Question: IF the public option becomes available and I jettison....

[Aviation Pro]

....my expensive but very, very good plan offered by my company can I switch back at a later date if I find the public option lacking for the needs of my family?

[kirby]

1. Are you expecting someone to know that answer?

The bill has not even been written or released!?!

[Aviation Pro]

3. I don't know if someone has the answer....

...all I know is that if a public option is less expensive for me and supports my family's needs it becomes a no brainer.

[MercutioATC]

2. The Magic 8-Ball says...

"Ask again later"

[Eric J in MN]

4. The House bill prevents individuals with insurance through their employer...

...from choosing the public option.

It also prevents employers with 25+ employees from choosing the public option, unless the employer gets special permission.

[BlooInBloo]

5. (a) Who knows such a detail for certain, (b) I can't imagine private insurance...

would turn down a customer in the face of competition and a no-excluding-preexisting-conditions rule, and (c) I can't imagine that a plan would ever be passed that holds people enslaved to a government plan.

So while I can't be certain, I'm very sure you could leave a public option, if desired.

[metapunditedgy]

6. It's a good question... need to prohibit insurance companies taking retribution.

[quiller4]

7. Look at your employer's plan. Most spell out that if you leave, you

must stay out till the next open enrollment period. It is doubtful that any of those provisions will change no matter what reform bill is adopted.

[sandnsea]

8. If the premium is over 12% AGI

at least in the House plan, you can opt out of your company insurance. Otherwise I don't think you can go to either the insurance exchange or public option. As the entire plan is implemented, your company will be able to, but individuals can't. They tried to get that in but business complained it would add more to administer various vouchers than they would save from the new system.

[Oregone]

9. You probably wont be eligible in the first place

Its only supposed to cover 10 million people in 10 years. Its not going to be universally accessible. Its rather a minor part of the reform, a distraction, in retrospect.

[Aviation Pro]

10. Shameless kick because some troll unrec'ed and politicized....

...a legitimate question.

[demosincebirth]

11. Why would one want to leave a good company HC plan?

[Aviation Pro]

13. If a similar plan is offered at a less expensive rate....

...wouldn't you investigate and do a cost-benefit analysis?

[demosincebirth]

15. I was lucky, I paid no premiums and no deductables

[Oregone]

14. expensive

[KansDem]

12. Isn't there something about grandfathered policies?

I think the wingnuts were claiming you couldn't get private health insurance after the plan goes in effect, but I think that meant the insurance companies couldn't offer older policies but had to offer newer ones that reflected the new legislation and its guidelines.

Does that make sense?

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Good question. Perhaps you should ask your insurance company what its policy is? n/t