Stupid stuff politicians have said

[merithyn]

The radio (NPR).  Actually I think that was just the number of people who bought their own policies prior to Obamacare.  Something like half to 75% of them may lose their policies.

They may lose the policies that they have now, but will get something similar, is my understanding. And most of the price increases are covered by government subsidies.

I will be really interested to see how it all shakes out in the end. I know that our individual policies here were already in line with the ACA, and priced appropriately, so very few of our members had to change policies or saw any kind of price increase. I heard through the grapevine here at the office that BCBS intentionally inflated their prices and changed their individual policies this fall in order to blame it on ACA. That seems like mostly what's happened rather than that the ACA actually caused any major price increases.

[Admiral Yi]

What's BCBS?

[derspiess]

Don't you have to meet income requirements to get the subsidies?

[garbon]

What's BCBS?

Blue Cross Blue Shield?

[Admiral Yi]

OK, I don't see how Meri's grapevine makes any sense.

[garbon]

OK, I don't see how Meri's grapevine makes any sense.

They took advantage of the coming of ACA to increase prices and slash non-profitable plans?

[Admiral Yi]

They took advantage of the coming of ACA to increase prices and slash non-profitable plans?

How can one take advantage of the ACA to increase prices, and why were they offering non-profitable plans before?

[garbon]

They took advantage of the coming of ACA to increase prices and slash non-profitable plans?

How can one take advantage of the ACA to increase prices, and why were they offering non-profitable plans before?

People assumed that prices would increase / don't fully know too much about ACA, so played into bias and or confusion? I don't really know just brainstorming.

[merithyn]

People assumed that prices would increase / don't fully know too much about ACA, so played into bias and or confusion? I don't really know just brainstorming.

Yeah, more or less. That's what the Higher Ups here are saying, anyway. They are, of course, biased against BCBS, so I take it all with a grain of salt.

(BCBS = Blue Cross Blue Shield)

why were they offering non-profitable plans before?

I think the assumption is that they weren't offering non-profitable plans at all. Rather, they figured that with all of the confusion surrounding the ACA - and the assumption that prices would go up because of it and so BCBS could blame the ACA for the price inflation - BCBS can now make more money on plans that were only slightly changed without suffering any hits to their reputation by saying, "Blame the ACA!"

[Admiral Yi]

That seems to ignore the entire logic of Obamaexchanges, which is that insurance providers will be competing with each other for customers.

I mean, why would a prospective customer care whether a given provider is raising prices for this reason or another?  Surely they would just look at their price vs. their competitors' prices.

[garbon]

That seems to ignore the entire logic of Obamaexchanges, which is that insurance providers will be competing with each other for customers.

I mean, why would a prospective customer care whether a given provider is raising prices for this reason or another?  Surely they would just look at their price vs. their competitors' prices.

I don't know. I mean how many people who already have healthcare plans that aren't going away, are actively going and looking if they can get a better deal on the exchange?

[Admiral Yi]

I don't know. I mean how many people who already have healthcare plans that aren't going away, are actively going and looking if they can get a better deal on the exchange?

Right now, zero.

[merithyn]

I don't know. I mean how many people who already have healthcare plans that aren't going away, are actively going and looking if they can get a better deal on the exchange?

Right now, zero.

True dat.

I suppose that there's hope that things will eventually go in that direction, but I think that right now, people are more afraid of all of the changes that are going on than they are looking for a good deal. They're going to stick with what they know until things settle down.

I have no idea. I can honestly say that I despise trying to figure out what's covered by how much when working through my health insurance plan. It's a maze of confusion, and I work in the industry. If I had the opportunity to stick with what I have or go on the Exchange, I don't know that I'd bother. (As it is, self-funded companies don't have to open to the Exchanges, so it's kind of moot.)

[Admiral Yi]

I think you're overstating the case Meri.  Obamaexchanges are specficially designed to make price shopping as easy as possible, by offering only four flavors of coverage/deductible combination.

[merithyn]

I think you're overstating the case Meri.  Obamaexchanges are specficially designed to make price shopping as easy as possible, by offering only four flavors of coverage/deductible combination.

Since I can't use them (not that anyone else can, either, right now), I haven't bothered to look into them. It would be nice to have it as simple as that, though.