Posted on 04/06/2014 9:51:06 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
We have finally (almost, sort of) reached the end of Obamacare signups. The White House is claiming over seven million people have signed up with several million more now on the Medicaid rolls. Democrats are desperate to find a success somewhere in the Obamacare narrative, so reaching seven million is the story of the moment. However, as bad as the open enrollment period and its infamous healthcare.gov website was, the real problems are about to begin. Now people are going to try to use their new insurance.
The problems that will create the next headlines will come in three main flavors: lack of access to doctors, failures of the system to verify coverage and pay claims, and the incredibly high deductibles and co-pays on many of the exchange insurance policies.
Insurance companies believed that people shopping for health insurance on the government exchanges were very price sensitive so that low prices were needed to attract buyers. Thus, the insurers only signed up doctors and hospitals willing to agree to low reimbursement rates to their exchange-offered plans. That means that many of the plans, especially the silver and bronze ones, come with much more limited networks than Americans are used to. The newly insured are likely to find that, similar to Medicaid patients, it will be hard to find doctors who accept their new insurance. Having health insurance does not mean you can get care; you actually need a doctor for that, and a lot of people are in for a nasty surprise when they realize how limited their choices of providers are. U.S. Senator Tom Coburn finding out his cancer doctors were not part of his new Obamacare plan is just one famous example of this access issue. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Twice in the last few months I've read anecdotal evidence of fewer patients seeking health care.
I think David Limbaugh wrote an essay on that, but I can't find the link.
Anyway, can I toss one more anecdote on the fire?
I'm an old guy, and I've been doing my laundry the same day and the same time for many years.
The laundry room of my apartment house looks out on the parking lot of a large neighborhood clinic run by a large local hospital.
For at least 8 years, the lot has been completely full between 3PM and 4:30PM.
Within the last two months, I suddenly realized there are many empty spaces at 3PM, and the lot is half empty at 4:30PM.
Obviously, there can be many explanations for this besides ObamaCare.
But I do wonder - has anyone else here seen evidence that the number of patients is going down?
When obamacare first passed my cardiologist at the time had three partners and a fairly big clinic. He told me they figured out they would have to increase their number of patients by a third to make the same amount of money. A few months later I started using the VA and about a month after that I got a letter that their office was closing and he went back to working for a hospital.
My own doc went to a concierge style limited practice, so I pay $100 per month in addition to my premiums to BC.
So far, OK, but much more money than I was paying before.
The problem is some people will sign up for Obamacare plans, pay a month's premium, then not pay any more. With a backlog of claims, the doctor won't get paid when the insurance lapses.
So a doctor will be VERY picky about who he decides to accept an "Obamacare" plan card from.
New patients are going to have a very hard time.
Expect a LOT of docs to simply not accept it, as is happening in CA.
I try to s-l-o-w-l-y explain to people that having a card DOESN'T mean actually getting healthcare.
“The program will be at its best in the beginning. It will be all downhill from there.”
It’s not even any good at the beginning. It will just slide further downhill from an already rotten start. Wait until people figure out that their co-pays and deductibles are sky high. Hah.
The republicans are so stupid. All they have to do is constantly talk about it not being anything about “affordable”.
I see the government bringing more and more doctors in from Africa and subsidizing them. The first step to single payer.
Failure of Obamacare will be seen not as a failure of government involvement in health care but as failure to go far enough. Single payer will return to the policy arena as the “obvious solution” to these problems.That’s right; my prediction is that an epic government failure will spur calls for more government involvement to fix the problems caused by government involvement.
That's right. The cure for liberalism's failures is always more liberalism!
So, it's not enough to point out the failure of ObamaCare. It's necessary to replace it with something that isn't Single Payer.
NEW DOD MANDATE FOR TRICARE LIFE RETIRED MILITARY, THIS IS A LOSS OF FREEDOM, IT IS NOT FAIR, EQUAL OR RIGHT. EVEN THE WORKERS HATE WORKING AT EXPRESS SCRIPTS. WE USE THE MILITARY BASE AND I TALK TO THE SENIORS LIKE ME, 1 OUT OF 5 TOLERATE THE DISPENSARY, OR EXPRESS SCRIPTS, COMPLAINTS VERY HIGH ABOUT QUALITY OF MEDICINE, SHORTING YOU, DOUBLE BILLING, THEY SUCK IT RIGHT OUT OF YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, DON’T CARE IF THE OVER DRAFT YOU. GIVE YOU THE WRONG MEDS, SWITCH NAME BRAND TO GENERIC AT THEIR WHIM, WHEN YOUR SCRIPT SAYS DISPENSE AS WRITTEN.
THEY BEST NOT GET MINE WRONG, IS ALL I CAN TELL THEM, I’VE HAD ENOUGH ER RUNS BECAUSE OF BAD DRUGS, AM EXTREMELY DRUG SENSITIVE. RIGHT DOWN TO WHO MAKES THEM.
TRICARE LIFE Retired Military over 65 just received this noticed 2 weeks ago, takes effect 4/14/2014, why they sent a prelim with out the drug list is WASTEFUL spending in itself!
DOD MANDATE is forcing us to use either Base whose drugs are limited by size of base and is not wheel chair or handicap friendly or Express Scripts MANDATED Tricare Life. starts next month. 4/14/14, still have not got the formulary, waste to do 2 send outs. Express Scripts is a sorry excuse of a provider. You never know if your order is right, what generic, what manufacture, or what country. All thrown up on your porch for KIDS, TEENS, local thieves and meth makers to steal.
YOU WILL LOSE YOUR PHARMACY THANKS TO NEW DOD BUDGET!
This is a Prelim letter, we don’t even know at this time which drugs are going to be on the list. Waste of money to not send out the full thing.
1 Transfer your medication from a retail pharmacy to save , convenient Tricare Home Delivery and pay less out of pocket! A typical cost for a 90 day retail supply is $51 but only $13 for Home Delivery.
2 Ask your doctor about using a low cost generic that is not among the medications included in the Pilot Generics can still be filled at retail for $5
3 Transfer maintenance medications under the Pilot from retail pharmacy to a military pharmacy. Call your local military pharmacy to see if they have you medication
4 Continue to get you selected maintenance medications at a retail and pay 100% of the cost of the medication starting with your third refill.
If you refill your selected maintenance medication’s at a retail pharmacy after March 14, 2014 you’ll get letters from the Tricare Pharmacy contractor Express Scripts, Inc about switching to Home Delivery. Remember, starting with your third fill you will be responsible for 100% of the cost of the medications if you chose to continue to obtain them at a retail pharmacy.
If you have other health insurance with a prescription benefit, you do not fall under the Pilot. There will also be a process to obtain waivers on a case by case basis, due to personal need or hardship, emergency or other special circumstaces-0 such as living in a nursing home. After participating in the Pilot for 1 year you may opt out.
Military Waste and Fraud Continue In the Middle of the Government Shutdown HERE IS YOUR PROBLEM : PALM GREASING
Washington’s Blog lots of links
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/10/wasted-military.html
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/pentagon/#article/part1
Mugging our Troops
http://www.reuters.com/investigates/pentagon/#article/part1
Pentagon Outlines Increased Tricare Fee Proposal
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/03/05/pentagon-outlines-increased-tricare-fee-proposal.html?comp=7000023317828&rank=1
0bama to Force Military Families Away From Tricare ...By Tripling Their Fees. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.”
CBO: The military is getting squeezed for domestic spending cash
http://www.humanevents.com/2014/02/26/cbo-the-military-is-getting-squeezed-for-domestic-spending-cash/
State Side Tricare Service Centers Closing April 1
http://m.military.com/daily-news/2014/01/14/stateside-tricare-service-centers-closing-april-1.html
Tricare PRIME
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS06/308020011/DoD-silent-major-changes-Tricare-Prime
2 links
Starting Oct. 1, the Pentagon plans to reduce Tricare Prime service areas to within a 40-mile radius of active or former military installations, forcing 173,000 retirees and their family members to switch to Tricare Standard or seek a waiver if they live within 100 miles of an existing network.
The decision will affect retirees and their dependents in Prime, and those on Tricare Young Adult Prime. That totals 98,771 people in the Tricare South
Air Force MiCare
http://www.military.com/military-report/air-force-micare?ESRC=miltrep.nl
DoD silent on major changes to Tricare Prime
http://www.armytimes.com/article/20130802/BENEFITS06/308020011/DoD-silent-major-changes-Tricare-Prime
Proposed TRICARE FEE CHANGES
http://www.military.com/benefits/tricare/retiree/proposed-tricare-fee-changes.html
ES buys out Medco
29 Billion
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20120402/NEWS/304029961
Express Scripts Extortion Scheme Widens
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/09/express_scripts_breach.html
Express Scripts complaints
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/rx/express_scripts.html
EX Fraud
https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/directory/express-scripts
TN sen Lamar Alexander who promised 2 terms and OUT is running for a third term. RINO DELUXE voted to Mug the Military. Voted for a LOT OF PORK projects that increased the debt. Never trust a oath breaker.
Why do you think the amnesty bill is being pushed so hard, visas for foreign doctors. I have 1, but he speaks Brit English. Now the male ME in the ER could not understand much English, would not touch a lowly female patient, talked to my husband, not me the patient. Worse hospital experience I’ve had, his mild side effect drug, cost my vision for 2 weeks, till it wore off. Did not know the difference between a vaginal infection and a Bladder PH flip from his drug. Give me a break, don’t import them.
You seeing the signs up NO NEW MEDICARE OR TRICARE LIFE in doctors offices, I am. We are in Memphis, there is a Naval base a little over 20 miles away, in the next small town, same county. Went from training to BUPERS with fat ass Brass out the roof. Exchange to expensive for the below Capt to shop at. $200 Vera Wang made in china wallet crap.
Crapcare is like going shopping in America with foreign money
Counseling appointments now once a month.
!
Because of all the new Medicaid patients who can now get free counseling. People already in counseling had their visits cut back to once a month.
Get ready for crazy.
I knew this would happen when I first posted about it years ago. Who wouldn’t take free counseling?
Are you saying you ACTUALLY signed up for Obamacare?!
No. I received the same letter. It just means that you are covered under VA and that you won’t have to be “fined” or “taxed” whichever it is now a days when you do your taxes.
Don’t worry,the Republicans will provide the democrats with a way out,there are 7 months until November.
How are your deductibles, copays and premiums?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.