Affordable Care Act Hasn’t Made Health Care Affordable, Study Finds

Yahoo News ^ | 12/30/15 | Millie Dent - The Fiscal Times

[NormsRevenge]

Despite its name, the primary goal of the Affordable Care Act was to expand health care coverage to millions of Americans who had been uninsured. And while it's done that - 15 million non-elderly adults have gained coverage - making that insurance "affordable" remains a significant challenge.

Government subsidies for enrollees with incomes below 400 percent of the federal poverty level were designed to help with that, but rising premiums and high deductibles mean that getting health care coverage and treatment remains a financial burden for many Americans. A new study from the Urban Institute shows just how high the toll can be.

The study found that the median single enrollee earning between $35,310 and $47,080, or a family of four earning between $72,750 and $97,000, will spend almost 15 percent of their income next year on Obamacare insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs in 2016, even with federal government subsidies. The percentages increase for those with worsening health and those over age 45. And 10 percent of people in the income range the Urban Institute researchers looked at, between 200 percent and 500 percent of the federal poverty level, will spend more than 21 percent of their income on health care costs.

Although there's no objective standard for how much people should spend on health care, "a lot of people make the judgment that it's unaffordable and that makes a real impact," says Matthew Buetggens, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute and co-author of the study. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that cost is the main reason the uninsured give for why they lack coverage.

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Of course, steeper health care costs aren't just limited to those covered by Obamacare - people with employer-based plans are also going to see larger premiums and out-of-pocket costs next year.

[Vinnie]

General rule: The title of any legislation is the opposite of what is inside.

I was just telling a couple that yesterday.
Take the name, apply 180º logic. That will be the results of the legislation.

[browniexyz]

O heavens, we taxpayers had to PAY FOR A STUDY in order to become informed that our dang health premiums have skyrocketed above the costs of our mortgages? REALLY?????

[NormsRevenge]

WE should all be so lucky and have our own institute to pad the pocketbook on grants&donations for studies..

[GOPJ]

I’m stunned...

[going hot]

Shazzam!

We been lied to!

[EVO X]

People with income levels mentioned in the article haven’t been signing up for ObamaCare even though they are eligible for modest subsidies. It will be interesting to see if any of these folks signup because of the increased penalties for 2016...

[The Iceman Cometh]

How do I get a job doing these studies?

Easy money, baby!