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What are you doing?


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I recently posted a URL to an ad urging young, gay males to enroll in the health exchanges:

 

 

This ad seems to me to be aimed directly at our wonderful young, gay, "healthy", male escorts (among other young groups). The thought occurred to me that you are the perfect group to ask: What ARE you doing about health insurance? A comment on the ad said that many young gay males are "vacuous". I don't think this applies to "our" escorts. I'll bet you've thought long and hard about this issue. What have you decided??

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I am currently on a plan for sole-proprietors which costs $850 a month with no deductible, low copays and generous benefits. It is being cancelled under the Affordable Care Act. It was by no means substandard. Perhaps it didn't offer prenatal care, perhaps the system wanted my premiums to support the new exchange-based plans.

 

I thoroughly researched the plans offered through the New York exchange and discovered, to a one, all offer extremely limited networks, none of which include my current doctor or in fact any I've ever heard of. The networks may expand in the future, but as of now seem to be composed mostly of physicians who work under Medicaid contracts.

 

As of January, I will be in an ACA-compliant plan for sole-proprietors offered by my current insurance company outside of the exchange for $965 a month. (Had it not been cancelled, my current plan would likely have increased its premium for 2014, but not by quite so much.) As I understand it, the main differences I will notice is that I can no longer go out-of-network and will no longer be partially reimbursed for my gym membership, but one never really knows what surprises lurk. The big upset is hours (100+) and frustration I've spent looking into all this and the uncertainty of how the new plan will actually operate. Paying more for less doesn't tickle me either, of course.

 

Networks under the exchange-based plans may expand. If this resolves itself before the end of March (the end of open enrollment), I may cancel my new plan and enroll in one of these exchange plans at substantially less cost (perhaps $550 or 650 a month).

 

Lastly, I worry for 2015, when insurance companies will have actual enrollment data by which to set their rates, as plans apparently aren't attracting the young healthy folk current rates were predicated on. I'll also be 45 that year (I won't look a day over 44), and I believe that bumps me into a higher age bracket. I also worry for 2018, when the 40% Cadillac tax begins on those plans with premiums above $850 a month (indexed to inflation).

 

Kevin Slater

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I'm covered under my day job with a good PPO plan. Weirdly, the premiums went down this year so I upgraded to a better plan with better benefits for the same cost. The plan is part of a group so the pricing is more a factor of the group enrollment than it is anything with the Affordable Care Act. Not the only reason I have the day job, but an important consideration.

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  • 6 months later...
Lastly, I worry for 2015, when insurance companies will have actual enrollment data by which to set their rates, as plans apparently aren't attracting the young healthy folk current rates were predicated on.

 

Turns out my premiums are set to go up by 1.2% next year. Not bad.

 

Kevin Slater

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The ACA is turning out, on balance, to be a plus for many people. But I still think it would be preferable to have single payer national health insurance with details enacted by politically accountable representatives. We Americans are fools by allowing for-profit insurance companies to dictate the terms of our health care.

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  • 4 months later...
I've decided to remain Canadian, so I don't have to worry about health insurance. :cool:

 

I'm English and again I don't need to worry about health care. Mine is generally free with very limited exceptions.

 

It has its faults but Great Britain has one of the best health care systems in the world.

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I have BCBS and my premium doesn't even begin to approach Kevin's. Granted, our policies may be set up completely differently and we're in two different areas. I don't know how my premium will be affected for 2015, but I know it's gone down at least once before in the past.

 

One thing about the above question from Travis: I have a gay doctor (who is hot, as a plus) and a membership plan (about $200/yr, but I get to see my doctor exactly when I'm scheduled and can contact her via email/phone, etc). I like both and would recommend trying these approaches. To clarify, I actually have two doctors. One plus is that I can get an opinion from one and run it by the other. I can also get one when the other is busy.

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Great Britain has one of the best health care systems in the world.

 

According to the World Health Organization: France has the best health system, the UK is number 18, Canada - number 30 and the USA - number 37.

 

http://thepatientfactor.com/canadian-health-care-information/world-health-organizations-ranking-of-the-worlds-health-systems/

 

World Health Organization Ranking; The World’s Health Systems

 

1 France

2 Italy

3 San Marino

4 Andorra

5 Malta

6 Singapore

7 Spain

8 Oman

9 Austria

10 Japan

11 Norway

12 Portugal

13 Monaco

14 Greece

15 Iceland

16 Luxembourg

17 Netherlands

18 United Kingdom

19 Ireland

20 Switzerland

21 Belgium

22 Colombia

23 Sweden

24 Cyprus

25 Germany

26 Saudi Arabia

27 United Arab Emirates

28 Israel

29 Morocco

30 Canada

31 Finland

32 Australia

33 Chile

34 Denmark

35 Dominica

36 Costa Rica

37 USA

38 Slovenia

39 Cuba

40 Brunei

41 New Zealand

42 Bahrain

43 Croatia

44 Qatar

45 Kuwait

46 Barbados

47 Thailand

48 Czech Republic

49 Malaysia

50 Poland

 

...

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