How To Spot A Fake Obamacare Horror Story

[Bill USA]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/31/2868631/essential-guide-debunking-obamacare-cost-myth/

Since insurers have begun informing beneficiaries that their health care plans do not meet the new federal requirements of Obamacare, and will be either cancelled or significantly altered, the media has profiled countless middle class Americans who claim that the new health care law will force them to pay more for coverage.

Deborah Cavallaro, for instance, a real estate agent from Los Angeles, was enrolled in an individual plan that cost her just $293 per month. Under Obamacare, Cavallaro says she’ll have to pay over $400 for coverage she doesn’t need or want. But a higher premium doesn’t tell the whole story: while Cavallaro may spend more each month, she’ll be buying more comprehensive insurance with fewer out-of-pocket costs, better benefits that will cover more and cost her less if she actually falls ill, and much more robust consumer protections.

So before you buy into the sticker shock hysteria, here are four questions you should ask:

1. What does the old plan actually cover? ...(more)

2. Did this person go to the exchanges? ...(more)

3. Yes, the premium is low, but what are the co-pays and deductibles? This coverage often forces individuals who do use care to meet high deductibles — the amount you pay out-of-pocket before your insurance kicks in — pay high co-pays and co-insurance or limit the number of doctor visits that are allowed. Cavallaro, for instance, must meet a deductible of $5,000 a year and has an out-of-pocket cap of $8,500 a year. The plan covers just two doctors’ visits and each include a $40 co-pay.

4. Does this person qualify for subsidies? ..(more)

many of these stories involve people who had been paying for 'budget plans' (like buying a car with holes in the floor so your feet can reach the pavement so you can provide the motive power for the car --- i.e. by pushing with your feet) because they could not afford real insurance. In these cases often the people will qualify for subsidies.

[SunSeeker]

1. Those four questions will never leave the lips of a Faux News talking head. nt

[Curmudgeoness]

2. Every horror story I have heard so far

are from people who have not checked the exchanges yet. It seems that the insurance companies are complicit in this. They are saying that the policies are cancelled because of the ACA, and they are just throwing some other policy that does not have any similarity to the old policy. And they are putting the blame on Obamacare. I may just be jaded, but I believe that it is intentional.

I do not know whether these people with horror stories will be benefited by the exchanges, but I do know that I have not seen any of them who have taken that step before they spout off.

[JoeFH]

4. good point

This is true. It seems that "Yell first and ask Questions later" does seem to be the POD these days. As time goes on, I suspect we'll see these kind of "Spotlight" complaints begin to taper off.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I hope you are right.

There is still a lot of solicitations of horror stories, my Senator Toomey (PA-R) is one of them. He is not interested in any good news. So I do hope that the media gets tired of just the bad news. That is all that will help.

Every person who I know who is complaining is told by me that I do not want to hear anything until they have checked the website first. I just refuse to listen until they have facts.

BTW, welcome to DU.