Wednesday, November 13, 2013

ACA HEALTH CARE - Reactions Series Part 2, Canceled Plans

"Understanding why Americans' insurance plans are being canceled" PBS Newshour 11/12/2013

Excerpt

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  Now part two in our series featuring reactions to the Affordable Care Act, as the details are slowly registering with people.

Today's remarks by former President Clinton underscore his concern about the potential political fallout.  Some Americans are angry about receiving cancellation notices from their current insurance companies.

Case in point, Deborah Persico, a self-employed criminal defense lawyer in Washington, D.C., who frequently defends the indigent.

Here is some of what she told us.

DEBORAH PERSICO, Washington, D.C.:  Hello.  This is Deborah Persico.

Beginning some time in October, I actually had just gotten my rate renewal for my current plan.  My premiums had gone up to $297 a month.  The deductible of $2,700 was still the same.  The out-of-pocket maximum expenses of $3,200 was still the same.  But my premium had just gone up a little bit.

And a couple weeks later, I got another letter from CareFirst telling me that that policy didn't qualify under the Affordable Care Act, and that by next October, at the time of my renewal, that policy was going to be canceled.  I nearly fell off the chair because, for years, all I had heard from President Obama, if you like your policy, you can keep your policy; if you like your doctors, you can keep your doctors.

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