Retirement planning

[KiotiKowboy]

How much is it if you take a $2500 deductible? Just curious. Trying to see how long it would take to save up $2500 in an emergency fund.

I can't actually select a deductible amount. There is an optional plan that has a $1000 deductible but, without digging into the details, I don't what other coverages may vary. This plan would cost $100 less per month.

As an aside, I also have a separate long-term care policy. Most health insurance plans do not carry this coverage.

So far ..... thank GOD ..... I pay far more for insurance than I would be spending for care without it.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

My take on the ACA is that it just legitimized victimizing individuals that are not eligible for group plans.

The ACA is not really about providing healthcare to everyone. It's about providing healthcare to those who qualify for massive subsidies. In effect, it is a powerful tool in the Marxist redistribution of wealth ideology. And, it secures power for those in government who use their positions to rob from the productive and enslave the non-productive.

Not trying to start an argument. These are just the facts.

 

[Travelover]

The ACA is not really about providing healthcare to everyone. It's about providing healthcare to those who qualify for massive subsidies. In effect, it is a powerful tool in the Marxist redistribution of wealth ideology. And, it secures power for those in government who use their positions to rob from the productive and enslave the non-productive.

Not trying to start an argument. These are just the facts.

This has been argued to death, but one element in the ACA that is important to me is that I can always buy affordable health insurance regardless of a pre-existing condition. Under the old system if I got a serious disease like cancer and was not in a group plan, I could have been dropped, then literally bankrupted by paying for treatment out of pocket. That might not mean much to some others, but it is a big deal for someone that has worked hard, saved, invested and played by the rules.

 

[Parkanzky]

I did the same last year, more out of curiosity than need. I plugged in my real numbers, and even for the lower quality bronze and silver plans, got prices five times higher than I'm paying through my employer sponsored health care. When I looked at plans that offered benefits comparable to what I have now, premiums were more like 10-12 times more expensive. I understand that some of the premium cost is paid for by my employer, but 80%? I don't think so. My take on the ACA is that it just legitimized victimizing individuals that are not eligible for group plans. Is it any wonder, since the legislation was largely crafted by the insurance industry?

They try to be extremely transparent here with our benefits. We have a "high deductible" health plan with an HSA. IIRC, our employer pays 82% of our insurance premium, so we only pay 18%. That means that if we had to pay it all on our own, it would be over 5x as much. On top of that, they put $2k/yr into our HSA accounts. After you take that into account, they're actually paying those of us that are single or have small families to get insurance. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that your coverage would be 5-10x as much on the open market.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

... one element in the ACA that is important to me is that I can always buy affordable health insurance regardless of a pre-existing condition...

I think most would agree there are several good things in the ACA. The problem is, it placed ideology above logic and essentially destroyed the existing model. The damaged incurred has been massive and spans a wide terrain - from destruction of individual liberty to complete disregard for the law. Yes, you have a major benefit and I'm glad for you - truly. However, in order to provide that type of benefit, many many others are facing premiums that are devastating. There are no "simple" answers but there are "wrong" answers, and the ACA is/was a HUGE mistake.

 

[MossRoad]

We need to have the politics of the ACA discussed in the politics forum.

 

[Travelover]

I think most would agree there are several good things in the ACA. The problem is, it placed ideology above logic and essentially destroyed the existing model. The damaged incurred has been massive and spans a wide terrain - from destruction of individual liberty to complete disregard for the law. Yes, you have a major benefit and I'm glad for you - truly. However, in order to provide that type of benefit, many many others are facing premiums that are devastating. There are no "simple" answers but there are "wrong" answers, and the ACA is/was a HUGE mistake.

I'm waiting for a better answer that still guarantees me coverage - from either party.

 

[riptides]

I'm waiting for a better answer that still guarantees me coverage - from either party.

I am waiting for a better answer that provides decent coverage, simplified processing, better service without the endless excessive rise in costs - from either party.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Simply allowing folks to shop nationwide for insurance would be a start on addressing a lot of your concerns. Even the ACA suffers from state-by-state options. I have no idea why this has not been fixed.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

We need to have the politics of the ACA discussed in the politics forum.

Agree a lot of great info here would hate for it to go away.