Saturday, October 19, 2013

Indiana Affordable Care Act Exchange Rates Make Indiana Among Most Costly States To Purchase Health Insurance

The IBJ headline says it all: "Indiana insurance exchanges are pricey." Assuming you are able to eventually log onto the website and sign up to participate in the exchange set up by the federal government since Gov. Mike Pence refused to set up an exchange for the state's citizens, you'll find offered premium rates that are among the 10 most-expensive states in the country according to data released by the Department of Health & Human Services. Persons who enroll in the program and who earn less than 400% of the poverty rate will be eligible to receive tax credits to offset their costs but only after paying out-of-pocket the cost of the pricey premiums up front.

UPDATE: A few readers have brought to my attention final ACA rules that allow persons who qualify for the reduced premiums because their income is below 400% of the poverty level to receive the discounted premium up front rather than claiming a tax credit for premiums paid.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obamacare was Romneycare and the Republican opposition plan to Hillarycare in the early 90's.

Everything the Republicans do is designed to enrich corporations. Obamacare is forced consumption of a private company's product, the very thing Republicans love. Obamacare is going to be very good business for insurers.

They could have set it up so you're a paid client of a hospital network, and you make your payments directly to a hospital, omitting a middleman, but they deliberately skipped that.

The same Republicans who revile Obamacare will recoil in horror if you suggest repealing mandatory car insurance.

Politics becomes much clearer when you accept that Republicans are fascists, i.e., corporate-centered socialists.

Flogger said...

It would be an interesting but important Side Bar to all the debate, wailing and gnashing of teeth on Health Care, if some one in the Mega Media reported on the Health Care Plan of our Members of Congress, i.e., cost, benefits, etc.

Tying Health Care to Employers or Unions was a horrible decision in the first place.

I read a very interesting article in Counter Punch titled "Grand Theft Health Insurance." http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/10/17/grand-theft-health-insurance/
Snippets from the article below:


A part of the article comments on the Greatest Canadian, a CBC television show host asks the question — who is the greatest Canadian? “After six weeks, ten finalists, and more than a million votes,” the CBC host says, “it ended tonight with one name . And I have the envelope here. The greatest Canadian as decided by you is — Tommy Douglas.”

Who is Tommy Douglas?? - Tommy Douglas, the father of single payer in Canada, is greater than its greatest hockey player — Wayne Gretzky.

Tommy Douglas’ courageous act — standing up for the people of Canada against the vicious attacks of the powers that be — has resulted in a system that delivers health care for all Canadians — no complex bills, no deductibles, no deaths from lack of health insurance, no medical bankruptcies — all funded by a progressive tax system.

=========================

Unigov said...

Anonymous, you crack me up.

Romneycare is a failure by any measure.

Since Obamacare was passed, Wellpoint stock has tripled.

Car insurance is required in order to protect other people from your mistakes.

Most Democrats and Republicans *are* fascists.

By the way, how are all your wars going ?

Unknown said...

Actually, you do not have to pay the premiums up front before getting the subsidy. The subsidy is automatically deducted from the premium.

And yes...rates are indeed high...no argument there. But if you do qualify for the subsidy, you could receive as much as a 100% subsidy.

Also, don't forget that off-Exchange plans are available from companies like UHC and Aetna. They may be helpful to upper-income consumers.

Unknown said...

Actually, you do not have to pay the premiums up front before getting the subsidy. The subsidy is automatically deducted from the premium.

And yes...rates are indeed high...no argument there. But if you do qualify for the subsidy, you could receive as much as a 100% subsidy.

Also, don't forget that off-Exchange plans are available from companies like UHC and Aetna. They may be helpful to upper-income consumers.

Anonymous said...

Several Indy politicians asking Health and Sec. to produce the number of Indiana residents registered. These folk do not like the Affordable Care Act. Economics...Like voting...Keep the middle class and poor out. Let the high risk register and the pool is smaller so far...thus rising costs. Just what the hackers wanted. Voting...Economics as well.