See the title.
But, specifically, the thing that is so awful about it is employer provided health insurance. That is just the dumbest thing in the world. Is there any other nation where that's considered normal?
People, especially conservatives, complain that they don't want government to choose their doctors. I can understand that. However, these same people seem to think it makes perfect sense for their boss to choose their doctors.
How dumb is that?
I was generally supportive of Obamacare when it was introduced. I thought the basic principle was fine....except. It strengthened the ties between employment and health care. That was very, very, unfortunate.
So, why is it that this thought is occurring to me now, and I feel compelled to rant on the internet about it. I want to assure you that I've thought this way for a long time, but there is, in fact, something about present circumstances that bring home just how stupid this connection is.
In June, I lost a job. Unceremoniously dumped, in the middle of the month (that will be significant later). Well, the truth is that I'm pretty financially secure, and I really hated that workplace. Therefore, inconvenient, but not catastrophic. Unfortunately, it means I also had to start paying for health insurance. Well, this is a problem. As I said, I am financially secure, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed the prospect of shelling out my own money for health care.
So, in the US, we have COBRA. Named for an act of Congress that established the law, but whose acronym has nothing to do with health care, it requires that employers allow recently former employees to continue health care coverage, as long as the employees are willing to foot the entire bill. As it turns out, that entire bill is usually quite large. It turns out that most people don't really understand how much their health care costs. But, even without the individual mandate, I am the sort of person who insists on having health insurance, and it not lapsing even for one day. If that's the day you happen to be in a car crash, you're screwed. So, no matter what, I'm going to be covered every single day. And, I'm financially secure, so I can do that. A lot of people can't, but that's not the subject of this thread (until someone makes it that, because it really can't be avoided.)
Since COBRA is expensive, it would be better to have some other alternative. There are "marketplace", i.e. Obamacare, plans. They are not cheap, but more importantly, they have very high deductibles. They have to, because they cover preexisting conditions. The insurance companies know that there will be people who wait until they need care to sign up. Those high deductibles help mitigate that problem.
What else is available? Well, I'm 56 years old and diabetic. The answer is that nothing else is available. Literally. It's COBRA or Obamacare.
There's another interesting feature of Obamacare plans. They all start the first day of a month. Also, once you declare that you are opting into Obamacare, you can't opt into COBRA. COBRA has an interesting feature as well. You have sixty days to decide to take COBRA, but it's retroactive if you decide in those sixty days. If you opt in to COBRA, you can't take Obamacare.
So, on July 23rd, I found myself having to make a decision. COBRA or Obamacare? Once I choose, I'm committed. I haven't had any bills since mid June, when I lost regular coverage. Obamacare can't start until August 1. If I say I want Obamacare starting on August 1, I can't change my mind if something happens. So, what do I do?
I get a very short term, catastrophic care only, no pre-existing condition, plan, that covers me for a week. It costs about 400 dollars, because it actually covers me for 30 days, which is the shortest policy they sell, but you can start on any day. Problem solved.
Oh...for other reasons, it made more sense for my wife to take COBRA. You see, she had already met the deductible, and had some planned medical procedures coming up.
Now, I get a job. Sign up for the new job's coverage? Not so fast. My new job is "contract to hire". Very common for the software biz, especially when hiring old guys. That means I'm going to be an employee of the contract house for six months and then (if all goes well), join my new company officially. So, I have to sign up for the contract house's insurance. The deductible restarts. Then, the first of the year rolls around, and the deductible restarts. Then, on the 1st of March, I join the new company, which has a new insurance plan, and a new deductible.
Over the course of 12 months, I will have been covered by five different insurance companies. (The old company plan, the catastrophic short term plan, the Obamacare plan, the contract house plan, and the new company plan.) And I still haven't decided whether to keep my wife on COBRA. It's expensive, but she has an expensive procedure coming up, and she has met the COBRA deductible. Oh...and the new company and the contract house both have the same insurance network, and the doctor my wife is going to isn't in network. So, change doctors because your husband gets a new job. Who came up with this madness?
It's insane. Fortunately, the new plans include mental health coverage I'll need it by the time I sort out the paperwork.
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