Past– Waiting for Remote Area Medical free clinic to open.
Important dates to remember for you, your family, and friends: Oct. 1 (Open enrollment); Jan. 1 (Coverage may begin); March 31 (Open enrollment CLOSES!)
Uninsured Americans are counting the days until 1/1/14, when they may actually be covered by health insurance, with pre-existing conditions, at “normal” prices instead of the gouging prices. I know one person who shelled out $35,000 in annual premiums fearing a recurrence of cancer would bankrupt the family.
When state marketplaces go online, insurance companies will be competing against each other with their Bronze, Silver, Platinum or Gold policies. MN’s website has a niffy calculator to help estimate the likely premium for a Silver Plan.
Veterans enrolled in the VHA do NOT have to buy health insurance under the new law. Their families will need to pick a plan or qualify for a public plan or pay a tax (fee) and pay 100% of any health care costs they incur. Ouch.
https://www.healthcare.gov/families
A few important things to note: To get the best price, and get insured, you must buy via the Marketplace your state sets up by March, 21, 2014. You’ll need a Silver plan for the best savings. But if you take a lot of expensive meds, or need to see your docs often, you should get a Platinum or Gold plan. If you qualify for savings on premiums or out-of-pocket amounts, based on income and family size–or a public plan–the Marketplace will advise you based on the information you enter online.
The Marketplace Youtube Channel is directed to millennials who realize that they’re not invincible: https://www.youtube.com/user/HealthCareGov?feature=watch
For the fortunate veteran, a private plan in addition to VHA enrollment offers excellent security. And if the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (link below) between private and VA facilities is implemented nationwide, veterans will have superior customized coverage. Call it the Titanium Plan. Not as good as the Federal Plan, but very good. One wouldn’t need to vacation near a VA hospital–although Orlando VA does look spiffy.
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2159
I think it’s important to remember what no health insurance looks like in America as seen by the volunteers of the Remote Area Medical teams. The populations they serve don’t eat healthy diets or have access to any health care. This is one reason I support allowing family access to VA facilities that are in danger of closing.
What will these metallic plans include and cost? Well, it’s going to be a surprise on October 1. No doubt some state websites will crash; no doubt everyone will be totally confused and fearful for a while. No doubt the swindling insurance companies will find new ways to swindle us. But it sure beats what we have now.
In the 70s, I met a young woman who told me a shocking true story. Pregnant, she was traveling across country with her boyfriend when she went into an early labor. They drove to the nearest hospital and the staff delivered her baby. They had no health insurance. The nurses wrapped her baby in paper towels and discharged her immediately. Yes, you read that right. Paper towels. They wouldn’t even wrap a precious baby girl in a $2.00 cotton blanket because she was a charity case.
asknod
Bethanie Spangenberg
kcraveiro
robinhoodesqvetsatty
Wesley McCauley
Veterans Claims Help 
Humpty dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty dumpty had a great fall. All of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men, took all of his freekin’ money, kicked him in the head, and left him for dead.
“Wellmark, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield provider, announced Monday that it won’t offer coverage on the exchanges until 2015. The exchanges were set up by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide an online marketplace where individuals without health coverage can purchase insurance and gain access to income-based subsidies.”
I heard alfonso and quido from Chicago are shaking down the insurance exchanges and giving “protection”. The big carriers are running away from insurance exchanges like rats caught in the beam of a flashlight. “Affordable” as in who can afford it!
http://www.infowars.com/obamacare-to-punish-healthy-eaters-as-insurance-rates-double-or-triple-for-those-who-choose-to-take-care-of-their-health/
I’m not covered by anything at all. I arrived here in March 2009, quite legally. Not seen a Doc since. I can’t afford it, not even when I broke my wrist 3 years ago. Good thing about being a ‘retired’ paramedic, I splinted it myself in the position of function, and so far it still works. So, I’m one of those non Americans who get *nothing” for free.
Come to California, you will get free health dental, eye care, THEY will give you CASH to live on every month,I know a Mex Family getting 5k mo for all there Kids, the more you have the more money you get, I forgot THEY will give you FOOD STAMPS too, that is why our food prices are so HIGH,THEY pass it on to everybody else, if I went to any other country and showed up and said I am here, NOW give me everything, I would end up in a dirt floor Jail cell, They are destroying the middle class by making everybody Poor,Just as long as you Vote to take our Freedom away you will do fine here.
Not if you are here, as I am, on a Green Card. Not eligible for anything that’s means tested. Not allowed to vote either. I am, oddly enough, allowed to pay taxes.
Means Tested, is how its done, if you make above I think 950 per mo, and have not been to Jail and are a law Keeper, and you are a Goon Person, Then Yes You can not get anything, Thats how Ass Backwards it is Here. If that is the case, then your in the same Boat as all the Good People of California. They will still Screw You on Health Care, if you only been here for 3 years are you a VET, you are you get the same Shitty Health or Death Care as We do, If You served Our Country God Bless You and go to the VA. if not why are you on this site?
My husband is the Vet ok? He goes to the VA. He’s looked after. He is slowly improving after a liver TX. I’m the one doing the paperwork.
so the problem is You do not have Health care? I hope obummer care gives you something you can use,from what I can tell its a Total Rip off, only the Insurance co, and banks and Drug Co, make all the money and the rest of us suffer, I like single payer myself, thats what I thought we were going to get, but THEY screwed us, As you know the Va care is not that good and if that is what everybody is going to get, then we are in for a bad ride, I spent over 1 million dollars, my business and two homes to pay for my care, lost everything ended up on the Streets, so I know the price for serving my country, finally ended up at the Va were THEY almost Killed me Twice.
What I do know is nothing is for free, and THEY are going to use the IRS to inforce Health care law.
Thats not Freedom, I hope you can afford to pay for what is coming, it is NOT going to be pretty.
Peace Hepsick
I’m mainly curious as a non citizen what rules they *think* apply to me. Hang in there, it’s all any of us can do.
Thank You for taking Care of your Hero, I think if your Hubby gets 100% rating, You get covered to, ask MR NOD, he knows all the details.
Peace
Thanks, but he appears to be one of those vets that cannot file, We have missing records, Camp Lejeune water issues, nothing useful in what we do have history wise for a Nexus. I’ve been over it all with the long suffering Mr Nod quite a few times.
Take care Hepsick.
If you have a major health issue, an operation, could you still not get care in Canada as a citizen of that country?
I don’t know about getting care in Canada. I’ve not lived in Canada since the 70’s. England and NZ didn’t differentiate the way this country does, between citizens and legal residents. And then there is my Husband, virtually invalided, I could not take him with me, nor could I leave him on his own. We get by on $710. a month SSI. I again don’t qualify as that is means tested. If I can ever get back to work, I would count then you betcha, any amount I made would disqualify him.
Its all about Total Control, of your life thru Health care or in the Va case Death Care, They will have full access to your Bank, and will take what ever THEY want, That does not sound like Freedom to me.
Hmmm, Well, they can do that now anyway. Safety deposit boxes might be in order for some liquid funds.
We all must carry a minimum amount of insurance to drive (rent) or own a car. Health insurance is a necessary expense and it’s in the best interest to see that everyone has coverage to avoid emergency room care.
Everybody should have Health care, 50 years ago if you were sick, and could not pay, the Churchs would step in and all Doc were Requried to give free health care to people that had no money Americans Helped Americans, NOT this Death we have now, it is the insrance CO, that wrote the Health Care Bill, It is a TAX, going to offshore Banks, We in return will get Crappy Death Care, Look at England it sucks, this is NOT THE AMERICAN WAY, this is Socializiam at its Worst.
Wonder what it all means, to this legally present Canadian.
Great question. You might want to ask that question using a live chat on the main website or your state’s website. Do report back!
obummer care
When I lived in San Diego, the emergency rooms were always crammed with Mexicans that had sick babies and children. If you are on SSDI and eligible for medicare, they will only sell you advantage plans as no gap insurance is available. And since I am chronically ill, the HC plans cost more than my income. Medicaid doesn’t exist in my state for the disabled. The only change I see on the horizon in 2014 is that the VA medical quackery will become more of a death camp for vets.
You are soooo right Squidly One, I am in the same Boat,every body is covered as long as your NOT AMERICAN, I been through it first hand, you go to the local Health Clinic non VA, and your the only American born there, everybody else gets everything for FREE, when its my turn its 125.00 per visit plus meds, everybody is giving you dirty looks, but if you sign your life over to the State, there in all your affairs, personal, Banking, family, is up for grabs, and THEN THEY WILL COVER YOU. Its Medical take over of the American people, Its BIG Business, No body knows what to do here in California, thats why I am leaving. Hang in there Bro, Trust god.