Fortune: Five things you'll lose under current healthcare legislation

[30ashopper]

In short, the Obama platform would mandate extremely full, expensive, and highly subsidized coverage -- including a lot of benefits people would never pay for with their own money -- but deliver it through a highly restrictive, HMO-style plan that will determine what care and tests you can and can't have. It's a revolution, all right, but in the wrong direction.

1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan
2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs
3. Freedom to choose high-deductible coverage
4. Freedom to keep your existing plan
5. Freedom to choose your doctors

You'll lose 5 key freedoms under Obama's health care plan - Jul. 24, 2009

Something everyone should take a look at.

 

[idlewind]

You'll lose 5 key freedoms under Obama's health care plan - Jul. 24, 2009

Something everyone should take a look at.

Change that causes you to .

 

[seanote]

You'll lose 5 key freedoms under Obama's health care plan - Jul. 24, 2009

Something everyone should take a look at.

1 - We don't have the freedom now to choose what's in our plans. For most people, their employer chooses for them. For those with private coverage, you choose from existing plans and decide which plan has the coverage that would possibly suit your needs based on current health. It's not a la carte, where you can tailor a plan to your specific wants. They're pre-packaged plans designed to give the insurance companies every advantage in making money. The insurance exchange proposed let's me choose from not only my current company's plans, but also from others.
2-Insurance companies don't give bonuses for healthy living! My premiums have risen so fast, it's almost beyond comprehesion and is completely unsustainable. If you think consumers are rewarded for going to the gym and eating healthy, you are wrong.
3- Who actually WANTS a high deductible plan? The main reason people have them is because they can't afford the low deductible plans. Make low deductible plans priced affordably and competitively and people will actually choose them over high deductible plans.
4 -You can keep your existing plan. That's been made abundantly clear.
5-Freedom to choose your doctor?????? You really think we'll lose that? We don't have that now. Just ask my sister who's insurance through her employer changed because of cost-cutting measures and the doctor who had been treating her cancer was no longer in her network.
Insurance companies dictate which doctors you can and can't see.

I know what I'll lose under health care reform -
1- The stress of wondering if my insurance company will drop me should I develop a serious illness.
2-The stress of wondering how my nephew who developed Type 1 diabetes in his junior year in high school will be able to find insurance, let alone affordable insurance, to cover him when he is no longer eligible to be on his parents plan.
3 - The concern that in the very near future I will have to find an affordable catastrophic health insurance plan because the premiums on my current plan are becoming too expensive.
4- The concern that should I or a loved one become terminally ill, the lifetime maximum allowable payments won't be enough to cover end of life care.

 

[poppy]

1 - We don't have the freedom now to choose what's in our plans. For most people, their employer chooses for them. For those with private coverage, you choose from existing plans and decide which plan has the coverage that would possibly suit your needs based on current health. It's not a la carte, where you can tailor a plan to your specific wants. They're pre-packaged plans designed to give the insurance companies every advantage in making money. The insurance exchange proposed let's me choose from not only my current company's plans, but also from others.
2-Insurance companies don't give bonuses for healthy living! My premiums have risen so fast, it's almost beyond comprehesion and is completely unsustainable. If you think consumers are rewarded for going to the gym and eating healthy, you are wrong.
3- Who actually WANTS a high deductible plan? The main reason people have them is because they can't afford the low deductible plans. Make low deductible plans priced affordably and competitively and people will actually choose them over high deductible plans.
4 -You can keep your existing plan. That's been made abundantly clear.
5-Freedom to choose your doctor?????? You really think we'll lose that? We don't have that now. Just ask my sister who's insurance through her employer changed because of cost-cutting measures and the doctor who had been treating her cancer was no longer in her network.
Insurance companies dictate which doctors you can and can't see.

I know what I'll lose under health care reform -
1- The stress of wondering if my insurance company will drop me should I develop a serious illness.
2-The stress of wondering how my nephew who developed Type 1 diabetes in his junior year in high school will be able to find insurance, let alone affordable insurance, to cover him when he is no longer eligible to be on his parents plan.
3 - The concern that in the very near future I will have to find an affordable catastrophic health insurance plan because the premiums on my current plan are becoming too expensive.
4- The concern that should I or a loved one become terminally ill, the lifetime maximum allowable payments won't be enough to cover end of life care.

This is one area that really concerns me, my 10 yr. old grandson is also a type 1 diabetic and I constantly worry not just about the present but what the future holds for his health and the costs associated with this disease.

 

[Lynnie]

1 - We don't have the freedom now to choose what's in our plans. For most people, their employer chooses for them. For those with private coverage, you choose from existing plans and decide which plan has the coverage that would possibly suit your needs based on current health. It's not a la carte, where you can tailor a plan to your specific wants. They're pre-packaged plans designed to give the insurance companies every advantage in making money. The insurance exchange proposed let's me choose from not only my current company's plans, but also from others.
2-Insurance companies don't give bonuses for healthy living! My premiums have risen so fast, it's almost beyond comprehesion and is completely unsustainable. If you think consumers are rewarded for going to the gym and eating healthy, you are wrong.
3- Who actually WANTS a high deductible plan? The main reason people have them is because they can't afford the low deductible plans. Make low deductible plans priced affordably and competitively and people will actually choose them over high deductible plans.
4 -You can keep your existing plan. That's been made abundantly clear.
5-Freedom to choose your doctor?????? You really think we'll lose that? We don't have that now. Just ask my sister who's insurance through her employer changed because of cost-cutting measures and the doctor who had been treating her cancer was no longer in her network.
Insurance companies dictate which doctors you can and can't see.

I know what I'll lose under health care reform -
1- The stress of wondering if my insurance company will drop me should I develop a serious illness. This is illegal.....will never happen.
2-The stress of wondering how my nephew who developed Type 1 diabetes in his junior year in high school will be able to find insurance, let alone affordable insurance, to cover him when he is no longer eligible to be on his parents plan. Child will be covered as long as is a student. Upon moving into an individual plan or a group plan, with a certificate of coverage, this child will be able to secure coverage.
3 - The concern that in the very near future I will have to find an affordable catastrophic health insurance plan because the premiums on my current plan are becoming too expensive. I encourage everyone to shop their plans every year anyway......it's good risk management.....start shopping now.
4- The concern that should I or a loved one become terminally ill, the lifetime maximum allowable payments won't be enough to cover end of life care. The old plans agg max was $1MM. Christopher Reeves surpassed that with his medical expenses and carriers automatically increase lifetime max to $2MM and then to $5MM. If you max a $5MM plan or even a $2MM plan, you probably don't want to be alive and I mean no disrespect with this comment. It costs pennies to underwrite $5MM......they are available by every reputable carrier.

I hope this helps relieve some of your concerns.

 

[hnooe]

1 - We don't have the freedom now to choose what's in our plans. For most people, their employer chooses for them. For those with private coverage, you choose from existing plans and decide which plan has the coverage that would possibly suit your needs based on current health. It's not a la carte, where you can tailor a plan to your specific wants. They're pre-packaged plans designed to give the insurance companies every advantage in making money. The insurance exchange proposed let's me choose from not only my current company's plans, but also from others.
2-Insurance companies don't give bonuses for healthy living! My premiums have risen so fast, it's almost beyond comprehesion and is completely unsustainable. If you think consumers are rewarded for going to the gym and eating healthy, you are wrong.
3- Who actually WANTS a high deductible plan? The main reason people have them is because they can't afford the low deductible plans. Make low deductible plans priced affordably and competitively and people will actually choose them over high deductible plans.
4 -You can keep your existing plan. That's been made abundantly clear.
5-Freedom to choose your doctor?????? You really think we'll lose that? We don't have that now. Just ask my sister who's insurance through her employer changed because of cost-cutting measures and the doctor who had been treating her cancer was no longer in her network.
Insurance companies dictate which doctors you can and can't see.

I know what I'll lose under health care reform -
1- The stress of wondering if my insurance company will drop me should I develop a serious illness.
2-The stress of wondering how my nephew who developed Type 1 diabetes in his junior year in high school will be able to find insurance, let alone affordable insurance, to cover him when he is no longer eligible to be on his parents plan.
3 - The concern that in the very near future I will have to find an affordable catastrophic health insurance plan because the premiums on my current plan are becoming too expensive.
4- The concern that should I or a loved one become terminally ill, the lifetime maximum allowable payments won't be enough to cover end of life care.

Thank you seanote!

What I have noticed is that there is a real danger in some people on this board giving personal advice in areas where they have absolutely no expertise or competency, or they are using as a manner to scare people (political scare tactic)--it is usually the well off, more concerned with their own immediate circumstances, who are trying to manipulate the less well off to protect their own selfish interests!:angry:

Beware.

 

[seanote]

I hope this helps relieve some of your concerns.

Thank you for your response.

Rescission, however, is legal and does happen. Insurance executives actually testified before Congress that they would not ban the practice. It is a loophole for insurers to drop those who have developed a serious illness.
Ezra Klein - The Truth About the Insurance Industry
YouTube - Rep. Stupak Questions Witnesses On Rescission Triggers
This American Life had a piece about rescission in today's broadcast.
Take the time to listen to it. Very powerful.

As far as my nephew goes, he may not be denied coverage should his coverage not lapse, but the cost of coverage, unless he finds employer based insurance, will be astronomical. I hate to think that he will be denied choices in life because he has to always make employment decisions based on health insurance. No self-employmemt for him.

I'm aware of the increase in lifetime maximums, but there are many people out there who have had their policies for so long, that the maximums are still at $1-2 million. Happened to a friend and end of life care was horrific. It doesn't take much to reach that number and many people are unaware that there is a maximum. There simply should not be one.

I am shopping for a new more affordable plan, and guess what - most of them require more out of pocket expenses to see a doctor. It's either, pay a high premium, co-pays and co-insurance, or pay a lower premium with higher co-pays and co-insurance. The higher decutible plans simply deter people from going to the doctor because of the high out-of-pocket expenses, even if they need to see one.

 

[30ashopper]

1 - We don't have the freedom now to choose what's in our plans.

You currently have plenty of choices. You can shop around for any type of plan you want. Most can opt out of employer based plans. (If you can't that's your employers policy, find another employer.)

The last time I worked independently I looked at around ten different insurers before deciding on the one I liked. So I'm not sure why you would make this claim.

For most people, their employer chooses for them. For those with private coverage, you choose from existing plans and decide which plan has the coverage that would possibly suit your needs based on current health. It's not a la carte, where you can tailor a plan to your specific wants. They're pre-packaged plans designed to give the insurance companies every advantage in making money. The insurance exchange proposed let's me choose from not only my current company's plans, but also from others.

No it doesn't. People who are insured through their employers will not be elligble for the exchange plans.

2-Insurance companies don't give bonuses for healthy living! My premiums have risen so fast, it's almost beyond comprehesion and is completely unsustainable. If you think consumers are rewarded for going to the gym and eating healthy, you are wrong.

You need a new employer or a new plan. Shop around. I have a plan that rewards me for going to the gym, it even pays for my membership. I get wellness credits that subsidize my out of pocket if I get involved in good health related activities.

3- Who actually WANTS a high deductible plan? The main reason people have them is because they can't afford the low deductible plans. Make low deductible plans priced affordably and competitively and people will actually choose them over high deductible plans.

Me, it's one of the types of plans my employer offers and I love it. It's also the type of plan I get when I work independently. I also have an HSA I contribute to. I thought Obama promised he wouldn't limit our choices? The current legislation would limit my choice. Do you think Obama's broken promise to me is acceptible?

HDHC plans are one of the few plans that actually drive down costs. It's the all-you-can-eat type plans that drive costs up. So I find it rather ironic that you think government subsidized all-you-can-eat type plans will somehow drive down costs. Maybe you could back that up with some data?

4 -You can keep your existing plan. That's been made abundantly clear.

As I've already pointed out, with the current legislation, I won't and a lot of other folks wont either.

5-Freedom to choose your doctor?????? You really think we'll lose that? We don't have that now. Just ask my sister who's insurance through her employer changed because of cost-cutting measures and the doctor who had been treating her cancer was no longer in her network.
Insurance companies dictate which doctors you can and can't see.

What type of plan does your sister have? (I'm guessing an HMO.)

I know what I'll lose under health care reform -
1- The stress of wondering if my insurance company will drop me should I develop a serious illness.

I agree, the descrimination needs to stop. That can easily be insured without a massive overhaul of the system. This is not an all or nothing scenario.

2-The stress of wondering how my nephew who developed Type 1 diabetes in his junior year in high school will be able to find insurance, let alone affordable insurance, to cover him when he is no longer eligible to be on his parents plan.

Depending on his income of course. If he makes good money, he'll pay through the nose for his and everyone elses.

3 - The concern that in the very near future I will have to find an affordable catastrophic health insurance plan because the premiums on my current plan are becoming too expensive.

4- The concern that should I or a loved one become terminally ill, the lifetime maximum allowable payments won't be enough to cover end of life care.

A simple mandate and some regulation would solve both of these.

 

[Lynnie]

Thank you for your response.

Rescission, however, is legal and does happen. Insurance executives actually testified before Congress that they would not ban the practice. It is a loophole for insurers to drop those who have developed a serious illness.
Ezra Klein - The Truth About the Insurance Industry
YouTube - Rep. Stupak Questions Witnesses On Rescission Triggers
This American Life had a piece about rescission in today's broadcast.
Take the time to listen to it. Very powerful.

As far as my nephew goes, he may not be denied coverage should his coverage not lapse, but the cost of coverage, unless he finds employer based insurance, will be astronomical. I hate to think that he will be denied choices in life because he has to always make employment decisions based on health insurance. No self-employmemt for him.

I'm aware of the increase in lifetime maximums, but there are many people out there who have had their policies for so long, that the maximums are still at $1-2 million. Happened to a friend and end of life care was horrific. It doesn't take much to reach that number and many people are unaware that there is a maximum. There simply should not be one.

I am shopping for a new more affordable plan, and guess what - most of them require more out of pocket expenses to see a doctor. It's either, pay a high premium, co-pays and co-insurance, or pay a lower premium with higher co-pays and co-insurance. The higher decutible plans simply deter people from going to the doctor because of the high out-of-pocket expenses, even if they need to see one.

I understand your concerns. I think cancellations are happening through legalease.....in other words, not because of the illness; I actually misunderstood your statement in your original post. Blue Cross of CA is a huge violator of this practice. I'm sure others are as well.

This is where reform is highly needed, but not the plan that has been proposed and might be on the floor this week because our President is rushing the vote.

I am one of those who believe in higher deductibles. A normal doctor visit for me with full labs will run about $300-$400 once/year. An HSA will offset those expenses.

I also believe in educating the people as to their responsibility, etc. I know someone whose child has cerebral palsy......they made immediate adjustments to their meager lifestyle, knowing not all of their child's care would be covered by their plan. I have never once heard them complain about their medical care, plan, expense.

I am an advocate for reform, but not nationalized medical care. I hope you find a plan that suits your medical needs, pocketbook and philosophy as there are many available.

 

[Kayak Fish]

Thank you seanote!

What I have noticed is that there is a real danger in some people on this board giving personal advice in areas where they have absolutely no expertise or competency, or they are using as a manner to scare people (political scare tactic)--it is usually the well off, more concerned with their own immediate circumstances, who are trying to manipulate the less well off to protect their own selfish interests!:angry:

Beware.

Ain't that the truth.