I think the person who wrote the attached note needs to do more research on the ACA.
First if ACA is so good why does it not apply to members of Congress or the President and their families.? They are exempt including their staff members.
The second thing is he/she should look at is the number of States that have opt out of the new Medicare and Medicaid rules which would have double Medicaid participants in states such as Texas.? Also I think between 30 and 36 States have refused to spend money on setting up the insurance exchanges and therefore this must be done by the Federal Government at their expense. I don't think the Federal Government has the man power or money to set it up and therefore don't hold your breath waiting for the exchange.
As to subsidies for healthcare insurance, where is the money coming from? At the moment, the US government is borrowing 46 cents of every dollar it spends.? US is
becoming like Greece and sooner or later cuts in everyone's benefits will have to be made.
Medicare and Social Security is going broke and now ACA will add to the cost.? Someone has to pay? It will be all of us on a fixed pension when inflation comes. Obama tax rate increases on the rich, if passed, will only pay for running the government for 8 days but does nothing to stop the borrowing and printing of money.
The Federal Reserve is printing the money and then buys US Bonds at $50 billion a month. This is how the government is getting some of the money it needs. This is the reason the price of gold keeps going up.? So when you see your grocery bills increase as well as your other expenses and your income (pension and social security) does not, you will know the fixed income retirees are the ones who will truly pay for these great benefits and subsidies.
Finally as to IBM retirement health benefits being excluded form
ACA, all IBM and the other companies told Obama is that if included they would drop the retiree health plans.? Legally, they can do this any time. It is in the fine print of the plans.? Could you imagine what would have happen if Obama was telling everyone if they like their plan they could keep it, and then IBM tells its retired employees it is dropping their health care due to ACA.
Regards
an IBM Retiree
----- Original Message -----
From: edward_berkline
Date: Friday, December 28, 2012 9:57 pm
Subject: [ibmpensionissues] Re: Health care law(PPACA) may help Baby Boomers
To: ibmpensionissues@...
> > Anyway, in the recent past, some have posted that retirees who
> > are already covered by their companies health care(no matter
> the
> > cost) will be excluded from ACA. I have a hard time believing that
> > for several reasons.
>
> A certain
political party did all they could to prevent changes
> to the current health care system. They view the health care
> exchanges as "government run health care" even though commercial
> insurance companies will be offering insurance on the exchanges.
> Therefore, it makes sense from their point of view to exclude
> as many people as possible from having access to the exchanges.
>
> > 1) It could very well be that ACA coverage could be less expensive
> > then retiree coverage, especially if you're living on the
> > pension(as I am). You might be considered low income and
> quality
> > for the ACA subsidy.
>
> Even though you may be on a pension and have a low income, that
> certain political party doesn't want you to have access to any
> subsidized health insurance because they view that as an expense
> to taxpayers.
>
> > 2) Ibm retiree health care does not cover maintenance and
> > preventive, yet ACA does. How could you be forced to stay with
> > company X retiree health coverage and be forced to pay for
> > preventative? This makes no sense.
>
> Yes, it makes no sense. But IBM and other large companies
> lobbied heavily to make sure that retiree plans were excluded
> from most requirements of the ACA.
>
> > 3) For those on FHA, if your notional FHA dollars are burned up
> > before age 65, could you really expected to pay the full cost of
> > your retiree health care when you may be able to get ACA for maybe
> > half the cost?
>
> I think you are dreaming if you think that insurance on the
> exchanges will be half the cost of what IBM charges. Perhaps if
> you were eligible for a substantial subsidy it might be. But as
>
I said, I doubt that IBMers will be allowed to have access, even
> at full cost.
>
> --- In ibmpensionissues@..., "teamb562"
> wrote:
> >
> > "Can anyone explain how the ACA benefits those IBM retirees...."
> >
> > Yes, that was the main reason I posted this article. I've been
> searching for answers on how ACA dovetails with current retiree
> benefits and have gotten no where. I posted it here since
> discussion about ACA is stupidly prohibited by Kathy on the
> ibmpension board.
> >
> > Anyway, in the recent past, some have posted that retirees who
> are already covered by their companies health care(no matter the
> cost) will be excluded from ACA. I have a hard time believing
> that for several reasons.
> >
> > 1)It could very well be that ACA coverage could be less
> expensive
then retiree coverage, especially if you're living on
> the pension(as I am). You might be considered low income and
> quality for the ACA subsidy.
> >
> > 2)Ibm retiree health care does not cover maintenance and
> preventive, yet ACA does. How could you be forced to stay with
> company X retiree health coverage and be forced to pay for
> preventative? This makes no sense.
> >
> > 3) For those on FHA, if your notional FHA dollars are burned
> up before age 65, could you really expected to pay the full cost
> of your retiree health care when you may be able to get ACA for
> maybe half the cost?
> >
> > There are many of us who will struggle to make it to age 65
> (Medicare)> with medical coverage. If anyone has any sources of
> information that details how ACA dovetails with retiree health
> care benefits, please
post and advise. Thank you.
> >
> >
> > --- In ibmpensionissues@..., "zimowski@"
> wrote:
> > >
> > > The more interesting snip is the following: "Health
> insurance will not necessarily be less costly. It will be
> operated by state health insurance exchanges, which will offer a
> competitive private health insurance market that should provide
> one-stop shopping."
> > >
> > > Can anyone explain how the ACA benefits those IBM retirees
> that are lucky enough to have IBM subsidized health care
> coverage? I don't see it.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In ibmpensionissues@..., "teamb562"
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
>
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2012/12/27/boomers-obamacare-health-reform/1717009/
> > > >
> > > > snip:
> > > > The ACA is likely to spark many more changes. Employers
> that still offer retiree health benefits may decide to provide
> something different. For example, instead of a health insurance
> plan, they may give Boomer retirees a fixed amount of money,
> called a premium reimbursement, Fontanetta says. Retirees could
> use that money to select insurance at their state exchange
> marketplace.> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
