You like, you keep - He said

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http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/October/21/cancellation-notices-health-insurance.aspx

Health plans are sending hundreds of thousands of cancellation letters to people who buy their own coverage, frustrating some consumers who want to keep what they have and forcing others to buy more costly policies. The main reason insurers offer is that the policies fall short of what the Affordable Care Act requires starting Jan. 1. Most are ending policies sold after the law passed in March 2010. At least a few are cancelling plans sold to people with pre-existing medical conditions. By all accounts, the new policies will offer consumers better coverage, in some cases, for comparable cost -- especially after the inclusion of federal subsidies for those who qualify. The law requires policies sold in the individual market to cover 10 “essential†benefits, such as prescription drugs, mental health treatment and maternity care. In addition, insurers cannot reject people with medical problems or charge them higher prices. The policies must also cap consumers’ annual expenses at levels lower than many plans sold before the new rules. But the cancellation notices, which began arriving in August, have shocked many consumers in light of President Barack Obama’s promise that people could keep their plans if they liked them. “I don’t feel like I need to change, but I have to,†said Jeff Learned, a television editor in Los Angeles, who must find a new plan for his teenage daughter, who has a health condition that has required multiple surgeries. An estimated 14 million people purchase their own coverage because they don’t get it through their jobs. Calls to insurers in several states showed that many have sent notices. Florida Blue, for example, is terminating about 300,000 policies, about 80 percent of its individual policies in the state. Kaiser Permanente in California has sent notices to 160,000 people – about half of its individual business in the state. Insurer Highmark in Pittsburgh is dropping about 20 percent of its individual market customers, while Independence Blue Cross, the major insurer in Philadelphia, is dropping about 45 percent. Some Policies Targeted Both Independence and Highmark are cancelling so-called “guaranteed issue†policies, which had been sold to customers who had pre-existing medical conditions when they signed up. Policyholders with regular policies because they did not have health problems will be given an option to extend their coverage through next year. Consumer advocates say such cancellations raise concerns that companies may be targeting their most costly enrollees. They may be “doing this as an opportunity to push their populations into the exchange and purge their systems†of policyholders they no longer want, said Jerry Flanagan, an attorney with the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog in California. Insurers deny that, saying they are encouraging existing customers to re-enroll in their new plans. “We continue to cover people with all types of health conditions,†said Highmark spokeswoman Kristin Ash. She said some policyholders who may have faced limited coverage for their medical conditions will get new plans with “richer benefits†and the policies “in most cases, will be at a lower rate.†Paula Sunshine, vice president of marketing with Independence, said the insurer hopes the cancelled policyholders will “choose Blue when they decide on a new plan.†Higher Costs? Some receiving cancellations say it looks like their costs will go up, despite studies projecting that about half of all enrollees will get income-based subsidies. Kris Malean, 56, lives outside Seattle, and has a health policy that costs $390 a month with a $2,500 deductible and a $10,000 in potential out-of-pocket costs for such things as doctor visits, drug costs or hospital care. As a replacement, Regence BlueShield is offering her a plan for $79 more a month with a deductible twice as large as what she pays now, but which limits her potential out-of-pocket costs to $6,250 a year, including the deductible. “My impression was …there would be a lot more choice, driving some of the rates down,†said Malean, who does not believe she is eligible for a subsidy. Regence spokeswoman Rachelle Cunningham said the new plans offer consumers broader benefits, which “in many cases translate into higher costs.†“The arithmetic is inescapable,†said Patrick Johnston, chief executive officer of the California Association of Health Plans. Costs must be spread, so while some consumers will see their premiums drop, others will pay more -- “no matter what people in Washington say.†Health insurance experts say new prices will vary and much depends on where a person lives, their age and the type of policy they decide to buy. Some, including young people and those with skimpy or high-deductible plans, may see an increase. Others, including those with health problems or who buy coverage with higher deductibles than they have now, may see lower premiums. Blue Shield of California sent roughly 119,000 cancellation notices out in mid-September, about 60 percent of its individual business. About two-thirds of those policyholders will see rate increases in their new policies, said spokesman Steve Shivinsky. Like other insurers, the Blue Shield letters let customers know they have to make a decision by Dec. 31 or they will automatically be enrolled in a recommended plan. “There is going to be a certain amount of churn in the marketplace as people have to make their decisions,†Shivinsky said.

[punjabi_khota]

I was a Obamacare Guinea pig

I signed up. I saved. And so will millions of Americans. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to sign up for ObamaCare — not because I talk about it on television, but because I’m tired of being ripped off by my insurance company. I live in New York State — which for several decades has had the highest individual insurance premiums in the nation. For the past three years, since leaving a job at a non-profit organization and then exhausting my COBRA, I have relied on the individual insurance market to get coverage for myself, my partner and our daughter. Ideologues may not like ObamaCare, but my wallet and my family’s health sure do. Three years ago when I was shopping for insurance, there weren’t that many options to choose from. And the plan I ended up with is expensive and, to put it bluntly, crappy. Currently, I pay $965 per month for family coverage that includes: • a whopping $7,000 deductible; • $36,000 out-of-pocket max per year; • an annual coverage limit of $2,000,000; • a $35 co-pay for doctor’s visits ($55 for specialists); and • a $15 co-pay for generic prescriptions. All this plus the plan has very limited out-of-network coverage that, I found out the hard way, is subject to such a gauntlet of procedural hurdles that my family has spent thousands of dollars in so-far-unreimbursed out-of-network expenses. I’m not going to tell you who my current provider is, though I’m inclined to purely out of loathing and spite. But for the record, for over a year I paid for their version of “gold” coverage that had a $3,000 deductible, only a $25 doctor’s co-pay and a $6,000 out-of-pocket max. But that plan didn’t process any of my reimbursements either and cost a whopping $1,687 per month. That’s over $20,000 per year! You can see why, regardless of what party I vote for, I was excited to have some more affordable options. So I logged onto the New York State health insurance exchange website. Yeah, I had a few false starts — the website was down a lot early on either because of service glitches or overwhelming traffic. For a few days, I couldn’t do anything at all on the website. Then for a day or so I could “log-in” but not complete registration. And then for a day, I could answer the questions to complete my registration but not actually complete the process. On one occasion, I got so frustrated at the stalled exchange website that I actually shook my computer. Not pleasant. But finally, early on the first Saturday morning following the launch of the exchange site — probably because the rest of the state (unlike my five-year-old) was still asleep -- I was able to log-in and complete my registration and check out all my options for insurance. There were literally 50 plans that were better than my current insurance -- both with lower premiums, lower out-of-pocket costs and better coverage. And there were ten plans with a higher premium than my current insurance, but with lower deductibles. So -- and here’s an important point -- the reason that more people haven’t signed up for coverage yet is probably that, just like me, they needed to take some time (and first, find some time!) to weigh all the options. While the exchange site was user-friendly and explained my options in a clear and simple way, picking an insurance plan isn’t exactly like ordering a hamburger. It took a minute to find my calculator and think about the options. Within a week, I had settled on a “gold” plan offered by Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. The plan includes: • a $2,000 total deductible; • an out-of-pocket max of $12,500 for the year; • a $30 co-pay for visits to our primary care doctor; • a $15 co-pay for generic prescriptions; • NO annual coverage limit — because that’s now prohibited thanks to the Affordable Care Act; plus • an added bonus: the plan I selected includes child dental. This option will cost my family $931 per month — $408 per year less than my previous crappy plan and a $5,000 savings in deductibles. A big win for me and my family financially and in terms of what’s covered. Plus in the past, I spent several days looking for and comparing insurance options. Under ObamaCare, even with the slow and sticky website, I spent a total of four hours — to save over $5,400. That kind of return on investment would make Warren Buffett drool. Counter to wild stories about the government taking over health care, the exchange was simply a public portal to a range of all-private insurance options. I went with a “gold” plan for lower deductible and out-of-pocket costs. And I chose Blue Cross Blue Shield because my current primary doctor is in-network. But one of the most exciting things is the new companies providing private insurance through the exchange; I’ll be watching the reviews over the next year and might change plans when re-enrollment comes around. As of October 20, the Associated Press reported that 476,000 Americans had filled out insurance applications through the federal and state exchanges. Not bad, considering the poor performance of the sign-up websites. But it’s only been 20 days since the exchanges launched, and folks have 60 more days (through December 15) to sign up for coverage to take effect on January 1, 2014. And people have 60 days afterthat (February 15) before the individual mandate penalty kicks in. In other words, there’s still plenty of time to fix the websites and for more Americans to enroll — and save. Meanwhile, we know that in a state like Oregon, ObamaCare has already reduced the number of uninsured individuals by 10%. Glitches aside, that’s a great start. We’ve suffered through four years of outlandish attacks against ObamaCare -- that it will kill our grandmothers, or at least just kill our economy. But the fact is that ObamaCare has created a private marketplace so that millions of American families like mine can get affordable, quality health insurance while keeping more of our hard-earned money. Ideologues may not like ObamaCare, but my wallet and my family’s health sure do. Sally Kohn is a Fox News contributor and writer

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^^ But the promise was this: not only would she get affordable insurance, but you and I could also keep our plans if we liked ours. Also that we would all have premium drops of $2500 pa per family. Neither is happening. What is happening is that young, healthy folks are paying more for plans that they don't need so the rest can be subsidized. This shift was exactly what I was predicting.

[punjabi_khota]

^^ But the promise was this: not only would she get affordable insurance, but you and I could also keep our plans if we liked ours. Also that we would all have premium drops of $2500 pa per family. Neither is happening. What is happening is that young, healthy folks are paying more for plans that they don't need so the rest can be subsidized. This shift was exactly what I was predicting.

Dude, you can't be serious. The thing is not even a month old yet, and you are out with your "I told you so ?". :hysterical::hysterical: Cmon, use your scientific temper, and don't let your affinity to all things faux overpower logic.

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Dude, you can't be serious. The thing is not even a month old yet, and you are out with your "I told you so ?". :hysterical::hysterical: Cmon, use your scientific temper, and don't let your affinity to all things faux overpower logic.

Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of insurance (and believe me, mine is rudimentary) could predict that, for this thing to work for Peter-the-15%, Paul-the-85% has to pay more in premiums, fines and taxes to fund the subsidies. There was no way premiums can come down for all, coverage can go up for all, and insurance companies and employers be expected to keep the same plans going. At the very least, "you can keep your plan if you like it. You can keep your doc if you like him" promises are out the window. Total jhoota vaadaa. What is funny is that young, healthy Americans let the President pull the wool over their eyes because they never imagined *they* would be the ones paying for this. Case in point: http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=304387 Key quote from there: "Of course, I want people to have health care," Vinson said. "I just didn't realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally."

[punjabi_khota]

Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of insurance (and believe me' date=' mine is rudimentary) could predict that, for this thing to work for Peter-the-15%, Paul-the-85% has to pay more in premiums, fines and taxes to fund the subsidies. There was no way premiums can come down for all, coverage can go up for all, and insurance companies and employers be expected to keep the same plans going. [b']At the very least, "you can keep your plan if you like it. You can keep your doc if you like him" promises are out the window. Total jhoota vaadaa.

Nope. 60% of Americans get insurance via work, and they will all keep it. So there's that little factoid. 20% of AMericans, who are on medicaid/medicare get to keep it too. The ones getting notices are those who buy their own insurance and whose plans do not meet minimum criteria. I don't see what the **** is the big deal here, unless their prices go up significantly. The proof of which will have to wait, it is too early to make any non-"faux" judgements here.

What is funny is that young, healthy Americans let the President pull the wool over their eyes because they never imagined *they* would be the ones paying for this. Case in point:

There is nothing funny here. First of all, plenty of young people under 26 are happy since they can stay on parents' plan. Seriously though, you HAVE to wait and see where this goes. It is clear from the article I posted that there existed SEVERE market imbalances that will be removed by the CAPITALISM inspired insurance exchanges. Your 'faux news' type rhetoric is getting old man.

[Laaloo]

Bob: "Hey Jim, did you hear about the Obama administration scandal?, Jim: "You mean the Mexican gun running?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean SEAL Team 6?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Obama saying the avg family would save $2,500 on their premiums?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Spending $634 million on a website that doesn't work?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Obama calling for an increase in our debt when he lambasted Bush for the very same thing?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Obama having NSA spy on 124 Billion Phone Calls in One Month?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Saddling our kids with $17 trillion in debt of which they can never get out of and will not have as good a life as we have?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Bailing out Detroit after decades of corrupt Democratic management?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean the State Dept. lying about Benghazi?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean voter fraud?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Intentionally trying to hurt Americans during the sequester?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Blocking veterans who secured our freedoms from their monuments but giving the green light for Illegals to use Monument Mall?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Denying school kids the ability to tour the White House but still spending lavishly on his parties?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean Obama saying we can keep our insurance and doctors if we wanted to?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean the military not getting their votes counted?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The NSA monitoring foreign diplomats?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean the use of drones in our own country without the benefit of the law?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Giving 123 Technologies $300 Million and right after it declared bankruptcy and was sold to the Chinese?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean the president arming the Muslim Brotherhood?" Bob: "No the other one:. Jim: "The IRS targeting conservatives?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The DOJ spying on the press?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Sebelius shaking down health insurance executives?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "You mean Obama spending $3.7 Trillion on Welfare Over Last 5 Years" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Giving SOLYNDRA $500 MILLION DOLLARS and 3 months later they declared bankruptcy and then the Chinese bought it?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The NSA monitoring our phone calls, emails and everything else?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Millions of Americans losing their health care coverage?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Forcing Americans to include coverage in their insurance policies of items they do not want?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Ordering the release of nearly 10,000 illegal immigrants from jails and prisons, and falsely blaming the sequester?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Denying Arizona the right to protect its borders?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Providing weapons to Syrian rebels many of whom apparently are Al Queda" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The president's repeated violation of the law requiring him to submit a budget no later than the first Monday in February?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The 2012 vote where 115% of all registered voters in some counties voted 100% for Obama?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The president's unconstitutional recess appointments in an attempt to circumvent the Senate's advise-and-consent role?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The State Department interfering with an Inspector General investigation on departmental sexual misconduct?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "Clinton, the IRS, Clapper and Holder all lying to Congress?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "The President using nearly $1 trillion dollars of stimulus money to fund his cronies?" Bob: "No, the other one" Jim: "You mean Fast & Furious?" Bob: "No, the other one." Jim: "I give up! ... Oh wait, I think I got it! You mean that 65 million low-information voters who don't pay taxes and get free stuff from taxpayers and stuck us again with the most pandering, corrupt administration in American history?" Bob: "THAT'S THE ONE!"

[FischerTal]

Laaloo is a repub :omg:

[Desi Cartman]

Young people do need insurance , if they dont have it and are in an accident then tax payer pays for it. I have heard countless morons whinge on Republican/Conservative radio that their small business (5-7 staff) is suffering from Obamacare. Hosts like Hannity speak to them for 10 mins and not mention that small businesses with staff upto 47 (i think) is exempt. All this BS for small businesses suffering is funny and sad at the same time. Also, I havent heard a plan by Republicans which will cover the current non covered people without taxes or price going up.

[vvvslaxman]

John McCain has trained his gun against Republicans lol. Really they are acting like anti-nationals.. thanks to tea baggers.

[Desi Cartman]

John McCain has trained his gun against Republicans lol. Really they are acting like anti-nationals.. thanks to tea baggers.

You mean bloody RINOs :hitler:

[Temujin Khaghan]

i wonder if this was covered on the colbert report...

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Nope. 60% of Americans get insurance via work, and they will all keep it. So there's that little factoid. 20% of AMericans, who are on medicaid/medicare get to keep it too. The ones getting notices are those who buy their own insurance and whose plans do not meet minimum criteria. I don't see what the **** is the big deal here, unless their prices go up significantly. The proof of which will have to wait, it is too early to make any non-"faux" judgements here. There is nothing funny here. First of all, plenty of young people under 26 are happy since they can stay on parents' plan. Seriously though, you HAVE to wait and see where this goes. It is clear from the article I posted that there existed SEVERE market imbalances that will be removed by the CAPITALISM inspired insurance exchanges. Your 'faux news' type rhetoric is getting old man.

I'll just say one more thing and shut up for now. The problem I have is with how the govt is brazenly getting away with broken promises: The "you can keep it if you like it" promise being the biggest of them all. They knew very well that this was not going to be the case. That millions will see cancellations and have to re-enter the market to buy new plans. If the ignorant public had known all of the sacrifices they were going to have to make, they would not have gone for it. Classic bait-and-switch. This is not "Faux News" rhetoric (nice, novel play on words, BTW!). When NBC starts to see it, you may want to pay attention. I don't think even you can put a positive spin on this: http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/28/21213547-obama-admin-knew-millions-could-not-keep-their-health-insurance

Obama admin. knew millions could not keep their health insurance U.S. President Barack Obama walks out to deliver remarks alongside Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, October 1, 2013. President Obama repeatedly assured Americans that after the Affordable Care Act became law, people who liked their health insurance would be able to keep it. But millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years. Four sources deeply involved in the Affordable Care Act tell NBC NEWS that 50 to 75 percent of the 14 million consumers who buy their insurance individually can expect to receive a “cancellation” letter or the equivalent over the next year because their existing policies don’t meet the standards mandated by the new health care law. One expert predicts that number could reach as high as 80 percent. And all say that many of those forced to buy pricier new policies will experience “sticker shock.” Advertise | AdChoices None of this should come as a shock to the Obama administration. The law states that policies in effect as of March 23, 2010 will be “grandfathered,” meaning consumers can keep those policies even though they don’t meet requirements of the new health care law. But the Department of Health and Human Services then wrote regulations that narrowed that provision, by saying that if any part of a policy was significantly changed since that date -- the deductible, co-pay, or benefits, for example -- the policy would not be grandfathered. Buried in Obamacare regulations from July 2010 is an estimate that because of normal turnover in the individual insurance market, “40 to 67 percent” of customers will not be able to keep their policy. And because many policies will have been changed since the key date, “the percentage of individual market policies losing grandfather status in a given year exceeds the 40 to 67 percent range.” That means the administration knew that more than 40 to 67 percent of those in the individual market would not be able to keep their plans, even if they liked them. Yet President Obama, who had promised in 2009, “if you like your health plan, you will be able to keep your health plan,” was still saying in 2012, “If [you] already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance.” “This says that when they made the promise, they knew half the people in this market outright couldn’t keep what they had and then they wrote the rules so that others couldn’t make it either,” said Robert Laszewski, of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, a consultant who works for health industry firms. Laszewski estimates that 80 percent of those in the individual market will not be able to keep their current policies and will have to buy insurance that meets requirements of the new law, which generally requires a richer package of benefits than most policies today. The White House does not dispute that many in the individual market will lose their current coverage, but argues they will be offered better coverage in its place, and that many will get tax subsidies that would offset any increased costs. “One of the main goals of the law is to ensure that people have insurance they can rely on – that doesn’t discriminate or charge more based on pre-existing conditions. The consumers who are getting notices are in plans that do not provide all these protections – but in the vast majority of cases, those same insurers will automatically shift their enrollees to a plan that provides new consumer protections and, for nearly half of individual market enrollees, discounts through premium tax credits,” said White House spokesperson Jessica Santillo. Individual insurance plans with low premiums often lack basic benefits, such as prescription drug coverage, or carry high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. The Affordable Care Act requires all companies to offer more benefits, such as mental health care, and also bars companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions. Today, White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked about the president’s promise that consumers would be able to keep their health care. “What the president said and what everybody said all along is that there are going to be changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act to create minimum standards of coverage, minimum services that every insurance plan has to provide,” Carney said. “So it's true that there are existing healthcare plans on the individual market that don't meet those minimum standards and therefore do not qualify for the Affordable Care Act.” Courtesy of Heather Goldwater Heather Goldwater, 38, of South Carolina, says that she received a letter from her insurer saying the company would no longer offer her plan, but hasn't yet received a follow-up letter with a comparable option. Advertise | AdChoices Other experts said that most consumers in the individual market will not be able to keep their policies. Nancy Thompson, senior vice president of CBIZ Benefits, which helps companies manage their employee benefits, says numbers in this market are hard to pin down, but that data from states and carriers suggests “anywhere from 50 to 75 percent” of individual policy holders will get cancellation letters. Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, who chairs the health committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, says that estimate is “probably about right.” She added that a few states are asking insurance companies to cancel and replace policies, rather than just amend them, to avoid confusion. A spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), an insurance trade association, also said the 50 to 75 percent estimate was consistent with the range they are hearing. Those getting the cancellation letters are often shocked and unhappy. George Schwab, 62, of North Carolina, said he was "perfectly happy" with his plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which also insured his wife for a $228 monthly premium. But this past September, he was surprised to receive a letter saying his policy was no longer available. The "comparable" plan the insurance company offered him carried a $1,208 monthly premium and a $5,500 deductible. And the best option he’s found on the exchange so far offered a 415 percent jump in premium, to $948 a month. "The deductible is less," he said, "But the plan doesn't meet my needs. Its unaffordable." "I'm sitting here looking at this, thinking we ought to just pay the fine and just get insurance when we're sick," Schwab added. "Everybody's worried about whether the website works or not, but that's fixable. That's just the tip of the iceberg. This stuff isn't fixable." Heather Goldwater, 38, of South Carolina, is raising a new baby while running her own PR firm. She said she received a letter last July from Cigna, her insurance company, that said the company would no longer offer her individual plan, and promised to send a letter by October offering a comparable option. So far, she hasn't received anything. "I'm completely overwhelmed with a six-month-old and a business,” said Goldwater. “The last thing I can do is spend hours poring over a website that isn't working, trying to wrap my head around this entire health care overhaul." Goldwater said she supports the new law and is grateful for provisions helping folks like her with pre-existing conditions, but she worries she won’t be able to afford the new insurance, which is expected to cost more because it has more benefits. "I'm jealous of people who have really good health insurance," she said. "It's people like me who are stuck in the middle who are going to get screwed." Richard Helgren, a Lansing, Mich., retiree, said he was “irate” when he received a letter informing him that his wife Amy's $559 a month health plan was being changed because of the law. The plan the insurer offered raised his deductible from $0 to $2,500, and the company gave him 17 days to decide. The higher costs spooked him and his wife, who have painstakingly planned for their retirement years. "Every dollar we didn't plan for erodes our standard of living," Helgren said. Advertise | AdChoices Ulltimately, though Helgren opted not to shop through the ACA exchanges, he was able to apply for a good plan with a slightly lower premium through an insurance agent. He said he never believed President Obama’s promise that people would be able to keep their current plans. "I heard him only about a thousand times," he said. "I didn't believe him when he said it though because there was just no way that was going to happen. They wrote the regulations so strictly that none of the old polices can grandfather." For months, Laszewski has warned that some consumers will face sticker shock. He recently got his own notice that he and his wife cannot keep their current policy, which he described as one of the best, so-called "Cadillac" plans offered for 2013. Now, he said, the best comparable plan he found for 2014 has a smaller doctor network, larger out-of-pocket costs, and a 66 percent premium increase. “Mr. President, I like the coverage I have," Laszweski said. "It is the best health insurance policy you can buy."

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Conover is a known rightwing arsehole and one of the biggest ACA trasher. How about some non-partisan numbers ?

ACA trasher = arsehole ACA supporter, e.g., Sarah Kliff = genius. You need a chill-pill, friend. And instead of using abusing someone who is infinitely more qualified than you are, why don't you challenge the detailed actuarial numbers he provides? While I understand (disagree with, but understand) your wait-and-see approach, wouldn't you do well to acknowledge that there are serious issues with BHO's "you can keep your plan if you like it" promise? It's obvious he was bluffing. Even CBS and CNN are roasting him over this, but you seem to blindly support the entire law. As for me, I got this from my employer today: "As has been previously shared, our renewal rates with BCBSNC for our health insurance were unfortunately very high. This was based on a number of factors, including additional costs associated with the Affordable Care Act. As a result, we requested bids from other providers to ensure we had the best option available ... ". My colleagues, who liked their BCBSNC plans, can't keep them because my college cannot afford them. And, contrary to Jay Carney's claims, they were not "sub-standard" plans. These people now have to sign up for a different plan and will most likely pay more for them. I am choosing to pay the fine, and see what happens this year. The missus is picking up the kids on her plan. Anyone else here seeing PPACA-related premium increases? Not that any of you would admit to it, but it doesn't hurt to ask, does it?