Prof. Antony Davies: Obamacare Failed

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Did the ACA get you covered or not? Have your own health care bills gone up or down?

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[Rocketninja]

The scariest part is that a lot of young people will never know how our system used to be and a lot of older folks have already forgotten. In 2003 I had just graduated from high school. I took a job working in construction. This was a time in which I had the least education and fewest skills of my entire adult life and yet my insurance for a month was the cost of one day's pay. My deductible was $500. At age 20 I injured my hand and needed a surgery. I chose my doctor, who was a well renowned orthopedic surgeon who graduated top of his class at John Hopkins. He operated on my badly maimed hand for 8 hours. It cost me $500 out of pocket and to this day I have no problems with my hand. He was a remarkable doctor. Now we can't choose our doctors and deductibles ranged 4, 000 to 6, 000. My monthly premiums were never higher than $125 until the ACA became law. If I had to go through that again today I'm not sure I would be able to get the same quality of care.

[nicscov]

it's amazing how many people prefer government mandates vs free choice. it's like bullying would be accepted if the masses voted on it.

[ledzeppelin]

If you think healthcare is expensive now, just wait until you see how much it costs when they make it "free"!

[Dydreth]

As a former health insurance professional, I can spend _hours_ telling stories about the horrors of the ACA (Obamacare).

[chubbyninja]

Something you touched on very briefly I think deserves much more attention. The ONE thing that the ACA might have done that could have been both constitutional AND effective would be to leverage the commerce clause to prevent states from setting up protectionist barriers around their insurance companies. By opening insurance up to a national market, we could drive down prices without imposing anything upon the insurance industry, or insurance customers.

[garciavashchino]

I'm not Demo/Repo... I'm for less Gov. Our health insurance is outrageous... and it's in the Govs hands... more evidence to why I feel right about less Gov. Power.

[NOLAMarathon]

The political Left believes that health *insurance* and health *care* are the same thing. They are not. In fact, it's possible that the requirement to buy insurance can make the procurement of health *care* less likely. Why? Because rising deductibles and copays -- in addition to health insurance premiums -- become a disincentive to purchase actual health care.

[sirsaint]

I had private insurance for years since my employer didn't cover families at an affordable rate. Since Obama has taken office my premiums doubled, my co-insurance went from 80/20 TO 60/40, I had to change plans nearly every year, and my deductible went from 2, 500 a person to 6, 900 a person. I finally had to leave my job and find an employer that provides better insurance. The ACA was awful, and TrumpRyanCare is awful. I'm ashamed of the voted for REPEAL....and all they want to do is control our lives still. So much for small government republicans.

[sandraarias]

Americans were switched without their knowledge or consent to Obamacare, leaving sick without health care, and millions broked, others died. Horrible times

[jeffreycohen]

Don't forget the copays. When you look at some of these amounts it discourages getting the treatment. For example, $750 for a colonoscopy. Also, for self employed the increases are 500% over what we used to pay for premiums for lower quality plans.

[louieluis]

$2.4B into ill-conceived co-ops. $2B to construct healthcare.gov, $3.5 B to divert from Treasury to Insurance Companies to help cover from losses of Obamacare, $750M in subsidies handed out to more than half a milion people who werent eligible for coverage, $1.5B easily flushed down the drain. And more

[TReeves]

The AFA is just one more milestone along the road to serfdom.

[Lacocacolaman]

I had to pay 700 dollars back because of this nonsense. I wish I just took the fine of 300 dollars. How is this even legal forcing me to pay 700 dollars within 2 weeks or face fines?

[TheDingus]

Only coming here because of Kamala vs pence and thank you

[geekinutopia]

Politicians promise utopias, but deliver dystopias!

[KentA]

The real solution is to outlaw ALL health insurance and switch to direct primary care, so you subscribe to your doctor, not a health insurance plan. We need to demand this from Congress right away.

[teencred]

Just to be sure I saw this correctly, does part of the bureaucracy of health care coverage include the HMO/PPO systems?

[jerrymander]

The big problem with the ACA is that it allowed health insurance access for everyone. So now a 70 year old morbidly obese male with two strokes and type 2 diabetes has access to the same health care as a healthy 20 year old male. So insurers raised costs to cover those risks. More payouts for healthcare = higher deductibles and higher premiums for everyone.

[skyryder]

No where in the AHCA do I see the word insurance. Affordable Health Care Act. What happened to making healthcare affordable, we got side tracked with health insurance and

[rockhardagain]

So silly, government mandated health insurance should have implemented a non-profit insurance industry. Those choosing private health care should always have that option, but those choosing government mandated insurance should do so in a non-profit environment, where costs are covered, and nothing more. When for profit insurance companies are now receiving government provided clients, but have done nothing to reduce their ridiculous rates, it is obviously more of a racket than benefit for almost anyone but insurance companies and their investors.