[speechlesstx]

I wonder how many more of these stories we're going to hear in the next few weeks.

Andy and Amy Mangione of Louisville, Ky. And their two boys are just the kind of people who should be helped by ObamaCare. But they recently got a nasty surprise in the mail.

"When I saw the letter when I came home from work," Andy said, describing the large red wording on the envelope from his insurance carrier, "(it said) 'your action required, benefit changes, act now.' Of course I opened it immediately."

It had stunning news. Insurance for the Mangiones and their two boys,which they bought on the individual market, was going to almost triple in 2014 --- from $333 a month to $965.

The insurance carrier made it clear the increase was in order to be compliant with the new health care law.

"This isn't a Cadillac plan, this isn't even a silver plan," Mangione said, referring to higher levels of coverage under ObamaCare.

"This is a high deductible plan where I'm assuming a lot of risk for my health insurance for my family. And nothing has changed, our boys are healthy-- they're young --my wife is healthy. I'm healthy, nothing in our medical history has changed to warrant a tripling of our premiums.

"Well I'm the one that does the budget,” said his wife. "Eventually I've got that coming down the pike that I gotta figure out what we're gonna cut what we're gonna do, to afford a $1,000 a month premium."

Their insurance company, Humana, declined to comment, but the notice to the Mangiones carried this paragraph:

" If your policy premium increased, you should know this isn't unique to Humana -- premium increases generally will occur industry-wide.

"Increases aren't based on your individual claims or changes in health status," it continued. "Many other factors go in to your premium including: ACA compliance, including the addition of new essential health benefits."

ACA, of course, is the abbreviation for the President's new law, the Affordable Care Act -- which for the Mangiones will be anything but affordable because the law adds a new tax on every insurance policy and requires a list of additional benefits the Mangiones didn’t want to pay for.

Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for American Health Insurance Plans, which represents insurers,explained that "for people who currently choose to purchase a high deductible, low premium policy that's more affordable for them, they are now being required to add all these new benefits to their policy.

That," he says, "is also going to add to the cost of their health insurance premiums."

This comes amid a huge debate over whether ObamaCare will raise or lower insurance rates.

For the Mangiones, that answer is abundantly clear.

But, but, but, if you LIKE your plan you can keep your plan!!

[Wondergirl]

I wonder how many more of these stories we're going to hear in the next few weeks.

Have all Humana insureds received this kind of letter?

[speechlesstx]

I haven't, but my employer pays for it. The point is this family buys their own insurance, a high deductible plan that they can't keep because Obamacare requires additional coverage which makes it more expensive. Tripled their cost in fact and will not permit them to keep the plan they liked.

[paraclete]

I haven't, but my employer pays for it. The point is this family buys their own insurance, a high deductible plan that they can't keep because Obamacare requires additional coverage which makes it more expensive. Tripled their cost in fact and will not permit them to keep the plan they liked.

Yes and the insurance industry is the beneficiary I find the cost amazing $1000 a month for coverage, they certainly need to shop around but I suspect this would be an unintended outcome and points to the need for regulation of the industry

[talaniman]

I guess they don't like there insurance anymore. But what I find puzzling is that Humana, is in the Kentucky Exchange. (As is my current provider).

Humana, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare among Kentucky health benefit exchange participants (Video) - Louisville - Business First

So while it's a bad story, a lot I think may be left out. I have questions before this rises to catastrophic. Just curious, if the exchanges are a better deal, and the companies are the same, what's the big deal?

I mean sounds fishy to me a company would send such a notice to an existing customer, then advertise the same plan at half the costs on the exchange. Not doubting the article, but not enough info to be outraged either. Do you have more?

[paraclete]

I guess they don't like there insurance anymore. But what I find puzzling is that Humana, is in the Kentucky Exchange. (As is my current provider).

Humana, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare among Kentucky health benefit exchange participants (Video) - Louisville - Business First

So while its a bad story, a lot I think may be left out. I have questions before this rises to catastrophic. Just curious, if the exchanges are a better deal, and the companies are the same, what's the big deal?

I mean sounds fishy to me a company would send such a notice to an existing customer, then advertise the same plan at half the costs on the exchange. Not doubting the article, but not enough info to be outraged either. Do you have more?

Tal the cost is probably the unsubsidised cost, not sure what you have to do to get a subsidy but there seem to be big differences between subsidised and unsubsidised costs

What should have been done is to open the market and make it a national market with greater competition

[smoothy]

Tal the cost is probably the unsubsidised cost, not sure what you have to do to get a subsidy but there seem to be big differences between subsidised and unsubsidised costs

What should have been done is to open the market and make it a national market with greater competition

Become a registered democrat and a contributor to the Democrat party... and you qualify for a subsidy... they will use the IRS to identify them to reward.

[talaniman]

What should have been done is to open the market and make it a national market with greater competition

Well Geez how much more do the markets have to open up if the same BIG companies are in every freakin' state, and in case you are wondering, there are 50 freakin' states! Hell even the smaller ones are subsiduries of the big ones!

Now what??

[talaniman]

Become a registered democrat and a contributor to the Democrat party...and you qualify for a subsidy....they will use the IRS to identify them to reward.

Most republicans are poor as church mice and are on food stamps or some other federal dole.

[smoothy]

Most republicans are poor as church mice and are on food stamps or some other federal dole.

And precious few of them are dumb enough to want anything to do with Obamacare.

[talaniman]

Commentary: Tough luck for the poor - Journal-Courier: Opinion

The Republicans don't even have to pretend that they care about the economic plight of the majority. In Owsley County, Kentucky, over half the population gets food stamps, but this nearly all-white county voted 81 percent for Romney. Of the 254 counties whose number of food stamp users doubled since 2007, Romney won 213.

So tough luck for the poor. Republicans are trying to slash the programs which have allowed most people who fell into poverty during the recession to get out of it. And for the rest of the middle class, whose incomes are going nowhere, they can watch the very rich eat up more and more of our national wealth.

Maybe the trickle down will start tomorrow.

No comment on whose dumb and who ain't.

[smoothy]

The dumb people want it... not even the people that dreamed this up want anything to do with it, they exempted themselves and everyone who works for them... a smart person would see that as proof of what crap it is.

[cdad]

I guess they don't like there insurance anymore. But what I find puzzling is that Humana, is in the Kentucky Exchange. (As is my current provider).

Humana, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare among Kentucky health benefit exchange participants (Video) - Louisville - Business First

So while its a bad story, a lot I think may be left out. I have questions before this rises to catastrophic. Just curious, if the exchanges are a better deal, and the companies are the same, what's the big deal?

I mean sounds fishy to me a company would send such a notice to an existing customer, then advertise the same plan at half the costs on the exchange. Not doubting the article, but not enough info to be outraged either. Do you have more?

From your article:

The state health exchange, which Business First has reported on previously, is being broken up into regions, and not every provider is providing plans to all regions, Beshear said. But there will be competition in every region. Enrollment for the plans will begin on Oct. 1. The rates and plans were reviewed and approved through the Kentucky Department of Insurance.


That may explain it.

[cdad]

Commentary: Tough luck for the poor - Journal-Courier: Opinion



No comment on whose dumb and who ain't.

I guess you can't consider that Obama has put most of those people out of work since that area is Coal Country. SO how is it a surprise they are in an ecinomic disadvantage at this time.

[talaniman]

So why are you surprised that there are many people who are suffering through the recession of 2007 and need assistance until things get better?

Why am I not surprised you blame Obama?

[smoothy]

People aspire to get things back to the way it was under Bush... It would be a massive improvement.

[talaniman]

Maybe you prospered under Bush, but America voted for Obama TWICE, and that just pisses you off to no end. Don't lie you hate it that the liberals and progressives have put the right wing down and reduced you to a loud group of malcontents wishing for the good old days of kicking butts and taking names of anybody who refused to be assimilated in your own image.

Nobody but a loony wants the Bush era back, and you are deluded if you think you can holler and scream and shoot your way to success. In the end you will be holed up in your own fortresses with 50 guns, and a TV stuck on Fox News, screaming to yourself about the good old days.

[smoothy]

Maybe you prospered under Bush, but America voted for Obama TWICE, and that just pisses you off to no end. Don't lie you hate it that the liberals and progressives have put the right wing down and reduced you to a loud group of malcontents wishing for the good old days of kicking butts and taking names of anybody who refused to be assimilated in your own image.

Nobody but a loony wants the Bush era back, and you are deluded if you think you can holler and scream and shoot your way to success. In the end you will be holed up in your own fortresses with 50 guns, and a TV stuck on Fox News, screaming to yourself about the good old days.

Obama didn't have the majority of America vote for him... he only got the majority of the vote... by hook or by crook.

Just face the fact that Obama made everything worse than he found it... and stop trying to defend the indefensible.

THey country was doing far better under Bush than Obama... and incodently... if it wasn't for the libtard in the drive by media pushing Propaganda instead of facts... he wouldn't have gotten elected either time...

Because he only got what voites he did as a result of lies and deception.

[tomder55]

What should have been done is to open the market and make it a national market with greater competition

We have a winner!! Exactly!

[tomder55]

Well Geez how much more do the markets have to open up if the same BIG companies are in every freakin' state, and in case you are wondering, there are 50 freakin' states! Hell even the smaller ones are subsiduries of the big ones!

Now what???

... the other side of the coin is state and Federal mandated coverage . Well there is other stuff needing addressing like liability reform.. but mandated provisions in these plans make a big difference. The fact that Obamacare mandates even MORE coverage will guarantee price increases.