How many of you are hearing these words on a daily basis?  Maybe it’s your neighbor telling his tale, or your co-worker who’s only part time and has to insure privately.  Maybe it’s you, finding out the healthcare coverage you had has now been taken away from you.  And not because of anything you yourself did, but because the Affordable Healthcare Act stepped in and replaced it.  Obviously, President Obama lied to you about your right to keep your current coverage. Welcome to Obamacare.

I had a discussion with my mom last night.  I asked her if she had heard anything from her insurance company, specifically, Aetna.  She told me that she had received a letter from them last week stating that the healthcare plan she had would no longer be available and she would have to pick a new one.  The available plans were listed on the back of the letter.  Imagine her surprise when her plan, called the Value Plan, was listed on that letter.  Nowhere does it state that ‘she’ is not being offered the plan.  It’s a general statement and in my mother’s words “very poorly written”.  She then proceeded to check her Medicare booklet to see what plans they allowed.  Lo and behold, there was that Value plan in print.  It’s gets better.

A week later she received a letter from Aetna stating that she had not let Medicare know of her decision on medical & prescription plans and as such, her coverage with Aetna would terminate on 12/31/13.  Now, they gave her time to call to let them know if this had been a mistake.  Adding to this, she is going from a $0 deductible to $6700.  This is an out of pocket expense.  My mom will be 80 years old this month and now has to face an added expense in order to keep her current coverage.  I should also note that Medicare enrollment ends December 7th so why is Aetna canceling her now?

One of the major issues here is that insurance companies had limited time allowance to get information out to the people and in doing so have created even more confusion, only adding to the website debacle.  Obama likes to point the finger at the insurance companies who may have offered “substandard” plans, calling them “bad apples”.  The only bad apple here is the man who’s name is on the bill.

UPDATE: The first letter was correct, the Value plan is no longer available.  The only plan available is the Premiere.  Turns out, it all depends on what area of Northern NJ.  Now they’re basing coverage on location?  The deductible is, in fact $6700.  Mom said the woman she spoke to was wonderful and very caring.  I’ve heard horror stories from others who have been confronted with nasty agents.  Glad Mom didn’t have that experience.

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