Posted on 09/25/2025 3:21:06 PM PDT by CFW
Halloween could come early this year. The Democrats have named their price to avoid a government shutdown come October – an additional $350 billion for healthcare over the next decade. Critics say a big chunk of that money may go to ghosts.
At issue are the generous subsidies the Biden administration created for Affordable Care Act policies, sweeteners that are slated to expire in December. Making healthcare essentially free for millions of Americans, those policies have skyrocketed enrollment in Obamacare plans. But a recent study found they have also sparked a curious phenomenon: an estimated 12 million enrollees “without a single claim – no doctor visit, lab test, or prescription filled” in 2024.
The Paragon Health Institute study reports that this is triple the number of no-claim policyholders before the Biden sweeteners were put in place. “Among those now eligible for zero-premium plans with low or no deductible,” the study found, “that number increased nearly sevenfold. … A whopping 40 percent of enrollees in fully subsidized plans had no claims in 2024. In 2024 alone, taxpayers sent at least $35 billion to insurers for people who paid no premiums and never used their plan,” the report said.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearinvestigations.com ...
“In 2023 and 2024, 80 percent of marketplace enrollees could find a plan for $10 or less per month on HealthCare.gov, the federal marketplace that operates in 31 states (19 states and the District of Columbia run their own marketplaces).”
“The enhanced subsidies have translated into higher enrollment in ACA marketplace plans and fewer uninsured people. They helped increase enrollment in the marketplaces from 12 million in 2021 to a record 24.2 million in 2025.”
My American dentist pays $1600/month for his coverage.
If, by "ghosts", you mean demonicRATS.
They’ve also caused the explosion in the costs of medical care and medical insurance....and long waits to see a doctor...
Just like college, housing, healthcare, etc- the governments involvement in health insurance has caused a widespread explosion of costs...
Stop all these “affordable care” handouts and watch how affordable health insurance and health care eventually becomes...
There is no such thing as a government shutdown.
Deem essential whatever needs to stay open.
Shutter the rest.
I've never met ANYONE who had that privilege. Where the heck does someone find a plan like that?????
That said, where's all the money?
Or illegals.
I have an Obamacare policy (I liked my old heath insurance but was not allowed to keep it). I only had one claim in 2023 (which did not come close to meeting my deductible), did not have a single claim in 2024, and so far have not had a single claim this year.
I have insurance, but very few doctors in my area will take it (one of the joys of living in rural America). The only time I went to see a doctor who would accept my Obamacare policy, it took me a couple of weeks to get an appointment and it was like going to a free healthcare clinic, with dozens of people waiting in line with me for 5 minute appointments.
My current doctor does not take any insurance, I can usually get in to see him on a day or less notice, and he charges me less than $100 for a half-hour visit, which I pay in cash. I also pay cash for any laboratory testing, and the cash price is frequently less than the deductible I would have to pay with insurance.
Next year I will be forced onto Medicare (which has got to be better than Obamacare), but will continue to see my same doctor, who also does not take Medicare for payment.
Get rid of the DoE, first.
It never did anything worthwhile. The quality of education has only continued to deteriorate.
There is a lot of other pork and pet money laundering projects that can be added to that, not to mention all the freebies given to illegals.
Cut the gravy train, the *free* education, food, phones, MEDICAL CARE etc. and let it lower costs for us Americans who are paying for all this.
Perhaps $1 for Maria, $99 for me.
You are indeed fortunate to be in that situation.
Most doctors can’t see anyone outside the system. Or won’t.
To qualify for Obamacare subsidies, your total annual income must be less than 4X the Federal Poverty Level (the FPL). If you are married and have no kids as dependents, the FPL is $28,214, so you would not be eligible for any subsidies if your total combined income is $112,856 or more.
It is basically just one more way to redistribute wealth from those who earned it to those who Democrats want to have it.
This past Saturday I went to the ER with gastroparesis. I was vomiting and dropped 7 pounds in 2 days. It was my first medical services since starting Medicare. A CT scan and some simple meds were administered. 8 hours in the ER. My stomach is finally passing food again. I'm waiting to see how this shakes out financially. I have Medicare Part A, B and a Part G supplemental.
CHECK YOUR BILLS CAREFULLY as they come in.
We’re going through that because of the recent ER visits I’ve had and it’s common for stuff to be denied because it was given the wrong code. So we call, get it fixed, and move on.
It’s actually kind of staggering what they’ll cover and what they’ll deny.
Not a surprise. If you want a silver or gold PPO plan they run up over $2000.
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