CrowdHealth

Why might you want an alternative to Obamacare?

Also known as the Affordable Care Act or PPACA, “Obamacare” was introduced back in 2010 with three primary objectives:

Making health insurance affordable
Expanding Medicaid eligibility
Creating new strategies to lower general healthcare costs

Since 2010, the entire U.S. population has been heavily encouraged to get covered through health insurance providers that follow mandates set forth by the Affordable Care Act. These mandates force insurance companies to offer certain levels of coverage, such as bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.

Obamacare also requires all insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act to offer coverage for the following:

Preventative care
Emergency care
Outpatient care
Hospitalization
Pregnancy treatment
Treatment for newborns
Mental health care
Substance abuse treatment
Rehab
Pediatric care
Laboratory services (such as blood tests)

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What if i need additional coverage?

Additional coverage may be included with certain plans, but the above treatments are considered the “bare minimum” for plans under the Affordable Care Act. Another important aspect of Obamacare is that you cannot be refused coverage or charged more if you have a pre-existing condition.

Another important aspect of the ACA was the establishment of a federally regulated insurance marketplace where people could easily shop and compare plans to find the ideal level of coverage.

Initially, Obamacare was mandatory. People had no choice but to go along with this system – regardless of whether they thought Obamacare was a good idea. However, in 2019 the mandate was lifted – allowing people to choose alternatives. That being said, some states continue to enforce Obamacare, which means that you may incur financial penalties if you refuse to get this form of health insurance. These states include:

New Jersey
Vermont
California
Rhode Island
Massachusetts

In addition, the District of Columbia enforces a health insurance mandate.

But why might you want an alternative to Obamacare?

Perhaps the most obvious reason is affordability. Many people are desperately searching for an alternative because their premiums are way too high for them. What’s worse is that prior to the ACA, many individuals were paying lower premiums than they are now.

This is especially concerning in an environment of serious economic instability, rising inflation rates, and higher mortgage payments. Americans are struggling to get by, and expensive health insurance premiums certainly don't help.

Another common complaint is the overall complexity of the system. For example, insurance plans under the ACA can only sell plans at certain times of the year. These periods are called “special enrollment periods” or “open enrollment periods.” This can result in significant gaps in coverage during which people run the risk of incurring ruinous medical expenses.

Where the Affordable Care Act falls short

One of the most obvious shortcomings of the ACA is the fact that it needed to be funded by taxpayer dollars. All of this expanded coverage and guaranteed insurance for those with pre-existing conditions cannot simply materialize out of thin air. In order to make this happen, the government was forced to increase taxes on the American people. It goes without saying that higher taxes make it difficult to save money, making it more difficult to afford the insurance that your taxes are supposed to be paying for. The fact that health care costs are rising makes financial pressures even more concerning for average Americans.

But the real downfall of the ACA is how it affected healthy individuals who take their lifestyle choices very seriously. In a normal health insurance environment, people are rewarded with lower premiums for making healthy lifestyle decisions. If you avoid things like drugs, excessive alcohol, cigarettes, and junk food, you can expect to pay less for health insurance because insurers know that there’s a lower risk of you incurring medical expenses. This logic doesn’t just apply to young people, either. There were many healthy individuals in their 50s and early 60s who enjoyed low premiums due to their responsible lifestyle choices.

By lumping everyone together into a state-mandated insurance system, you now have a situation where the healthiest people are actually bearing the financial burden incurred by the least healthy individuals in the entire nation. Instead of being rewarded for making healthy choices, these individuals are facing higher premiums so that less responsible people can receive constant medical care. It’s also worth pointing out that the bottom 10% of people in the United States were always taken care of – even before Obamacare. They will continue to be taken care of regardless of health insurance. Federal law dictates that hospital emergency rooms must provide care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. This law dates back to 1985.

Who is most affected?

Obviously, most Americans agree that people who are suffering from serious health conditions should get all the help they need from the government and their communities. But most Americans would also agree that it’s unfair for the healthy to pay higher premiums so that unhealthy individuals can receive care. Keep in mind that many of these unhealthy individuals have been engaging in irresponsible behavior for many years. And it’s worth noting that under the previous system, these people would have been denied coverage because they represented too great of a risk for insurance providers.

One of Obama’s most infamous statements was “If you like your plan, you can keep it.” This proved to be false, and many people are now worse off because of Obamacare. The biggest losers are those who earn just enough to disqualify themselves from federal premium subsidies. These are often early retirees and self-employed individuals in their 50s and 60s. In addition, the ACA created issues for those who were below the poverty line but still earned too much to qualify for Medicaid. These people find themselves in something of a gray area where there is no affordable program available for their specific needs and budgetary restrictions.

In fact, the phrase “gray area” pretty much sums up Obamacare. It was intended to emulate the nationalized health care systems of the U.K. and Canada – but in the end, it often fails to provide care for those who need it most. At the same time, it maintained the privatized system of health insurance – but in a way that puts more strain on the taxpayer and limited competition and the free market. When all is said and done, Obamacare fails in both regards. Americans are essentially paying the high tax rates that are associated with nationalized health care – but with additional premiums and without any of the benefits of a nationalized system.

Health insurance alternatives to consider

There are many theoretical alternatives to Obamacare that have never been implemented in the United States. One is a nationalized health care system, and the other is a 100% free market system where all health care is provided by private companies with absolutely no involvement from the government.

But what kind of alternatives can you really choose right now?

There are a number of options, including:

Short-term health insurance
Private health insurance
Zero deductible plans
Sharing plans (also known as health ministries or health sharing plans)

Do sharing plans represent a viable replacement for insurance?

First of all, it’s important to note that cost-sharing systems like CrowdHealth are not the same as traditional health insurance and should not be viewed as such. Because of this, sharing plans cannot be considered a “replacement” for insurance as they operate in a completely different way. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.

That being said, innovative alternatives to traditional healthcare can provide real benefits for a wide range of people who have become unsatisfied with Obamacare. If you’re seeking a different path and a new way of doing things, alternatives like CrowdHealth could represent a positive choice.

This is especially true if you’re a healthy individual who has been making smart lifestyle choices and you feel as though you’re being saddled with an unfair cost. Or perhaps you’ve reached a point where you simply cannot afford to continue paying ever-rising premiums for your traditional health coverage.

Whatever the case may be, CrowdHealth offers a number of notable benefits when compared to traditional health insurance. Perhaps most importantly, CrowdHealth can be much more affordable compared to traditional health insurance. An average member can expect to pay as little as $175 per month, while premiums for traditional health insurance plans start at around $400 per month. CrowdHealth can also be more affordable because members pay $0 deductibles, while health insurance providers may charge you upwards of $4,500 per year in deductibles.

But affordability isn’t the only reason many people are choosing to switch to CrowdHealth. Another attractive feature is that there are no doctor networks or enrollment periods, allowing you to choose any doctor or health care provider you like while signing up whenever it’s convenient. The lack of enrollment periods makes CrowdHealth an obvious choice if you’re approaching a gap in coverage.

Other features include unlimited virtual health, unlimited talk therapy, discounted prescriptions, personal care advocacy, and much more. CrowdHealth will even negotiate on your behalf, helping you lower your medical bills to further decrease your financial burdens.

If you’d like to learn more about how this crowdfunding system works, be sure to reach out and speak with one of our team members. We can answer any questions you might have, giving you the confidence and knowledge you need to take the next step.

Choose the right insurance for your unique health needs

At the end of the day, no amount of internet research can tell you which type of insurance you should choose. Everyone’s healthcare needs are different, and you should take the time to pick the option that best serves your unique needs.

Some might benefit from choosing an alternative to Obamacare, while others may not. Assess your specific health requirements and browse all of your options, including Affordable Care Act policies, cost-sharing alternatives, and anything that you think might be effective. Speak to a traditional health care insurance agent, reach out to CrowdHealth, and make your own decision without being pressured by state governments and political rhetoric.

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CrowdHealth vs "Affordable" Insurance

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