FAR OUT FRIDAY: Strident Obamacare advocates now paying more for health insurance

Obamacare critics are taking great delight in the fact that one group of staunch supporters of the ACA will be paying more for healthcare.

Insurance News

By

Obamacare critics are taking great delight in the fact that one group of staunch supporters of the Affordable Care Act will be paying more for healthcare.

Harvard University professors have lobbied U.S. presidents for years on the benefits of a national health care program. But with Obamacare, Harvard faculty are miffed that they are paying more for health care in 2015.

Citing rising costs from the ACA as a contributing factor, the university is requiring faculty to pay more for health care, following the trend in employer-sponsored insurance.

And according to New York Magazine, Obamacare opponents are taking great delight that the Harvard professors are facing the consequences of the ACA.

However, the Washington Post notes that Harvard employees will still be much better off compared to the rest of Americans.

The new employee health plan, according to the Times, comes with annual deductibles of $250 for an individual and $750 for family coverage before the insurance kicks in.

Roughly four in five employers now require employees to pay out of their own pockets before coverage kicks in, and individual deductibles grew on average from $826 in 2009 to $1,217 in 2014.

And the Harvard coverage is generous in other areas.

The university pays about 91% of medical costs, on par with the richest platinum plans available on the ACA exchanges. But the Harvard plan will cap annual out-of-pocket payments at $1,500 for an individual and $4,500 for family coverage, according to the New York Times. The ACA also caps out-of-pocket costs — but at $6,600 for individual plans and $13,200 for family plans.

You may also be interested in: "Far Out Friday: The 10 most outrageous Goldman Sachs elevator tweets"
"Far Out Friday: Vegas strippers win in suit for lack of coverage"
"Far Out Friday: Steer manure delivered to health insurance CEOs"

Keep up with the latest news and events

Join our mailing list, it’s free!