In Texas, we say this:"Just because a chicken has wings doesn't mean it can fly." The translation is that "appearances are deceptive." In other words, you can call it affordable but that does not mean that it is affordable.
According to The NY Times, there is a little screaming going on when people check out the affordability of the Affordable Health Care Act:
"Until now, it was almost impossible for people using the federal health care website to see the deductible amounts, which consumers pay before coverage kicks in. But federal officials finally relented last week and added a "window shopping" feature that displays data on deductibles.
For policies offered in the federal exchange, as in many states, the annual deductible often tops $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a couple.
Insurers devised the new policies on the assumption that consumers would pick a plan based mainly on price, as reflected in the premium. But insurance plans with lower premiums generally have higher deductibles.
In El Paso, Tex., for example, for a husband and wife both age 35, one of the cheapest plans on the federal exchange, offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has a premium less than $300 a month, but the annual deductible is more than $12,000. For a 45-year-old couple seeking insurance on the federal exchange in Saginaw, Mich., a policy with a premium of $515 a month has a deductible of $10,000.
In Santa Cruz, Calif., where the exchange is run by the state, Robert Aaron, a self-employed 56-year-old engineer, said he was looking for a low-cost plan. The best one he could find had a premium of $488 a month. But the annual deductible was $5,000, and that, he said, "sounds really high."
By contrast, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average deductible in employer-sponsored health plans is $1,135.""
Frankly, I never thought that the AHCA would be affordable. My analysis was based on two realities:
1) When was the last time that government made anything cheaper?
2) Worse than that, how can you tell insurance carriers to include every benefit under the sun and then expect affordable premiums?
The AHCA may have wings but that does not mean that it can fly, as we say in Texas.
P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.
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