Posted on 09/04/2018 5:44:57 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Democrats say they’re champions of health care for all, but that narrative needs a reality check. Progressives around the country are working to outlaw insurance products that could cover Americans who have no other affordable options.
On Governor Jerry Brown’s desk is a bill that bans the sale of short-term, limited-duration insurance in California. The Trump Administration recently issued rules on the plans, which don’t have to comply with Affordable Care Act mandates. The coverage can now last up to a year, which was the norm before the Obama Administration limited the options to three months. Plans also can be renewed for up to 36 months.
The stock line from critics is that the plans are junk insurance because they aren’t required to cover, say, mental-health services. But short-term plans are subject to California’s state benefit mandates and thus have to cover treatments for diabetes, among other services. They’re a bargain compared with the ObamaCare exchanges. In 2017 the average short-term plan sold in California by online broker eHealth cost $184 a month compared to $426 for a midlevel plan on the exchanges.
By one estimate some 620,000 Californians would select a short-term plan next year if given the choice, and that’s the rub. Sacramento politicians are concerned that the healthy will leave the ObamaCare exchanges, which will drive up premiums for everyone who stays. Yet most people on the exchanges are insulated from premium increases by generous taxpayer subsidies. And why should some Californians pay more for no reason other than to prop up the left’s signature health-care project?
The bill’s sponsor, Democratic state Senator Ed Hernandez, says that short-term plans offer a “false sense of security.” Translation: He thinks individuals aren’t capable of making an insurance decision for themselves.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
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Fortunately, I never checked in. We’ve been without health care since the day it became the law of the land, 1/1/2014. Since then, my wife and I are in incredible health (we are both 64 now) and the one time something serious happened, it resulted in a miraculous healing.
Getting health insurance now would demonstrate a huge lack of faith.
Which, of course, highlights the fact that the US does not have health insurance. It is a tax to redistribute wealth. It is used by politicians to purchase votes at our expense.
People who take care of themselves are forced to fund the medical services for those who don't.
In the US, we've given up the freedom to purchase our own health insurance.
People who take care of themselves are forced to fund the medical services for those who don’t.
In the US, we’ve given up the freedom to purchase our own health insurance.
And have you priced an MRI lately? They are advertising prices. They are a fraction of what used to show up on your medical bill.
All of this is made possible by the massive deductibles that “affordable” insurance comes with.
If paying CASH an MRI is 350-600 depending on what they are looking at, ALL other Medical procedures can be had for about 20% of the Insurance Billed rate.
If paying customers leave the exchange for Real Insurance that they choose, who will pay for the 1 out of 3 in California receiving FREE Health care???
Funny you should mention it. I just had an MRI and the cost published on my SOB was just south of $5k.
A back-of-the-envelope ROI for a $1m machine is around a year. Nice investment, if you can get it.
Well, his own base probably isn't - but it's very rude to extend that assumption the rest of us.
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Except we still have this legal requirement that health insurance plans have to accept pre-existing conditions. That's not insurance.
Except we still have this legal requirement that health insurance plans have to accept pre-existing conditions. That’s not insurance.
And health care costs, themselves, will be forced down accordingly. It will become a commodity where most of your doctors are immigrants.
I’ve noticed here in Kentucky an explosion of small, brand new health clinics being built.
Dental care though is quite the racket. Like health care, it's beyond the expertise of its consumers and subject to all manner of scams. Insurance at least provides a check on this tendency. Converting health insurance into pre-paid health care removes the need to control costs. The difference is that insurance providers have to try to predict the future, set rates based on those predictions, then hold cost down in order to meet those predictions. But with pre-paid health care they just add up the bills and divide them between their subscribers. It's basically socialized medicine with private administration.
It's great that we got rid of the individual mandate, but until we get rid of the pre-existing condition requirement I think we're still on the road to socialism.
I pay $275 a year for two dental cleaning and one of those is a full checkup with X-Rays. It’s a very nice office with very nice people, and considering the time I am there and the equipment at their disposal to provide this service, I’m quite happy with the arrangement.
I think the pre-existing condition mandate will eventually increase insurance costs so much that only those WITH pre-existing conditions will buy it. The rest of us will buy health care like we buy food, auto-repair, etc. Which means the providers will need to price accordingly. :)
Found your candidate for 2020 yet?
Jesus Christ: You can't impeach Him and He ain't gonna resign.
Sacramento politicians = Plantation Owners
True democrats
How can the normal people (those smart enough to oppose Ebolacare) make sure Ebola doesn't somehow get the credit for decreasing costs and the LIVs buy the lie?
I consider this the unintended consequence of Obamacare. By forcing people to pay for a lot of stuff thanks to the high deductible, he’s forcing them to be the one paying for the service they are getting, causing a small minority of them to shop around, forcing the providers to respond. And that is a real eye opener for a lot of people.
In a real way, Obamacare had the effect of forcing prices down on items lots of people suddenly found themselves having to pay for fully and out of pocket.
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