under $2000. I made one error in my numbers above. The most expensive deductible for Gold or Platinum is $1750, not $1600, still far less than what was quoted.
DeletePastor Angran and his wife are facing a horrible disease and they're scared. It is quite possible they are misreading how their new policy works.
I'm not trying to justify anything, one way or the other. Having helped numerous friends and family figure out what policy to buy this story did not make sense. Running a news story without fact checking is bad practice. Presenting facts in the face of misinformation or bad reporting does not equate to quibbling or an attempt at justification. It is simply presenting facts. You can check them out as easily as I did.