General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I don't think the Health Insurance Reform Act was a great progressive achievement. [View all]Uben
(7,719 posts)..you know, it affected a lot of people, and it affected a lot of people differently, so there is certainly going to be different views on its merits. I say we're better off with it than without it. When they passed it, it did nothing for me and my situation with health care costs. I pay $25,000/yr in premiums alone. Why? My wife survived cancer 9 yrs ago. The premiums started skyrocketing immediately. This bill did nothing to reduce my costs, but to be honest, I can afford it.
There was one way I could have benefitted from the bill. I could get on the federal high-risk program, if I would drop coverage for six months. It would just about cut my costs in half. I thought about it, but I just couldn't make myself vulnerable to financial ruin by taking that risk. So, I kept paying thru the nose, so to speak.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, my wife's cancer came back...this time, with a vengence. It's not a curable disease, but it can be treated, and quality and extension of life can be achieved. To cut to the chase, I've racked up over $60,000 in medical costs the last couple of weeks. That's just what I'm aware of at this time, it will be much much higher before we're done. What if I had taken that risk of dropping coverage for 6 months to get in the high-risk pool? I don't know the reasoning behind making that stipulation, but I'm sure it was a negotiated factor.
Anyways, I made the right decision. Another benefit I get from the bill, no cap. That's good.