Being forced to switch health insurance – the “choices” SUCK!!!

ARG! I just have to vent.

My husband is self-employed and I’m home with three young kids. So we have to pay for our own health insurance out-of-pocket. I got a letter from our insurance company that they will no longer offer our current plan in our state. Coverage will end on December 31st so I have to find other insurance ASAP.

So I go online this morning to a state run “get-covered” website (I’m leaving my state specifics out of it just of the sake of being semi-anonymous online). It’s a clearninghouse of all available healthcare plans. Two years ago, I had a choice of about 5 different companies. This time around, I have a choice of ONE company. Yes, only one company in our entire state is offering health insurance to individual buyers, like my family.

I have a “choice” of an HMO (yuck, been there done that… those suck) or a PPO. The HMO doesn’t include any of our doctors in their network. The PPO includes most of our doctors in network, but doesn’t include our local hospital (which, by the way, is the hospital that our doctors send us to when we need tests or any sort of procedure). ARG!! The HMO does include the hospital, but none of our doctors.

ARG! ARG! ARG!

So we will be paying about $1,800 per month for health insurance, but get very little coverage.

This stinks.

I don’t know if I should pick the HMO or the PPO – they are both awful. I’m glad I should be (knock on wood) finishing up medical treatment in Decemeber because the hospital and radiation oncologist I’m using isn’t covered by either of these plans I’m deciding between. I'll have to find someone else for future follow-ups.

I don’t have any idea how to fix healthcare in the U.S.A…. I just know that it is a HUGE part of our family budget and a source of constant frustration.

OK. Rant over.

My employer pays for my health insurance and I also agree, I still had to pick a plan again this year because for whatever reason the one I had is going away.

I don't even use health insurance and it was a huge headache.

Only way to get the cost of healthcare in line with reality is to remove insurance- not force it on everyone. If nobody has it, nobody can afford the outrageous prices- and nobody will pay them. Doctors and corporations will be forced to drop their prices to a level where people can actually afford their services, or face going out of business.

a reply to: VegHead

I am sorry.

That is more than double my mortgage.

Sad times...

a reply to: TorqueyThePig

We pay more for health insurance than any other item in our budget. Like, by a huge margin.

I'm very grateful that we can keep our heads above water. Very grateful. But if my husband has a few bad years, it is easy see how quickly healthcare costs could ruin a person financially.

We had much much better coverage (and it was cheaper too) before Obamacare came around.

Have you checked with companies OUTSIDE the "exchange"? The exchange itself is not the only game in town. It's just the one associated with Obamacare. It MAY be that you can get a better deal by circumventing them.

Just swtich to the Affordable Care Act. It's REALLY CHEAP and the benefits are amazing!!! Obama Care is really the best thing to happen to this country!

a reply to: VegHead

you should be thankful. At least you have a choice. right?


I am self employed as well and until last year I just didn't have coverage. My business isn't booming like I'd like to be. But I was able to get on with my wife's coverage. Now I don't have to pay my penalty for not being able to afford insurance.

Maybe someone will grow a brain in Washington and decide this system may not be working as advertised. I won't hold my breath, as the one's who make the decisions have wonderful coverage provided by.......the government.

Sorry to hear, but for what it's worth, you aren't alone.

originally posted by: schuyler
Have you checked with companies OUTSIDE the "exchange"? The exchange itself is not the only game in town. It's just the one associated with Obamacare. It MAY be that you can get a better deal by circumventing them.

Best answer here. I was finally able to get insurance outside of Obummer care. At a good price. From Aetna.

originally posted by: 4N0M4LY
Just swtich to the Affordable Care Act. It's REALLY CHEAP and the benefits are amazing!!! Obama Care is really the best thing to happen to this country!

Yeah , I believe that....Not. Some of us have lived the pathetic O'Bummer care.

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: schuyler
Have you checked with companies OUTSIDE the "exchange"? The exchange itself is not the only game in town. It's just the one associated with Obamacare. It MAY be that you can get a better deal by circumventing them.

Best answer here. I was finally able to get insurance outside of Obummer care. At a good price. From Aetna.

Aetna is the one dropping us. (It was actually a subgroup of Aetna, but Aetna anyway.) In our county, only one insurance carrier is being offered to individual buyers. I'm searching high and low in the hopes that I am wrong and I'm misunderstanding all the info being given to me. I called an insurance agent and was also directed to this same one insurance carrier. Apparently other counties in our state have other options... but where we live, we just have the one.

Arg.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: VegHead

you should be thankful. At least you have a choice. right?

I am self employed as well and until last year I just didn't have coverage. My business isn't booming like I'd like to be. But I was able to get on with my wife's coverage. Now I don't have to pay my penalty for not being able to afford insurance.

Maybe someone will grow a brain in Washington and decide this system may not be working as advertised. I won't hold my breath, as the one's who make the decisions have wonderful coverage provided by.......the government.

Sorry to hear, but for what it's worth, you aren't alone.

Who was the Congress person that shouted out "You Lie" ? And was severely reprimanded by his peers . They knew what was in it . We didnt. That one happening showed me how corrupt the entire system is...
They should have made him a National Hero of some form

originally posted by: 4N0M4LY
Just swtich to the Affordable Care Act. It's REALLY CHEAP and the benefits are amazing!!! Obama Care is really the best thing to happen to this country!

I assume you are being sarcastic.

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: 4N0M4LY
Just swtich to the Affordable Care Act. It's REALLY CHEAP and the benefits are amazing!!! Obama Care is really the best thing to happen to this country!

Yeah , I believe that....Not. Some of us have lived the pathetic O'Bummer care.

I know. I'd figure I would poke fun at how bad ACA is now and how they try to pass it off as insurable.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: VegHead

you should be thankful. At least you have a choice. right?

I am self employed as well and until last year I just didn't have coverage. My business isn't booming like I'd like to be. But I was able to get on with my wife's coverage. Now I don't have to pay my penalty for not being able to afford insurance.

Maybe someone will grow a brain in Washington and decide this system may not be working as advertised. I won't hold my breath, as the one's who make the decisions have wonderful coverage provided by.......the government.

Sorry to hear, but for what it's worth, you aren't alone.

You don't have to pay a penalty. All they can do is take it from a tax refund. If you get no refund like me nothing they can do about it. Also does not hurt your credit. There is no point in paying the penalty for anyone.

I get insurance thru work, but it's not really so great. We've watched our premiums go up year after year, while the deductibles and co-insurance have also increased. So, we pay more for less health care.

This may be the year I have to switch to a high-deductible plan. I've been avoiding it, because until my family paid several thousand dollars out-of-pocket (either $4000 or $8000, depending on which plan), the plan would cover nothing, and even after that there's a 20% co-insurance on most items. But it might be the only plan whose premiums I can afford. The "traditional" PPO plan is getting way too expensive. I should find out later today what the costs for next year will be.

originally posted by: VegHead

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: schuyler
Have you checked with companies OUTSIDE the "exchange"? The exchange itself is not the only game in town. It's just the one associated with Obamacare. It MAY be that you can get a better deal by circumventing them.

Best answer here. I was finally able to get insurance outside of Obummer care. At a good price. From Aetna.

Aetna is the one dropping us. (It was actually a subgroup of Aetna, but Aetna anyway.) In our county, only one insurance carrier is being offered to individual buyers. I'm searching high and low in the hopes that I am wrong and I'm misunderstanding all the info being given to me. I called an insurance agent and was also directed to this same one insurance carrier. Apparently other counties in our state have other options... but where we live, we just have the one.

Arg.

Aetna as well as UHC are all pulling from the market. What I meant was , drop the Pelosi care and go out on your own.
And as stated , I found a better policy at a cheaper price.
But I will give you a warning. The hardest thing you have to do is get out of the Obama care plan. Until you do , companies cannot insure you Aetna and I worked on that 6 weeks.
Obamacare is nothing but a tracketeering scheme. Thats why the good companies are pulling out