ObamaCare Question

Mark

Guru
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7,927
Georgia
I'm not a health insurance agent and want to know.

I have MS and Kaiser. For just my (12 year old) daugther and me (age 34) will be $423 a month. I have a 2,000 dect and a 70/30 plan.

I know I'm lock into Kaiser right now. If/when obamacare kicks in,,,what will happen to me?

Will I be able to just go to any company? Will I be able to find someone cheaper out there?

Will the rates go down with most companies after Obamacare (dont laugh)?
 
Most companies are going to be raising their rates because they'll all be forced to take anyone regardless of health conditions.

My wife and I in NY (already GI like Obamacare) were around $1k/month, in the great state of Virginia less than $200. I'm just sayin'.
 
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As I understand it:
Most companies will raise their rates of most of their clients.

The young healthy males will have to pick up the tab for the females; they will no longer be able to discriminate against gender. Someone's got to pay for what goes with a woman in child bearing years.

And they will be required to reduce the ratio down to 1:3...they can't charge anyone more than 3 times the lowest rate.

Older, unhealthy females can only be charged 3x what the healthy 25 year old pays...

Some rates will go down, some will go up...seems to me most will go up(IMO).
 
I like your optimism, but for otherwise healthy folks, how do you see any of their rates going down?
 
That's just it...the healthy folks will have to make up the diffrence for the unhealthy. I suppose the only possible decrease would be the unhealthy 45-55 yo range. That's really a stretch though, isn't it? I would hope the carriers would want to be competitive, but let's face it. They're going to do what's in their best interest.

And a question I'm not completely clear on is how can the "tax" be avoided for people without insurance. Do they have to have it in place for a certain minimum number of months of the tax year? If so, any months? The last months of the year?

Why wouldn't a person drop and add as needed or just pay the tax if it's less than the premium? It's GI, right?

Other than being a responsible person not trying to game the system, of course.
 
in NY (already GI like Obamacare) were around $1k/month, in NY less than $200.


Huh?

I suppose the only possible decrease would be the unhealthy 45-55 yo range. That's really a stretch though, isn't it?

It most certainly is.

Why wouldn't a person drop and add as needed or just pay the tax if it's less than the premium? It's GI, right?

We won't know until we get there and HHS enlightens us, but most seem to believe there will be open enrollment times which will decrease the ability to jump in as needed.

Mark, back to your question, you will be able to purchase a child only plan in GA starting in 2013. Details should surface in 45 days or so.
 
Do you think it will be cheaper or better than my Kaiser?

Your price right now, and plan are very good compared to new exchange plans coming in 2014. If you're grandfathered (eff date before 3/23/10) and make over 90k a year for family of 4, you will want to keep Kaiser plan. About 22-24k per person in family for FPL purposes

My guesstimate is IFP rate are going to group rates. So, you can expect to pay about $400/mo per person (double what you pay now). The plans you can choose from will be mandated to look like the one you have now....3k or less deductible with 6k max OOP.

You can be without insurance for a max of 3 months and avoid the penalty. Yes, HHS will prob move to OE to avoid gaming the system.
 
Look for about a 46% increase in Individual plans.

Carriers already have the data the need to estimate future premiums.

Also be on the look out of networks that are limited through any type of exchange plan. We will see these networks get very narrow. It will be almost impossible to see a primary care doctor.

You will also see the national carriers go into the med check business.

There is also rumor that the bronze plan with subsidies could be a zero premium plan much like medicare advantage.

The federal government is going to subsidize the carriers so they can take on the initial round of bad business.

If you producers are not communicating with your carriers then you are not staying informed.
 
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