Kaiser foundation HCR calculator

[lumberjack_jeff]

Under HR3962 a family of four with a $40,000 annual income (181% of FPL) purchasing coverage from the exchange will pay an $1828 share of a policy worth $12,313.

Their cost for coverage after reform is $152 per month or 4.6% of their income.

This is excellent.

http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

[sinkingfeeling]

1. As a single person, I would get to pay for a $7606 policy with zero subsidy , at 8.6% of income.

[supernova]

2. Single 40+ female

Medicaid is the only thing that calculator is offering me right now since I'm single, no dependents, unemployed at the moment, and 40+.

Oh, and I have a preexisting condition that usually disqualifies me from the first 6 mos to 18 mos of any group policy I sign up for when I have a job.

*sigh*

edit:Here are the various plans If I hypothetically get a low wage job paying say 22K/year: (I'm potentially going back to school in the next year, so part time would suit)

House Plan

I'd have a premium of 108/month after the subsidy. That's with the House plan.

HELP committee
More expensive overall, 6300/year, BUT, I'd have about 5300 of that subsidized for a monthly bill of $63


Baucaus Finance Committee:

4800/year overall
3244/year subsidy

131/monthly premium.

I think anything much above the $50 range is bogus, if we are to have premiums at all. So it looks like for me the HELP cmte bill would work best so far.

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. Health care averages $5800 per person in this country. Somewhat more for women, less for men.

It's reasonable to ask why you've decided that anything more than 10% of that share is "bogus".

[supernova]

6. I'm talking strictly out of pocket

We need price controls on services. Period.

Asking people who only take home 1K-1500/month or less to pay $100 or more/month is still too much. I'm lucky in that I don't pay for housing and transport (both paid for), but lots of people can't afford that plus food+utilities too.

Now, if it works out that prices will fall over the years, that would be a good thing, but I doubt those savings would be passed on to patients paying premiums. I refused to call us "health care consumers."

[Barack_America]

3. Why must I be single or a family of four?

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Plug in whatever you want.

I used something approximating my situation.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. Wow! I paid a fraction of what I am paying now in every scenario!

My best outcome was the Senate Help Committee. The bills absolutely will bring costs down for me and probably for many.

BUT, if people didn't qualify for subsidies, they are going look at it completely differently.

Hmm, playing with the numbers some more - I could see how without subsidies the costs seem pretty darn high. This could turn into one of those discussions by Rush Limbaugh about how the the government is punishing people for working hard and doing well because this plan will give them expensive insurance that they pay for out of pocket for while using their tax dollars to subsidize the healthcare of those who do not earn as much. I can definitely see that happening and I think that he will have a point.

Healthcare has to be AFFORDABLE FOR ALL. I was coming up with plans costing 10K on that calculator depending on what age and income you were plugging in and the cost to the individual was 100%. Not good. Initial euphoria has worn off and I have COMPLETELY revised my first version of this reply.

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. There are certainly people who won't get a subsidy.

But then again they don't get a subsidy now.

For the vast mass of people for whom coverage is unavailable or unaffordable, this bill is great.

The Rush Limbaugh "punishing the successful" frame is kind of silly, but the subsidies that you and I will get (if the house bill is passed) are due to a 5% tax on those making $1m /year or more.

Healthcare is expensive and there is no magic wand, only better distribution of the burden.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

10. "Punishing the sucessful" and "wealth redistribution" are 2 of the MOST

successful Republican memes and they will utilize it to the max even though you and I may say it's silly. Even sadder, it appeals mostly to those TeaBagger types (like Joe the Plumber) who don't have any wealth to redistribute anyway.

I think that if this calculator reveals MANDATED plans costing close to 10K for individuals in the older age ranges without any subsidy, that there will be a lot of angst and rage. 10K for health care does not qualify for the moniker "Affordable" in my opinion.

This healthcare stuff has made me a manic depressive and a Janus figure in my reactions. One moment I'm for it, and the next second Im against it. I do know however, that it WILL be good for ME personally. If I were smart, I would start cheerleading the bill like a maniac.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Delete - changed my mind. nt