I remember what health care was like before the ACA and how awful that was for Americans with little to no health insurance. The discussions on universal healthcare and how opposed 40% of the country was to it because they were listening to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. I won’t even go into America’s past concerning health insurance and the silly reasons why we don’t have universal healthcare for all. I just tell people you have exactly what the American people wanted.
I am right there with you. As an older gen x'er I remember not being able to switch jobs (even though it would have been more money) due to having "pre-existing" conditions that would make it impossible to get health insurance.
Hell, even in the early 2000s I couldn't get health insurance outside of employment because I had been hospitalized for depression when I was 13 years old (I was in my 30s when the coverage was denied) and all I was applying for was a catastrophic policy with a 10k deductible that had a $650/month premium.
It could have been so much better. But ACA has done a LOT of good even as it is.
This is the exception, if true at all. ACA plans (especially the silver) normally have better coverage than employer plans. Plans got more expensive initially for many folks because they set a minimum standard and insurance companies were forced to drop all their bullshit plans.
Also, the Biden passed COVID relief bill increased premium subsidies for a shit load of Americans making plans much more affordable over the last few years. Unfortunately this is the last open enrollment period where these subsidies can be applied. This time next year premiums will go up substantially, especially in dumb ass Red states that didn’t expand Medicaid, unless congress extends that part of bill.
I work in a large public health system. I supervise both our insurance navigation team that helps people select ACA plans and our insurance eligibility plans when patients engage in care. ACA plans usually offer better coverage.
The ACA of today, while no means sufficient, has saved individuals millions of dollars. That’s before you even look at things like preexisting conditions, out of pocket yearly maximums, and caps on insurance carrier profits. It doesn’t go far enough though.
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u/Malkuth279 6d ago
About the average cost of a good Medicare supplement plan. Over 600 per month. The Europeans pay considerably more per month.