Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
I have never heard of a case in Canada or the UK or anywhere else in Europe that people had immediately life-threatening conditions that were not seen to immediately.
Given that Obamacare prevents doctors from referring patients to hospitals that they have a stake in, don't expect everyone to think it's the best thing since sliced bread, either. That provision was obviously put in to prevent financial abuse of the system. Problem is, that's how rural areas got hospitals in the first place.
www.kff.org
www.healthsystemtracker.org
it begs the question why are private corporations so much better at managing the cost of healthcare than the government?From a survey of employers:
"Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $26,993 this year, 6% higher than in 2024. On average, workers contributed $6,850 toward the cost of family coverage. The average deductible among covered workers in a plan with a general annual deductible was $1,886 for single coverage."
2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey | KFF
This annual survey of employers provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, worker contributions, cost-sharing provisions, offer rates, and more. This year's report also looks at how employers are approaching coverage of GLP-1 drugs for weight...
My employer provided insurance plan for 2026 reflects the 6% rise noted above.
For those who don't have insurance through their employer, they face a diferent scenario:
"For 2026, across 312 insurers participating in the ACA Marketplaces from the 50 states and the District of Columbia, this analysis shows a median proposed premium increase of 18%, which is about 11 percentage points higher than last year. This is the largest rate change insurers have requested since 2018, the last time that policy uncertainty contributed to sharp premium increases. On average, ACA Marketplace insurers are raising premiums by about 20% in 2026. Based on a more detailed analysis of available documents from insurers in 19 states and the District of Columbia, like in prior years, growth in health care prices stood out as a key factor driving costs in 2026. Insurers cite increasing cost and utilization of high-priced drugs as well as general market factors, such as increasing labor costs and inflation, as contributing to premium increases.
In addition to rising healthcare costs, the majority of insurers are also taking into account the potential expiration of enhanced premium tax credits in their premium rate increases for the next year. The expiration of enhanced tax credits will lead to out-of-pocket premiums for ACA marketplace enrollees increasing by an average of more than 75%, with insurers expecting healthier enrollees to drop coverage. That, in turn, increases underlying premiums. Other federal policy changes, like the implementation of tariffs and the ACA Marketplace Integrity and Affordability rule were also discussed, though to a lesser extent."
How much and why ACA Marketplace premiums are going up in 2026 - Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
Health insurers submit rate filings annually to state regulators detailing expectations and rate changes for Affordable Care Act (ACA)-regulated health plans for the coming year. A relatively small, but growing, share of the population is enrolled in these plans (compared to the number in...
To summarize, your wife and I are fortunate to work for employers who provide health insurance at an affordable rate. Tomorrow, either one of us could be laid off and be forced into the marketplace....a marketplace that is no longer subsidized by the government. And, if either one of us have pre-existing conditions, obtaining insurance by not be feasable.
healthshareguide.org
The problem is not just with that company and its "couple hundred people," but all the linked insurance infrastructure with all their employees and stockholders.
Both Company and Government deal with the same - why is the insurance from the Government so much more?
My wife is not old enough for Medicare - so you can remove that from the equation.
Which means the companies covered the other $20,000.
Very good - now compare to what the tax payer pays by funding the Unaffordable Care Act -
What is the government (the tax payer) spending for the Unaffordable Care Act policies?
Dude, it's a hypotheical...
