In the five years of being on Marketplace coverage as an individual, I’ve never had a year where the new plan:
- Was the same plan as the old one. Every single plan I’ve ever had was withdrawn at the end of the year it was introduced. You can’t even get low-deductible Platinum plans in the Raleigh area anymore!
- Had a larger network than the old one. This year was particularly bad as the statewide network was replaced by a 7-8 county area and this is the second year that the largest hospital system in Wake County five minutes from my doorstep is out of network.
- Had the same or lower deductible as the old one.
- Had a cheaper premium than the old one except the one time where the premium saving of $20/mo was more than offset by the increase in deductible and penalties should I have to use the ER.
- Would result in noticeably less out of pocket costs due to ever-rising co-pays and co-insurance
Bottom line…the insurers HATE individual policyholders so much (because it’s not as profitable in spite of astronomical premiums and “cost sharing” / requires more effort to collect premiums than businesses with more consistent cash flows) that they’ve been actively working to destroy that segment of the market ever since the original passage of Obamacare and have really stepped up their efforts in the past four years.
And DOI has been so muzzled by the insurance companies that they are happy to allow the insurers Pretty much any rates they want. The oversight from them is honestly worse than DOI being outright abolished as not being fit for purpose.
Well…the 2020 plan is new so it’s not totally false advertising. But better or affordable?
Lófaszt, nehogy már!