Premium Increases Under Obamacare Are Exaggerated, Rand Says

By and Drew Armstrong | August 30, 2013

  • August 30, 2013 at 10:59 am
    Thoughtful says:
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    Lets face it, increased prices and more unaffordable healthcare plays right into the playbook. It is to be in chaos so the government will have to fix it and get to the ultimate goal. Government run healthcare.

    • August 30, 2013 at 2:58 pm
      Cheetoh Mulligan says:
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      The article states that there won’t be a big change in premium rates, and goes on to explain that rate hikes will be offset by government subsidies for those who qualify. I deduce that Rand is a pro Democrat organization. The premiums will rise due to Obamacare. How much depends on how close the current base state plans are to the new “Bronze” plan, the lowest plan offered by the Exchanges. It doesn’t make sense to say there is no rise in premiums due to offsets by gov’t subsidies (our tax dollars) when in fact the premiums will rise.

  • August 30, 2013 at 1:33 pm
    Captain Planet says:
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    I hope you are right, I have been praying for universal healthcare in this country for decades. We are the only 1st World Nation without it.

    • August 30, 2013 at 1:46 pm
      Dave says:
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      And are the one nation where truly very sick people or people who cannot wait for treatment turn to in dire need.

      • August 30, 2013 at 1:54 pm
        Becky says:
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        True – get an advanced cancer in Canada. Doesn’t turn out too well.

        • August 30, 2013 at 2:39 pm
          Captain Planet says:
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          I know someone who did and she is still with us today. She LOVES her healthcare. In fact, I know quite a few Canadians and all have commented on how messed up our healthcare is. Two of which are doctors.

          • August 30, 2013 at 2:51 pm
            Becky says:
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            My medical professional relatives in Canada would say your friend is an anomaly as they had many patients die waiting for surgeries and other treatments. I should mention they moved to the states years ago because the cost of living is so high in Canada.

          • August 30, 2013 at 6:21 pm
            Hobbits2nfro says:
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            “I know someone” is anecdotal to the extreme.
            google the polls up there for a meaningful
            spread of true sentiment. You remind me of
            a friend who had bought into the utopian myth
            of Soviet Union health care before the collapse
            of USSR. Subsequent glasnost revealed that
            their system was a macabre nightmare for
            everyone except the privileged few in the communist
            hierarchy.

          • September 1, 2013 at 7:30 am
            Dave says:
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            Again, why people who need serious medical help come south to the United States, at least up until now. As usual Planet you are clueless. Too much of the Obama Kool-Aid.

          • September 3, 2013 at 12:46 pm
            Perplexed says:
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            I personally know of two doctors that were Canadians when universal healthcare started that moved to Texas to get away from it. Also know Canadians who have sought tests and treatments from doctors in the US because they couldn’t get the same level of care in Canada. The wait times to get MRI’s, just to diagnose their health problem was months!! Please don’t tell them how good the healthcare is in Candad.

      • August 30, 2013 at 2:40 pm
        Captain Planet says:
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        Then why is medical tourism from the US to other nations such as India so popular? Yes, people come here…people who can afford to get care here, that is.

        • September 3, 2013 at 9:55 am
          Dave says:
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          In large part due to the FDA which doesn’t allow certain procedures that are allowed overseas or allow drugs to hit the market here as quickly as overseas. Also, medical costs are in may cases much less overseas due to the lack of ambulance chasers there. Face it Planet, when folks are really sick and need dire medical attention, this is (or at least was) the place to get it.

          • September 3, 2013 at 1:18 pm
            Captain Planet says:
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            When folks are really sick and need dire medical attention, this is the place to get it if you can afford it. Otherwise, medical bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the US. So much for life, libery, and pursuit of happiness when you’re broke off your arse because you got sick in the greatest nation on the planet. And, from what I’m reading out here on multiple forums, so much for “I am my brother’s keeper.”

          • September 3, 2013 at 1:55 pm
            bob says:
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            1:

            Bankruptcies are roughly equal in Canada. To state that medical bankruptcies are no longer a problem due to shifting the costs to higher taxes (also unaffordable, causing bankruptcies) is semantics Planet. The bankruptcies still happen.

            2: Bankruptcy is not the end of the world, or life. You get treated here and then go into bankruptcy. In Canada in the extreme situations you just don’t get treatment, and it is the end of the world and life for you.

            Which brings me to 3: If bankruptcies are equal, you aren’t gaining anything with universal healthcare. If we give treatment to the poor you aren’t losing anything in it’s absence. Now in universal healthcare countries, you do lose some coverage for catastrophic care, in the name of preventative that not everyone uses. What do you want? Catastrophic care, that screws people who don’t use the coverage with higher premiums, or preventative care over use, which screws people who need catastrophic care?

            Because it’s clear you can only have one or the other, unless we build a system separate for preventative care funded by the state which I would be fine with.

          • September 5, 2013 at 9:07 am
            Dave says:
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            Captain, so what do you want? The best care you can get and if you bust your ass all your life and earn a good living pay extra for that care because you EARNED the money to afford it? Or give more people mediocre care? Under your logic everybody should live in a two bedroom apartment no matter how hard they worked and sacrificed to get to where they are. What you are calling for is Communism if I hear right.

    • September 3, 2013 at 2:05 pm
      bob says:
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      ” hope you are right, I have been praying for universal healthcare in this country for decades. We are the only 1st World Nation without it.”

      Again, says the guy who claims that he is a moderate independent and has conservative values and has voted republican. No republican has pushed for universal healthcare coverage in that same time frame. A few pushed for mandates, something you yourself mentioned calling all republicans hypocrites because a few pushed for mandates in the 80’s. You also mentioned how you hated Reagan and Bush Jr and Bush Snr. Just which conservative did you vote for, and how moderate are you really?

  • August 30, 2013 at 1:37 pm
    Becky says:
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    Here’s my favorite part…

    “Government subsidies will be available to offset higher premiums, and the Rand study said more than 60 percent of people who shop for exchange plans will get a discount.”

    Where exactly do people think government subsidies come from? These subsidies don’t grow on some magical tree, they come from taxpayers’ pockets — mostly the over-taxed middle class!

    • August 30, 2013 at 1:49 pm
      Captain Planet says:
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      Yes, and your over-inflated premiums currently subsidize ER trips and CEO yachts. Here’s an idea, how about asking for just a couple points more from the undertaxed corporations (in some cases, not taxed at all or tax refunded, even) and top 1% of wage earners? Haven’t we flooded enough money up? We flood it up and are supposed to get a “trickle down”. Yeah, they’re trickling it down all right. I feel like the middle and lower classes get peed on everyday.

      • August 30, 2013 at 1:58 pm
        Former Status Quo says:
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        the glizt and glamour of the C-Suite isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, see Zurich…people at the top earn what they get paid. They sacrafice friends, family, and free time – meanwhile you get your nights and weekends off.

        • August 30, 2013 at 2:37 pm
          Captain Planet says:
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          Speak for yourself. I’m constantly working nights and weekends. Average 2 hours each weeknight and at least 8 on the weekends. Wife, daughters, and friends sacraficed. I’ll be working on Labor Day, too.

          • August 30, 2013 at 2:52 pm
            Bluto Blutarski says:
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            I always thought that maybe, just maybe, Captain Planet was actually Obama, with the way he supports the President. But now, with this work comment, I know it isn’t true…

          • August 30, 2013 at 3:35 pm
            Captain Planet says:
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            I always thought that maybe, just maybe, Bluto Blutarski was actually Sarah Palin, with the way he/she supports right-wing nuttery. But, with all the words spelled correctly in his/her commentary about me, I know it isn’t true…

        • August 30, 2013 at 6:16 pm
          Hobbits2nfro says:
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          Yep, speaking of Zurich their CFO just committed
          suicide. The ultimate personal meltdown from
          work related stress at the top.

          • September 3, 2013 at 9:15 am
            Captain Planet says:
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            The ultimate cop-out for a coward is more like it.

      • August 30, 2013 at 1:59 pm
        Becky says:
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        I don’t agree that we should penalize people for being successful. Here’s a very simplistic response…how about we do a flat tax and get rid of the tax loopholes?

      • September 3, 2013 at 9:22 am
        Dan Smith says:
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        “Undertaxed corporations?”

        You are joking, yes? First of all, who do you think owns corporations? People who work for a living and save their money for retirement. And whose income from the corporation that gets paid out in dividends gets taxed AGAIN, after the corporation gets taxed.

        Get real.

        • September 3, 2013 at 2:23 pm
          jw says:
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          Aren’t dividends a pretax expense?

      • September 3, 2013 at 2:11 pm
        bob says:
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        Absurdly untrue.

        People comment about how during Clinton’s presidency the middle class income rates increased at rates we had not seen since the the 1950’s.

        First of all: 1950’s was around the time we lowered the obscenely high tax rates of the 40’s.

        Second of all: Those tax rates are still under what they were pre Reagan, showing lower rates did trickle down. Whether you want to admit it or not, even Clinton’s rates are half that of the rates pre Reagan (70% top rate), showing that trickle down worked.

        Third of all: Taking more money from corporations and the 1% does increase the cost of living whether or not you want to admit it.

        Fourth of all: You cannot give said money to the poor and offset the fact that they are poor even if it didn’t increase the cost of living (which it does) any more than we already are. We give people $6,000 back for getting $15,000 of annual income, plus nearly free medical insurance. We didn’t get that back in the 60’s. You keep saying how it’s getting worse for the middle class. I call bs. I can get a house making $15,000 a year through HUD or housing hope, with 1% interest, and afford it with the tax back credits and the food stamps etc.

        The middle class has not been harmed by trickle down. If anything, they have benefited from the lower cost of living, as seen by the increasing incomes during Clinton’s presidency of yes LOWER tax rates.

      • September 3, 2013 at 2:36 pm
        Integrity Matters says:
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        Dear Captain on-some-other Planet,

        This Rand Study is a waste of tax payer money to help the Obamacare propaganda. Did you miss the part of the article that said

        “The Rand study estimated premiums in 2016 without examining actual 2014 rates that have been released for some states, including Ohio, Eibner said in an interview.”?

        They did not even examine the 2014 rates when they made their “estimate”. Rates are going up 43% and only those that qualify get subsidies.

        If it is so wonderful, than why are there so many exemptions being doled out by Obama to those that don’t want Obamacare? The Unions will be the next to get an exemption.

        The citizens that Obama doesn’t care about will be left footing the bill. Logic (sorry, I know some Obama-ites refuse or can’t use logic) shows that you cannot add millions of people that are takers and expect rates to not increase significantly, even if they are paying a subsidized premium.

        Our health care system is not perfect, none of them are. However, it is (was) better than the load being shoved down our throat.

    • August 30, 2013 at 1:56 pm
      Former Status Quo says:
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      just wait until 2015 when the 35% excise tax goes into effect. It will tax the majority of employers out of the market and those that remain will be paying for the subsidies.

  • August 30, 2013 at 1:42 pm
    Ken says:
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    I’m 25 and my wife is 24 – my health insurance is $1200 a month for my wife and my newborn. Mine is thankfully paid for my company. We are very healthy, and my insurance is more than my mortgage payment and is on the rise.

    • September 3, 2013 at 4:17 pm
      Libby says:
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      You may be healthy, but with a newborn how much did the pre-natal, post-natal, and OB-GYN services set back your insurance carrier? I’m sure alot more than $1,200 a month. You are lucky your employer bears the entire cost for you AND your family. Not many employers do.

  • August 30, 2013 at 1:54 pm
    Former Status Quo says:
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    next up, the ability to purchase life insurance on your death bed for the same rate as a 25 year old non-smoker.

  • August 30, 2013 at 2:34 pm
    PrintedMoney says:
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    Thanks, noted that Rand Corp is not to be trusted.

    • August 30, 2013 at 6:27 pm
      Hobbits2nfro says:
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      Ha. Hired by the DHH. That’s an objective vendor, by golly.
      Our actuary friends will tell us that in the realm of their “science”
      you can always work backwards from a desired result.

  • August 30, 2013 at 4:11 pm
    SmallBusinessOwner says:
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    So my insurance broker just informed me of the 20% increase for the same small group coverage that I had in 2013 will be that much more for 2014.

  • September 3, 2013 at 1:28 pm
    Nebraskan says:
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    I know somebody who has insurance. I know somebody in Canada.

    • September 3, 2013 at 2:25 pm
      jw says:
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      I think I know somebody.

      • September 3, 2013 at 4:43 pm
        Nebraskan says:
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        They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.

        • September 4, 2013 at 12:50 pm
          jw says:
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          Uh, drat, I can’t think of any more comebacks.

  • September 4, 2013 at 6:33 pm
    Fernando says:
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    As I read the article, I realized that their projections are based on poor information. For example, it’s a no-brainer that the cost for a healthy person cannot exceed the cost of an unhealthy person. That just means the threshold for a healthy individual will increase to account for the EOB that an unhealthy individual will incur. Lower the cost of an unhealthy person by increasing the overall cost for a healthy person doesn’t make sense. Also, it is yet to be determined if the ACA insurance will maintain a better kind of coverage over the traditional private insurance. Besides, the ACA mandates that the private insurance must adhere to the changes by meeting the ACA guidelines. So, how is the ACA any better besides the subsidy. Speaking of, the subsidy is offered to the lower income individuals. The conclusion that more people will opt for insurance is like saying, “give me your money, or your lunch.” Either way, you’re expected to do something or suffer the consequences. The intangibles are left out of the study and it is fear driven and biased…in my opinion.

    • September 5, 2013 at 10:06 am
      Libby says:
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      Interesting perspective. What would you propose instead to ensure that all Americans have access to quality healthcare?

  • October 29, 2013 at 8:43 am
    Jo Ann Charron says:
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    Rates are reasonable if you are one of those who qualify for the subsidy, but if you are not in that group rates are more than twice what they are today. My carrier allowed me to early renew for 1 year to keep a reasonable premium of $416 for a $5000 deductible, next year the premium will be $960! Perhaps I will drop my coverage as the fine will be less for me to pay. What happened to the promise I could keep my health plan. Who is going to keep paying for the subsidy? When Americans learn of the taxes next year added to the premium I wonder how many Americans will support this plan. Reform is needed, Obamacare is not the answer!

  • October 8, 2014 at 2:56 pm
    J.R. says:
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    This headline made me laugh out loud and then cry! Being the wife of a small business owner (6 employees) in Ohio who’s seen our group rates go up 50% two years ago, 60% last year and 65% this year…well articles like this one make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Unfortunately our employees are now on their own for healthcare as my husband had to make the tough decision to cancel our policy after 27 years. He went to each employee and said weekly paycheck or healthcare? They each chose paycheck…can’t afford both and keep our doors open.



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