ObamaCare is HERE!

ObamaCare is here…
The healthcare landscape has changed.

Dave Ramsey’s ELP

As Dave Ramsey’s Endorsed Local Provider (ELP), our goal is to make you aware of these changes.

We have tools available to help answer your questions:

• Do I qualify for a subsidy?
• What would my penalty be if I don’t have health insurance?
• Should I buy a plan now or wait for 2014?
• Should I keep my current plan?

You have more options available now than you will have next year.

MyObamaCareCalculator.com

For an individual / family PRE-OBAMACARE QUOTE, click on your state:

Alabama                             Montana
Alaska                                 Nebraska
Arizona                               Nevada
Arkansas                            New Hampshire
California                            New Jersey
Colorado                            New Mexico
Connecticut                        New York
Delaware                            North Carolina
Florida                                North Dakota
Georgia                              Ohio
Hawaii                                Oklahoma
Idaho                                  Oregon
Illinois                                  Pennsylvania
Indiana                                Rhode Island
Iowa                                   South Carolina
Kansas                                South Dakota
Kentucky                            Tennessee
Louisiana                            Texas
Maine                                 Utah
Maryland                            Vermont
Massachusetts                   Virginia
Michigan                             Washington
Minnesota                          West Virginia
Mississippi                          Wisconsin
Missouri                             Wyoming

Obama-Car

While talking about healthcare reform with my wife, our teenage son started asking questions. We tried to answer him in a way he could understand, but we just weren’t getting through. Health insurance is a foreign language to him. However he is dreaming about which car he will soon purchase. So we introduced ObamaCare to him by way of the Affordable Car Act… a.k.a. Obama-Car:

Obama says his reforms will include additional mandated essential health benefits AND reduce health insurance costs by $2500 per family. That’s simply impossible. That would be like requiring all 2014 cars to be either hybrid or fully electric (more energy efficient), include run-flat tires with electronic low-pressure warnings (better fuel economy), HID headlights (better night vision), GPS (less fuel wasted getting lost), and satellite radio (because it sounds good) at a lower price.

Yes, these OPTIONS are nice if you have the money to pay for them, but they should remain OPTIONS, not REQUIREMENTS.

Instead of a Chevy Cruze starting at $17,000 the new Obama-Car compliant version (such as the Chevy Volt) would be priced around $34,000.

Obama claims these new cars will only be paid in full by the “millionaires and billionaires” because anyone making less than 400% of the poverty level will have some (or all) of their car subsidized by the government.

Now let’s talk about used cars…

Let’s say you like your existing car.  As long as you owned it before March 23, 2010, you would be allowed to keep it. You cannot make any changes to it or it would no longer be “grandfathered” and you would be forced into buying a new Obama-Car next year or pay a penalty.

If it doesn’t get good enough gas mileage or include all the new Obama-Car required Overpriced Bureaucratically Authorized Mandated Add-ons (OBAMA), then you would also be penalized.

Our son is glad Obama-Car doesn’t exist. He can save his own money to purchase any car he chooses… as long as Dad (not Obama) approves of it!

Dislaimer:  This article was never meant to suggest Obama-Car legislation is needed or should ever become law.

Prepare For ObamaCare

Dear Nancy Pelosi,

After 3+ years and 20,000+ pages of additional clarifications…
WE STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT’S IN IT!

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) points up at ObamaCare

ObamaCare vs. Health Savings Accounts

(Updated 2013 post-election)
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, ObamaCare) has been ruled constitutional. And Obama has been re-elected so there is no chance of repeal. What does all this mean for Health Savings Accounts?

HSA qualified High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) are the fastest growing segment in health insurance today. Over 15 million people have over $17 billion saved in their HSAs. Since unspent HSA funds roll over from year to year, HSA owners have a vested interest in not spending their own healthcare dollars. The more common co-pay plans insulate people from costs which often results in over-utilization. HSAs change this behavior. This is why they are commonly referred as ‘Consumer Driven Healthcare’ plans.

There are some portions of the law that directly affect HSAs. There are several other rules that we have to speculate how they will be implemented. Let’s begin with the direct HSA rulings:

1. The penalty for ineligible withdrawals from an HSA has been increased from 10% to 20%
2. All over-the-counter medications now require a written prescription

That’s it. As long as you keep proper records verifying your HSA withdrawals were for eligible medical expenses (see publication 502) and obtain a written prescription for your allergy medication, pain relievers, etc. then you will not be subject to any penalty at all.

Now for the provisions that will impact HSAs indirectly:

1. INDIVIDUAL MANDATE (2014)
Since ObamaCare requires people to purchase health insurance, most people who are currently uninsured will look for the lowest cost option available. HSA qualified insurance policies are not allowed to have co-pays and have minimum deductibles of $1250 for self-only coverage and $2500 for families which makes them more affordable. This could dramatically increase how many HSA qualified plans are purchased.

2. STATE EXCHANGES (2014)
Exchanges are online portals where people can enroll in health insurance plans and potentially receive government subsidies based on income (up to 400% poverty level). Since HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius continues to interpret how these exchanges are to be implemented, this one is far from finalized. Companies will be allowed to offer up to 4 plans on the exchanges (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) each with mandated “Essential Health Benefits”. All exchange qualified small group plans have a maximum deductible of $2,000 for self-only coverage and $4,000 for families. This type of a restriction will increase the cost of HSA qualified health insurance plans over the larger deductibles available today (up to $6,050 for self-only coverage and up to $12,100 for families). But they should still offer a substantial premium savings over co-pay plans.

3. MEDICAL LOSS RATIO (2011)
ObamaCare requires Health insurance companies to pay at least 80% of all collected individual / small group premiums and at least 85% of all large group premiums out in benefits and claims. HSA qualified insurance plans typically cost less while still having similar fixed costs (insurance company marketing, underwriting, and claims processing) which makes MLR a difficult provision for them to comply with. This could limit the number of insurance companies that offer HSA qualified plans on the exchanges. However the elimination of underwriting costs (all plans will be guaranteed issue) and the reduction in marketing costs for the insurance companies once most insurance agents are replaced by exchanges should make all plans MLR friendly by 2014.

Unless Kathleen Sebelius makes an unexpected ruling, HSAs appear to not only survive ObamaCare, but potentially thrive.

So… Health Savings Accounts appear to have a bright future with or without ObamaCare.

Original pre-election version as published in Ingram’s Magazine September 2012

By the HSA GUY, Scott Borden
Host of “Insurance Talk with Scott & Mike” Saturday 7-8 AM on www.KCMOtalkradio.com
www.missionHSA.com
913-980-4694

I guess this is why they call them “Cadillac” health insurance plans… they cost about as much!

Unfortunately Massachusetts passed healthcare reform back in 2006 that is eerily similar to Obamacare 2010. The huge premium increases necessary to cover these madate laden policies is causing a new set of problems in Massachusetts.

It looks like many Massachusetts municipalities are paying extremely high health insurance premiums. Some of these “Cadillac” plans cost over $40,000 per year! Everything over $27,500 is going to be subject to additional taxes which will result in…. EVEN HIGHER PREMIUMS!

Here is a link to three Cadillac models you can purchase for under $40,000. At least you can take a few years to pay off a Caddy…

Buy a brand new Cadillac for less than some people pay for health insurance every year!

Since government regulations such as guaranteed issue have made health insurance so affordable in Massachusetts, why don’t we have Washington pass similar legislation for our whole country?

Oh wait…

Wasn’t Obamacare supposed to SAVE money?

The first casualties of Obamacare seem to be businesses with retirees that used to be able to take a tax deduction for covering their retiree prescription drug programs.  AT&T was one of the first to share their concerns.

AT&T estimates Obamacare will cost them (and us) $1billion

But you might not want to start complaining about how much Obamacare is going to cost your company. Otherwise you will probably be summoned to Washington to explain how come eliminating business tax deductions will costs you money. These are the same bureaucrats that think 2400+ pages of regulations and subsidies will somehow save our economy, so facts and common sense won’t help.

Democrats accused of intimidating firms for healthcare concerns

The tax increases on the surface of Obamacare are targeted at wealthy people, but the additional costs will all be passed on down the line to the consumer.  So it’s not only “the rich” that will have  to pay more for everyday goods & services to cover the mandated benefits and additional taxes contained in Obamacare… WE ALL WILL PAY!

Let’s pass the biggest tax increase in American history and call it “HealthCare Reform”!

If / When this administration offers enough bribe dollars to pass healthcare reform, although the “benefits” don’t start for 4 years… get ready to start paying for it immediately. There are over 19 tax increases identified (so far) in the 2409 page bill being voted on tomorrow.

Welcome to the Biggest Tax Increase in U.S. History - Business Insider

Although there will be additional hurdles to overcome before this monstrosity becomes law, I am fairly certain it will pass. Wave cash in front of a politician and they’ll quickly forget who they are really working for. I just hope Americans will make them pay this fall.

They’re trying to pass a healthcare plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn’t read it with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, and financed by a country that’s broke.  What could possibly go wrong?

Just say no… to OBAMACARE!

 

If you are upset about how Congress is trying to take over our healthcare system, there are a host of ways to express your views on-line. Here are a few.

• NCPA has been promoting a “Free our health care now!” (http://www.freeourhealthcarenow.com/) petition that already has 400,000 signers. It also has an “action pack” (http://actionpack.ncpa.org/) so you can spread the word even further.
• The Galen Institute has put together a “Do no harm” (http://www.donoharmpetition.org/) petition calling on Congress to follow the Hippocrates oath to “First, do no harm” when it tries to heal health care.
• This one calls on Members of Congress to sign up (http://www.healthtransformation.net/cs/public_plan_petition) for any government-run insurance program it may come up with. Just imagine getting Congress to put itself on Medicaid.
• And the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest says Keep your “Hands Off my Health!” (http://www.handsoffmyhealth.org/)
• And here is a terrific resource for physicians but together by our friend Dr. David McKalip, “Take Back Medicine.” (http://www.takebackmedicine.com

16 pages into Obamacare bill… individual private medical insurance will be ILLEGAL!

So the Prez says we can keep our current private health insurance plan as long as we choose to. But what does the bill say?

IT’S NOT AN OPTION!

It's Not An Option

 

www.ibdeditorials.com

Those of us that are self employed and have enjoyed the low cost options that individual health plans can offer will be forced into Obamacare whether or not we want to.

This is NOT a plan to compete with private health insurance plans, it’s a plan to ELIMINATE THEM!

Luckily Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) and GOP members of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee have released the following chart explaining how the House Majority’s health care plan is structured.

Obamacare simplified

Now it all makes sense!

The scariest part about this complicated scheme is that they want to vote on it as early as next week! 

Sign the “Free Our Healthcare Now” petition

Obamacare

I’m for fixing our current healthcare system, not destroying it! Obamacare will NOT encourage choice and will greatly increase costs in the private sector because of new mandated coverages. Meanwhile Obamacare plans on rolling out a national health plan to “compete” with the fatally wounded private sector spending money without any fiscal responsibility (this is Washington you know). Once the private companies are all gone… then the rationing begins!

Here is a simple petition that expresses a different approach to healthcare reform.

www.freeourhealthcarenow.com

WebMD interviews Newt Gingrich

I found an interesting article this week:

Click here to read the article on WebMD

Here is my response:

The only thing Newt didn’t mention in this fantastic interview is that we do have one solution available today that achieves most of the objectives he is outlining. I am one of approximately 5 million Americans that have started one. They are called Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs.

Since HSA qualified plans require a high deductible insurance policy without copays for physician visits or prescription drug coverages I have an incentive to shop for the best value. Since copays insulate consumers from the actual cost of the products, it encourages people to spend.

What other product in our free-enterprise society is delivered with a copay? Imagine purchasing a car with only paying a $200 copay and having someone else pay the rest of the actual cost. Would any of us be driving the same car we drive today?

I couldn’t agree with Newt more on his analysis of prescription drug advertising. It has always frustrated me seeing the commercials stating we should “ask our doctor about” this latest and greatest prescription, yet there is never a mention of cost. Most people think, “Well that’s what I’m paying these huge health insurance premiums for”.

Although prescription drug and physician visits are part of my comprehensive major medical insurance policy, they accumulate towards my calendar year deductible. I still receive the insurance company’s PPO discount on these expenses. Should I satisfy my deductible, my insurance policy covers 100% of all of my medical bills for the rest of the calendar year for my entire family.

Those of us with HSA qualified insurance plans have a vested interest in NOT spending our health care dollars. The premium we are saving (and I’m saving a lot) can be placed into a triple tax-advantaged HSA account. I pay my medical expenses for my family out of the HSA account. If I don’t spend it, I keep it. My wife knows to ask the doctor if there is a generic available because every dime we spend out of our HSA is actually money out of our retirement. We still have insurance in case of a large claim, but we cover the small bills ourselves with money we would have paid to the insurance company.

HSA qualified insurance policies are allowed to cover preventive care such as annual checkups, immunizations, mam/pap, prostrate screening, etc. immediately without having to satisfy the deductible. Our particular insurance plans do, although not all of them offer this wellness feature. In some years wellness checkups are the majority of our expenses, and the insurance company pays it all.

These type plans are called “Consumer-Driven” or “Consumer-Directed”. They are showing great promise in reducing utilization while still offering a comprehensive major-medical insurance plan in case of a major claim.

It is great to see some of the larger companies finally beginning to offer these HSA qualified plans for their employers. Unfortunately they are not always designed to place the premium savings into the HSA account. With proper design and education for employees, these plans offer an actual solution to the ever increasing health care costs.

I just hope Newt’s calculation of 40% reduction without sacrificing quality becomes a reality. I know it has for my family.

Thanks for getting a great message out Newt!