Guest Blogger in the LA Times: We Young Urban Voters Supported Obamacare, But No One Told Us We'd Be The Ones Paying For It

Lot of that goin' 'round, huh?

I’m a healthy 34-year-old with a taxable income hovering right around the Obamacare subsidy level who, for the last several years, has purchased a relatively inexpensive catastrophic health insurance plan from Blue Shield....

Last month, however, I received a letter from my insurance company informing me that my plan was “no longer available” due to “new requirements for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.” [M]y monthly premium is going to rise by nearly 43% to $214 a month.

My old plan was as bare-bones as they came, so I assumed that even though the new plan would cost more, my coverage would improve under Obamacare, at least marginally.

It did not.

Under my old plan, my maximum out-of-pocket expense was $4,900. Under the new plan, I’m on the hook for up to $6,350. Copays for my doctor visits will double. For urgent-care visits, they will quadruple. Though slightly cheaper plans exist if I decide to shop around on the exchange, I will lose my dental coverage should I switch.

Needless to say, I am not pleased.

Most young, middle-class Americans I know are happy that millions of previously uninsured people will receive free or heavily subsidized insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

We just didn’t realize that, unless we had health insurance at work, we’d be the ones paying for it.

Obamacare: Catastrophic policy coverage at comprehensive policy prices. Because that's Better Insurance, somehow.

Oh you get free birth control pills or something.

Wow, these are the most expensive free birth control pills I've ever seen.

This is hitting a lot of Republicans right now-- small business owners, independent contractors. People who understand they have to make their costs each month or they don't eat.

But it is interesting to note it's going to hit a lot of liberal freelance magazine writers and such -- people who write articles for a living.

Obama would love to ignore the Republican victims of his policies, but can he ignore the progressive chattering classes, too?

Below, a Fun Halloween Prank, and/or a Visual Metaphor for Obamacare:

Thanks to @slublog for the video, and thanks to Monty for the Doom-y LA Times piece.

posted by Ace at 04:36 PM

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