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Why Some Are Seeing Premiums Go Up As Affordable Care Act Goes Into Effect
KQED Public Radio California ^ | October 18, 2013 | By Lisa Aliferis

Posted on 10/18/2013 4:34:31 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

In late September, Peter Lee, the executive director of Covered California — the state’s health insurance marketplace — was a guest on KQED’s Forum. It was just days until the Oct. 1 opening of the exchange. Lee touted the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, saying that many people would pay less for health insurance, but he cautioned that for some people, “rates may go up a little bit.”

Pretty soon Mark Brown of San Jose called the show to say his premiums were going up — and much more than a little bit. Brown, who buys health insurance for himself and his wife, said his premiums were going up a whopping 90 percent.

When I heard Brown on the air, I hurried to the control room to get his phone number and later got his full details:

In 2013, Brown’s plan with Kaiser has a $5,000 deductible and a $6,000 out-of-pocket maximum. It costs him $272 a month. In 2014, Kaiser offered him a plan with a $4,500 deductible and a $6,350 out-of-pocket max. But the premium is $519 a month. It’s very similar coverage for almost double the cost.

Brown’s story was so astonishing that Glenn Melnick, a health economist at USC, simply didn’t believe it when I called him to ask how this big of a rate increase could be happening. “A 90 percent increase just doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

Melnick encouraged me to double-check the facts, saying that there must be something Brown was missing. But Brown provided his documents from Kaiser, I reviewed them and forwarded them to Melnick, who confirmed that Brown’s analysis — a 90.9 percent increase for similar coverage — checked out.

“You’ve got my attention,” Melnick said.

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.kqed.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: abortion; deathpanels; failure; obamacare; rinocare; zerocare
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Forward!!
1 posted on 10/18/2013 4:34:32 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
WHY?
Because ZERO lied.
Does the LSM call him on his many lies?
NO!
A list of the lies he has gotten away with would fill a book bigger than FUNK & WAGNELS
2 posted on 10/18/2013 4:38:49 AM PDT by DeaconRed (I won't back down. You can stand me up at the gates of Hell and I won't back down. Our new creed.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

‘Brown, 56, said he supports the Affordable Care Act and assessed his situation somewhat philosophically. “Everybody should have medical coverage,” he said, “and there are going to be winners and losers whenever they deploy something like this, and I’m in the loser category at this point.”’

Loser, aptly put...


3 posted on 10/18/2013 4:39:34 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

That’s unexpected. Who would have guessed that young, healthy, responsible Americans would have to pay almost double once they were compelled to pay for medical coverage on illegals, druggies, and other Obama-voting parasites? As an added bonus, his taxes will go up too to pay for the ObamaCare tax subsidies that are part of this scheme.


4 posted on 10/18/2013 4:41:05 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: DeaconRed

The defenders say the premiums are up now but in a year they’ll go down. It’s fun watching them spin and lie and to see the lengths they’ll go to in order to protect the one. They actually defend obamacare with a straight face.


5 posted on 10/18/2013 4:43:17 AM PDT by jersey117
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The source allows comments.


6 posted on 10/18/2013 4:44:39 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"Why Some Are Seeing Premiums Go Up As Affordable Care Act Goes Into Effect"

Because there is no free lunch, but 51.1% of voters believed that there is a free lunch.


7 posted on 10/18/2013 4:45:22 AM PDT by Sooth2222 ("Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But I repeat myself." M.Twain)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Obama always gets “supply and demand” bass ackwards.
He thinks he can demand and the world will supply.

Only the foolish and lame-brained believed Obama when he said:

He could inject the federal government into the healtcare system

Build and support a massive federal bureaucracy staffed by former Acorn workers and other liberal career moochers

Add free birth control and abortions

Provide free healthcare insurance for 15 million to 30 million freeloaders, illegals and other Obama supporters

AND cut health insurance costs fo everyone by $2,500


8 posted on 10/18/2013 4:45:50 AM PDT by Iron Munro (When a killer screams 'Allahu Akbar' you don't need to be mystified about a motive.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Roughly 80 percent have either employer-based insurance or are covered by a public program such as Medicare or Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid. They are largely not affected by the rollout of the ACA.

I call BS on this statement.

9 posted on 10/18/2013 4:46:18 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

There is a lot of hoopla written about rising costs. Small business is going to die because it can’t afford it, yada, yada, yada.

All that has to happen is raise prices. With increased prices will come increased salaries and wages and on and on.

Pretty soon the value of the US$ relative to gold or land will be half of what it was in January 2014. That means that in real $ the national debt is only $9 trillion. It just went away with no payments.


10 posted on 10/18/2013 4:47:32 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Travon... Felony assault and battery hate crime)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The author uses the term “costs” when talking about “health care” but clearly is only talking about PREMIUM!
When saying that some will “pay less” and that this figure MIGHT be as high as 51%, this is misleading, as the COST per DOLLAR OF RISK COVERAGE is MUCH higher under the ACA, when you take into account the higher deductibles and copays.
Also, from a POLITICAL standpoint, most of those who come out ahead were already STRONG Obama voters, there can be no doubt about that.
MANY who come out as losers will also be Obama voters, and the Tea Party message, if accepted by even 5% of them, will turn the tide for us!

If nothing else, Obamacare ought to stop gay marriage in its tracks. I think a conservative group should run Obamacare ads directed at the “Gay Lobby” -— since gay couples seem to be higher income earners. Why is there a $12,000 “marriage penalty” in Obamacare?

Divide and conquer!

11 posted on 10/18/2013 4:49:57 AM PDT by Kansas58
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To: Fresh Wind
"I call BS on this statement"

What are the correct numbers?

12 posted on 10/18/2013 4:56:28 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The reason premiums are going up is Congress never passes a law that doesn’t require more money.


13 posted on 10/18/2013 5:05:41 AM PDT by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: 556x45

‘Brown, 56, said he supports the Affordable Care Act and assessed his situation somewhat philosophically. “Everybody should have medical coverage,” he said, “and there are going to be winners and losers whenever they deploy something like this, and I’m in the loser category at this point.”’

Loser, aptly put...


Now... imagine for a moment if the instigator of this monstrosity had been G. W. Bush... are we expected to think liberals like this idiot wouldn’t be literally screaming for heads? There would’ve been unprecedented “how dare he” caterwauling from the masses

But.. being screwed somehow feels better when the screwER has a (D) after his name. Got it.


14 posted on 10/18/2013 5:14:36 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Obama is so far in over his head, even his ears are beneath the water level.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

So, after reading the whole thing, just relax you guys. You just have to pick up your fair share, you are only a very small portion and it’s OK because someone who was uninsurable can now get healthcare at your expense. Suck it up, and welcome to the Brave New World.


15 posted on 10/18/2013 5:17:29 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: Fresh Wind

I agree. Also, independents-flight instructors, consultants, etc.-will see their premiums go up big time because-I believe-they typically vote the wrong way.


16 posted on 10/18/2013 5:20:57 AM PDT by Darteaus94025 (Phony President)
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To: jersey117
The defenders say the premiums are up now but in a year they’ll go down. It’s fun watching them spin and lie and to see the lengths they’ll go to in order to protect the one. They actually defend obamacare with a straight face.

The next bit of propaganda, which will be spewed by the MSM, is when the premiums increase AGAIN next year, since the plan is economically unsustainable, the MSM will tout the headline "Obamacare premium cost increase less than expected".

17 posted on 10/18/2013 5:21:01 AM PDT by Flick Lives (The U.S. is dead to me.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

It’s simple econ 101. Increase demand without increasing supply, and the price goes up until supply and demand reach equilibrium. If the increase in price does not increase supply, the increase keeps going until demand drops. Obamacare forbids a drop in demand, so the price increases are almost unlimited, until government forbids price increases, which will require rationing and result in black markets.


18 posted on 10/18/2013 5:21:52 AM PDT by Daveinyork (IER)
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To: 556x45

Stockholm syndrome


19 posted on 10/18/2013 5:22:11 AM PDT by relictele ("An elective despotism was not the government we fought for..." - James Madison)
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To: All

20 posted on 10/18/2013 5:32:06 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (The Second Amendment is NOT about the right to hunt. It IS a right to shoot tyrants.)
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