Obamacare

[Babagounj]

(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc raised new questions about the viability of Obamacare on Thursday, saying that in 2017 it might stop selling individual plans on the insurance exchanges created under U.S. President Barack Obama's healthcare law.

The largest U.S. health insurer cited weak enrollment and high medical costs for people who did sign up. Rivals Aetna Inc and Anthem Inc said last month that they were seeing too few people enroll but have not signaled they would exit the business.

"We cannot sustain these losses," UnitedHealth Chief Executive Stephen Hemsley said during a conference call with investors. "We can't really subsidize a marketplace that doesn't appear at the moment to be sustaining itself."

UnitedHealth has about 500,000 members with Obamacare plans, making it the fourth-largest insurer on the exchanges .

 

[Babagounj]

Arizona health insurance co-op to close shop Dec. 31

The announcement by Meritus Health Partners means 59,000 Arizonans it now covers need to find a new insurer by Dec. 15 if they want coverage on Jan. 1.
The nonprofit was one of 23 co-ops created under the Affordable Care Act to provide competition to for-profit insurers, but many have struggled and more than half have now failed or will close by the end of the year .

 

[Brownslave688]

So I'm on a number of forums. Every one of them currently has a thread about how much their insurance premiums are going up in 2016. Not only do costs seem to be skyrocketing but coverage appears to be getting worse also.

 

[bbsam]

Arizona health insurance co-op to close shop Dec. 31

The announcement by Meritus Health Partners means 59,000 Arizonans it now covers need to find a new insurer by Dec. 15 if they want coverage on Jan. 1.
The nonprofit was one of 23 co-ops created under the Affordable Care Act to provide competition to for-profit insurers, but many have struggled and more than half have now failed or will close by the end of the year .

I will be interested to see if the Republican nominee runs on this limited defacto "repeal without replace" as an accomplishment by the party.

 

[Babagounj]

The still operating co-ops are all dealing with the same problems .
Too many older people are enrolling while a majority of the young healthy people are not .

 

[bbsam]

The still operating co-ops are all dealing with the same problems .
Too many older people are enrolling while a majority of the young healthy people are not .

Older people...who vote. Not sure this will play well for the R's

 

[moreluck]

 

[Babagounj]

With the Mass. Romneycare plan they were allowing prison time for those that couldn't pay the fine .

 

[Sportello]

With the Mass. Romneycare plan they were allowing prison time for those that couldn't pay the fine .

So you are advocating the Sanders plan? It would appear so.

 

[newfie]

Older people...who vote. Not sure this will play well for the R's

why is the destruction of our health care system a problem for the R's?

 

[bbsam]

why is the destruction of our health care system a problem for the R's?

Because older people vote and because of the nature of insurance.

 

[Babagounj]

With a D win in 2016 , one of these two obamacare wishes will happen ;
Hillary wants to keep obamacare going , watch it end badly , and introduce single payer . Bernie wants to end it now and start single payer .

 

[bbsam]

With a D win in 2016 , one of these two obamacare wishes will happen ;
Hillary wants to keep obamacare going , watch it end badly , and introduce single payer . Bernie wants to end it now and start single payer .

Then the Republicans should find a candidate who can win the general election if they don't want single payer.

Also, I'm not so sure that a Trump presidency wouldn't strike some kind of deal to get single payer as well. He talks "repeal and replace" more convincingly than those who simply talk repeal. Not sure what he would replace it with and he doesn't seem to want to gave any details.

 

[newfie]

Because older people vote and because of the nature of insurance.

democrats destroyed our healthcare not the R's

 

[Sportello]

democrats destroyed our healthcare not the R's

newfie tieguy, how do you figure that and why do you think our healthcare is destroyed?

It saved your life, didn't it?


Maybe that's not a good thing

 

[bbsam]

democrats destroyed our healthcare not the R's

How so? I send a check to United Healthcare every month and use the coverage just like I always did. If it's ruined, it happened so long ago that I don't even know it.

 

[newfie]

How so? I send a check to United Healthcare every month and use the coverage just like I always did. If it's ruined, it happened so long ago that I don't even know it.

Older people...who vote. Not sure this will play well for the R's

make up your mind.

 

[bbsam]

make up your mind.

You said Healthcare was ruined. I challenge your premise.

 

[newfie]

You said Healthcare was ruined. I challenge your premise.

you alluded it as being the republicans fault I questioned it.

 

[bbsam]

No I didn't.