Turns out the sky isn't falling. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/final-word-on-obamacare-coverage-cheaper-than-expected Chart included at the website. Final Word On Obamacare Coverage: Cheaper Than Expected Though there will be variations across the country, most Americans will be able to choose from multiple health insurance plans and pay lower-than-expected premiums for coverage on the Obamacare health insurance marketplaces, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to the administration's analysis of data for the 36 states participating in the federal marketplace, with some additional information from 11 states with state-based marketplaces, 95 percent of Americans will be able to choose between two or more health insurance carriers and will live in states where premiums are lower than originally estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. It's the definitive look at the insurance market with less than a week to go until the marketplaces open for enrollment. "We've done a pretty good job of getting affordable options on the shelves," Jeanne Lambrew, deputy assistant for health policy to Obama, told reporters Tuesday in advance of the report's public release. "That is success that we've gotten to the point where we can say that." On average, people will have a choice of 56 different insurance plans -- depending on which state you live in, though, that figure could range from seven (in Alabama) to 106 (in Arizona). The average number of insurers in a state is eight, though that again ranges from one to 13 in different states. As for premiums, before tax credits kick in, they will average 16 percent below the Congressional Budget Office's original estimates for a silver-level plan (which covers 70 percent of costs). The number of insurers in a state is directly tied to how low premiums will be, Lambrew noted. Arizona, with an average of 106 plans to choose from, had the lowest average premium for a 27-year-old adult: $166 a month. Wyoming, with an average of 16 plans, had the highest average premium at $342 a month. But then the tax credits take effect. Those knock the premium for that 27-year-old, projected to earn $25,000, down to $145 in most states. For a family of four making $50,000, the credits take the premium price down from more than $1,000 in some states to $282. The numbers before and after tax credits drop even further for bronze-level plans (which cover 60 percent of costs), often below $100 on average when tax credits are accounted for. White House officials routinely note a recent study that found 6 in 10 uninsured Americans will be able to purchase coverage for less than $100 a month. Some might still find it preferable to pay the individual mandate penalty ($95 for the year or 1 percent of their income, whichever is greater), as Kaiser Health News reported Tuesday. The marketplaces open for enrollment Oct. 1. Coverage starts Jan. 1, 2014.
Also notable is that if the plans cost less, it means the subsidies are less. That means the whole Obamacare program costs less since the subsidies are a big part of the cost.
haha enjoy what's coming middle classers I know a little more tax dollars isn't going to change a thing for the $150,000+ annually club. The lower and middle class will get health care but it will be on their dime and at the expense of a reduction in their hours at work and the potential loss of their job.
Yeah, young people never use health care. They never get injured. Or any type of illness. Cancer only affects old people. 27 year olds never get pregnant. And those mythical ones that do never have complications or use the doctor for anything.
Stupid, post is stupid. I found out through our corporate HR that thanks to this, our insurance rates corporate wide (over 50,000 employees) will actually be going down in price. I like that.
major do tell me what an extra $166/month does to the average american household has an income of just over $50,000/year. Barely $4,000/month and you think that an additional $166/month is nothing? Last I checked a 4% increase is quite significant to people who are barely getting by.
Did this family already have health insurance prior to this? If YES, then they aren't spending this extra $166/month. If NO, then they are saving all sorts of money on health care that they were already spending, unless this was a family of Superpeople that never got sick or injured and was at no risk of getting cancer or in car wrecks or anything else. Regardless, it's not simply adding that cost to their monthly bill.
I've budgeted for a torn ACL that I'll injure at age 35 in a pickup basketball game and cancer at 55. I'm preserving my freedom to be ill when I damn well please, just like founders intended. Franklin never caught a case syphilis he didn't plan for.
Yes, they are going to be lower than originally thought....not lower than they currently are. Take Tennessee for example. It is going to triple men's premiums and double women's. http://washingtonexaminer.com/white...-290-women-197-obamacare-hike/article/2536363 Coupled with those higher costs come less choices as insurers narrow their coverage. The Manhattan Institute's analysis of HHS' numbers says it will increase the average individual-market premiums by 99% for men and 62% for women. http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapot...-by-99-for-men-62-for-women/?partner=yahootix In Kentucky a family saw a 3-fold increase in premiums overnight. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/24/Obamacare-Triples-KY-Family-s-Insurance-Overnight Are these people not American? Do we just forget about their rates increasing at substantial rates? The stories go on in states all across the country. Obamacare is increasing premiums, not lowering them.
You know what was much worse than any other this? Having a pre-existing condition under the old system. My answer to this is: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Wow, this is a terrible statement / article. First off, the analysis states that for young men and young women, who get the biggest increase - not men and women as a whole. The article got that part right (that was just wrong here). The article seriously whiffed on it's conclusions, though. Average premiums didn't go up that much - it was actually average minimum premiums: The first comparison is between the cheapest plan available to 27-year-olds pre- and post-Obamacare. That is, the cheapest possible plan is more expensive on the exchange. Two problems here. One, the exchange plans have much more coverage than the alternative - so you're paying more, but you're also getting far more. Second, if you really want the old plan, you can most likely still get it - it just wouldn't be on the exchange or qualify for a subsidy. And depending on your income, you may have to pay a penalty, so that old low-end plan would cost a bit more. In the end, that article title ("Double Down: Obamacare Will Increase Avg. Individual-Market Insurance Premiums By 99% For Men, 62% For Women") is completely and totally false, according to the article's own data. It's only true if everyone owns the cheapest policies.
