What are the economics of Affordable Care Act?

Bottom line economics for our family.

We HAD (new plan starts in January) a Cadillac healthplan through husband's job.

Now we will be moved into $3000 deductible HSA/100% when we reach out of pocket $10 grand. Pre tax dollar contributed to HSA we can fund first year IIRC around 7 grand because we are over 55.

Still be paying several hundred dollars a month for coverage. Three pages of covered preventative services. Going to have to negotiate with doctors for services and meds.

Positives for HSA is that we can take it with us and I can inherit, but past spouse, money goes to beneficiary or estate and will be taxable. At least that is how I interpret the plan.

Like all insurance, you don't know what you got until you have to use it, so we are just going to be winging it this first year.

As I said in another thread, we are not sure what we are going to be responsible for until the HSA is funded by payroll deductible dollars. We are going to be limiting spending this Christmas.

I can understand families holding off on major purchases like housing until they fully grasp the changes. HR meetings started in mid- late August and my husband says that all his clients are talking about the changes.

There is a lot of confusion out there and I have heard of many companies that are only going to be giving employees allotments to purchase their own from those exchanges. The media reports that some of the exchanges are not ready to accept customers.

I don't think anyone really knows how this is all going to work and it is going to be a huge cluster for quite a while.

We were talking the other night. If we have to go to Doctor with sore throat etc., we are going to take cash along with the HSA card.

Ask the Dr. office how much if we pay hard cold cash? Worth a try. From what I am hearing from friends, there are many companies going to this high deductible HSA program. IMO, going forward, smart Doctors will post prices to make their offices more efficient.

Seems like a smart person could make money advising medical offices on marketing strategies.

It will drive up costs and thus premiums but it attempts to soothe the populace through back door price controls i.e. subsidies.

The doctors in Mississippi welcome the plan. Not enough residents have insurance and this will get them payments.

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I had an HSA plan with $3,000 deductible that I loved (I'm 28). I was using it as a stealth IRA for investing.

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Using it now.

$2000 deductible, $4000 family. Maxing it out to $5270/year with another $2K from my employer.

We have high ded plan with BCBS. Premium went up $70 per month effective October 1. Our ded went up $200 and our oop stayed the same.

Also the amt we can put into the HSA went up I believe by $200.

Not sure how long we'll have this ... we're self employed.

Ours is $5800 ded I think? Was $5600 ... individual plan - hoping to be able to keep it and afford it.

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It's fantastic if you are never sick.

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I would add "for the first 2 years".

My wife and I are 26. We had a choice between the HD HSA or the conventional. We went HD and took whatever difference between the premiums and threw that in the HSA along with the company adding $1,000/year. The deductible is $1,500 per person, $3000 max per family. $10,000 max oop per family.

I'm retired, on Medicare which cost about $150 a month. Also have BCBS plan "F" which cost me $350 a month.

I'm married and the wife's BCBS cost us $300 a month. Her insurance will go up to $400 a month due to ACA.

We are on a set income and now the wife will have to return back to the work force which in turn will cost more tax dollars to have a home bound nurse to come in more then once a week. She had retired at 50. 3 months later, I got sick and I do need help every day. It's the catch 22.