I purposely wrote the title of this post as if it's a fake news story that you might find online, but I really was surprised––and pleasantly so––when I signed up for my 2017 health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Premiums were lower.
I swear to you it's true. It might not be the same for everyone else, but if it's true for me, then it must be true for some other people, too.
After hearing all that bombast during the election about the cost of "Obamacare" going up, I went to healthcare.gov with trepidation, only to find that the plans most similar to the one I've had throughout 2016 were about $200/month less in cost.
BUT (there's always a butt) they didn't allow me to keep my doctor. So I used the filter on the site that would show me which plans would keep me seeing my beloved Dr. Lacroix and his loyal assistant Holly (I LOVE HER; SHE GOES THE EXTRA MILE FOR ME AND SAYS SHE'S JUST DOING HER JOB).
I found a plan that costs about $20/month less than I've been paying, and it has a much lower deductible. My insurance cost wouldn't have gone up unless my income had gone up significantly, or I'd ordered a super fancy plan.
If you're not familiar with Affordable Care Act plans, they are marked as Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Platinum costs more that $1,000 a month and has features I don't need. I've been in a silver plan every year, but in 2017, I move up to Gold.
Until Donald Trump takes my insurance away from me and I join the ranks of can't afford to go to the doctor and I can't get no prescription medications satisfaction.
Bah, humbug!
Thank you, President Obama.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
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| Thanks, fishducky!
And while I have your attention, here's a book recommendation:
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I admit I haven't read Mommy Tried To Kill Me yet, but it's waiting for me on my Kindle. I know I'll love it because Suzy Soro is hilarious. I loved her first book, Celebrity sTalker.
It's not too late to hop over to Amazon to order a book by Suzy Soro (the actress who got the last chocolate babka on Seinfeld) as a Christmas gift for yourself and to give to someone else who enjoys a good laugh.
A sarcastic laugh, kinda like the way I'll laugh on Inauguration Day.
With my friend Jim Beam in my hand.
Glad yours went down.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. It was a sweet surprise.
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ReplyDeleteSo glad it was less!! :)
And my coverage is better.
DeleteI've seen people complain about their premiums but whenever pressed on, "hey, have you shopped around?" The answer is always, "no." So what's your basis of comparison if you're just relaying your personal experience with your private insurance? Why lay that at the feet of the Affordable Care Act? It's not perfect, he said as much. Healthcare needed some change. The only way to get it through was with a boat load of concessions to greedy a-holes, and it would be up to successive generations to amend it. As is the way of our method of government controlled by special interests. The point was to get insurance to a bunch of people who couldn't get insurance because, for whatever reason (greed), the largest, wealthiest country on the planet can't get universal healthcare. It makes me furious. Don't like it, come up with a better plan that doesn't strip those with preexisting conditions of insurance forcing them into bankruptcy. Come up with a way that the impoverished don't have to be scared to go to the doctor when they're sick. Stamping your feet because your premiums went up under the current system while not acknowledging that the current system is benefiting the poor is selfish windbaggering. There, I'll end on making up a word on the site of someone who is very grammatically minded. Windbaggering.
ReplyDeleteI love inventing words. Windbaggering is a good one. Your comment describes exactly how I feel. Isn't it too damn bad if some people pay a bit more so the rest of us can have insurance! Why should I be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions, and who doesn't have pre-existing conditions? I also know someone who insists the Affordable Care Act is no good because she can't afford the insurance. Every time she says that, I ask, Have you called healthcare.gov and asked for help finding a plan? Her answer is always the same: No, I can't afford insurance.
DeleteHow the hell does she know if she won't try?
Janie, glad to hear your insurance premium went down. DH finally got a job (it's an hourly position for now) with no benefits. We are going to wait until this job turns into full-time employment before getting insurance, if we can. We've done without coverage since he got laid off in 2015, so a little while longer won't matter. :) I'm going to take a blog break until after the first, but I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and may God's blessings be with you in the coming new year, my friend!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the job. I hope you enjoy your break.
DeleteIt's "comforting" to know that the conservatives are going to FIX healthcare. I think the providers and pharmaceutical industry made it their mission to undo the president's plan.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that it's going to take them a few years to actually get rid of the Affordable Care Act. By then, Congress will probably have Democrats in the majority again. Who know? We might even have a different president before I'm totally fucked over.
DeleteI meant who knows, not who know. But you knew that, didn't you?
DeleteSo many things said during the election weren't true, especially the need to repeal Obamacare, which Republicans will find difficult to repeal.
ReplyDeleteYup!
DeleteThat's good to hear. Too bad a story like yours couldn't have come out prior to the election!
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
I couldn't sign up until after the election, and even if I'd trumpeted my story to the world, Donald Trump would have said it was a lie.
DeleteI don't understand American health insurance here you don't have to have it, in fact Tim and I don't have health insurance, we see a bulk billing doctor so we don't pay to see a doctor we can see whatever doctor we want and if we need to see a specialist we can see one through the public system so we don't have to pay for that also and same if we need a operation that is done through the public system, when dad had lung cancer he went through the public system didn't pay for anything at all, operation, chemo, radiation nothing
ReplyDeleteJo-Anne, what I understand about American health insurance is the same thing I understand about American society in general. Most of the people who have money want more money, and they don't care about the people who can't afford healthcare. We don't take care of each other.
DeleteI won't pretend to understand the American healthcare system. I don't know how it works and it really confuses me. We have universal healthcare in Canada and I'm good with that. And I'm also glad that your plan costs you less! In my opinion, healthcare should be a right not a privilege.
ReplyDeleteYes, healthcare should be a right and not a privilege, but a lot of Americans don't agree with that. Some think that people who don't have health insurance are too lazy to get a job with insurance benefits.
DeleteI had to deal with American health insurance on my parents' behalf (they lived in California) and it drove me batty! :( Plus, the costs are SO incredibly high for everything. Glad to know you got a price break on yours. We have universal healthcare here and that's a big relief for Canadians, although coverage for some things has declined. Still you never have to worry about going bankrupt because you're sick. (Don't believe the horror stories the Republicans have been spewing for years.)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie. I don't believe much of anything that comes out of the mouth of a Republican.
DeleteI love the Santa meme!
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays!
The same to you!
DeleteI know a lot of people who wouldn't have any health insurance at all if it weren't for the ACA. I'm glad your experience was good this year, and I shudder when I think how the new admin will screw things up for you and millions of other people. I'm very grateful for Medicare, but the GOP dudes want to mess with that, too. Pass the Jim Beam... (Have you tried the one infused with apple? YUMMY!)
ReplyDeleteI suspect I'll drink a lot during 2017, so thanks for the apple tip.
DeleteI'm so glad that you got good insurance at an affordable price, Janie! People tend to forget what it was like before Obamacare came in. I was the secretary of our local teacher's union, and I had a lot of information about procuring insurance for teachers along the Front Range of Colorado. In our district teachers were paying $1600+ a month to insure themselves and their children ~ not spouse. This was at the PPO level. They also had high deductibles and co-pays. The majority of teachers were paying more for their insurances than for their mortgages. This would be circa 2007-8. It's going to be fascinating to see how Trump repeals and replaces the ACA, especially when he's planning to keep the prohibition against denying one because of preexisting conditions and the provision for keeping kids on their parents' insurance until they are 26. I started drinking on election night ~ LOL! Take care!
ReplyDeleteI intend to stay drunk until we have a decent president.
DeleteI shudder to think what is going to happen to healthcare now that the orange terror is soon to be president...
ReplyDeleteAnywho, enough about him. I wish you a merry Christmas :)
I'm sorry. Losing access to meds is probably the scariest part about the collapse of health coverage and everything. There's gotta be a way to get the meds that we need to survive. I think I can always count on Costco. Do you have that store? Meds are fairly cheap there.
ReplyDeleteHang tough.
Love ya.
We might have a Costco somewhere. I think my doctor will make sure I get my most important meds. He's generous with the free samples.
Delete"I can't get no..."
ReplyDeleteDid you MEAN to word it that way?
;-)
Merry Christmas and congratulations on your health care!
I certainly did intend to work it that way, as in I can't get no satisfaction, Penwusser.
DeleteThat's really what I thought (you're far too smart to make a mistake like that). Well played!
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