Posted on 01/04/2017 4:44:35 PM PST by MtnClimber
It’s that time of year. No, not New Years. It’s Obamacare enrollment time—that is, if you’re unfortunate enough to not have employer-sponsored health insurance.
There’s been a lot of media coverage lately about rising premiums. But the headache isn’t just financial, although that’s certainly part of it. With more insurance providers fleeing the individual market and coverage becoming worse and worse, getting the care you need can feel almost impossible.
To illustrate, I’d like to share my own experience buying insurance on the Obamacare exchange and trying to get treated for a chronic health problem.
My Health Insurance Couldn’t Be More Frustrating For several months now I’ve been having nearly constant migraines or headaches and frequent vertigo. More than an inconvenience, this type of illness makes it hard to use a computer—where I do all of my work.
After five months with an excellent ear-nose-and-throat (ENT) doctor, as well as multiple rounds of steroids and antibiotics (not to mention ripping out half of my house doing mold remediation), we’ve come to the conclusion that I need sinus surgery.
Until September, my doctor (let’s call him Dr. A) was covered under my health insurance provided through the University of Texas. However, when I left the university and started working for myself, I had to begin buying health insurance on the individual market. The insurance options were limited so I bought a plan with Scott and White. This insurance, however, didn’t cover Dr. A. In fact, it only covered three ENTs in Austin.
One of these three doctors—let’s call him Dr. B—was well reviewed and liked by Dr. A. Great, problem solved. I get surgery with Dr. B and I’ll be in good hands. When I called Dr. B’s office to make an appointment last week and told them I have Scott and White, they said that they do indeed take that insurance. Wonderful.
Even Insurance Providers Have Had Enough But there’s a catch. My health insurance covers office visits with Dr. B, but doesn’t cover surgeries with him. Wait, what?
That’s right, Scott and White only covers surgeries that are done in their hospital system, rather than in the far less expensive—and less dangerous— outpatient surgical centers. Dr. B, although a highly regarded ENT, doesn’t have admitting privileges in their hospitals.
...and being forced to pay a ‘fine’ come tax return time if, for any reason you aren’t paying the mandatory insurance payments...
All working people have huge deductibles with portions of their insurance being taken to give 100% coverage to those who don’t work or minimum workers. My deductible means I do not really have insurance any more. The government actions would be fraud if done by a private company.
All should read the entire article to understand the impact of obabacare on working people.
I would like to see free late term abortions for obamacare supporters, how about that libtards?
Wow. This sounds like my son. He just got that surgery. He thought (was told) by his previous employer that his COBRA expired in September after just a few months. The ENT doc took one look at his scans in October and said he needed to operate right away. My son is now working as a contract worker and has to buy his own insurance. (they plan to appeal the cancelation of COBRA) The deductible on what they have now is $15K. ouch.
This is very interesting.
The republicans should find a number of people that have been totally hosed by Obamacare, and just keep playing their stories, over and over and over.
0bama hates western civilization and the USA in particular. This 0-care is punishment for our success.
Problems like insurance plans not covering your existing doctors were around long before Obamacare.
If you chose an HMO plan your Dr. might not be on the providers list, HOWEVER if you chose a PPO as your plan you could go ANYWHERE for care the cost of the PPO was more Howe retirement it was worth EVERY penny as far as care was concerned!!!
Thanks for the article but you should have checked “This is an excerpt”.
However with no retirement WHAT THE HECK did spell check do here!!!!
But the free market fanatics' hasty plan to repeal and NOT replace would create even more totally hosed health consumers.
$9,000 deductibles with insurance prices more than the old ones that had $150.00 deducabiles are the biggest problems. That congeress and POS exempted themselves is another. They should get the direct splashback from problems. They would never have passed this if thet=y thought the oppression would come back to them. And that is why they have to suffer from the results of 0. Lawsuits, doctors having them for care giving them their just rewards, Citizens giving them free health care.
My wife and I are 60 and we have to buy our own insurance. The absolute cheapest rate we can get is $1480.00/month with an $13,000.00 deductible per person. I feel pretty screwed. FU Democrat Party!
You are paying for democrat delinquents to have free insurance at the reduction of yours. Zer0 don’t care about you.
For me, Obamacare means buying an expensive plan for the family that includes mandatory benefits we’ll never use, to the tune of the equivalent of paying monthly mortgage for a really nice beach house, but never getting the actual health care we need because we have to spend about $20,000 before the insurance company pays for anything!
THANKS OBAMA!
I want to buy health insurance that doesn’t include coverage for sex change operations. It’s bound to be cheaper. Also insurance that gives a break to non smokers should also give a discount to normals, who don’t get as many expensive to treat sexually transmitted diseases like aids.
We are 61 an 63. Our Monthly Insurance Cost is $2,000, including Dental and Vision which account for about $100 of the total.
In December 2013 we were paying half that amount on COBRA.
Listened to some Democrat on Tucker Carlson blaming the Republicans for the bad press Obamacare has received.
He then went on saying how wonderful it is and that Old People on Medicare are paying less for Drugs because of Obamacare. Never heard that load of BS before.
My favorite though was the “20 Million People have coverage now who didn’t before” lie. He actually said 20 to 30 Million trying to inflate it but he backed off that. I still laugh at how 7 Million turned into 20 Million overnight. It should hit 30 Million by January 20th. LOL
Keep in mind that EVERY ONE of those ‘refugees’ Obama is bringing into this country have medical care for free from their first breath on US soil.
Guess who is paying for this?
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