Technical “sign up” and security/identity theft issues aside, nobody will begin to know how bad things are until 2014. In 2014 a comparison of the revenue coming in from ALL Obamacare participants (i.e., their premiums) with the medical costs being paid by the participating insurers will provide a picture or indicator of how bad things will become. If the premiums are outweighed by the costs (and I suspect they will—BIG TIME) then the participating insurers in the Exchanges will have to raise rates beginning with 2015 and/or lower reimbursement rates to physicians/providers. That will mark the beginning of the classic “death spiral”. I think it will be bad indeed. More and more of the better physicians will decline to any longer take Exchange insured individuals as patients.
I’m not sure if Insurers participating in the Exchanges will be allowed to withdraw. If they are I would expect numbers of them to withdraw from participation with “new” insurers not the least interested in replacing them.
I, too, am convinced of the death spiral. I really think young people are going to shun this thing big time.
How old were you when you thought, “Oh, I need to sign up for health insurance”?
I was in my 30s.
Nurses at home care agency loosing $5/hr on their wages.
1000 laid off at Stryker.
(X) 1000’s have lost their health care.
DR. retiring early or closing their practice & joining groups.
Dr.’s not accepting medicair/medicaid.
It has only just begun.