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Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps
You need to explain what an "Obamacare plan" is. Being self employed I get my insurance through the marketplace... some people consider that "Obamacare"... however I get no discount or subside as I do not qualify based on my income. I can go to the Florida Blue site and purchase the same exact plan directly through them for the same price. I can buy pretty much any plan I can buy directly through Florida Blue through the marketplace so I'm not sure how they are worse when they are the same plans and can be anything from total crap cheap 100% deductible plans to very expensive 0 deductible plans and everything in between.
Now if you mean individual plans suck compared to corporate plans you would get through an employer then maybe... I don't know as I don't have an employer and honestly can't remember the plan being any better or worse back when I did.
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To me “Obamacare” means a subsidy is paid. Marketplace is just a place to buy an individual plan whether you get a subsidy or not. Individual plans have always existed. Obama did not invent them anymore than Al Gore invented the internet.
I have been self employed for a long time (20+ years) and have purchased our health insurance through small business plans (State of FL used to have a program that required insurers to open up small business plans to “groups of 1” in August of each year - killed off following ACA and replaced by individual marketplace), individual plans through the marketplace and off marketplace (no subsidies in either case) and my wife’s large employer. You can get equivalent individual plans to large employer plans but they are usually more expensive, especially if you are older. I believe ACA allows insurers to base rates on insured age whereas my wife’s employer bases employee contributions to premiums on a flat fee basis across the workforce without adjustment for age. I also saw a bump up in premiums when I had to switch to individual from small business. Less expensive individual plans typically have restricted networks, high deductibles and co-pays, etc.
I think ACA expanded access to healthcare for lower income individuals, but it impacted costs for others and, in some cases, access to previous plans (such as getting forced into individual plans from small business). The mechanism to get pre-existing conditions covered (no more exclusions just pay tax if not insured, which has since been repealed) was also flawed and this aspect of health insurance law should be reformed. But, like any legislation, it is what it is and you just need to put the work in to analyze choices to make the best decision you can.