So NOW there 40 million "uninsured" Obama? ..contrary to this

[billyerock1991]

Told ya so.

Next you'll see more kids starving, and dying of treatable illnesses.

Things are going to start moving very quickly now.

and the stupid people like yourself, even get stupider ...

 

[deltex1]

While the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress in 2009 and 2010,
President Obama famously said:
“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”

But the president's promise is turning out to be false for millions of Americans who have had their health insurance policies canceled because they don't meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

According to health policy expert Bob Laszewski, roughly 16 million Americans will lose their current plans because of Obamacare:
Millions of Americans Are Losing Their Health Plans Because of Obamacare | The Weekly Standard

Yeah but look at the jobs they are getting...now they can pay for their own cancer treatments.

 

[billyerock1991]

No, they aren't, and they haven't been.

But they will be. Which is good for you...finally the utopia you've been imagining all along!

this one has stupid all over it ... tell us here ... look in a mirror... do you see stupid on your forehead ??? if not it soon will be stamped on it

 

[Geaux4it]

LMAO- The dems are flocking to the Republican bill in the Senate like freeloaders to welfare.

They should of listened to TC when they had the chance

Own it libs

-Geaux

 

[jon_berzerk]

While the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress in 2009 and 2010,
President Obama famously said:
“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”

But the president's promise is turning out to be false for millions of Americans who have had their health insurance policies canceled because they don't meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

According to health policy expert Bob Laszewski, roughly 16 million Americans will lose their current plans because of Obamacare:
Millions of Americans Are Losing Their Health Plans Because of Obamacare | The Weekly Standard

why wouldnt they lose their current coverage

the big insurance companies obviously get a better deal

for themselves by funneling the consumer through

the obamacare hole

re write policies with less coverage

higher deductibles

and bigger co pays

then top it off

with a law that mandates the consumer to buy it

or become a criminal

sounds like a real win win for the insurance companies

 

[billyerock1991]

Of course he lied.

Also, people are dropping off of medicaid because of the debacle. Including kids.

the only way a person is taking off medicaid is their income has change to where they can afford a plan ... you don't want a person who makes 75,000 dollars a year to be on medicaid do you that my friend is the only way you can be taken off if you income is above a set number ... I don't remember what it was .. Jesus you people are nuts

 

[candycorn]

I'm sure another 700 threads on the same topic will change people's minds.

 

[billyerock1991]

While the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress in 2009 and 2010,
President Obama famously said:
“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”

But the president's promise is turning out to be false for millions of Americans who have had their health insurance policies canceled because they don't meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

According to health policy expert Bob Laszewski, roughly 16 million Americans will lose their current plans because of Obamacare:
Millions of Americans Are Losing Their Health Plans Because of Obamacare | The Weekly Standard

why wouldnt they lose their current coverage

the big insurance companies obviously get a better deal

for themselves by funneling the consumer through

the obamacare hole

re write policies with less coverage

higher deductibles

and bigger co pays

then top it off

with a law that mandates the consumer to buy it

or become a criminal

sounds like a real win win for the insurance companies

Claim: Premiums are going up because of the law. Premiums are going down because of the law.
FactCheck.org says: It depends.
Politicians have been making these claims since before the law was passed — it was the first item on our list of whoppers back in 2010. Both sides have a penchant for misrepresenting studies on the matter to support their point. Our short answer — “it depends” — may be unsatisfactory to readers, but whether you’ll pay more or less than you would have without the law depends on your circumstances.
Are you uninsured and have a preexisting condition? You’ll likely pay less than you would have otherwise. Are you uninsured but young and healthy? You’ll likely pay more (without accounting for any subsidies you may receive). Are you insured through your employer? You likely won’t see much change either way.
Let’s start with employer-sponsored insurance. Employer-sponsored premiums did go up slightly due to the law from 2010 to 2011 (a 1 percent to 3 percent increase, according to experts), because of added benefits, such as coverage for dependents up to age 26, free preventive care and an increase in caps on coverage. Overall, premiums for family plans jumped 9 percent that year, with the bulk of that due to higher medical costs, not, as critics claimed, the health care law. Since then, premium growth has been 4 percent on average for 2012 and 2013, modest growth rates historically.
Note that premiums have been going up for years and will continue to do so — with or without the health care law. When Democrats make claims about premiums going down, they’re talking about premiums growing at a lower rate than they would have otherwise.
The growth in national health spending (that’s spending from the government, businesses and individuals) from 2009 to 2011 also has been at around 4 percent, the lowest level since such spending was first measured in 1960. President Obama has boasted that the ACA has helped make this happen. It could be playing some role, with an emphasis on new payment models, but experts say the cause is mainly the down economy. A Kaiser Family Foundation study said the economy was responsible for 77 percent of the slow growth rate, and that rate is expected to pick up as the economy recovers.
Now, the big question mark is for those who buy their own insurance. We’ll know more in October, when the state and federal exchanges have published rates and are accepting applications. But even then, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to make generalizations. Some folks will pay more, some will pay less, than what they would have otherwise. Many who had purchased on the individual market in the past will get more generous benefits — which will be good news for some and irrelevant to others. And the vast majority buying their own exchange plans — 80 percent, according to the CBO — will receive subsidies that bring their total out-of-pocket costs down.
These plans sold to individuals can no longer charge more based on health status or gender, but they can vary premiums based on geography, age and tobacco use. Republicans have warned of a “rate shock” in this market, with the young and healthy being subject to higher premiums if the market is flooded with older and less healthy policyholders. A RAND study, published in August and sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, estimated there would be “no widespread trend toward sharply higher prices in the individual market,” in the words of the lead author. But rates would likely vary from state to state.
The research group looked at 10 states and the U.S. overall, estimating no premium change for the U.S. at large and five states, a decline in two states, and an increase up to 43 percent in three states, not accounting for tax credits. The study, which held age, tobacco use and actuarial value (level of coverage) constant in comparisons, said average out-of-pocket costs would be unchanged or decline for all states once tax credits are factored in.
But that’s one estimate from an economic model, with noted “limitations.” Says the RAND study: “Current data on nongroup premiums are limited, and there are many uncertainties about how individuals and insurers will respond to the complex policy changes introduced by the Affordable Care Act.” It cautions against “sweeping statements” about the impact on premiums, since rates will differ based on individual circumstances.
That brings us back to our short answer: It depends.
“False Assumptions on the Health Care Law,” July 11
“Obama Overhypes Health Savings,” July 19
“Health Insurance Premium Spin,” April 5
” ‘Obamacare’ to cost $20,000 a Family?” March 1

 

[jon_berzerk]

NORTH DAKOTA – In a bombshell revelation, a consumer sales manager for North Dakota’s largest health insurer said Monday that the Obama Administration asked Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota to hide how many people registered for health insurance through an online exchange that just went up.

James Nichol of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota told a forum in Fargo that the Obama Administration had made the request. The forum was designed for people who wanted to obtain coverage through the online exchange.

Feds ask Blue Cross Blue Shield not to release exchange numbers | INFORUM | Fargo, ND

 

[Geaux4it]

I'm sure another 700 threads on the same topic will change people's minds.

 

[jon_berzerk]

While the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress in 2009 and 2010,
President Obama famously said:
“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”

But the president's promise is turning out to be false for millions of Americans who have had their health insurance policies canceled because they don't meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

According to health policy expert Bob Laszewski, roughly 16 million Americans will lose their current plans because of Obamacare:
Millions of Americans Are Losing Their Health Plans Because of Obamacare | The Weekly Standard

why wouldnt they lose their current coverage

the big insurance companies obviously get a better deal

for themselves by funneling the consumer through

the obamacare hole

re write policies with less coverage

higher deductibles

and bigger co pays

then top it off

with a law that mandates the consumer to buy it

or become a criminal

sounds like a real win win for the insurance companies

Claim: Premiums are going up because of the law. Premiums are going down because of the law.
FactCheck.org says: It depends.
Politicians have been making these claims since before the law was passed — it was the first item on our list of whoppers back in 2010. Both sides have a penchant for misrepresenting studies on the matter to support their point. Our short answer — “it depends” — may be unsatisfactory to readers, but whether you’ll pay more or less than you would have without the law depends on your circumstances.
Are you uninsured and have a preexisting condition? You’ll likely pay less than you would have otherwise. Are you uninsured but young and healthy? You’ll likely pay more (without accounting for any subsidies you may receive). Are you insured through your employer? You likely won’t see much change either way.
Let’s start with employer-sponsored insurance. Employer-sponsored premiums did go up slightly due to the law from 2010 to 2011 (a 1 percent to 3 percent increase, according to experts), because of added benefits, such as coverage for dependents up to age 26, free preventive care and an increase in caps on coverage. Overall, premiums for family plans jumped 9 percent that year, with the bulk of that due to higher medical costs, not, as critics claimed, the health care law. Since then, premium growth has been 4 percent on average for 2012 and 2013, modest growth rates historically.
Note that premiums have been going up for years and will continue to do so — with or without the health care law. When Democrats make claims about premiums going down, they’re talking about premiums growing at a lower rate than they would have otherwise.
The growth in national health spending (that’s spending from the government, businesses and individuals) from 2009 to 2011 also has been at around 4 percent, the lowest level since such spending was first measured in 1960. President Obama has boasted that the ACA has helped make this happen. It could be playing some role, with an emphasis on new payment models, but experts say the cause is mainly the down economy. A Kaiser Family Foundation study said the economy was responsible for 77 percent of the slow growth rate, and that rate is expected to pick up as the economy recovers.
Now, the big question mark is for those who buy their own insurance. We’ll know more in October, when the state and federal exchanges have published rates and are accepting applications. But even then, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to make generalizations. Some folks will pay more, some will pay less, than what they would have otherwise. Many who had purchased on the individual market in the past will get more generous benefits — which will be good news for some and irrelevant to others. And the vast majority buying their own exchange plans — 80 percent, according to the CBO — will receive subsidies that bring their total out-of-pocket costs down.
These plans sold to individuals can no longer charge more based on health status or gender, but they can vary premiums based on geography, age and tobacco use. Republicans have warned of a “rate shock” in this market, with the young and healthy being subject to higher premiums if the market is flooded with older and less healthy policyholders. A RAND study, published in August and sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, estimated there would be “no widespread trend toward sharply higher prices in the individual market,” in the words of the lead author. But rates would likely vary from state to state.
The research group looked at 10 states and the U.S. overall, estimating no premium change for the U.S. at large and five states, a decline in two states, and an increase up to 43 percent in three states, not accounting for tax credits. The study, which held age, tobacco use and actuarial value (level of coverage) constant in comparisons, said average out-of-pocket costs would be unchanged or decline for all states once tax credits are factored in.
But that’s one estimate from an economic model, with noted “limitations.” Says the RAND study: “Current data on nongroup premiums are limited, and there are many uncertainties about how individuals and insurers will respond to the complex policy changes introduced by the Affordable Care Act.” It cautions against “sweeping statements” about the impact on premiums, since rates will differ based on individual circumstances.
That brings us back to our short answer: It depends.
“False Assumptions on the Health Care Law,” July 11
“Obama Overhypes Health Savings,” July 19
“Health Insurance Premium Spin,” April 5
” ‘Obamacare’ to cost $20,000 a Family?” March 1

 

[billyerock1991]

The main reason people lose their health plan is because the insurance companies were overcharging them and the plan was no longer price competitive so they cancel it.

That was funny.

By the way, can you explain why everyone's prices are going up?

that is a easy one .... the states,100% of the red state that are supposed to take the medicaid package that's paid by the feds they are refusing to do so ... so those cost the state more ... in my state, a dems/liberal state, a blue state, we don't have that problem ... in my state my health care plan gotten way better then the one I have now ... it will cost me 300 dollars less ... I just got confirmed yesterday ...you're not going to convince me that the ACA is a bad thing ... but you have convinced me that you're dirt stupid...

 

[billyerock1991]

I did not buy the Democratic claim that there were "46 million uninsured Americans", nor do I buy this claim that "16 million Americans will lose their current plans".

Nevertheless, many of those who are being disenrolled from their current plans are actually going to be eligible for better health insurance coverage, for less money, under the ACA.

In other words, not only do we not need Obamacare, it won't change a fucking thing. Care to tell me why a program you think is useless is going to end up being so popular that Democrats will win every election for the next 5000 years?

easy you two define the word stupid ... unable to learn ...

 

[billyerock1991]

While the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress in 2009 and 2010,
President Obama famously said:
“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”

But the president's promise is turning out to be false for millions of Americans who have had their health insurance policies canceled because they don't meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

According to health policy expert Bob Laszewski, roughly 16 million Americans will lose their current plans because of Obamacare:
Millions of Americans Are Losing Their Health Plans Because of Obamacare | The Weekly Standard

People lose their healthcare all the time. It does not logically follow that it's because of Obamacare anymore than a doctor quitting his practice is because of Obamacare or an insurance company denying reimbursement of payment for an ambulance ride is because of Obamacare.

In the real world, all kinds of things happen every single day that don't have anything at all to do with Obamacare. So, if your kid falls down on a playground and the school nurse refuses to give him a baby aspirin after washing out the wound and putting a bandage on his knee, it doesn't follow that Obamacare is the reason why.

People lose their healthcare all the time.

Sure, but MILLIONS lost it because of this Law, ALL individuals plans not grandfathered in die Dec 31 because they do not meet the mandated standards.

The grandfathered in plans die Dec 31 next year, because of the ACA.

A loop hole in the Law has allowed Employers to cut hours of employs to levels that do not qualify for for health insurance, ALL because of the Law.

if thats not a lie I don't know what is ... in many states there health care are plans run by the state ... now that the ACA is coming in to existence these plans are no longer needed ... what the state does is shuts down this plan an get you into the new one...

according to the data that is coming in to the government, about companies that are cutting hours, the stats are 1 in 1500 companies that are doing that ... as for it being a loop hole ... that too is you being misleading on your part ... companies before ACA could do that ... its been a loop hole for as long as health care plans of any kind existed ... so stop acting like its something that the ACA does a nobody else does it ... you sure love to spin the facts and you say you've read the ACA Bill three times ... me I've read it once or should I have said I had my computer read it to me ...

 

[billyerock1991]

And just where is this happening?

Got any links to back that shit up?

Back what up? That those over 60 are going to pay substantially more? I don't need links. I've compared rates in a number of states from existing plans to ones offered through the exchanges. I did this to confirm complaints from many people over 60 who are caught in this trap. It is one of the downsides of the plans that are offered through the exchanges.

If you want to check it out for yourself though, you can just check out the subsidy calculator.

Subsidy Calculator | The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

If you use my example, you will see the big flaw in the way the subsidies work. I used the state of Ohio. For a couple aged 63 and 61 respectively, the estimated cost for a silver plan is $13134 per year. At an income level of $62,000, which is exactly 400% of poverty level, this hypothetical couple would receive a tax credit of $7244, making them responsible for $5890 to cover their premiums. Not a bad deal, right? Now change their income to $63,000. If you did this correctly what you will see is that this couple no longer qualifies for a tax credit and now must pay the full $13134 per year for their insurance. Their income is only $1000 higher but they will now have to pay an additional $7244 for their insurance. These people are going to get hammered.

Now as you will see, this comes to almost 21% or their income, so they actually could go without insurance and not be penalized because the cost of the insurance is over 9.5% of their income, but at age 60 plus, going without insurance is really not a very wise option. What I really wish Republicans had done is addressed issues like this, and pushed for changes that would have had a positive affect on those who will need to use these exchanges to purchase their insurance. Instead, they wasted everyone's time by trying to stop the whole thing which was never going to happen.

I checked it out, and it shows we would pay in Michigan over $15,000 in premiums! That's for ages 60 & 61 with $75000 annual income....we get no subsidy either. Holy cow, where are people getting that this is affordable??? !!!!

where did you check it out???? whirlynutdaily ??? NOTnewsmax???? if you make 75,000 dollars a year and you can afford it... so you're trying to tell us that you can't afford 1250 a month ???? really !!!! you're trying to tell us you can't live on 5000 dollars a month??? really ???? you really want us to feel sorry for you cause you think you pay too much for your health care???

 

[NYcarbineer]

lol, he's talking about the 16 million Americans who happen to have individual plans that can't be grandfathered in. Many of them will get cheaper plans on the exchanges, especially when you factor in subsidies.

 

[healthmyths]

The main reason people lose their health plan is because the insurance companies were overcharging them and the plan was no longer price competitive so they cancel it.

That was funny.

By the way, can you explain why everyone's prices are going up?

that is a easy one .... the states,100% of the red state that are supposed to take the medicaid package that's paid by the feds they are refusing to do so ... so those cost the state more ... in my state, a dems/liberal state, a blue state, we don't have that problem ... in my state my health care plan got way better then the one I have now ... it will cost me 300 dollars less ... I just got confirmed yesterday ...you're not going to convince me that the ACA is a bad thing ... but you have convinced me that you're dirt stupid...

YOU said it! "by the feds they are refusing to do so ."

Who in the hell PAYS the "Feds"???? ALL of us in every state that pay taxes PAYS the "Feds"!

GEEZ when will you idiots stop thinking the "FEDs" have money?
In the words of the famous funny paper character.."We have met the enemy and he is us" let's change it to:
"Guess what .. we have met the "Feds" and it is us"!!!

There ain't no free lunch Billy boy!

And it will get much much more destructive.
The Messiah once said..“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”
AFTER he had told us in 2003
Full quote from Obama in 2003:
“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program.” ...Barack Obama on single payer in 2003 | Physicians for a National Health Program -

DO YOU and this ignorant Obama really KNOW what a "single payer" means???
For once THINK!
"Single payer" means ONE payer.

But 1,300 companies sell health insurance plans.
How to Stop Socialized Health Care - WSJ.com

These 1,300 companies will if Obama gets his preference NO LONGER Pay 82% of the premiums collected in claims! Gone!
These companies will no longer pay $100 billion a year in FEDS taxes, state taxes, local taxes and if there is a company in your home town they pay property taxes!

So the idiot OBAMA wanting a "single payer" means the FEDS lose tax revenue!
WHO MAKES up the losses???

 

[healthmyths]

How Many Americans Really Go Without Health Insurance?
The Citizenship Factor
According to Census Bureau data, of the estimated 46 million "Americans" without health insurance, more than 10 million are non-U.S. citizens.

Some Just Don't Want Insurance
Many young workers, whose employers do offer it, simply do not consider health insurance. According to the Census Bureau, 18.3 million of the uninsured are under age 34.

The Affordability Factor
In 2007 the Census Bureau reported that more than 14 million people without health insurance earned annual incomes of at least $50,000, with 7.2 million of them making over $75,000.

In December 2007, the Association of Health Insurance Plans issued a report showing that nationwide annual premiums for private health insurance policies averaged from $2,613 for individuals to $5,799 for families.

Existing Government Health Care Plans Not Being Used
A 2003 Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association study concluded that, "More than 14 million uninsured Americans are already eligible for health insurance through Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)." These people could automatically be signed up for these programs by seeking care at a hospital. In addition, a Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute study shows that 7 out of 10 uninsured children could be covered if their parents chose to sign up for existing government programs.

 

[jon_berzerk]

That was funny.

By the way, can you explain why everyone's prices are going up?

that is a easy one .... the states,100% of the red state that are supposed to take the medicaid package that's paid by the feds they are refusing to do so ... so those cost the state more ... in my state, a dems/liberal state, a blue state, we don't have that problem ... in my state my health care plan got way better then the one I have now ... it will cost me 300 dollars less ... I just got confirmed yesterday ...you're not going to convince me that the ACA is a bad thing ... but you have convinced me that you're dirt stupid...

YOU said it! "by the feds they are refusing to do so ."

Who in the hell PAYS the "Feds"???? ALL of us in every state that pay taxes PAYS the "Feds"!

GEEZ when will you idiots stop thinking the "FEDs" have money?
In the words of the famous funny paper character.."We have met the enemy and he is us" let's change it to:
"Guess what .. we have met the "Feds" and it is us"!!!

There ain't no free lunch Billy boy!

And it will get much much more destructive.
The Messiah once said..“Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,” Obama said at one rally in July 2009. “First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.”
AFTER he had told us in 2003
Full quote from Obama in 2003:
“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program.” ...Barack Obama on single payer in 2003 | Physicians for a National Health Program -

DO YOU and this ignorant Obama really KNOW what a "single payer" means???
For once THINK!
"Single payer" means ONE payer.

But 1,300 companies sell health insurance plans.
How to Stop Socialized Health Care - WSJ.com

These 1,300 companies will if Obama gets his preference NO LONGER Pay 82% of the premiums collected in claims! Gone!
These companies will no longer pay $100 billion a year in FEDS taxes, state taxes, local taxes and if there is a company in your home town they pay property taxes!

So the idiot OBAMA wanting a "single payer" means the FEDS lose tax revenue!
WHO MAKES up the losses???

the taxpayer

 

[billyerock1991]

why wouldnt they lose their current coverage

the big insurance companies obviously get a better deal

for themselves by funneling the consumer through

the obamacare hole

re write policies with less coverage

higher deductibles

and bigger co pays

then top it off

with a law that mandates the consumer to buy it

or become a criminal

sounds like a real win win for the insurance companies

Claim: Premiums are going up because of the law. Premiums are going down because of the law.
FactCheck.org says: It depends.
Politicians have been making these claims since before the law was passed — it was the first item on our list of whoppers back in 2010. Both sides have a penchant for misrepresenting studies on the matter to support their point. Our short answer — “it depends” — may be unsatisfactory to readers, but whether you’ll pay more or less than you would have without the law depends on your circumstances.
Are you uninsured and have a preexisting condition? You’ll likely pay less than you would have otherwise. Are you uninsured but young and healthy? You’ll likely pay more (without accounting for any subsidies you may receive). Are you insured through your employer? You likely won’t see much change either way.
Let’s start with employer-sponsored insurance. Employer-sponsored premiums did go up slightly due to the law from 2010 to 2011 (a 1 percent to 3 percent increase, according to experts), because of added benefits, such as coverage for dependents up to age 26, free preventive care and an increase in caps on coverage. Overall, premiums for family plans jumped 9 percent that year, with the bulk of that due to higher medical costs, not, as critics claimed, the health care law. Since then, premium growth has been 4 percent on average for 2012 and 2013, modest growth rates historically.
Note that premiums have been going up for years and will continue to do so — with or without the health care law. When Democrats make claims about premiums going down, they’re talking about premiums growing at a lower rate than they would have otherwise.
The growth in national health spending (that’s spending from the government, businesses and individuals) from 2009 to 2011 also has been at around 4 percent, the lowest level since such spending was first measured in 1960. President Obama has boasted that the ACA has helped make this happen. It could be playing some role, with an emphasis on new payment models, but experts say the cause is mainly the down economy. A Kaiser Family Foundation study said the economy was responsible for 77 percent of the slow growth rate, and that rate is expected to pick up as the economy recovers.
Now, the big question mark is for those who buy their own insurance. We’ll know more in October, when the state and federal exchanges have published rates and are accepting applications. But even then, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to make generalizations. Some folks will pay more, some will pay less, than what they would have otherwise. Many who had purchased on the individual market in the past will get more generous benefits — which will be good news for some and irrelevant to others. And the vast majority buying their own exchange plans — 80 percent, according to the CBO — will receive subsidies that bring their total out-of-pocket costs down.
These plans sold to individuals can no longer charge more based on health status or gender, but they can vary premiums based on geography, age and tobacco use. Republicans have warned of a “rate shock” in this market, with the young and healthy being subject to higher premiums if the market is flooded with older and less healthy policyholders. A RAND study, published in August and sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, estimated there would be “no widespread trend toward sharply higher prices in the individual market,” in the words of the lead author. But rates would likely vary from state to state.
The research group looked at 10 states and the U.S. overall, estimating no premium change for the U.S. at large and five states, a decline in two states, and an increase up to 43 percent in three states, not accounting for tax credits. The study, which held age, tobacco use and actuarial value (level of coverage) constant in comparisons, said average out-of-pocket costs would be unchanged or decline for all states once tax credits are factored in.
But that’s one estimate from an economic model, with noted “limitations.” Says the RAND study: “Current data on nongroup premiums are limited, and there are many uncertainties about how individuals and insurers will respond to the complex policy changes introduced by the Affordable Care Act.” It cautions against “sweeping statements” about the impact on premiums, since rates will differ based on individual circumstances.
That brings us back to our short answer: It depends.
“False Assumptions on the Health Care Law,” July 11
“Obama Overhypes Health Savings,” July 19
“Health Insurance Premium Spin,” April 5
” ‘Obamacare’ to cost $20,000 a Family?” March 1

as informative as your chart is it also depends on what plan you get ... Silver Plan, Bronze plan on so on .... but you are right it has been way cheaper then I would have expected ...as you can see on the Colorado chart over 50 its 245 month ... my plan in Colorado is the silver plan as of yesterday its going to cost me $251.12 a month with a 250 dollar deductible and a max pay out of $2000 dollars... right now my plan cost me 550 dollars a month with a $5000 dollar deductible ... in my currant plan if I go in for something else, its 5000 deductible first, its doesn't max out for the year they keep charging a 5000 deductible every time I go in ....starting January that plan is gone ... an my ACA plan comes into affect... these repub-lie-clowns are trying to convince me its bad and it cost more???? good luck with that