Does obamacare work for you?

[William Thornton]

I take it that some folks here will try the OC exchanges. How do the costs compare with what you are paying now? And change in coverages, doctors, or other important components?

Just asking for your experience, not approval or disapproval.

[ET]

I'm currently following a friend on Facebook as she posts her experience trying to get coverage through the federal exchange. So far she's been frustrated with trying to get in and registered. She finally got an account created after 3 or 4 days of trying. That's as far as she's gotten based on what she's posted.

Not a direct experience, I know, but I am interesting is watching it play out for her. I don't believe she has insurance (or a job) at the moment. Probably living off alimony payments from what I infer from other statements.

[Sandy]

Our insurance provider suggested we do the "early renewal" by October 31 "to avoid what could be as much as a 14% increase in rates." The early renewal locks in the rates where they are on October 31, which means that we would receive about a 5% decrease in premiums and a 3% savings on our HRA. Our agent has found a couple of plans that have similar coverages to what we now have, one through United Healthcare, at a similar rate, about 5% less than we are now paying. We had thought we might have to make an adjustment in the premiums that our employees have to pay for family members on their plan. Right now, we deduct 20% of the premium, and we pay 80%. We will see our costs drop with coverage of spouses, since under the new rules, 6 or 7 of our employees will have spouses whose coverage will move to their employer, so we will be covering fewer people. We're happy with the 5% decrease, so we will renew early instead of looking on the exchanges.

[KeithE]

I’ve tired to log in to see what my wife would cost after I retire - maybe January 2014 maybe much later. So far I have not been able to get past the 'Sorry there are too many visitors right now, please stay tuned’ window.

Today’s USA Today had a front page story . 50,000-60,000 simultaneous visitors expected, 250,000 actually tried. Do not know how many were actual applications vs how many were window shopping (like me).

I know OC will work for my son and family but not my daughter and family who are covered by Casting Crowns. Guess Methodists are chinchier than Christian Rock Groups.

[William Thornton]

I will be trying the website sometime this week. I haven't found anyone who actually bought a policy through the exchanges yet.

[Chris]

Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act does nothing for retirees like me. I have Medicare Part A (free), Medicare Part B (which costs my wife and I collectively about $200/month), Part D (prescriptions) (which costs us collectively $53/month), and United of Omaha Supplement (Plan F)(which costs us collectively $327/month). We spent $580/month on medical insurance. Our household income is less than $2600/month.
You hear a lot about "Pre-existing conditions" cant be used against you. When changing Medicare Supplement policies, you have to fill out a 15 page questionnaire, and pre-existing conditions play a BIG part in it.
Why doesnt the ACA help retired people iin this situation.??? We are between a rock and hard place, at the mercy of insurance companies who are gouging us.

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

More distortions about ObamaCare .

[Haruo]

That's a great link, Keith.