"How Is Obamacare Affecting TPM?" - Interesting Small Employer Perspective

[TomCADem]

It is difficult to wade through the right wing talking points that are being pushed by the MSM, but here is a nice story that talks about a specific case study, Talking Points Memo's own experience using the ACA to provide insurance to its employees:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/how-is-obamacare-affecting-us

Sitting where I sit, "Obamacare" is a focus for me in two key ways - 1st, as the editor of TPM, in terms of our news coverage and my own opinion pieces and then 2nd, as the publisher and owner of TPM, as the purchaser of health insurance for more than twenty people in two jurisdictions. There are lots of people purchasing and paying for group health insurance plans. And there's no shortage of people in the media analyzing, reporting and pontificating about Obamacare. But I think I'm part of a pretty small population of people doing both. So, since we've had a number of questions about it, I wanted to give a few details about what our own experience has been with Obamacare as a small business.

First, a little background. TPM currently has just over 20 employees. And they're employed in two different jurisdictions - New York and Washington, DC. We pay 100% of the premiums and we provide pretty solid coverage. Not cadillac coverage, but solid coverage. I mention this because I think it plays a pretty key role in what our experience has been.

So far, I can only speak about the situation in New York. And the upshot is that to go into the most comparable plan to our own, which is in the Gold category on the New York State exchange, would be a small increase in what we pay per person, about a $14 increase per month. In nominal terms, that's a price hike. But when I normally hear people talking about this stuff, I wonder if the people talking about it have ever purchased a group plan. Because in recent years I don't think we've ever had a year when the prices didn't up by double digits year over year - often significant double digits. Like 30%. So the price going up $14 bucks a person seems like a savings.

So, in those terms, it seems arguable that Obamacare may have already saved us money since the increase is nominal compared to last year.

[enough]

1. k&r (nt)

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. I wonder …

How many Sunday Talk Show/Cable News Show invites Josh will field, after this disclosure?

I would think the “liberal mediaic” (yes, I created that word) Morning Joe Show, with its daily panel of “experts” would want a crack at him.

[Doctor_J]

3. I think I know the answer

But when I normally hear people talking about this stuff, I wonder if the people talking about it have ever purchased a group plan.

The pundits are either flat-out lying, or know absolutely nothing - they are reading Rove's talking points for that day.

I have a plan through work, and just like the author, have seen a roughly 20% increase every year for 7 years or so