Posted on 04/05/2020 6:03:54 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The Affordable Care Act turned 10 last month and is credited with helping 20 million more Americans get health insurance than before the law was enacted. But the coronavirus pandemic could be the first true test of how well "Obamacare" works at preventing significant coverage loss, experts say.
For people stricken with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, coverage through the ACA could mean the difference between financial stability and bankruptcy that could cause lingering hardship long after the pandemic ends, industry experts say.
Yet with unemployment skyrocketing across the country - a record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment last week - there’s a risk that some of the gains in insurance coverage could be lost.
Americans who recently lost their jobs or already had been uninsured can explore their options on the ACA website HealthCare.gov.
Having health care coverage can be critical for anyone facing a costly illness, including COVID-19.
Because of the ACA, not only were more Americans insured going into this health crisis than a decade ago, but there also are caps on how much insured people have to pay out-of-pocket for their care.
However, there are no cost limits for uninsured Americans, numbering nearly 28 million before the pandemic, and the bills that arrive in the mail can deliver quite a shock.
The ACA has known flaws that will continue to present challenges during this devastating health crisis. The law never achieved universal health coverage, and insurance has remained unaffordable for many.
That’s as long as the ACA remains the law of the land. Obamacare has faced repeated attacks and the Trump administration has vowed to repeal it. In the fall, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case that challenges the constitutionality of the law.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Yes, but ... anything that goes wrong, will, of course, be Trump’s fault.
ACA is not pursuant to the Constitution and is not a proper law at all but an example of tyranny.
Maybe more Americans were insured, on paper, but is it easier or harder to see a doctor?
I think its harder, but that might be a function of where I live. I’m not an ACA user, I’ve matured into Medicare. But, my kids tell me the medical structure seems more formalized and rigid than it used to be. And, my experience aligns with that.
“Obamacare is finished,” Trump told reporters before a cabinet meeting. “It’s dead. It’s gone. You shouldn’t even mention it. It’s gone. There is no such thing as Obamacare any more.” - October 2017
Health insurance is not healthcare.
Your little plastic card guarantees nothing.
When the doors are locked and there’s no where else to go, how do you like that Obamacare plan now?
Somehow with or without Obamacare, a person sick with Covid, would be treated.
Except that we are all stuck with hyper inflated health insurance premiums for terrible coverage. The damage us done.
Yes, and closed facilities (the ones they’re speaking of re-opening for the Red Chinese Virus patients); ObamaCare ravages the health CARE industry exactly as predicted - while bolstering the health INSURANCE industry.
I had read about so many people that had Obamacare but couldn’t use it because of the high deductibles. How does that all fit in now? Did something change with Obamacare? I thought we were rid of it.
My business model is based entirely on the use of part-time employees and contractors. That's because I learned in my prior career that the overhead costs associated with full-time staff -- with "mandatory health insurance" one of the biggest ones -- are an enormous drag on any productive enterprise.
Reviving a dead horse but they are pleased with this. They need to show the world Obama care is the savior
A lose lose. :(
Insurance that might work after you get past the $6,000 deductible.
Good thing you don’t live in Cacafornia.
If you have to pay $700 out of pocket for a diagnostic test that doesn't even involved any medical care at all, then I'm not sure what value the insurance has at all.
My understanding is that if you are unfortunate enough to have Obamacare you have to eat just about every cost until you reach the wretched deductible. After that you swallow the copay.
A couple of years ago there was a ludicrous story in my neck of the woods from a guy who posted blog articles about his dealings with the health care system under the idiotic insurance coverage he had.
He needed a surgical procedure that was elective, so it gave him time to do his research and consider his options. It might have been some kind of age-related orthopedic surgery.
He figured all the costs out, and between the deductible and his co-pays he would have paid something like $24,000 out of pocket. And this was under an insurance plan that cost him $800+ per month in premiums.
One of his friends -- who apparently knew the insurance racket well -- suggested he deal with the doctor and the outpatient facility directly.
He ended up paying cash for the procedure. It cost him less than $8,000.
He immediately canceled his insurance coverage after the procedure was done. He then wrote a series of blog articles over the next 18-24 months, describing how much money he was saving by NOT paying insurance premiums. Instead, he just put the $800/month aside in a safe investment account and let it build up as the payment for his NEXT medical procedure.
I believe it ...there are thousands of horror stories like that out there.
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