Posted on 10/30/2013 12:31:14 PM PDT by CriticalThinking
....So, If I don’t buy any insurance, I save $6,360. The risk is, something big happens. But if that does, then I can immediately buy insurance to cover it. The new insurance won’t start the deductible process until I purchase it. Which basically means if my wife or I get really sick, buy the insurance before costs exceed something between $0 and $6,360. This is sort of our personal actuarial process. But each year, we save the money so that break even point will change. To be fair, the penalty goes up to 2% in 2015, so the savings will be $4,560 then. Given the actuarial nature of ACA, premiums are likely to go up because ACA mandates a reduction of the deductible. What this all means is the “Don’t buy insurance” plan works fine for the next few years but maybe not forever.....
(Excerpt) Read more at 4yourcountry.org ...
A for profit hospital can if the choose tell you to pay or go pound sand
It's only the immediate emergency situation that is scary going without insurance in a world of no pre-conditions.
Actually no. They must treat you. They rarely turn you away. That is the principle reason behind ACA (other than to garner democrat votes). ACA is not about care, its about covering the free riders that get care on the mandatory treatment rules.
True, but they can keep you in the waiting room forever, or until you die (whichever comes first), while they're kept waiting themselves for an "approved-to-treat" confirmation from the death panel.
I see a new underground business cropping up. You pay an insurance agent $100 a month to have everything that’s needed to sign you up on hold. If you have a heart attack, first call the ambulance. Then call your “holding agent”. You could have an “In Case of Emergency” card attached to your driver’s license instructing the paramedic to call him for those times you’re not able to make a call. The “Holding Agent” will have instructions to call your family.
“You can buy outside of open enrollment if you dont need a subsidy”
Nope. The open enrollment period isn’t just for subsidies. You can only purchase “qualified” plans (that is, plans that are compliant with the Obamacare rules - including the requirement for pre-existing conditions) during open enrollment.
Why should I buy something that’s ‘free’?.......................
Someone posted that you can’t sign up unless you’re in the open enrollment period. If true, then it’s no preconditions starting at the beginning of the next year.
The plan has some merit but suppose you and your wife are dragged into an ER unconscious following a car accident.”
Just confining my response to this one specific possibility - I have been in auto accidents before and my auto insurance paid as primary, not my medical insurance, and the auto insurance company paid my hospital bill in full. Of course, some people may not have medical coverage included in their auto plan.
But that’s not how it works. If you find out you need the expensive tests, then best-case scenario, you find out during open-enrollment (October-March this year, October-December in later years), sign up, and have coverage effective Jan. 1. Worst-case, you find out after open-enrollment ends, and you need to wait until the next year to purchase coverage.
The ER could be full. You could be waiting on a gurney in a hallway for hours. Even when you are seen, assuming no deadly damage has taken place yet, you will be stabilized and referred elsewhere, even if it is to the cardiac practice (a separate business)within the hospital. You will be triaged for the OR and all life support machinery. Your in hospital days will likely be 4-6 and there are incentives in place to not re-admit you for the same issue within a mandated time period.
You age, gender, general condition and ethnicity will be taken into account. If you do have a deductible, some institutions will demand the entire deductible up front immediately.
The hospital will be understaffed. You need a friend or family member with you for care, feeding and as observer/advocate.
It isn’t as simple as whether they admit you or not.
I know we like to feel like hospitals are villains, but I have never seen an ER prioritize on insurance. I am not sure they even tell the care providers. If you come in during an accident they wont even ask until you are stable.
I think I found a better approach. I've applied for membership in a Christian Healthcare Co-op. If accepted my deductible will be $10,000 after which my costs will be posted to be shared by other members monthly payments. The cost is half of what my current premium with Blue Cross is. With the savings I've hired a Concierge Doctor who is outside the insurance networks and is not constrained in how he treats any illness I may have. My personal information will not be submitted to HHS or require approval from them for treatment.
Yes inability to sign up outside of an open enrollment period and then only for the coming year, blows his theory out of the water.
His plan works only for an illness that is slow or can wait an average of 6 months for treatment.
Yes inability to sign up outside of an open enrollment period and then only for the coming year, blows his theory out of the water.
His plan works only for an illness that is slow or can wait an average of 6 months for treatment.
Heard the insurance companies were saying they need the open enrollment periods to prevent this type of abuse from taking place. So you apparently can’t just sign up any time of year.
If I thought they’d respect it, I’d tattoo “Just let me DIE!” on my chest.
The question in this scenario is do you have cash, or credit, to handle the expense until then? If so no problem. However, the penalty keeps escalating and at some point it will be smarter to pay for coverage rather than care and penalty.
One approach to avoid having the govt decide what your care will be is to go outside the govt controlled system. Buy a plan from an exempted co-op that covers catastrophic problems and pay for the rest yourself. Concierge Doctors are becoming a big industry and people who don't want to be under the control of govt owe it to themselves to look into it.
Hell, I have no spouse, no dependents, no house plants or pets.
I may also just stop filing tax returns. 3 hots and a cot and medical care is better than what I have right now, so why not?
Why not just pay for the treatment?
If it's something catastrophic and long term care is going to be involved all you need is to get to the next enrollment period.
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