Mr. Mensch
06-27-2014, 12:09 PM
Vox, a oft-criticized (http://twitchy.com/2014/06/23/baghdad-ezra-klein-lois-lerners-lost-emails-dont-look-like-a-cover-up/) lefty "explanatory journalism (http://twitchy.com/2014/06/25/funtraction-the-spin-is-in-vox-explains-why-shrunken-economy-doesnt-look-so-bad/)" site, brings good good tidings of great joy for Obamacare's 8 million 6.5 million 2.6 million (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/05/12/mckinsey-75-percent-of-obamacare-enrollees-were-previously-insured-n1836419) newly- enrolled exchange consumers. Namely, many of them will face the choice of switching plans or possibly paying significantly more for coverage in 2015.
Unless they change their insurance plans next year, many people with insurance subsidies could see their premiums go up more than they expect, according to a new report from Avalere Health...Annual changes to insurance premiums aren't uniform across plans. That means the "benchmark plan" can change from year to year — with financial consequences for those with subsidies. These consequences will be most acutely felt by low-income enrollees. "Two-thirds of people enrolling in silver plans are choosing one of the two lowest cost silver options," said Caroline Pearson, vice president at Avalere. Take Sue, an imaginary Maryland resident who enrolled in her state's benchmark plan for 2014. With her subsidy, she was paying $58 a month for health insurance. But in 2015, her plan is going from the second-cheapest silver option to the ninth-cheapest. The subsidy, now pegged to a different plan, won't cover as much of Sue's premium as it used to. Her share of the premium will climb to $94, a 62 percent increase.
http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4675135/avaleresue.png
The article goes on to that new HHS regulations "would require insurers to notify enrollees of their new expected premium payment prior to renewal," so customers would get a heads-up that simply renewing their existing plan could cost them a bundle. But the White House is also seeking to offer an automatic renewal option (http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-administration-to-allow-automatic-health-insurance-renewals-1403809048?mod=djemalertNEWS) for Healthcare.gov enrollees, which may discourage people from looking at the fine print until their higher bill shows up in the mail. The Vox author dutifully notes that 2015 premium growth has been thus far been "modest by historical standards." Setting aside the facts that (a) we were all promised (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/03/14/obamacare-promises-then-vs-now-n1809186) sharp premium decreases under Obamacare, and (b) many consumers across the country are likely to experience double-digit hikes (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/05/23/coming-obamacare-attraction-summertime-premium-hike-drumbeat-n1842652), crowing about less-bad-than-they-could-be rate increases ignores the issue of high out-of-pocket costs for consumers who choose plans with relatively low monthly payments. Media reports (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-13/business/ct-biz-1013-obamacare-deductibles-20131013_1_health-care-overhaul-health-insurance-health-coverage) have detailed this issue, (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamacare-deductibles-deliver-hefty-sticker-shock/) and a friend who is entering the individual market recently puts a human face on those statistics. Under her previous individual market plan, she paid $90 per month along with a $1,500 deductible. Her new Obamacare-compliant plan features a monthly payment of $130, and her deductible will soar to $6,500 -- more than quadruple the previous amount. In practice, she'll have to pay more than six grand out of her pocket before the coverage she's faithfully paying for each month (at an elevated rate) even kicks in. Such are the wages of the "Affordable" Care Act for this healthy young woman buying coverage in the Southwest. Meanwhile, insurers in Michigan have announced their projected premiums for next year, and they're all going in one direction (http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/26/michigan-obamacare-premium-hikes-up-to-20-percent/).
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/06/27/report-obamacare-enrollees-may-have-to-switch-plans-pay-more-in-2015-n1856210
Attention @Cigar (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=294) The poorly thought out program courtesy of your lord and master, Emperor Obama, keeps on screwing people over. Thanks a lot!
Unless they change their insurance plans next year, many people with insurance subsidies could see their premiums go up more than they expect, according to a new report from Avalere Health...Annual changes to insurance premiums aren't uniform across plans. That means the "benchmark plan" can change from year to year — with financial consequences for those with subsidies. These consequences will be most acutely felt by low-income enrollees. "Two-thirds of people enrolling in silver plans are choosing one of the two lowest cost silver options," said Caroline Pearson, vice president at Avalere. Take Sue, an imaginary Maryland resident who enrolled in her state's benchmark plan for 2014. With her subsidy, she was paying $58 a month for health insurance. But in 2015, her plan is going from the second-cheapest silver option to the ninth-cheapest. The subsidy, now pegged to a different plan, won't cover as much of Sue's premium as it used to. Her share of the premium will climb to $94, a 62 percent increase.
http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4675135/avaleresue.png
The article goes on to that new HHS regulations "would require insurers to notify enrollees of their new expected premium payment prior to renewal," so customers would get a heads-up that simply renewing their existing plan could cost them a bundle. But the White House is also seeking to offer an automatic renewal option (http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-administration-to-allow-automatic-health-insurance-renewals-1403809048?mod=djemalertNEWS) for Healthcare.gov enrollees, which may discourage people from looking at the fine print until their higher bill shows up in the mail. The Vox author dutifully notes that 2015 premium growth has been thus far been "modest by historical standards." Setting aside the facts that (a) we were all promised (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/03/14/obamacare-promises-then-vs-now-n1809186) sharp premium decreases under Obamacare, and (b) many consumers across the country are likely to experience double-digit hikes (http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/05/23/coming-obamacare-attraction-summertime-premium-hike-drumbeat-n1842652), crowing about less-bad-than-they-could-be rate increases ignores the issue of high out-of-pocket costs for consumers who choose plans with relatively low monthly payments. Media reports (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-13/business/ct-biz-1013-obamacare-deductibles-20131013_1_health-care-overhaul-health-insurance-health-coverage) have detailed this issue, (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamacare-deductibles-deliver-hefty-sticker-shock/) and a friend who is entering the individual market recently puts a human face on those statistics. Under her previous individual market plan, she paid $90 per month along with a $1,500 deductible. Her new Obamacare-compliant plan features a monthly payment of $130, and her deductible will soar to $6,500 -- more than quadruple the previous amount. In practice, she'll have to pay more than six grand out of her pocket before the coverage she's faithfully paying for each month (at an elevated rate) even kicks in. Such are the wages of the "Affordable" Care Act for this healthy young woman buying coverage in the Southwest. Meanwhile, insurers in Michigan have announced their projected premiums for next year, and they're all going in one direction (http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/26/michigan-obamacare-premium-hikes-up-to-20-percent/).
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2014/06/27/report-obamacare-enrollees-may-have-to-switch-plans-pay-more-in-2015-n1856210
Attention @Cigar (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=294) The poorly thought out program courtesy of your lord and master, Emperor Obama, keeps on screwing people over. Thanks a lot!