Wednesday, October 26, 2016

GOP tries to set your hair on fire regarding Obamacare; Trump's solution is a fraud


Beware of near election  time ‘surprises’  Obamacare news that premiums will increase for 2017 is  one of those “surprises”, but it is hardly new news since it was predicted months ago..  It has become one  issue that sounds worse than it is. Donald Trump and the GOP have tried to set your hair on fire.  Get your insurance from your employer, a subsidy (tax credit; premium assistance) from Connect for Health Colorado exchange (over 85,000),  Medicare, and Medicaid? The Obamacare premium increases will not affect you.

Trump's non solution to health care is to .repeal and increase competition across state boundaries is a fraud.  That solution has already been dissed by the Congressional Budget Office  and recently  others of having  little impact on affordability..The higher standards set by Obamacare for coverage and the forbidding of the unfair, anti patient practices would go away..It’s back to the bad old days..

Repeal it is the uniform GOP campaign platform. So far after eight years of trying, the GOP has not been able to come up with a viable replacement. that would cover the same numbers more cheaply, either, or would keep the improvements in coverage .

You will hear you have no choice of insurers because they have deserted Obamacare. In Colorado, exchanges still  have  three private  provider companies participating, but it will depend upon the plan you choose. if Obamacare is repealed and include  Medicaid expansion, up to 20 million in the US  will have no choice of insurers because they can no longer afford any insurance, just as they were before Obamacare.

if you get your insurance from an exchange and you get a subsidy  because the subsidy will increase to offset the  premium increase.  If you get your insurance from your employer, or military related insurance, that will not be impacted by Obamacare premium increases.  If you are on Medicare and Medicaid, you will not see an increase in out of pocket obligations due to Obamacare premium increases, But those who earn too much money to be qualified  for subsidies.who do  get insurance from the state exchange will see the hike. These are self-employed or work for a small business not required to provide health insurance for their employees (with a workforce with under 50 employees). That gap needs to be fixed by Congress.

Watch out, too, for sound good solutions like “let the free market do it.”  That is why we got Obamacare in the first place because the free market nationwide failed, provided bad coverage, failed to cover pre-existing conditions, kicked people off insurance if they exceeded caps, discriminated against women, and then charged them premiums that they could not afford.  It left nearly 30 million without insurance. Obamacare fixed those bad practices for all insurance, whether employer or privately or exchange provided and actually lowered the cost curve. All insurance was predicted to get more expensive regardless of Obamacare or not, but at least the increases are less than they would have been and premiums are still 12% lower than originally predicted when the law was drafted.

In Colorado on the ballot Nov. 8 , is  amendment 69, is another choice: a single payer system.  There is no free lunch and the taxation to pay for it is very steep though proponents claim consumers will still come out ahead because of savings to them and it is long term financially viable. Those claims are  highly controversial. Inform yourself before voting.by going to the state issued ‘blue book” at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cga-legislativecouncil/ballotblue-book

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http://khn.org/news/health-insurance-across-state-lines/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/briefing-amid-price-hikes-where-obamacare-stands-161900023.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=fb


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