California Obamacare program announces lower-than-expected premium rates.

[-Jrabbit]

It's easy, Sloww. The theory is that each youthful individual (who doesn't have a job that provides health insurance) shall roll the dice and hope that they remain in good health, saving money by being ininsured. (Presumably they will be smartly putting their savings aside for their retirement, as there won't be any Social Security payouts in the bleak future the baby boomers have left them.) Then the smart ones will suddenly see the light and get health insurance, presumably shortly before contracting any serious, cash-intensive medical condition, such as marriage and a family.

That's how you beat the system.

[SlowwHand]

In a perfect world. It ain't perfect.

[Tupac Shakur]

Then the smart ones will suddenly see the light and get health insurance, presumably shortly before contracting any serious, cash-intensive medical condition, such as marriage and a family.

That's how you beat the system.

You don't need to get insurance before you discover a serious, cash-intensive medical condition. Thanks to the ban on rejecting insurance applications based on preexisting conditions, you can beat the system by only purchasing insurance when you know you'll use it. As long as the annual tax penalty you'll pay is lower than your annual insurance premium, there's no reason to buy health insurance under the new law unless you have an expensive medical condition.

[SlowwHand]

The point is, you can get an expensive medical condition in a heart beat. You don't, now you do and it's now pre-exisiting.

[kentonio]

If you're old and unhealthy, you won't be able to get timely care due to rationing.

Cite please.

[DinoDoc]

Can you tell me more about this?

Insurance companies can't exclude you for having a preexisting condition starting in 2014, so why not pick up insurance after you get sick?

[kentonio]

Insurance companies can't exclude you for having a preexisting condition starting in 2014, so why not pick up insurance after you get sick?

Are they excluded from charging higher premiums?

[giblets]

MrFun

Deity
This message is hidden because MrFun is on your ignore list.

[DinoDoc]

Are they excluded from charging higher premiums?

I'm doubtful.

[Asher]

If you're young and healthy, Obamacare is a ****ty deal.

You were defective from birth, and against all odds you've not been seriously injured by a slow-moving steamroller, school bus, or beverage cart.

You're due soon - you should recognize a good deal when you see one.

[giblets]

in before "BOO HOO HEARING AIDS BIRTH CONTROL"

[Tupac Shakur]

Are they excluded from charging higher premiums?

Yes, thanks to community rating.

[Tupac Shakur]

That Krugman op-ed is amazing. He briefly mentions that the individual mandate was the way Obamacare avoided the insurance death spiral that results from community rating, but then completely neglects to mention that the individual mandate was made toothless by the Supreme Court. A broken individual mandate breaks Obamacare, but this obvious conclusion is avoided in favor of some hand-waving about initial insurance premiums and the power of government to help people.

That's some top quality trolling.

[kentonio]

Everyone knows its a piece of **** law, but at least it's hopefully going to bring healthcare to some of the millions who don't have any. It might be a bit easier to criticize if the Republicans were offering an alternative other than 'Poor people should work harder'.

[Tupac Shakur]

So a piece of **** law that does something is preferable to nothing? I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that. I personally believe "first, do no harm" is a sound piece of ethical guidance.