Cape Blue

Just signed up for my works annual medical benefits renewal today - on a like-for-like basis the costs are up 26.35% on 2013 - no doubt I am paying for others transgender operations - damn socialists!

paul32x

I had been having a few problems actually enrolling in a policy. I started the application process more or less when the site went live and then left it for a while. Went to enrol in my saved policy and kept getting an error message so couldn't push the final 'confirm' button. After two days speaking to people, no-one seemed to be able to offer much advice except 'try again later.' Anyway, this morning I rang and the chap told me that they were having problems with applications started early in the process being integrated into the new workings of the site, so he recommended I delete the application and start again. Heavy-hearted I took his advice. Voila, it went very smoothly, and I am now enrolled -- $70 a month with a $900 deductible. So if anyone else is getting error messages when trying to enrol, it might be the same problem.

Yorkieabroad

Nice one!

I just went on and created a new account with high hopes.....not to be....it let me create the account, but as soon as I click the "apply online" button it just crashes.....

Steve_

Several years ago I remember insurance companies saying agents wouldn't be able to handle the demand all at once and also I keep seeing news reports saying at the end of the day everyone has to go through the site, even the brokers. (And presumably they get commissions, I think they're trying to cut out the middleman).

Like I said earlier in the thread I think it only matters though if you qualify for a tax credit.

You don't even need to use an insurance agent - all of the companies listed have their plans on their own websites, you just need a starting point so you know which companies in your State offer plans.

Jan Alaska

Sign up is still very low with the majority being high subsidy and medicaid clients. It really doesn't take much to work out that if they don't have more people paying in the whole thing will collapse :\

http://m.nationalreview.com/campaign...e-jim-geraghty

morayeel

I was hoping I would finally get healthcare but here in MS looks like I would have to pay over $359 per month with a $6,000 deductible based on an annual income of $15,000 !!

hungryhorace

Don't tell RoadWarrior that. He was recently denying such a thing could possibly happen with the ACA!

Yorkieabroad

If I could get on, I would sign up.

I've had yet another amendment from my current insurer (Humana) increasing my monthly premium to 1295 from Jan 1, with an 11000 deductible. Through healthcare.gov, the indication is only very slightly higher for a similar deductible, but another small increase to 1395 gets me a zero deductible. Both of them are totally outrageous, considering the current plan started at 200/month 5 (?) years ago and was "only" 700ish a month this year. The increase on my current plan was also totally to be expected once the exchanges came in, but little I can do about it, as I am not about to become uninsured. My wife had a good take on it last night....reduce our charity donations by the amount of the increase in premiums, because that is effectively what they are

But its all academic anyway, because although the site gives me an "indication" of what the price will be, it crashes every time I try to sign up.

Ps - all prices are based on a family of 5 with no subsidy

Giantaxe

The poster lives in a state that has refused the Medicaid expansion, thus leaving people like morayeel high and dry. If they lived in a state that has embraced the medicaid expansion, they would likely be eligible for it.

http://medcitynews.com/2013/12/stran...aid-expansion/

morayeel

I know MS republican state so no Medicaid expansion which I was really in favor of Time to move to another state or ultimately I would prefer to move back home to the UK.

sir_eccles

Just to add a positive data point. I kicked my wife and child off my group plan. They have picked up a comparable plan with zero deductible and we are saving about $350 a month.

jeffreyhy

That poster lives in Mississippi, while the article you reference is about Missouri, but I guess the situation is the same in both states.

Regards, JEff

Giantaxe

Oops, yes, thanks for pointing that out!

The situation in Mississipi is actually more dire as it has the highest rate of uninsureds in the country:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...99304320131004

RoadWarriorFromLP

What I said was this:

And that's true. The problem here is that you know nothing about the individual insurance market, so you have no basis for comparison.

I am dumping my old plan for a new silver-level plan with the same insurer, which will provide similar to slightly better benefits for about $200 per month less than my old plan.

The cheaper, high deductible "bronze" plans should be used in conjunction with HSAs.

Michael

With the medium family income at about $50,000 and medium individual income at about $35,000 and ACA subsidizing to 400% of the poverty level, I wouldn't think is shouldn't be surprising that probably over 90% that sign up will likely get subsidies based on the following 400% poverty level table for 2013.

Size of Family ------- 400% of Poverty Level

1 -------------------------- $45,960
2 -------------------------- $62,040
3 -------------------------- $78,120
4 -------------------------- $94,200

When the bill was written, it was known that the vast majority would get subsidies and therefore about $100 billion per year was budgeted for the program. With about half of the states opting out of Medicaid expansion, I suspect that the program will run well under budget. Since the program had to be paid for by cuts in other federal programs or increased taxes to win over conservative support in the democratic party, the money has already been saved or raised to make the program revenue neutral.