Help me tell ACA stories
Greetings, dear readers: I would like to tell stories about people's experiences with lesser-known ACA benefits -- or shortcomings. Writeups may appear elsewhere -- healthinsurance.org or other publications -- or here. These are the categories I have in mind:
1) Donut hole: I'd like to speak to Medicare enrollees who have benefitted (or not so much) from the ACA's gradual closing of the "donut hole" in prescription drug coverage.
2) Lifetime coverage caps: pre ACA, in 2009, 59% of people insured through employers were subject to lifetime caps on coverage -- typically $2 million by 2009, but often $1 million. The ACA banned lifetime and annual caps. In a recent post, I dug up a 2007 study finding that 20,000-25,000 people would hit lifetime caps by 2009.and forecasting that 300,000 would max out by 2019 if the caps were not raised. I'd like to speak to anyone who ever hit the caps, or was saved from the caps by the ACA, or is worried about hitting the caps (because of an expensive chronic condition) post-ACA.
3) The satisfied unsubsidized (or not so satisfied): there's no denying that many people who don't qualify for ACA subsidies but have to buy their own insurance have been hit hard by premium increases. On the other hand, in the pre-ACA individual market for health insurance, about a third of people who tried to buy were turned away because of pre-existing conditions (either denied outright or discouraged by brokers) -- and about a third of those who did buy had to pay above-market rates because of same. A smaller group perhaps 6% or more had to or accept coverage that excluded treatment for their condition (those estimates sourced here. In 2014 I profiled in the Atlantic several people who did not qualify for ACA subsidies but still benefitted from its coverage rules. I'd like to do so again. I'm happy to do stories in which the ACA market did not work out well, or was a mixed bag, but I do want to stick to people who had or would have had problems in the pre-ACA market.
Much appreciated if anyone can tell me a story, or refer me to someone who might in any of these categories. I can keep tales anonymous if necessary, as long as verifiable, though I'd like to use real names if possible. To contact me use the email address in the "about me" on the right margin. Thanks.