California Health insurance shoppers suffer sticker shock

[Jesus Malverde]

Shelly Ross of San Francisco was looking forward to the opening of the new health insurance marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act because she was hoping to get a better deal.

But now that she's seen her options, Ross is disappointed. Turns out she earns slightly too much money to qualify for federal financial aid to help her buy coverage in the state's exchange, called Covered California. And because policies have to be upgraded to comply with the new law, her rates are going up nearly 10 percent.

"Every plan is going to cost more than what I pay now. And what I pay now is ridiculous," said Ross, 47, who owns a cat-sitting business called Tales of the Kitty and pays more than $400 a month for her insurance. "It's a great thing for some people, but it's certainly not helping me."

Ross is among the millions of Americans who buy coverage on their own, but must find new coverage because the health law has rendered their current policies outdated. But Ross, like many others, is not finding the plans sold through the Affordable Care Act to be particularly affordable.

http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Health-insurance-shoppers-suffer-sticker-shock-4872701.php

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. Her kitty business brings in more than $45,000 a year?

because that is the cap on subsidies for single people...


this is more crap reporting.

[Schema Thing]

2. I'm skeptical. She's going to pay >$440.00?

That doesn't comport with the headlines from a couple of months ago stating CA had surprisingly low rates.

My rates in TX will be around 300 for a Silver plan, it's looking like; and I'm 50.

[dflprincess]

3. Rates will vary depending on where you live

even within the same state.

Minnesota will have some of the lowest rates and I saw one article where someone my age would be paying nearly $100 more in New York than I would here. Even within Minnesota, I've seen estimates where the coverage varies about $50/month between the metro area and rural areas (cheaper in the metro).

[DBoon]

7. If we could get $440 a month

we'd be very happy

She's 47 years old. She should be happy she can get insurance at all

[obliviously]

4. Wow this is fantastic

We would probably have to pay like 1000 per month without this here affordable care, we are so fortunate.

I wonder how we will eat now?

[on point]

5. Lets work on single payer and eliminate the insurance companies

[Barack_America]

6. Or at least a public option.

Need a larger pool to spread the risk to truly reduce costs.

[obliviously]

8. Well then again

She could always eat the fucking cats.

[kestrel91316]

9. I, OTOH, will be able to buy insurance for the first time in years, and the

nice subsidy makes that possible.

I'm having trouble working up sympathy for somebody who makes well upwards of $40k and yet can't seem to handle $400/mo for what probably is at least a silver plan like the one I'm getting.