And This Will Help Me How?

I have been focusing on who will be helped by Obamacare over the past 25 months, and one question still remains…I’m not sure who that person is?  I have discussions with many people who are not currently insured and many of them feel strongly that this will provide them an avenue to get health insurance.  While I agree that everyone will have the ability to “get” coverage, I’m not sure most people understand how much it will cost to “buy” coverage.

It is estimated that 20% of the American public are uninsured.  I would guess that about 8% of that group is chronically uninsured, and those folks are more than likely poor, very poor.  We as a nation need to address that sooner rather than later, and health care is just the tip of the iceberg on that issue.   There is probably another 2-3% of that population that are in and out of health insurance, due to job change, financial conditions changing or other issues beyond their control.  I get that, it is a hard place to be.  However, the remaining 9% or so in this group are uninsured by choice.  They can likely afford to purchase a policy but choose not to do so.  The breakdown continues that 50% of the people are covered by an employer plan of some sort.  30% are covered by a government entity.  So in my feeble mind, what are we really talking about?  We are changing the entire system of health insurance (like it or hate it) for 11% of the people who are legitimately in a bad spot.

Think about it this way.  Prices will go up for the 50% of Americans who are covered by their employer.  Prices will go up for the 30% of Americans who are covered by the government, who in turn will need to come back to the American people who pay taxes and ask for more taxes to pay for the increased price in health coverage.  The 9% of Americans, who pay taxes, can afford health insurance but choose not to purchase it, will now be fined for not buying coverage on top of the tax increases they will see.  And all these gyrations are supposed to help the 8 to 11% of the American people access health insurance.  Hey, here’s an idea…let’s focus on real ways to fix the problem for the 11%. 

I know what you are thinking…he has an answer to this question.  I don’t.  What I do know is that risk, be it health risk, property risk, automobile risk is predictably unpredictable.  Wait…what????  That is my crazy way of saying that eventually, everyone spends time in the barrel.  If you drive long enough, you will have an accident.  If you have a house near a river, eventually you will have a flood.  If you live long enough you will encounter a health situation that will get you down.  I don’t think that raising the costs of 89% of the American people to solve a problem that 11% has is a good use of resources. 

Ok, off my soapbox.  The law is what it is.  Logan Lavelle Hunt is prepared to help you guys sort this out.  We do have a solution for small business that makes a great deal of sense.  We will have access to the Exchange marketplace and people ready and willing to help you out when it comes time to make the choices that you will be forced to make.

This brings me back to my original question. Who will be helped by this new law?  The answer is the 8 to 11%.  We should have been helping them all along.  I do have one favor to ask when you are dealing with the health insurance issues that you will have to deal with in 2014…Don’t Shoot the Messenger!!! #kyhealthplans#kyexchange#healthcarereform#kynect#healthinsurance#obamacare#healthexchangePeace.