Let’s Learn From MA., KY., And NY.

As an Arizona health insurance broker I am very interested in how the health insurance exchanges in Massachusetts have affected insurance agencies that primarily sell health insurance in the state. Obviously I would like to get an idea of what to expect if and when Obamacare is implemented in 2014. So today I spoke with two brokers in Massachusetts. These gentleman are on the front lines, they have dealt with medical insurance issues in MA. before RomneyCare, and continue to deal with health care today with the state mandated health insurance. https://higginscompanies.com/health-insurance/health-savings-plan/

As it turns out everything I have read about Romneycare, (Obamacare’s little brother,) is quite accurate. Many of the young don’t carry coverage because it is cheaper to pay a fine than a monthly premium, even with a 10% to 40% subsidy. Emergency rooms are as busy as ever because many physicians closed shop or do not accept new patients. There are few health insurance companies left in the state, and the few that are left may have to close their doors because the governor wants the power to limit rate increases. Keep in mind that the two largest insurers left are non-profits. Premium rates are at least 30% higher than in most other states.

I visited the Massachusetts Health Connector website, www.mahealthconnector.org, to find out how much it would be to insure myself had I lived in MA. and not Arizona. The health connector website in MA. is very similar to what the federal government has in mind for all the other states. What I found is that it would cost me at least $1200 more per year for less coverage. I also noticed that the highest deductible offered was $2000, the same as the new federal health insurance plan. Forget about lowering your premium with a higher deductible, those days are gone. Massachusetts offers the same three plan levels as the federal government plan: gold, silver, and bronze.

It is very hard to comprehend how Mr. Romney can, with a straight face, state that his plan is different than President Obama’s. I’ve read the 2074 Obama bill, and I’ve visited the Romney health care website and compared prices for different age ranges and plans, and these two plans are the mirror image of one another, even the names given for each benefit level.

If you live in Arizona or anyplace else in the country and want to know what is ahead regarding health insurance prices and coverage, simply look at Massachusetts, Kentucky, or New York.

Here’s what is coming: much higher prices, less coverage, fewer doctors, much fewer insurance companies to choose from, and the list goes on. These are not projections from someone obviously against Obamacare, these are the realities in the state that has had Obamacare for several years.

Michael Higgins

www.higginscompanies.com

602.405.8769

An Arizona health insurance broker.

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