Don’t Blame ACA For High Deductible Plans
McConnell is a standout when it comes to spreading Obamacare misinformation. During the recent campaign, he bizarrely suggested that his home-state voters could keep their popular Obamacare health-insurance exchange,
Today's case in point for Obamacare Derangement Syndrome: blaming the law for the spread of high-deductible insurance plans.
Let's start with what's actually happening on the ground. Obamacare -- especially in states that agreed to expand
Unless the
Obamacare is far from perfect, as even its most avid defenders point out. It was designed to end some of the worst practices of the old system -- such as insurers' ability to drop your coverage if you get sick, exactly when you need it most, or to refuse to cover you because of a "preexisting" condition -- as well as to make coverage affordable. But that last goal was always a tall order in a country where the average price tag for an employee-group family plan is nearly
If there's one place where Obamacare often falls short, that's it -- as illustrated by consumers who complain about facing high deductibles before coverage kicks in.
But here's the rub: Obamacare didn't create high-deductible plans. Instead, it's helping shine a spotlight on a trend that long predated it -- a push to give consumers "more skin in the game" to slow the overall rise of health-care costs. It's even helping to curb that trend.
"It was not uncommon before last year to see nongroup plans with
What changed? Obamacare put hard limits on out-of-pocket expenses in qualifying plans. Next year, policies must cap total costs at
The problem, Pollitz says, is that for most families, even those kinds of numbers are budget- busters. They show why cost sharing is a blunt instrument that's as likely to scare people away from seeking necessary care -- maybe till it's too late -- as to cut needless medical expenses.
The good news is that Obamacare offers cost-sharing help for families with modest incomes -- next year, for a family of four earning up to
But the real key for anyone shopping for an Obamacare plan may be to get help from a specially trained "navigator," such as
Last year, Picher was able to offer information on options such as
Making health care available and affordable was always a huge challenge. But forget the ugly politics. This law is a real start.
215-854-2776 @jeffgelles
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