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Yeesh... CNN reports that a woman the president hailed as an Obamacare success story in October, just realized she won't be able to afford Obamacare because it's too expensive:
"But days, just really three days after she was mentioned by the president, Jessica Sanford started having problems, she was receiving letters from the Washington state health exchange," reports CNN. "The first letter telling her that tax credit was reduced, therefore, increasing the cost of her health care plan and the, take a look at this, then she received a letter just last week telling her that her tax credit had been taken away all together. Show you another document here, showing what the tax credit worked out to be... zero dollars according to this document that was provided to us by Jessica Sanford. She describes all of this as a roller coaster ride. Now she says she can't afford insurance in Washington state because of the new developments."
(CNN) - A newly disclosed report indicates that officials in the Obama administration and the Department of Health and Human Services received warnings from a private consultant group that the federal online healthcare enrollment site could potentially fail to function properly for the October 1 launch date.
The analysis by McKinsey & Company was requested by the White House. It identified various problems with the exchange, including limited testing time and resources before the launch, and found that call-in centers wouldn't function properly if the website malfunctioned.
The Obama administration has come under fire for the botched October 1 launch of healthcare.gov. The site has been plagued with technical issues barring many enrollees from signing up for the federal exchange though the site. This report suggests problems were brought to the attention of key officials as early as March.
The administration has said the President didn't know of problems with the Affordable Care Act's website until after its fumbled rollout - even though insurance companies had been complaining and the site crashed during a pre-launch test run.
CNN received the report from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius received a briefing at the HHS headquarters with these concerns on April 4, along with acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Marilyn Tavenner and White House chief technology officer Todd Park. Park was also present at a briefing on March 28 at the CMS headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Despite assurances from Secretary Sebelius, Marilyn Tavenner, and Gary Cohen that ‘all was well’ and ‘on track’ with the launch of the Affordable Care Act, we now have documents dating back to April that call into question what they told us,” said Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Tim Murphy (R-Pennsylvania).
On Tuesday, a House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on the security of the federal healthcare website.
McKinsey's report says the group reviewed 200 documents and sources, interviewed about 40 people across a variety of federal agencies and participated in some meetings and work sessions. But the analysis did not include outside interviews with insurers or access computer code or programs.
The report also points to potential areas of risk that never became a significant issue - like the data hubs used by the state sites and the federal site, to verify applicants' income, citizenship and eligibility. Or prolonged call times, which have been brought down in the weeks following the launch.
The story was first reported by the Washington Post.
A self-professed Liberal Democrat expresses his frustration:
We received the letter in the mail a couple months ago. The good people at Regence Bluecross Blueshield were pleased to inform us that due to Obamacare our current low-monthly premium, comically-high deductible medical policy would no longer exist come January 1, 2014. Pleased, because a new and better plan would be offered in its place. Old monthly premium: $578 for a family of four (non-smoking, helmet-wearing, and paternally snipped). New premium: $1,123. A 94% increase.
Once the sound of boiling blood dissipated, in my head I heard my Republican friends chuckling at the sight of a liberal Democrat hoisted ten stories high on his own petard. How’s the view up there, Obamacare Ollie?
For the past 15 years my wife and I have made our living as freelance writers. (To young readers, I say: Do not do this. Your bliss is marvelous, but its following will need to be supported by a banker, plumber, union machinist or tenured faculty member.) As such, our health insurance is our own concern. Over the years we’ve held on to our coverage by letting our co-pay and deductible rise and our covered procedures fall. You may be aware that the three-tiered state exchange policies are labeled Gold, Silver, and Bronze, reflecting their price and level of coverage. If our policy still existed it would fall into the column of Wood [whembly: ].
But Wood we had—and Wood we liked.
No more. O.K., into the state exchange we go. I voted for it. Fair enough.
It is our good fortune to live in Washington State, where our Democratic governor embraced the Affordable Care Act and set up a state exchange that is, according to those who’ve studied such things, the best in the nation. The website allowed me to find a plan that looked reasonable. Premera Blue Cross had a Preferred Bronze 5500 for $889 a month. Okay. Not so bad. Downside: $3,600 more in annual premiums. Upside: Free eyeglasses for the boy!
The state exchange number put me on hold. I hung up and called Premera. “You can sign up with us directly,” a very helpful rep told me, “but if there’s a chance your income could qualify you for a subsidy, it’s best to go through the state exchange.”
So: Back to the exchange website. Enter birth dates, zip code, tobacco use, yadda yadda, monthly income. Stop. Ponder.
Which month, brother? For that matter, which year? Do you want gross, net, before SE (self-employment tax, a k a Social Security payments) or after? AGI (adjusted gross income) from last year’s 1040?
For every business futurist who hails the coming of the independent contracting economy, the future that is The Brand of You, there are thousands of us out here actually building The Brand of You. It ain’t an easy hustle. If you want to get an idea of our monthly and yearly incomes, imagine a sine wave drawn by a drunken sailor. Last year my wife and I, we made out all right. This year’s kinda lean. Which year did the exchange want? Unclear.
I went to a friend and colleague—let’s call him Peter—for advice. He also had his individual medical policy cancelled because of Obamacare. “I’m stuck on the same question—income,” he told me. Peter does a little writing, a little farming, a little this and that to keep the ship afloat. “I got through to the exchange, and the woman there told me to just estimate what my income would be this year.” In other words: Make it up. If he overestimated, he’d be screwing himself out of a subsidy, Peter said. If he underestimated, he’d be hit with a big fat bill. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t also be accused of fraud. So he called his accountant, who’s also a lawyer.
That only got him so far. At a certain point in the conversation, the accountant/lawyer had to get off the phone. “I have to stop answering your questions,” he told Peter. “I can’t ethically advise you, because honestly I don’t know the right thing to do. Nobody does. There are no answers. Right now it’s a complete clusterfeth.”
Last week the frustration of people like Peter and me—Obamacare supporters who lost their current plans—was heard by the White House, which promptly panicked. On Thursday, President Obama announced a policy change that would allow insurance companies like Regence to keep customers like me on the old Wood plan for one more year. To that I say: Hah! Thanks for nothing.
The idea that an insurer like Regence can, or will, spin on a dime and revive our ol’ $587 Woody within the next six weeks is absurd. It skews the market and undermines the entire premise of the Affordable Care Act – which is that by balancing the halt (allowing pre-existing conditions) and the hale (forcing robust young adults to get in the pool), the exchanges will over time produce a system that offers quality health care at a price my family can afford.
Even Mike Kreidler, the deep-blue Democrat who serves as my state’s insurance commissioner, can’t support it. Hours after getting off a conference call with the White House on Thursday, Kreidler announced that the State of Washington would tell President Obama to stuff it. “In the interest of keeping the consumer protections we have enacted and ensuring that we keep health insurance costs down for all consumers, we are staying the course,” Kreidler said. “We will not be allowing insurance companies to extend their policies.”
Which is how I found myself applauding Mike Kreidler and seething at a President I helped elect. Out here in the Land of the Brand of You, we don’t want cheap twelve-month extensions. We’re willing to suck it up and pay our fair share for health insurance. We want the exchanges to work. We’re not demanding a last-minute reprieve that threatens the stability of the entire system. What we’re asking for is clarity and competence.
Keep hoping Bruce... but I'd recommend not holding your breath.
President Obama's job approval rating has plunged to the lowest of his presidency, according to a new CBS News poll released Wednesday, and Americans' approval of the Affordable Care Act has dropped it's lowest since CBS News started polling on the law.
Thirty-seven percent now approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, down from 46 percent in October -- a nine point drop in just a month. Mr. Obama's disapproval rating is 57 percent -- the highest level for this president in CBS News Polls.
A rocky beginning to the opening of the new health insurance exchanges has also taken its toll on how Americans perceive the Affordable Care Act. Now, approval of the law has dropped to 31 percent - the lowest number yet recorded in CBS News Polls, and a drop of 12 points since last month. Sixty-one percent disapprove (a high for this poll), including 46 percent who say they disapprove strongly.
Republicans are nearly unanimous in their disapproval of the law, and now more than two-thirds of independents agree. Almost six in ten Democrats continue to support the law, but their support has dropped 16 points from last month - from 74 percent in October to 58 percent today. Support has dropped 11 points among independents and five points among Republicans.
More than a month after the health care exchanges opened, just one in 10 Americans think the sign-up for the exchanges has been going well. Instead, more than two-thirds think it's not going well - including seven in 10 of those who have looked up information on the exchanges themselves.
And just a third of Americans are confident that the federal government's healthcare website - HealthCare.gov - will be fixed by the December 1st deadline set by the Obama administration.
Thirty-four percent are at least somewhat confident, while almost two thirds are either not very or not at all confident. Fifty-five percent of Democrats are at least somewhat confident.
Just seven percent of Americans think the Affordable Care Act is working well and should be kept in place as it is. Far more, 48 percent, think there are some good things in the law, but changes are needed to make it work better, and another 43 percent think the law needs to be repealed entirely.
The president's overall job approval rating has declined among many demographic groups since last month, including independents (a 12-point drop), men (down 9 points), and women (a 10-point drop). More women now disapprove than approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president.
When compared to recent two-term presidents, President Obama's approval rating is similar to that of George W. Bush at this point in his presidency, but lower than the ratings of both Bill Clinton (58 percent) and Ronald Reagan (65 percent). In November 2005, 35 percent of Americans approved of the job President Bush was doing. That number mostly declined over the rest of his term, hitting a low of 20 percent in October 2008.
President Obama has also taken a hit on views of his honesty. During the presidential campaign last fall, 60 percent of voters said Mr. Obama was honest and trustworthy, but just 49 percent of Americans think that today.
Most Democrats (84 percent) say the president is honest and trustworthy, but most Republicans don't think he is (77 percent). Independents are more divided in their assessments: 43 percent think President Obama is honest and trustworthy, but 53 percent don't think he is.
Whew. Wonder how many Dem regretting of shotgunning this through when they had control of both houses
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Jihadin wrote: Whew. Wonder how many Dem regretting of shotgunning this through when they had control of both houses
Guess we'll see how pissed the voters are about getting their coverage screwed over or being on deck to get it screwed over (employer mandate) come the next election. Hopfuly there'll be a lot less Democratic senators and Congressmen.
Possible for 50-100 million people to have their insurance cancelled when the employer mandate kicks in. That'll be a nice October surprise for the Mid-Terms...
reds8n wrote: I think perhaps we're straying off from the actual topic a bit too far. The odd diversion is both inevitable and at times desirable, but I think we're best served moving off from this particular tangent.
Thanks.
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so , just to make sure i have the score correct here.
so far, millions are now out of insurance, with more millions to come once the employer mandate kicks in.
so far, only a few hundred thousand have used OB care to get insurance, with some of the poster people for the OB successes, actually turning out to be posters for what is wrong with OB care.
easysauce wrote: so , just to make sure i have the score correct here.
so far, millions are now out of insurance, with more millions to come once the employer mandate kicks in.
so far, only a few hundred thousand have used OB care to get insurance, with some of the poster people for the OB successes, actually turning out to be posters for what is wrong with OB care.
easysauce wrote: so , just to make sure i have the score correct here.
so far, millions are now out of insurance, with more millions to come once the employer mandate kicks in.
so far, only a few hundred thousand have used OB care to get insurance, with some of the poster people for the OB successes, actually turning out to be posters for what is wrong with OB care.
Yeah, but really who is keeping score?
Definitely no Obamacare supporters.
Law of the Land! Remember when that used to be proclaimed loud and proud by those that tried to say it was a great thing?
So HHS just announced they're pushing the 2015 individual enrollment period until after the midterms, too.
This tells me that all their meetings with insurance execs haven't been encouraging, and it's looking like a death spiral. Premiums will be even higher during the 2015 enrollment period, thus, pushing the start of it back until after the Democrats attempt to salvage some seats.
Seaward wrote: So HHS just announced they're pushing the 2015 individual enrollment period until after the midterms, too.
This tells me that all their meetings with insurance execs haven't been encouraging, and it's looking like a death spiral. Premiums will be even higher during the 2015 enrollment period, thus, pushing the start of it back until after the Democrats attempt to salvage some seats.
So remind me again of the legal basis for this delay. After all before the shutdown the Republicans were told that any delay would be illegal and unconstitutional, and it was the refusal to consider a delay that caused the shutdown. It is looking more like the SS Obamacare has been holed below the waterline and it's all Democrat hands bailing her out so she stays afloat and limps to shore.
Can we now label this administration hostage takers and terrorists?
Because, that's what the GOP wanted (well... not exactly, but the effects are about the same) during the budget deals that Reid/Obama shutdown the government over.
No, they're just un-American anti-constitutional kidnapping terrorists. I bet they're communists as well.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/11/22 17:15:09
See, you're trying to use people logic. DM uses Mandelogic, which we've established has 2+2=quack. - Aerethan
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One of the basic tenets of Obamacare is that the government will help lower-income Americans — anyone making less than about $45,900 a year — pay for the health insurance everyone is now mandated to have.
But a CNN analysis shows that in the largest city in nearly every state, many low-income younger Americans won’t get any subsidy at all. Administration officials said the reason so many Americans won’t receive a subsidy is that the cost of insurance is lower than the government initially expected. Subsidies are calculated using a complicated formula based on the cost of insurance premiums, which can vary drastically from state to state, and even county to county.
That doesn’t change the fact that in Chicago, a 27-year old will receive no subsidy to help offset premiums of more than $165 a month if he makes more than $27,400 a year.
In Portland, Oregon, subsidies for individuals making just $28,725 a year phase out for those younger than 35 years old.
Where’s the anonymous shopping perk? Obamacare through the lens of history Roundtable: Obamacare and 2014 elections
The subsidies situation is adding another layer of complications and calculations to the already-complex picture of Obamacare.
And Obama administration officials had promised that the threshold for government assistance would be higher.
Didn't a record number of youths vote for Obama/Democrats in '08 and '12?
I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
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xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
That sucks man...
Maybe consider not having insurance (if you're healthy) and just pay the penalty during tax time? (please talk to your cpa about that).
xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
That sucks man...
Maybe consider not having insurance (if you're healthy) and just pay the penalty during tax time? (please talk to your cpa about that).
xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
That sucks man...
Maybe consider not having insurance (if you're healthy) and just pay the penalty during tax time? (please talk to your cpa about that).
At $200 a month, the penalty would cost more.
Yeah... you're right... I thought it was only $85 this year...
Automatically Appended Next Post: EDIT:
Well... actually for the first year the penalty is the greater of 1% of your income or $95 per uninsured adult, $47.50 for each uninsured child, up to $285 per family per year. In 2015 and 2016, the penalty increases. But right now, it seems that the penalty is less expensive than buying insurance.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Here's the chart:
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/11/24 03:38:02
xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
That sucks man...
Maybe consider not having insurance (if you're healthy) and just pay the penalty during tax time? (please talk to your cpa about that).
I'd wager someone that can't afford $200 a month for insurance probably doesn't have a CPA on retainer......
xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
Edit: Nevermind, misread what you were saying. However, you might be able to get an exemption:
You may qualify for an exemption if:
You’re uninsured for less than 3 months of the year; The lowest-priced coverage available to you would cost more than 8% of your household income; You don’t have to file a tax return because your income is too low; You’re a member of a federally recognized tribe or eligible for services through an Indian Health Services provider; You’re a member of a recognized health care sharing ministry; You’re a member of a recognized religious sect with religious objections to insurance, including Social Security and Medicare; You’re incarcerated, and not awaiting the disposition of charges against you; and You’re not lawfully present in the U.S.
It should also be noted that if your income is less than 133% of the federal poverty level, you will be relieved of this penalty.
Hardship exemptions
If you have any of the circumstances below that affect your ability to purchase health insurance coverage, you may qualify for a “hardship” exemption:
You were homeless. You were evicted in the past 6 months or were facing eviction or foreclosure. You received a shut-off notice from a utility company. You recently experienced domestic violence. You recently experienced the death of a close family member. You experienced a fire, flood, or other natural or human-caused disaster that caused substantial damage to your property. You filed for bankruptcy in the last 6 months. You had medical expenses you couldn’t pay in the last 24 months. You experienced unexpected increases in necessary expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled, or aging family member. You expect to claim a child as a tax dependent who’s been denied coverage in Medicaid and CHIP, and another person is required by court order to give medical support to the child. In this case, you do not have the pay the penalty for the child. As a result of an eligibility appeals decision, you’re eligible for enrollment in a qualified health plan (QHP) through the Marketplace, lower costs on your monthly premiums, or cost-sharing reductions for a time period when you weren’t enrolled in a QHP through the Marketplace. You were determined ineligible for Medicaid because your state didn’t expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2013/11/24 07:07:10
Looking for a club in Brisbane, Australia? Come and enjoy a game and a beer at Pubhammer, our friendly club in a pub at the Junction pub in Annerley (opposite Ace Comics), Sunday nights from 6:30. All brisbanites welcome, don't wait, check out our Club Page on Facebook group for details or to organize a game. We play all sorts of board and war games, so hit us up if you're interested.
Pubhammer is Moving! Starting from the 25th of May we'll be gaming at The Junction pub (AKA The Muddy Farmer), opposite Ace Comics & Games in Annerley! Still Sunday nights from 6:30 in the Function room Come along and play Warmachine, 40k, boardgames or anything else!
xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
You earn $2400 a year? Is that one day a week or something? You won't have to pay the penalty then, as you're earning well under 138% of the poverty level, and are therefore exempt from having to have insurance, and you should also be eligible for medicade.
So basically, Obamacare changes your position not a jot.
What a wonderful thing the that "The law of the land", Obamacare, is turning out to be. I wonder how many Republicans are going to be voted in because of it.
Relapse wrote: What a wonderful thing the that "The law of the land", Obamacare, is turning out to be. I wonder how many Republicans are going to be voted in because of it.
'Cuz the government shutdown was all their fault... dontcha know?
Relapse wrote: What a wonderful thing the that "The law of the land", Obamacare, is turning out to be. I wonder how many Republicans are going to be voted in because of it.
'Cuz the government shutdown was all their fault... dontcha know?
I love the way the Democrats and media were trying to say Obamacare was a Republican concept once everything to do with it started going to gak. Interesting statements considering every Republican voted against it.
xraytango wrote: I just checked my state's exchange site. Wow, $200 per month, where do I get that? I thought this was supposed to be the AFFORDABLE care act.
To give you perspective that would equal a bit over one month's wages. So I lose a month's wage for the year. Thanks Prez, I just got regular employment again and am finally starting to get my head above water, and you want to take a month's wage from me?
You earn $2400 a year? Is that one day a week or something? You won't have to pay the penalty then, as you're earning well under 138% of the poverty level, and are therefore exempt from having to have insurance, and you should also be eligible for medicade.
So basically, Obamacare changes your position not a jot.
No, he's saying he earns $2400 a month.
Ah, right. Edited the comment then.
Looking for a club in Brisbane, Australia? Come and enjoy a game and a beer at Pubhammer, our friendly club in a pub at the Junction pub in Annerley (opposite Ace Comics), Sunday nights from 6:30. All brisbanites welcome, don't wait, check out our Club Page on Facebook group for details or to organize a game. We play all sorts of board and war games, so hit us up if you're interested.
Pubhammer is Moving! Starting from the 25th of May we'll be gaming at The Junction pub (AKA The Muddy Farmer), opposite Ace Comics & Games in Annerley! Still Sunday nights from 6:30 in the Function room Come along and play Warmachine, 40k, boardgames or anything else!
].
Come along and play Warmachine, 40k, boardgames or anything else! 