Has Anyone Started Seeing Their Benefits from Obamacare Yet?

Premiums went up south I had to switch to a high deductible plan. I do not consider that a benefit.

I had Mirena put in and it would have cost 1200 plus the doctors visit and lab before, which came to over 500. I got it "free" meaning I had to pay nothing out of pocket. So yes, I am pretty happy.

All I know is that neither mine nor my hubby's rates have increased since then. We have Blue Shield. We did get a notice about six months ago about my hubby's plan; it basically said don't let it lapse because this coverage is no longer available.

I know people who had been denied because of pre-existing conditions or who had crazy riders on their policies because of PEC that now have coverage. Did you know that if you have rheumatoid arthritis that before "Obamacare" insurance could refuse to cover just about everything, right down to a heart attack since RA can damage organs and tissue and there is no way to know for sure if the heart attack or other condition was caused by RA? As a woman with RA who has a son with JRA, I am thankful for the passage of this health care reform bill.

Yep!!!

For the exact same insurance plan, I now pay $275 a month instead of $1600. (Aka I can afford insurance now, and before could not).

My benefit is my insurance went up $100.00 more a month and more is getting taken out of my paycheck. So no,no benefit for me really.

I haven't personally gotten benefits from it, but I have good insurance. My cousin, who came to her job pregnant, was denied coverage through her ins because they said that it was a "pre-existing condition". Once AHA rolled out, she was covered for the rest of her pre-natal visits and delivery, etc.

Nope. No additional benefits in this household. Just more money for insurance.

My company is a small business and our rates went through the ROOF!! And of course, boss man had to pass it on to the employees...

So other than more money out the door to pay for it? Nope. No change.

our insurance went up $50 a pay check.. so $100 a month.

But when I got my two son's meds for this month they went down from $68 to $26 for the both of them.

My cousin who is 35 has had juvenile diabetes since he was 14 and MS since he was 25 who couldn't quit a job ( roofer) that was honestly killing him with his disease because he couldn't get another insurance company to cover his medical issues because they were "pre existing" was finally able to get another job that is less physically demanding and be covered by insurance where he couldn't be before hand. It truly has extended his life span.

So yes, I have seen some changes that has been helpful to our family.

Probably millions of people have been cut to part-time from full-time to help pay for the others who are expressing lower costs. Someone somewhere has to pay for it. It's not free.

I am thankful we have TriCare through my husband, but I'm sure that will change drastically when this all goes into effect.

Benefits? Heck no. And a great part of history? Please.

Less money in paycheck

Updated

Less money in paycheck and higher cost of health ins for us.

My insurance plan now pays for birth control. Yay!

I know a mess of full time people just got their hours cut to part time, I am sure that helped them afford nothing.

Aside from rates going up nothing has changed in my world.

Most changes begin in 2014. However, a few of my friends and family members have seen benefits including a few with pre-existing conditions who are now getting coverage. My friend with MS has gotten increased coverage at a lower rate than when she had to stop treatment periodically in order to prove DETERIORATION in her condition in order for her insurer to continue covering her therapy. I found a plan for $400 less than our options two years ago when I checked.

Is it anywhere near where it needs to be? No. Insurance companies are evil and CONSTANTLY arbitrarily jack prices and deny coverage, and the successful blockage by Repubs of the Public Option pretty much insures we will stay at the mercy of those insurers. I was working and uninsured for 17 years before now becoming an uninsured sahm mom, but luckily there is a better rate out there now for us, even though it covers nothing and we still have to pay everything below $10,000 per year. We're hoping 2014 brings a better option.

Health Care here has sucked FOREVER in the US is not Obama's fault, at least he TRIED and succeeded at a couple of things.

I also think the large companies (Whole Foods latest accused of this) whining and cutting hours for their employees despite their numbers will serve to push us further toward a single pay system when they cause this one to collapse by their obvious scalping and the boycotts of their stores they are causing. So maybe things will continue to get better. Our health care system was set up wrong out of the gate (unless you're a lucky spouse or worker with good insurance through your particular company) and will be very hard to fix. Maybe impossible. But it may improve.

Our rates went up and so did our copays and prescriptions. =(

No benefits here. We run a small business and we do cover everyone (it is just hubby, me and daughter) and we spend about $1200 a month for good coverage but our deductible is $15,000. That said, we are rarely sick and at the Dr. and we didn't come close to even $5000 on expenses this year. My policy is up for renewal in March and you bet I expect it to go UP UP UP.

That said, I ran my first payroll on Jan 15 and there were substantial taxes deducted. My check alone had over $100 extra deducted and my 18 yr old daughter's check was less as well. Fun Fun.... I'd love to see a picture of whomeever I am now supporting with MY hard work.

No benefits here.. if anything... more benefits taken away and more taxes paid.

Well, most of it doesn't kick in for another year (health insurance exchanges, etc) so I imagine most of us will start seeing some changes then.

I will say that my cousin, who is 24, was able to sign on to her parents' health insurance plan, and because of that, she was able to get treatment for a mental health condition she had been dealing with. Previously, she had been uninsured, and had been unable to get insurance of any kind due to this "pre-existing condition." So, thanks to Obamacare, she is now insured, and can stay on her parents' plan until she's 26. After that, she will either have coverage through her employer (a large restaurant chain, where she is a server), or she will be able to go on the insurance exchange (ours in CA is due to go online in January 2014). I'm glad for her that she's able to get help; she is bi-polar, and it has been horrible for her trying to deal with that without insurance.

Like most Americans that have always had good coverage through my employer, I didn't personally see any change.
Our premiums increased again this year, as they have every year for my 25+ years of working.

Be patient, A., all great things that have happened in history have taken time. :)

And like others have said, most aspects will happen in 2014.

Insurance premiums and copays normally increase every year, even before Obamacare went into effect, no matter where I've worked. I blame the greedy insurance companies, and the employers, who choose the plans that are offered to employees. Ours did increase this year, but it was pretty minimal.

The trouble is - insurance and insurance companies are a big part of the problem.
Instead of competing against each other to lower their rates, they all more or less agree to make people pay through the nose.
I still think a single payer system would be a better solution.

adult kids can stay on parents healthcare till 26.. that benefit is in effect right now.

I've seen these effects, which I would not term "benefits":
- Flex spending account capped at $2500 per year, when previously I could put up to $5k annually into it. Since my daughter's medical bills run $15-20k per year, it makes a difference. I now have to pay an additional $2,500 after tax income which basically means my taxes increased by $2,500 x my tax rate.
- The value of employer contributed insurance plans are now listed on our W-2's. They aren't being taxed this year, but let's be real, there's a reason this information is captured....to be able to quantify the value of taxing it as income.
- My employer based health insurance options decreased, price increased and coverage has been reduced. (Some, but possibly not all, of this was a result of Obamacare)

There is nothing beneficial about Obamacare. My daughter insurance went up $500 since March of 2010. People I know have been made part time
Employees. For me,,I have had two ostomies for 30 years. When I became eligible for Medicare they paid. No problem. Starting in 2010 they feel Ip lock bags and duct tape might be cheaper. I do not even use what they allow,,and they tell me I use too many and they are not medically necessary. How ya like them apples!!!!!!docs are bowing out of Medicare because payments have been cut and will be cut again. So beneficial, no way.

My husband's rates went up. WAY up. My son's went up, as well. I cost t00 much to insure! We just funnel money into an account, if I ever need a lot of medical care. I'd rather put it in an account and have it there, then spend $650 a month I don't use. (For a 12,000 deductible, no less.)

My mom had breast cancer, and when she was in remission my dad switched jobs. She couldn't get insurance until the new legislation because of her pre-existing condition.

Our insurance rate is going up 48%! So nope, doen't see anything wonderful here.

My insurance went up (as did all our income taxes paid) and my son's went way way up. Co-payments went up, and did the cost of Rx. Thanks Obama...

Our premium for our family of four went up 35%...and that is with the "cheaper" high-deductible plan. Scared to see what happens next year when this thing is fully rolled out, to be honest.

No, but I live in Massachusetts so we've enjoyed many of the key provisions of the affordable care act for years. Our rates did go up, but they've done that every year that I've been paying for insurance (14).

My insurance rates went up (I'm self-pay) but that isn't due to Obamacare since the insurance co. has consistently been increasing my rates every year. I currently pay close to $800 per month! To me it's the insurance companies that are the problem for people in my situation. Since I am self-pay I am waiting for 2014 where in Calfornia I can participate in an insurance exchange where I hope the rates will drop. We shall see.

Insurance payments went up, copays for rx doubled. 50$ a piece for the kid's inhalers. Not really calling this a benefit . .

ETA: we saw the rx costs double as soon as it was signed.

Our insurance went up $480 a month. We were told dental & vision won't be covered next year and the year after that probably no health insurance.

With our huge insurance increases, I'm sure there won't be anymore unplanned pregnancies with all that free birth control.

My friend who has Lupus was denied medications that really helped her because they were considered 'experimental' and Obamacare doesn't cover that. Guess she should pop an aspirin, that's Obamas quote for when you are sick and the government doesn't want to cover it.

Long lines, here we come.

like most things, it'll take a while to shake out.
obamacare is very flawed. it needs a LOT of work.
but it beats the hell outa the nothing and the ostrich-in-the-sand that went on for decades beforehand.
we did get to keep my son on our insurance while he was in college, which was awesome.
khairete
S.

Our insurance rates have gone up, and I am having a harder time getting the insurance to cover things they did before. :(

I just learned that braces are now considered a medical device and will therefore be taxed. On average it should cost each child with braces an extra $175.

Like everyone else that pays for insurance my premium and co-pays have increased as well.

Kids in college and just out can stay on plans. Our rates went up (no big surprise) but BIL w diabetes was able to change jobs and keep coverage. Hubby's employer switched plans on us and my and daughters coverage did not have to wait. Last time plans were changed I had to pay out of pocket for my pre-existing conditions for the six month wait and cross my fingers and hope like hell no emergencies. System STILL sucks. I am hoping people will push for more improvements. Its a start but full of pork for insurers.

well, I didn't have to pay a copay of $50 for my well woman exam. I also didn't have to pay a copay for my mammogram.

However.... the insurance company has changed how they cover things, and now to get non-surgical coverage for my rectocele, I have to pay my $3500 out of pocket first before insurance will cover it. I don't have $3500, so I will continue to deal with messing in my pants when I have diarrhea and having to use finger in vagina support to pass a normal stool. I'll ask my primary care physician the next time I see him, and will probably have to have surgery, when pelvic floor therapy may have taken care of it, or at least made it managable.

I'd rather pay my $50 deductible.

I'm in the process of trying to switch insurance - I've noticed two companies have simply made it so complicated to apply with back and forth discussions on ICD-10 codes that they essentially chased me away instead of approving or denying me. One was Assurant by the way. However, before they would simply deny. Not sure if that's a plus or minus

I have a friend who's had chronic illnesses. No insurance companies would talk to her for an individual plan - so she could never quit her job which was stressing her out and aggravating her condition. She was able to get individual insurance at a decent rate after Obamacare.... so I guess that's a plus

Here's my two cents on all of this - from the perspective of a patient as well as the wife of someone who deals with insurance data analysis. There will be people who benefit immediately - some rates will go up - some rates will go down. The insurance companies are scrambling to be more efficient because there's more scrutiny. There's widespread analysis and restructuring going on within all of the major insurance companies. They are trying to figure out what they are supposed to be doing. Some people will get coverage where they couldn't before and others will find coverage cut in some cases. This whole process is the system sorting itself out......This is simply the result of change...

My adult kids stay on our insurance..that's huge for seeing as one has bi-polar and finding anyone to take state medical was dang near impossible.

Our insurance did go up, but it goes up every year anyways, and it's really not that huge of a jump.

I also have a DD with a pre-existing condition, even though there has never been an issue with it getting her insured can be tricky.

Our cost went way up as well.

I just went to the gyno yesterday and didn't have to pay, because they have to give you 1 check up a year for free.

Our insurance through my husband's work have went WAY up. That is the only change I have seen so far.

My insurance has gone up so high that it has eaten up my 4% raise, and has gone up $900/year beyond that. Our co-pays have also increased. Nothing else has changed, so there is nothing else to warrant these increases (like illness, etc.). So, no, we have not seen any benefits from Obamacare.

My husbands insurance went up from zero deductible to 3875.00 for the family including the new RX deductible and the co-pays went up.I now, however, get my birth control for free that I once paid 35.00 for!

Our insurance has gone up every year since we've been married which is about seven years now :(

It really stinks! I hate politics, but one thing I have noticed is that no matter who is office working class NEVER benefit. We continue to bust our butts, pay out of our butts and nothing ever changes.
My husband makes a pretty decent income, but believe me if insurance wasn't such a RIP-OFF we'd be way better off !!!
......so to answer your question. NO! LOL

most of the bill will take effect in 2014-they just led people to believe that it would be cheaper and sooner-

is this an honest question?
K. h.

No not a thing different. I own my own business and my husband is a sheriff deputy. unfortunatly our helath insurance is over 400 a month and combined we make around 65 a year. My business insurance rates are 20% income tax. I would also have to pay a sales tax but since my product are intended for non profit I get forms and file that. I also have a city tax for having my own business and I dont really even pay any attention to that because its like 40dollars! I am a one man show but I can barely afford the shotty insurance we have. We are and idk if this is anything to do with obama care but FINALLY getting dental through the city. I am very excited about that....but they did ask for our insurance and since we have jobs I am sure we will have to pay something but cheaper than a regular dentist. Another family member has a daycare with 25 or 30 employees and they still arent able to provide insurance...or she just isnt aware of it.

As far as I can tell any adjustments only are weighing us down more. I belive I will be paying closer to 30% of my yearly income towards taxes now. So many huge adjustments need to be made. Mainly those abusing the system.