Another ATPNer gets nailed by Obamacare

[werepossum]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/dec/10/bluecross-opts-not-to-extend-small-employer/?business

While Tennessee's biggest health insurer will give individual policy holders another year before they must come under the requirements of the new health reform law, small businesses facing cancellations will not be granted the same reprieve.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced Monday that it will not offer small group customers -- 50 or fewer employees -- the same extension option because BlueCross allowed early renewal this year to let businesses opt to keep their existing plans through most of 2014.

BlueCross vice president Roy Vaughn said last week that the company "had many, many of our groups" take advantage of the early renewal this fall to stay ahead of the changes. Those employers won't come under the new and often more expensive requirements of the so-called ObamaCare law until next fall.

But many of those small employers who have not renewed early are facing double-digit premium increases for 2014.

"I would have loved it if they had extended the health plans another year, but I certainly understand why they did not," said Russ Blakely, longtime Chattanooga health insurance broker. Extending the policies into fall of 2015 would be "nearly impossible to underwrite," he said.

"Basically, you've created two entirely different rating methodologies," he said. "It would be really, really hard to manage."

The new extensions will apply to individual plans through BlueCross with renewal dates from Jan. 1, 2014 to Oct. 1, 2014 can keep their current health plans for another year.

While approximately 66,000 people with BlueCross coverage faced cancellations of their policies, the extension will mean an estimated 50,000 of those people will be offered the extension option.

Approximately 16,000 people covered through the state's insurance program CoverTN -- which is administered by BlueCross -- will not have their policies extended, state officials announced at the end of November.

The extensions followed a wave of outrage from those who found that their policies were not permitted under the Affordable Care Act.

President Barack Obama later said he would allow states to extend those policies one more year, and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance followed suit, a move BlueCross said it supported.

"These plans have provided high-quality coverage that has met our customers' needs," said Bill Gracey, BlueCross president and CEO. "We expect many of them will welcome the opportunity to renew their coverage for another year."

Those members will need to keep the exact same level of benefits and renewal dates in order to qualify for the extensions, the BlueCross said.

This year Obamacare helped me out by raising my out-of-pocket by $1,000 for the exact same coverage. Next year Obamacare is helping me out by having my insurance cancelled. Thanks, Obama!

Our little company already struggled to provide the health insurance we do provide; I seriously doubt we'll provide health insurance at all next year. But whether we do or not, my lifestyle will be taking a major hit. I certainly won't be buying a boat this spring; Lord knows what else we'll have to cut out for me to go back to school.

At this point I do not believe I could ever again vote for a Democrat at the national level even if someone like Rick Santorum is running. I'm not at all sure I could ever again vote for a Democrat even at the state or local level.

 

[Genx87]

Oh your insurance was crappy anyways and you didnt want it. Trust us, we know better than you.

-Govt

 

[Atreus21]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/dec/10/bluecross-opts-not-to-extend-small-employer/?business


This year Obamacare helped me out by raising my out-of-pocket by $1,000 for the exact same coverage. Next year Obamacare is helping me out by having my insurance cancelled. Thanks, Obama!

Our little company already struggled to provide the health insurance we do provide; I seriously doubt we'll provide health insurance at all next year. But whether we do or not, my lifestyle will be taking a major hit. I certainly won't be buying a boat this spring; Lord knows what else we'll have to cut out for me to go back to school.

At this point I do not believe I could ever again vote for a Democrat at the national level even if someone like Rick Santorum is running. I'm not at all sure I could ever again vote for a Democrat even at the state or local level.

Well, take some comfort in knowing the insurance you had was crappy according to some faceless, disinterested bureaucrat. And therefore you shouldn't have ever had it anyway.

Makes sense to me.

 

[highland145]

Finally found an agent to take my application. United health/golden rule $520/mo $10K deductible. Now to wait for the approval. And it's only good for 2014.....

What are you going back to school for?

 

[JEDIYoda]

At this point I do not believe I could ever again vote for a Democrat at the national level even if someone like Rick Santorum is running. I'm not at all sure I could ever again vote for a Democrat even at the state or local level.

Your like way too many Americans you feel entitled and when you don`t get what you want you vote for the party that will give you what you want..

Trust me it would be worse if a Republican was in office....

 

[highland145]

Your like way too many Americans you feel entitled and when you don`t get what you want you vote for the party that will give you what you want..

Trust me it would be worse if a Republican was in office....

Yeah, I could have kept my $325/mo, $10K deductible insurance without maternity.

 

[IEC]

OP definitely gets empathy from me...

 

[Jaskalas]

Healthcare.gov is for you?

 

[momeNt]

So you are one of the FEW that Obamacare didn't save.

Does that mean the MILLIONS it did save don't deserve it?

Russell Simmons would like you to learn some stuff about Obamacare before complaining.

 

[CPA]

You use the word "Obamacare". You must be racist.

 

[CPA]

So you are one of the FEW that Obamacare didn't save.

Does that mean the MILLIONS it did save don't deserve it?

Russell Simmons would like you to learn some stuff about Obamacare before complaining.

Saved from what?

 

[highland145]

So you are one of the FEW that Obamacare didn't save.

Does that mean the MILLIONS it did save don't deserve it?

Russell Simmons would like you to learn some stuff about Obamacare before complaining.

I'm waiting for the subsidized peeps to realize that they have to meet their $12k deductible before their care is affordable.

And 2015 when businesses have to comply.

 

[umbrella39]

lol my humongous hospital system just did the same thing to us. Except I know who to blame for the huge shift in percentage responsibility being placed back onto our employees and he's not not half white half black dude.

 

[momeNt]

Saved from what?

I don't know exactly, but I know that millions have already been saved.

 

[rudeguy]

lol my humongous hospital system just did the same thing to us. Except I know who to blame for the huge shift in percentage responsibility being placed back onto our employees and he's not not half white half black dude.

huh?

 

[Ryan]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/dec/10/bluecross-opts-not-to-extend-small-employer/?business


This year Obamacare helped me out by raising my out-of-pocket by $1,000 for the exact same coverage. Next year Obamacare is helping me out by having my insurance cancelled. Thanks, Obama!

Our little company already struggled to provide the health insurance we do provide; I seriously doubt we'll provide health insurance at all next year. But whether we do or not, my lifestyle will be taking a major hit. I certainly won't be buying a boat this spring; Lord knows what else we'll have to cut out for me to go back to school.

At this point I do not believe I could ever again vote for a Democrat at the national level even if someone like Rick Santorum is running. I'm not at all sure I could ever again vote for a Democrat even at the state or local level.

Oh god, no boat??! How are you going to make it, man?

:hmm:

 

[highland145]

Oh god, no boat??! How are you going to make it, man?

:hmm:

Yeah, Mike, how dare you want to spend your $$ on a boat.

 

[momeNt]

Oh god, no boat??! How are you going to make it, man?

:hmm:

Better question is how is the boat company going to make it? How will they insure their employees if middle class American can't afford boats anymore?

 

[Wreckem]

I'm waiting for the subsidized peeps to realize that they have to meet their $12k deductible before their care is affordable.

And 2015 when businesses have to comply.

1. Subsidized people, and most people in general, are steered towards silver plans.

2. Depending on how much they make, they might also be eligible for cost sharing where they only have to pay a fraction of the out of pocket expenses. People seem to forget there are two forms of subsidies, Premium Tax Credits and Cost Sharing of Out of Pocket Expenses. Also, the amount that isn't covered by the Premium Tax Credit can be deductible.

 

[Jaskalas]

Better question is how is the boat company going to make it? How will they insure their employees if middle class American can't afford boats anymore?

Fascinating part of the discussion.

Wealth will be redirected, by force, to healthcare. Could the same be said of Social Security?

 

[highland145]

1. Subsidized people, and most people in general, are steered towards silver plans.

2. Depending on how much they make, they might also be eligible for cost sharing where they only have to pay a fraction of the out of pocket expenses. People seem to forget there are two forms of subsidies, Premium Tax Credits and Cost Sharing of Out of Pocket Expenses. Also, the amount that isn't covered by the Premium Tax Credit can be deductible.

Do they not have to pay their deductible assuming no cost sharing?

 

[rudeguy]

Fascinating part of the discussion.

Wealth will be redirected, by force, to healthcare. Could the same be said of Social Security?

and Obama just started talking about bridging the income gap.

I wonder how he plans to do that....


:hmm:

 

[werepossum]

Your like way too many Americans you feel entitled and when you don`t get what you want you vote for the party that will give you what you want..

Trust me it would be worse if a Republican was in office....

"Your" entirely correct. I feel entitled to what I voluntarily selected and paid for entirely with money I earned, without the Democrat Party fucking it up all the way from D.C.

tl/dr: Dumbass.

 

[werepossum]

Your like way too many Americans you feel entitled and when you don`t get what you want you vote for the party that will give you what you want..

Trust me it would be worse if a Republican was in office....

They'll just have to get by selling boats to federal employees, I suppose.

 

[werepossum]

Finally found an agent to take my application. United health/golden rule $520/mo $10K deductible. Now to wait for the approval. And it's only good for 2014.....

What are you going back to school for?

Programming. If I can wrap my tired old brain around that.