Affordable Care Act ‘mixed bag’ for Cape Codders
For
Millions of dollars in federal funding have flowed to the Cape's four nonprofit community health centers since the act's passage, allowing them to hire more physicians, add space and expand services such as mental health and dental care for their patients, many of whom are on subsidized care plans.
He said he was impressed by the modernity of the facility as well as its expanded hours, caring staff and knowledge of different types of insurance.
"They're terrific," said Place, a professional handyman.
Also under the ACA, eligibility for subsidized MassHealth plans expanded, and more than 11,000 people from the Cape and Islands now qualify for federal tax credits or state subsidies to help lower the cost of insurance plans.
But many
While nearly everybody in
"Deductibles go up every year," said
The cost of coverage for the year comes to
But with a
A survey by the
And an annual survey released in
That means patients are eschewing EKGs, walking away from tests to determine the cause of lymphedemas and even going without medications prescribed by their physicians, according to doctors and patients on the Cape.
One woman said she went to a specialist appointment but left once she was told the cost of the test would be applied toward her deductible.
"Co-pays and deductibles are so high it's really like having no care," said Dr.
Medical noncompliance because of financial hardship among patients was a hot topic among doctors meeting last week at
"There is a lot of fear out there. People are afraid they are going to get a large bill. So they are are forgoing care," Biliouris said. "Unless they are getting the care, the coverage doesn't matter."
Nearly everybody in
While the
Federal health reform increased the cap for eligibility for MassHealth -- also known as
In addition, the health connector provides subsidies in the form of state subsidies or federal tax credits to those who are under 400 percent of the federal poverty level, Lefferts said. For a family of four,
One
But medical insurance costs -- not counting dental -- eat up more 60 percent of his income at his current job, the man said.
He said his employer assumes the entire cost of individual plans, but he elected for family coverage to insure his wife and two children.
It's nice that the ACA allows children to remain on their parents' plans up to age 26, but many plans make it cost-prohibitive, the man said. "I appreciate what Obama tried to do. It's the families that are suffering."
To add to the woes for families, an ACA initiative designed to help people qualify for subsidized insurance when plans offered by their employers are too expensive -- meaning they cost 9.66 percent or more of household income -- applies only to the amount the employee would pay individually.
It's known as the "family glitch," and according to healthinsurance.org affects about 2 million Americans.
"People blame the ACA" for issues that don't come under the reform legislation's bailiwick, such as pharmaceutical pricing practices, he said.
"Costs are unacceptably high and can be lowered and need to be lowered," Berwick said.
Berwick, former head of the
"While the ACA isn't perfect, it was a decent start for a very complex issue," Lauf wrote.
Restaurateur
"It should be
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