I’m retired, but still 10 years away from being Medicare eligible, so I pay for my own health insurance from the only income I have, which is my pension.
The day before the Obamacare launch, I received a letter from my current health insurance company telling me that my current plan was being eliminated. The letter stated that my current plan actually met all of the minimum requirements being imposed on health insurance plans by Obamacare, but offered no explanation why it was being eliminated.
I called my health insurance company and asked if my plan was being eliminated because of Obamacare. They confirmed that Obamacare was indeed the reason why my plan was being eliminated. Didn’t Obama promise, over and over again, that if you liked the plan you had, you could keep it?
My next step was to start shopping around for a new plan. As all of you know by now, using the Obamacare marketplace website was a complete waste of time. I tried the website every day for a week and never got past the account creation steps (when the system was available).
I decided that I would shop around on my own by visiting the websites of the health insurance companies available to me to see what plans were available. To make a long story short, a new plan with the same basic coverage I have now will cost me more than twice what I pay now. I can’t afford to pay that amount, so I will most likely go without health insurance and pay the penalty (or is it a tax?). Even with the estimated tax credit, the new plan is still unaffordable.
The lowest priced plans available are the catastrophic plans, but they still cost more than what I’m paying now, and the coverage is virtually non-existent. The deductibles are high (>$6000) and then only 40% of your expenses are covered, or the co-pays are very, very high.
Obamacare must be stopped at all costs!
Premium Before Obamacare: 3180
Premium After Obamacare: 6528