Healthcare Marketplace rates

Premiums have skyrocketed this year for a family of 4 (2 children under 19). As we don't qualify for a tax credit, can anyone suggest a way to look for more affordable plans? Do they exist? Our 2014 plan (Silver) will go up 800.00 per month if we choose to keep it. Not able to absorb that. Suggestions, MOL community? 

have you shopped other companies? Unfortunately one needs to reshop every year and be prepared to switch companies and maybe doctors. 

I assume you went back the the healthcare.gov website and looked at other plans?

I would assume you can call companies like blue cross on your own and see what they can offer, but my guess is that it would be more expensive.

I shopped other companies, yes, as well as shopping the .gov site. Makes me wonder how they actually define "Affordable".

I just hope the means testing for ACA plans takes into account the cost of living in NJ.  I don't think the FAFSA formulas do.

However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. The additional mandated coverage is reflected in your higher rates.

Affordable? Not really. Many who think they got its affordable get a reality shock when they find they have to pay big money out of their pockets because of the very high Obamacare deductibles. How is it affordable when you have to put 5,000 out of pocket before insurance pays?

NY Times had an article on the trials and tribulations of "subscribers."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/us/politics/many-say-high-deductibles-make-their-health-law-insurance-all-but-useless.html

@Breal it is exactly the cost of living in NJ that's the issue. I don't want a free lunch, I just want an affordable lunch.

It is shocking how much you pay, to have a high-deductible plan that makes you not want to go to the doctor.

breal said:

It is shocking how much you pay, to have a high-deductible plan that makes you not want to go to the doctor.

And how little you pay if you require lifesaving hospitalization.

Maybe they should call it hospitalization insurance.

It's cheap if you really get sick even if you are not hospitalized.  Chemo and other mess that will allow you to continue to live can be very expensive.  Like all insurance, one hopes to never have to use it.

Unfortunately, sharply increasing rates are a very predictable outcome when you have a program under which the young/healthy are coerced into so substantially subsidizing the older/sicker by being required to buy coverage they don't need or want (or face fines, which are often preferable financially to buying coverage), and under which folks can buy insurance after they get sick (and drop it after they get well again).  Add to that the state co-ops which were allowed to be set up under outrageously rosy assumptions, and are now failing, leaving participants to buy more realistically priced policies from a rapidly dwindling group of suppliers (so long, co-ops, so long, UnitedHeathcare!).  I agree it is a total and very unfortunate mess, but I question why anyone thought it would turn out differently.

(Sorry moose, I know that's not really helpful to you. The answer will be in returning to a more marketplace driven insurance market, or ultimately having most everyone on medicare/single-payer.  I personally feel the former is a preferable approach, but I know there are many others here who would go for the latter)

MDonoghue said:

Unfortunately, sharply increasing rates are a very predictable outcome when you have a program under which the young/healthy are coerced into so substantially subsidizing the older/sicker by being required to buy coverage they don't need or want (or face fines, which are often preferable financially to buying coverage), and under which folks can buy insurance after they get sick (and drop it after they get well again).  Add to that the state co-ops which were allowed to be set up under outrageously rosy assumptions, and are now failing, leaving participants to buy more realistically priced policies from a rapidly dwindling group of suppliers (so long, co-ops, so long, UnitedHeathcare!).  I agree it is a total and very unfortunate mess, but I question why anyone thought it would turn out differently.

Actually, the problem is that the young and healthy are not suckered and coerced into joining Obamacare in the number they hoped for. Hence, the very large rate increases. The young and healthy aren't paying in to keep the rates down.

During the year, the special enrollment period, too many joining due to job or insurance loss are those who really need and use the insurance, the not healthy.

I meant that to be implied in my post, but yes, you are correct.

Unless we can get usage and cost to developed world norms (where outcomes are generally better than we have) what ever system there is is just pushing on different parts of a balloon. 

The big dividing line is between plans that have what I call a radical deductible. meaning you don't get a penny for anything including office visits and drugs, until you've spent X thousand dollars (over and above premiums), and old style plans that subsidize office visits and drugs from day 1 regardless of the deductible.  I'm trying to compile a list of the latter plans.  The radical and "cheaper" ones are a rip off.  Most people will pay thousands of dollars per year in premiums and medical expenses with no benefit.   So much for national health insurance (which I'm in favor of but not this)  

All plans entitle the user to one preventive visit and two (I believe it's two) "free" sick visits to the PCP before the deductible kicks in.

My ideal system would be this: Pay a small monthly premium (say, $350 or so for a family of 4) that is true insurance against a potentially life-altering or bankrupting medical event. Health insurance should not be used for office visits and routine lab tests and outpatient imaging. That way, the prices for routine care and diagnostics would HAVE to come down because everyone would be paying out of pocket. The insurance comes into play for hospitalization and chronic treatments. Also, insurance should cover preventive care (like immunizations) and screenings (mammos, colonoscopies, etc.)

This may be of help to the OP and anyone else grappling with this issue:  The Maplewood Health Department has arranged for two dates in December during which navigators will be at the Hilton Branch Library to assist persons in finding the best health plan for them.  For more information, consult the town's website (there was a very recent e-mail blast on this) or contact the Maplewood Health Department.  If the Hilton times/dates don't work for you, the navigators, who work out of East Orange, will be at other locations on other dates to provide this service.

maybe instead of subsidizing corn farmers they should subsidize doctors to stop them from implementing exorbitant completely unregulated and opaque pricing models.

Agree that insurance should be about the big things.  I also noticed that contrary to popular notions, many drugs are really cheap.  I checked the prices of my generic drugs and they are all laughably inexpensive.  Its doctor visits that I'm more concerned about.   

A true affordable national health insurance would require give and take on a number of fronts, including issues about malpractice and expensive end of life care