I had to change policies and doctors yesterday.

[rateyes]

My employer is no longer offering coverage through through the provider I was using. I had to switch to a new provider, and my doctor is not in that provider's network. Plus, my premium went up over 10%.

The plans for me at healthcare.gov are a lot more expensive.

This is what happens to folks like me because we don't have single-payer or a public option.

I am most upset that I have to find a new doctor. We were told that would not happen.

Still, I am glad others are getting help they didnt have before. I wish I had some of the options they have in the marketplace.

[Motown_Johnny]

1. Do you qualify for a subsidy?

[rateyes]

2. No. I make a couple of thousand more than

the threshold.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. I'm sorry you have to switch doctors.

I've been seeing the same doctors for many years and I would hate to have to start all over again with new ones. They hardly ever want to leave your meds and everything else like they already were. They have to go and change a couple of things and that throws everything off. A lot of them just will not listen to their patients. If you don't like your new doctor, don't feel bad about finding another one. You have to do what's right for you. Good luck.

[ebbie15644]

4. I am sorry you had to leave your doctor

that can be extremely hard. Employers change plans often though and I don't believe you can blame this solely on ACA

[riqster]

27. ^^^This^^^

We need to remember that this sort of thing predates the ACA. And until we load up the Congress and the Supreme Court with Dems, we won't get to single payer, which will solve these problems.

[mercuryblues]

5. our

insurance providers have changed 3 times over the last 10 years or so. With that comes a different list of network providers. Our primary care physician was kind enough to accept the insurance changes without charging us the difference in payment.

[FlaGranny]

6. Employer coverage -

The last time I was covered by employer-provided insurance, they changed companies every time they could get a better deal. Sometimes it was yearly and rarely were the same doctors ever available. It stinks, but this is not an ACA thing. This is your employer looking for the cheapest alternative and it is one reason that employers should not be responsible for insurance. Single payer with all doctors belonging is the only answer.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. I agree.

I went through the same thing back when I had employer insurance. They got to where they changed companies every year. It never was a good idea for people to have to depend on their employers for insurance. If it's part of a benefits package, fine, but most workers don't have the kind of jobs that offer nice benefits. When we get sick, we should just be able to go see the doctor. Keep it simple.

And depending on insurance companies for care was also a stupid idea. Does somebody need to be making a profit every time we do anything in this country? Fuck the middlemen.

[fasttense]

7. I was getting health care through the military from TriCare Prime

It was a great program, I had premiums of about $500 a year, $25 for a day in the hospital, $12 co-pay and no other costs aside from medicines. But they did away with it in the South (I understand you can still get the program if you live in the North) unless you live near a military base (now why would you pay for a program if you lived near a military base, when at the base you can get all your medical needs filled for free?).

They were trying to force us onto TriCare Standard where a day in the hospital costs $250.00, a $1,5000 deductible per person and 20% copay with no premiums. It is a very bad program for retired military people who were guaranteed Free health care for life. And since my husband is a disabled vet he is in the hospital allot. If we moved near a base we could have of course gotten it cheaper. But then we would have to sell our farm and we probably would NOT get it's value in this market.

So, we went to the VA. We were very lucky to find a first class VA hospital only an hours drive from our farm. My husband is on 9 different meds for blood pressure and he had to change his doctor in the middle of getting out of the hospital. But it was the best thing that ever happened to us. The doctors at the VA are so good. They even call him at home to check on him. The doctor under TriCare Prime was very casual about my husbands medical problems and we just thought all doctors were like that.

If you are a military vet, check out the VA near you. You might be pleasantly surprised. Yeah, socialized medicine. Every American deserves it.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

17. If you aren't able to get your care from the VA

Please look again at TriCare Standard. The deductible is $150 per person/$300 per family per year, and many services are not subject to the deductible. TriCare Standard (and Extra) do qualify as acceptable under the ACA, so preventative care has no deductible and no cost-share.

The only drawback I've seen is that it takes TriCare a long time to pay the providers, but they do pay eventually.

[fasttense]

30. That's not the deductible quoted me by the people at TriCare

and the $250 a day at hospitals will wipe us out since he's in the hospital so much.

The preventive services are nice but they aren't expensive anyway because we are way pass preventive services. TriCare pays just as quickly as TriCare Prime did but under TriCare, I get to pay an extra 20% of everything. So, no it is not a good program if you gave 25 years of your life to the military and they promised you FREE health care for life. If I had known they were going to make me pay for my FREE medical care for life, I would have moved near a military facility.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

33. Yeah, the hospital costs would add up quickly

Sorry they gave you the wrong deductible, but it sounds like the VA works well for you, so that's good.

I use TriCare Standard as a secondary payer to the insurance I have through my job. I'm in a different region than you, so that may account for the difference in how long it takes to pay. After a trip to the ER in October 2011, it took TriCare almost 11 months to pay the hospital, but since they aren't primary for me, the doctors get the bulk of their payment quickly from BC/BS, so they don't bug me about it.

[sammytko]

21. I live just 30 miles from lackland AFB and its hard

To just go in to see a doctor. I still have Tricare Prime and have a local doctor.

I am also disabled vet and go to the VA southside clinic once a year.

The military hospitals and clinics really do not want to serve retired people. Their focus is on active duty. They will, but sort of discourage it.

[fasttense]

32. I know it's weird how they took away our TriCare Prime

First they raised the premiums then they took it all away. The website says they are NOT offering TriCare Prime in the Southern region unless you live near a base. They keep saying if we live near a military facility we could get TriCare Prime again. But like I said selling off our farm now and moving would lose us a lot of its value. I used TriCare standard about 8 years ago and it was a complete nightmare. They always sent back our claims at least once to tell us how we didn't dot our i's or cross our t's so we had to pay thousands and the Doctor was charging us the full rate. I was always on the phone trying to figure out what code was wrong this time. Then the deductible counts on some things and not on others. Then the co-pay is different on different things. It was hell to figure out. That's why we went to TriCare Prime.

Thank god the VA here is absolutely wonderful. So, far they have not charged us for the hospital and emergency room visits and they claim we don't owe but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[Cigar11]

8. When is the last tme Premiums didn't go up?

I honestly can’t remember the last time my premiums didn’t go up. ObamaCare has ZERO to with premiums going up. Premium increases are an Insurance Companies decades long tradition.

[glowing]

20. The premium change could also be part of the pay formula..

A lot of companies that offer insurance plans are offsetting their costs by putting more of the burden on the employee. There isn't any paperwork that shows anyone just how much the actual plan costs. No one knows exactly the % that the employer is paying and the employee is paying. And they tend to shop yearly for the best deal on their bottom line; not what is best for their employee OR with any regard as to how co-pays and deductions will effect the employee or their family if there is a real medical situation that arises.

This also effects the Doctors and hospitals that the plan covers if the employer switches the plan every year. Insurance companies tend to give a great introductory price for the first year, but after the first year OR a year in which the company has to many people utilizing the plan on costly care (like cancer or too many pregnancies, etc), the plan cost increases to the employer. Also, the size of the company and the amount of people in a plan and paying toward the overall insurance package will determine just how much money one will have to pay.

I've had mentioned to me by various lawyers when they were helping me with our custody case, our home modification, and eventually my bankruptcy, that our insurance costs for the family plan that come from my husband's pay check is extremely high considering that his pay isn't that high. If he didn't have to pay suck a high cost for insurance, he would bring home much more money, his take home pay and raises would increase much more readily, and I would be able to use the money from my job to pay toward getting a masters degree and work toward a PhD in science. Currently, my check helps to subsidize the loss of income to the insurance co's, pay for the second car we must maintain and also insure, and help with the grocery bill.

We desperately need a single payer type of system. If we had that, I honestly doubt it would be costing us $600/ month out of our paychecks (and our combined income is right around $50,000/ yr). $7200 is a lot of money that could be used by our family and many families with a similar employer covered ins plan to help with the cost of living and to have some $ to put away for savings and maybe a vacation together.

When real families are being squeezed everywhere, minimum wage is kept at a poverty threshold, and "middlemen" and private corporations are supposed to be "cheaper" and offer competition in the marketplace, yet don't, we are just throwing away our tax money that could be used to help more people in a better way thru the govt. As an example, our water/sewer and electric: these publicly needed items are mostly run by private corporations. They are supposed to make things cheaper, run more efficiently, and offer the best types of services, however, when was the last time anyone had the option of choosing a competing electric company or water/ sewer system? And what is their incentive to make system changes that would cost them money and decrease their profits? If the govt provided these items, it would be easier for the govt to subsidize people who make less (rather than having low income heating help passed onto a private company to keep grannies lights on and heat running so she doesn't freeze to death), any changes that we wanted to have done (like a smart electric grid and changing over to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geo-thermal, etc), could be implemented much more quickly and without passing a bill and handing out tax breaks and subsidy incentives - the money would stay in house. And why not hire directly to people in these types of jobs? The govt could hire the proper amount of people it needs; not operate a skeleton crew that cannot keep up with maintenance.

And how about Internet speed, cable access, phone services. We are behind other countries because their is no incentive for the corporations to add more service to rural areas, to not monopolize the pricing schemes, or to improve services that will cost them more... And on the other side, they buy politicians so that communities who decide to band together and provide these services for their community, are kept from doing so by the politicians making it illegal for citizens to create their own tax payer created services.

And the Feds really screw us with these fee trade agreements. Towns across America are decimated because they cannot implement special taxation or tariffs on imported goods... That was one of the BIG ideas behind our Revolution War and the combining the states together after the war.. To implement tariffs to and to protect the states from being harmed as an individual state.

Long bird walk about insurance.. But we get screwed every which way to Sunday and twice on Thursday. We need to get the money out of politics! We also desperately need to start finding and helping people who care for The People to make their way into the offices from dog catcher to Senator, and especially in the judicial branch. It's way past time we start valuing people, the environment, and our present and future as they were more important than money, corporations, and things.

[ehrnst]

10. You are looking at the possibility of changing doctors every time your employer changes

changes insurance policies. Your physician may also decide not to participate in a particular insurance plan.

This is not because of the ACA, it's because of the way private insurance has run, and will continue to run under the ACA.

Obama should have said - "You will not be required to change physicians any more than you would the current employer-provided coverage system requires you to now. It's all still private insurance, and subject to the same limitations as it has been. "

But that doesn't fit into a speech very well.

Premiums have been skyrocketing for years. Some companies in states where there are no regulations have been jacking up prices in anticipation of Obamacare, just like gas stations hike prices when an evacuation is ordered for a hurricane.

You don't blame the officials ordering the evacuation, though.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. What sort of reform is it that leaves all the flaws in place for the sake of profiting from the

sick?

[ehrnst]

23. It's the only reform that was offered. Do you really think that single payer

would possibly pass in this climate?

It's an average of 19 years between major health care reforms. This was what was achieved this time, and it's better than letting things go the way they were.

[glowing]

26. There have been some changes..

Ins companies can only profit 20% off of the plans; anytime they do not pay outn80% toward medical care, there I supposed to be a rebate. I believe there will be some tax deductions people can make, there is no lifetime/ annual coverage cap on care, kids can stay on parents plans until they are 26, mammograms, colonoscopies, annual physicals, are to be "free" ie no co-pay to go for these preventative care screenings which can save a ton of money in the long run if something is caught ahead of an ER trip for a heart attack.

And the biggest is that you can't be kicked off the insurance or denied due to pre-existing conditions.

[Bluenorthwest]

16. It is illegal to raise prices during an emergency. Price gouging is a crime and officials who do

not stop it are in fact to blame. No evac should be ordered without protecting those under your order from abuse and harm.

[ehrnst]

24. In this case, price gouging was and protected by a majority in Congress. (nt)

[Festivito]

11. You seem to make enough to buy a platinum plan. What does that doctor want?

Does your doctor accept any of the plans in your state? I doubt he accepts no insurances.

You had employer paid insurance and you say your premium went up. Does that mean you were paying part of the premium and now you pay the whole premium? If this is the case, your company is now getting the same coverage (actually better coverage) and it took the money it had been paying you. You need to go to the boss and say, hey, you just lowered my salary. Pay up!

Did you try to sign up by phone where you could have asked about this?

Of course it would be easier to understand with more details such as what company you had and which company you have now that does not cover this doctor. How much more is a plan your old doctor would take. What state are you in or are you in a Republican state with fewer choices. What is the new and old cost. But, it all starts to become invasive.

I have to say that the combination you present of paying more and getting fewer choices along with telling us a story without pertinent details makes me question the actions you may have or may not have taken.

[SamYeager]

12. This has nothing to do with the ACA.

It's your greedy employer's fault.

[Puzzledtraveller]

15. How's that?

[Roland99]

22. Assuming facts not in evidence

Could be, as is the case w/my employer, that the previous carrier jacked rates up (27.7% by United Healthcare in my case) and now we are switching to Blue Cross. Haven't looked into whether the same providers are in the network but at least premiums are holding at the same level as before.

[Puzzledtraveller]

14. I lost a good plan

but since I'm a state employee there is nothing I can do about it. I just chose the least awful and least expensive one.

[SnowCritter]

18. It's not really the end of the world

I've had to change doctors several times in my life.

First one retired - new doctor. Joined the Corps - new doctors galore. Left the Corps - new doctor. He died - new doctor. He retired - new doctor. He went to work for a different medical group and gave a recommendation for my current doctor.

[Fawke Em]

19. I had to change eye doctors this year.

But it was because of my employer's healthcare decision - not the ACA.

I don't get to pick my healthcare coverage.

This is nothing new.

[ehrnst]

25. A friend of mine was told by her insurance company that she had to sign

a waiver of any of the Obamacare restrictions or they would drop her diabetic college age son's health care policy (which was costing her $800 a month).

They gave her the alternative of paying $1500 a month to keep him on it.

The private insurance companies are not in this for your health.

[Mad-in-Mo]

29. This sort of crap terrifies me.

My 20 year old daughter has Rheumatoid Arthritis and takes very expensive medicine ($2,000/month) which up to now has been covered by my employer provided insurance and co-pay assist offered by the pharma company. If we had to pay for it, it would be a disaster.

[Not Me]

28. My dentist told me in August that they would no longer accept my health care plan

which kind of surprised me, because I thought it was considered a decent plan (BlueCross/Blue Shield- Floridabluedental) so I cancelled an upcoming cleaning and was weighing either finding a new dentist or jumping onto my husband's company's dental plan in January.
Then last week, I got a call from the dentist office saying that they had decided to renew their contract with BCBS. I don't know if my scenario was playing out with more of their patients or whether they were able to negotiate a better deal with BCBS, but it looks like I dodged the bullet this time.

[jeff47]

31. Why do you think this has anything to do with the ACA?

The ACA had very little to do with employer coverage. The only changes I can think of are the profit limit, which should keep costs down, and the minimum coverage requirements, which went into effect years ago.

So why do you think this has anything to do with "Obamacare"? This is your employer deciding to switch insurance companies.