Obamacare and cancer....keeping your doctors

Marynb

This oped in the Washington Post about the impact of ObamaCare on cancer patients. For those of you who don't think this applies to you, because you are covered by your employer......wait until the law applies to you next year. The Obama administration delayed applicability of the law to employer based insurance until next year because they knew that would delay the biggest impact. It will happen.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304527504579171710423780446

mp327

Marynb

I think this country is going to see a big shift in who is uninsured.  Employers are NOT going to foot the bill for all of these things, so employees will be stuck holding the bag.  As Delta Airlines and UPS has already done, full-time employees who have had good jobs and good insurance for themselves and their dependents and have not been any kind of burden on society when it comes to their medical bills will suddenly find themselves with a part-time job that does not make them eligible for employer-based ins. plans.  Either that or the only person eligible for coverage will be the employee and not any of his/her dependents.  I see this as an avalanche of problems yet to come.  Well done, Mr. O.

Lorikat

mp327 said:

Marynb

I think this country is going to see a big shift in who is uninsured.  Employers are NOT going to foot the bill for all of these things, so employees will be stuck holding the bag.  As Delta Airlines and UPS has already done, full-time employees who have had good jobs and good insurance for themselves and their dependents and have not been any kind of burden on society when it comes to their medical bills will suddenly find themselves with a part-time job that does not make them eligible for employer-based ins. plans.  Either that or the only person eligible for coverage will be the employee and not any of his/her dependents.  I see this as an avalanche of problems yet to come.  Well done, Mr. O.

Amen.
 

Amen.

 

Marynb

mp327 said:

Marynb

I think this country is going to see a big shift in who is uninsured.  Employers are NOT going to foot the bill for all of these things, so employees will be stuck holding the bag.  As Delta Airlines and UPS has already done, full-time employees who have had good jobs and good insurance for themselves and their dependents and have not been any kind of burden on society when it comes to their medical bills will suddenly find themselves with a part-time job that does not make them eligible for employer-based ins. plans.  Either that or the only person eligible for coverage will be the employee and not any of his/her dependents.  I see this as an avalanche of problems yet to come.  Well done, Mr. O.

Obamacare
I am pulling my hair out at this point. The prices have jumped so high, I just can't afford it. For the first time, I feel like I might die because I can't afford these new prices with the high deductibles. Also, they have really narrowed the network of providers. I am thinking I may have to sell my home.

What a situation. I am so, so sorry that I voted for him. I actually believed him when he said it would lower the cost !!!! Not true at all for anyone who doesn't qualify for government subsidy.

I don't know what the heck I am going to do. I did not need this stress.

mp327

Marynb said:

Obamacare
I am pulling my hair out at this point. The prices have jumped so high, I just can't afford it. For the first time, I feel like I might die because I can't afford these new prices with the high deductibles. Also, they have really narrowed the network of providers. I am thinking I may have to sell my home.

What a situation. I am so, so sorry that I voted for him. I actually believed him when he said it would lower the cost !!!! Not true at all for anyone who doesn't qualify for government subsidy.

I don't know what the heck I am going to do. I did not need this stress.

Marynb

I am so sorry you now find yourself in this position.  I know it is so very stressful and it really doesn't help to know that many others are going to find themselves in the same boat.  It only makes me sick to my stomach.  This is such a disaster, but what I can't believe is how it's still being touted as a good thing.  Political spinning is way out of control on this one.  They need to just pull the plug on it.

sephie

Marynb said:

Obamacare
I am pulling my hair out at this point. The prices have jumped so high, I just can't afford it. For the first time, I feel like I might die because I can't afford these new prices with the high deductibles. Also, they have really narrowed the network of providers. I am thinking I may have to sell my home.

What a situation. I am so, so sorry that I voted for him. I actually believed him when he said it would lower the cost !!!! Not true at all for anyone who doesn't qualify for government subsidy.

I don't know what the heck I am going to do. I did not need this stress.

marynb

i am so sorry for your stress..... is there any way that you can send what has happened to you to Obama???? i know that sounds crazy but someone needs to get your email....or a lot of folks in washington need to get your emails......i am still not sure about my insurance because they still have time to drop me, i guess.... i already pay a huge amt.  per month with $5600 deductible....i guess they feel since i pay this much now that i must have money to throw out .... at this time , it is my most expensive bill to pay.... hope you can handle this...... sephie

Marynb

sephie said:

marynb

i am so sorry for your stress..... is there any way that you can send what has happened to you to Obama???? i know that sounds crazy but someone needs to get your email....or a lot of folks in washington need to get your emails......i am still not sure about my insurance because they still have time to drop me, i guess.... i already pay a huge amt.  per month with $5600 deductible....i guess they feel since i pay this much now that i must have money to throw out .... at this time , it is my most expensive bill to pay.... hope you can handle this...... sephie

Sephie
Well, I am just one of many MILLIONS of people being effected by this debacle. I am a private and proud person. I have never taken one penny of government aid and I don't want to start now. Trust me, they just do not care about what they are doing to people . I have just learned that insurance companies are dropping coverage for some of the best cancer hospitals.

Marynb

sephie said:

marynb

i am so sorry for your stress..... is there any way that you can send what has happened to you to Obama???? i know that sounds crazy but someone needs to get your email....or a lot of folks in washington need to get your emails......i am still not sure about my insurance because they still have time to drop me, i guess.... i already pay a huge amt.  per month with $5600 deductible....i guess they feel since i pay this much now that i must have money to throw out .... at this time , it is my most expensive bill to pay.... hope you can handle this...... sephie

Sephie
Another thought. Anyone who thinks they will keep their coverage as it is, is fooling themselves. Next year there will be more cancellation notices for those insured through their employers.

mp327

Marynb said:

Sephie
Another thought. Anyone who thinks they will keep their coverage as it is, is fooling themselves. Next year there will be more cancellation notices for those insured through their employers.

Marynb

Exactly!  There has been much discussion about ACA on Facebook, with many people almost bragging that their current coverage is not changing.  I hate to have to remind them that most, if not all, ins companies make changes prior to new enrollment periods, which usually take effect at the beginning of a calendar year.  While coverage may not change for 2014, ins companies will be busy during that year coming up with ways to keep more money and pay fewer benefits.  That will all add up to less coverage, higher premiums, higher deductibles and out-of-pocket amounts, and fewer in-network providers.  Employers will also be taking a hard look at the health benefits they pay all or a portion of for their employees and dependents and many people will suddenly be ineligible for health benefits.  I hate to be gloom and doom about this, but I don't see how it will unfold any other way. 

Marynb

mp327 said:

Marynb

Exactly!  There has been much discussion about ACA on Facebook, with many people almost bragging that their current coverage is not changing.  I hate to have to remind them that most, if not all, ins companies make changes prior to new enrollment periods, which usually take effect at the beginning of a calendar year.  While coverage may not change for 2014, ins companies will be busy during that year coming up with ways to keep more money and pay fewer benefits.  That will all add up to less coverage, higher premiums, higher deductibles and out-of-pocket amounts, and fewer in-network providers.  Employers will also be taking a hard look at the health benefits they pay all or a portion of for their employees and dependents and many people will suddenly be ineligible for health benefits.  I hate to be gloom and doom about this, but I don't see how it will unfold any other way. 

Deliberate delay of employer mandate
Actually, it is even more cynical than that. Seeing what was coming, Obama administration delayed the Employer mandate until 2015, after the 2014 elections! The same thing is going to happen to those covered by employer plans...in 2015! Most people are covered by employer plans, so they are dismissing those of us in the direct market as, "only 5% of the population". This is millions of people being dismissed. Unless something is done, the same thing will happen to the rest of Americans after the election. Funny, how people only seem to care about what effects them personally.

Lorikat

Marynb said:

Deliberate delay of employer mandate
Actually, it is even more cynical than that. Seeing what was coming, Obama administration delayed the Employer mandate until 2015, after the 2014 elections! The same thing is going to happen to those covered by employer plans...in 2015! Most people are covered by employer plans, so they are dismissing those of us in the direct market as, "only 5% of the population". This is millions of people being dismissed. Unless something is done, the same thing will happen to the rest of Americans after the election. Funny, how people only seem to care about what effects them personally.

Marynb..

I have argued this point with people from day one!  Nothing is free and NOTHING is safe!  Employee offered insurance has and will change.  people with government insurance (retired And survivors) need to watch out as well.  I have always had health insurance for me and mine, and my kids now have health insurance for their families.  But tomorrow?  One can only hope!  I was told that everyone felt the same way about social security when it came into being.....   I can only pray That eventually this will "shake out".  I just hope it doesn't kill us in the mean time!

 

Phoebesnow

Lorikat said:

Marynb..

I have argued this point with people from day one!  Nothing is free and NOTHING is safe!  Employee offered insurance has and will change.  people with government insurance (retired And survivors) need to watch out as well.  I have always had health insurance for me and mine, and my kids now have health insurance for their families.  But tomorrow?  One can only hope!  I was told that everyone felt the same way about social security when it came into being.....   I can only pray That eventually this will "shake out".  I just hope it doesn't kill us in the mean time!

 

Insurance

Well said Lorikat!  Change is scary for all of us.  The change I am afraid will be more than a financial burden.  But it has to be done.  I remember losing my job and health insurance. In my early twenties.  I was 3500 miles away from home collecting unemployment, paying for my apartment, car payment, car insurance  and some credit card bills.  Barely making it in the real world.  I did a breast exam occasionally, I found a lump, a hard one.  I called every government agency, no assistance was available to me.  I waited several week before I discovered the LA FREE CLINIC who did the biopsy for me, which was benign.  If I had needed further treatment, my only recourse would have been my parents.  If I didn't have parents, I don't know what would have happened to me.

I am afraid that for the average person like myself will suffer long waiting periods for appointments, more rushed appointments, and less granting of requestsfor scans MRI's and blood tests.  I am still trying to find out what kind of ataxia I have and what is my main condition as ataxia is just a symtom.

 

My insurance has gone up 80 dollars for this year with the policy remaining the same.  Grandfathering they call it.  I trust this company and believe it will be the same in the future.  I hope they open more facilities.

 

I am happy for all the people who will now have insurance and yet I am sad for all the people like Mary who are at this time being hurt by this.  

Marynb

Phoebesnow said:

Insurance

Well said Lorikat!  Change is scary for all of us.  The change I am afraid will be more than a financial burden.  But it has to be done.  I remember losing my job and health insurance. In my early twenties.  I was 3500 miles away from home collecting unemployment, paying for my apartment, car payment, car insurance  and some credit card bills.  Barely making it in the real world.  I did a breast exam occasionally, I found a lump, a hard one.  I called every government agency, no assistance was available to me.  I waited several week before I discovered the LA FREE CLINIC who did the biopsy for me, which was benign.  If I had needed further treatment, my only recourse would have been my parents.  If I didn't have parents, I don't know what would have happened to me.

I am afraid that for the average person like myself will suffer long waiting periods for appointments, more rushed appointments, and less granting of requestsfor scans MRI's and blood tests.  I am still trying to find out what kind of ataxia I have and what is my main condition as ataxia is just a symtom.

 

My insurance has gone up 80 dollars for this year with the policy remaining the same.  Grandfathering they call it.  I trust this company and believe it will be the same in the future.  I hope they open more facilities.

 

I am happy for all the people who will now have insurance and yet I am sad for all the people like Mary who are at this time being hurt by this.  

Health Insurance
I believe in health care reform. This is not a good answer to the problem. I am also a person who embraces change, if it is for the better. This is not for the better. The Massachusetts plan works very well. That was a bipartisan effort between Republicans and Democrats. There are NOT long waits, the cost has not sky rocketed, and almost 100% of Massachusetts residents now have insurance and they like it! The difference? There are MANY companies competing on the health care connector. It worked well in Massachusetts.

The problem in many states is that there is not enough competiton, so the prices have gone up. Also, the new requirements of Obamacare on all policies has raised the cost to everyone. If the cost only went up 800 dollars, that would be fine. It has gone up Thousands of dollars for many.

That being said, there is one thing that is great for cancer survivors. That is we can no longer be denied for pre existing conditions.

Here is a link put out by Livestrong Foundation on what the ACA means for cancer survivors. I have not read it all yet.

http://www.livestrong.org/aca/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=advocacy-updates&utm_source=november-email

Marynb

Lorikat said:

Marynb..

I have argued this point with people from day one!  Nothing is free and NOTHING is safe!  Employee offered insurance has and will change.  people with government insurance (retired And survivors) need to watch out as well.  I have always had health insurance for me and mine, and my kids now have health insurance for their families.  But tomorrow?  One can only hope!  I was told that everyone felt the same way about social security when it came into being.....   I can only pray That eventually this will "shake out".  I just hope it doesn't kill us in the mean time!

 

Lorikat
Social Security and Medicaid are not comparable to this mess. A single payor system would be comparable. This new plan is government mandating that we participate in the private insurance sector, where the private insurance companies set the price and make the huge profits! Very, very different. This is not a government program. The government has no control over the price!

Lorikat

Marynb said:

Lorikat
Social Security and Medicaid are not comparable to this mess. A single payor system would be comparable. This new plan is government mandating that we participate in the private insurance sector, where the private insurance companies set the price and make the huge profits! Very, very different. This is not a government program. The government has no control over the price!

Marynb, I DO realize this is

Marynb, I DO realize this is very (VERY) different.  The point I was trying to make is that EVERYONE will be affected.  I have heard people assure each other that THEY will not be affected. They will.  Wish we could really discuss this, as I need to know more, but this is probably not the place.  I guess I wI'll have to go back to the sixties and join with sit ins and rallies....

Marynb

Lorikat said:

Marynb, I DO realize this is

Marynb, I DO realize this is very (VERY) different.  The point I was trying to make is that EVERYONE will be affected.  I have heard people assure each other that THEY will not be affected. They will.  Wish we could really discuss this, as I need to know more, but this is probably not the place.  I guess I wI'll have to go back to the sixties and join with sit ins and rallies....

Lorikat
Lol. I do remember those sit ins! I think one of the problems with this big change in the health care system is that there has been a lack of information, a lot of misinformation, and deliberate misleading information....aka, lies.

We should know what we are getting, but we don't. The website lacks information about network providers, coverage, etc. As we all know, price is not the most important information. Lots of plans are narrowing networks so that major cancer hospitals are eliminated. Not good.

I think this is the forum. Cancer patients and survivors are dependent on health insurance that allows us to go to the specialists who can help save us. Healthy people may not be aware of all the pitfalls of limited insurance coverage.

kihonkumite

sephie said:

marynb

i am so sorry for your stress..... is there any way that you can send what has happened to you to Obama???? i know that sounds crazy but someone needs to get your email....or a lot of folks in washington need to get your emails......i am still not sure about my insurance because they still have time to drop me, i guess.... i already pay a huge amt.  per month with $5600 deductible....i guess they feel since i pay this much now that i must have money to throw out .... at this time , it is my most expensive bill to pay.... hope you can handle this...... sephie

I am in a similar position.

I am in a similar position. So, today just to vent I went on the White House website. There's a place on there where you can write to President Obama. I did.

Hope he listens.

Trew

I hang out over in the Prostate Cancer secton and came in here to see how folk in this catagory of cancer are doing.  This topic has not yet come to us discussing PCa but I would guess it will ow that Obamacare is hitting with full force.  I think every one of us with cancer of one type or another are somewhat anxious about health care changes and so far what I am seeing is frightful.  Sarah Palin warned us about death panels in the bill- and even Obama told us in one of his debates that sometimes just take a pill and die, or close to that.

I am not interested in death panels or just dying. 

I had stage iv prostate cancer.  surgery, radiation, hormone shots, more surgery, wow!  cancer can be expensive.  And my old insurance served me very well.  I hope it survives.  I am moving on into medicare now.  With fear and trembling.....   

 

 

 

Marynb

Trew said:

I hang out over in the Prostate Cancer secton and came in here to see how folk in this catagory of cancer are doing.  This topic has not yet come to us discussing PCa but I would guess it will ow that Obamacare is hitting with full force.  I think every one of us with cancer of one type or another are somewhat anxious about health care changes and so far what I am seeing is frightful.  Sarah Palin warned us about death panels in the bill- and even Obama told us in one of his debates that sometimes just take a pill and die, or close to that.

I am not interested in death panels or just dying. 

I had stage iv prostate cancer.  surgery, radiation, hormone shots, more surgery, wow!  cancer can be expensive.  And my old insurance served me very well.  I hope it survives.  I am moving on into medicare now.  With fear and trembling.....   

 

 

 

Hospitals and Obamacare
It has been disclosed that many major hospitals, including cancer hospitals, are being dropped by Insurance companies Networks due to Obamacare. This especially effects cancer patients. Places like Mayo Clinic and Cedars Sinai, etc. are no longer in Network for many major insurance companies.

Cancer patients need to see what is happening, before it effects them. This is NOT unique to me.