# 2014 - What type of health care plan will you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547 "2013-11-22T18:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/21 "2013-11-23T04:16:34Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > After all, with no rules about pre-existing conditions, I could always pick up a policy after I realize I need it. Not quite. You can only enroll in the exchanges during open enrollment, October through December after the first year. You could end up waiting up to nine months to get insured, which would suck if you had something expensive that requires immediate treatment. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/22 "2013-11-23T05:15:50Z")
Private employer insurance. We have a very affordable plan from Kaiser Permanente (I think my montly premium is like $150 for me, my wife, and our two kids) with low co-pays. Same plan next year as this year. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/23 "2013-11-23T08:55:32Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > We will purchase private insurance, as my husband and I are self-employed. Right now we are still on COBRA from his old job, paying obscene premiums because of his former boss’s family’s multiple expensive health issues. We will end up paying about a third of what we pay now. Ditto, but because I became unemployed. And yes, COBRA rates are worse than taking out a loan from a mafia loan shark. Plus, they have rude customer service and treat you like you are irrelevant scum. January can’t get here soon enough to tell those people at COBRA to go fuck off and die. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/24 "2013-11-24T00:01:47Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Wow! Yeah, I know! I have to remind myself to feel grateful sometimes, because this is very good. When I first joined the firm, 11 years ago, they paid 100% of employee and family, if you chose the HMO or Kaiser option. Times have changed. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/25 "2013-11-24T00:20:28Z")
We’re doing an HSA account. It made sense for our family: preventive stuff is covered. Anything else has a deductible of 3,000 with a max out of pocket of 6,000. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/26 "2013-11-24T00:23:22Z")
Obamacare. $750 annual deductible. $1500 maximum annual out of pocket. No co-insurance. $126 monthly premium. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/27 "2013-11-24T04:50:31Z")
I voted for me personally. But for my family, we still won’t know until that stupid website actually works properly. ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/28 "2013-11-24T05:25:35Z")
Federal Govt employee so I have the Federal Employee Heath Benefit health plan thingy ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/29 "2013-11-24T15:20:23Z")
When I was a Contractor (up until Aug 1 of this year), I was paying $96 a week for Health Insurance, the equivalent (at 4.33 weeks per month) of $420 a month. A fuckload of money considering what I made, but as a 51 year old diabetic, I had to have it. Right now I make too much money to qualify for subsidies, but if I needed to sign up through MNCare (the Minnesota Obamacare site), I see that I could get a $750 Deductible/90% plan for $288 a month, or not quite 70% of what I was paying. I would be pretty happy with that. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/30 "2013-11-24T15:42:23Z")
The poll left out Medicare + Parts b, c, and e, including the “doughnut hole,” during which I have to sell my soul to pay for my prescriptions. And yes, I’m in it right now. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/31 "2013-11-24T16:38:07Z")
I live in England, so am fully covered by our UHC (the NHS.) My employer offered me a Private Plan in addition at a decent discount, but I didn’t take it up. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/32 "2013-11-24T16:55:13Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Not quite. You can only enroll in the exchanges during open enrollment, October through December after the first year. You could end up waiting up to nine months to get insured, which would suck if you had something expensive that requires immediate treatment. Plus AFAIK Obamacare hasn’t completely abolished pre-existing exclusion periods; only for those under 19. Which means if dracoi get’s diagnosed with something while uninsured then buys insurance they can still refuse to pay for it’s treatment for up to 12 months; they just can’t use it as an excuse to deny coverage or charge higher rates. Right now I have a direct-pay policy and will continue to buy my own insurance for at least the first 6 months of 2014. I’d like to be able to at least see what’s on offer tru [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov), but have spent over a week trying to reset my password & log back in to no avail. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/33 "2013-11-24T19:27:52Z")
Wow, I’m still the only one who checked the VA box. I find that surprising. Just for the record I’m 100% service connected so I don’t even have a co-pay. When Ms Hook retired from the post office I told her to not put me on her insurance any more. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/34 "2013-11-24T19:32:25Z")
We have this thing called Medicare in Canada. It’s nice. So I chose it in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/35 "2013-11-24T19:43:31Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Plus AFAIK Obamacare hasn’t completely abolished pre-existing exclusion periods; only for those under 19. That was true from passage until Jan 1, 2014. After that, [no exclusions](http://kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/health-insurance-market-reforms-pre-existing-condition/) or waiting periods for pre-existing conditions. Waiting for an annual open enrollment period is the only purchase restriction. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/36 "2013-11-24T19:44:31Z")
I don’t see an HCA or Obamacare option on the list, yet clearly, the topic is Obamacare, what gives? FTR, I currently have no health insurance and am really looking forward to getting some through Obamacare, as the prices look like they are, in fact, affordable. Which you certainly can’t say for private insurers in Georgia. Lately the insurance companies have been sending me all sorts of letters offering plans that they say are “much improved.” But I know the drill … if Obamacare does not succeed, we go back to the old days of “this monthly insurance payment is more than I make in a month!” Screw you, private insurers, I don’t trust any of you farther than I can throw you. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/37 "2013-11-24T19:55:31Z")
PPACA _is_ privately purchased insurance, **Evil Captor**. The exchange websites carry a list of private insurance packages that you can choose from. If you are below 400% of the Poverty guidelines, you may qualify for Federal subsidies, otherwise you’re on your own. Which state are you in? ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/38 "2013-11-24T19:58:39Z")
I voted medicare, but I also have medi-cal (medicaid in California) as well as the part D for prescriptions. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/39 "2013-11-24T20:49:48Z")
CareFirst POS through the public school system I work for, which costs me about $60/month for medical, prescription, dental, and vision. This is about 1/3 what I was paying at my last job, for much better coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547/40 "2013-11-25T01:12:01Z")
I’ll be covered on my parent’s very good plan until I turn 26. Thanks, Obama! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-what-type-of-health-care-plan-will-you-have/674547.md?page=3)