not the plan I thought it was

A few weeks before last year’s election, I remember arguing with my brother-in-law about Obamacare.  He is a business owner, and he was talking about all the changes that Obama’s Health Care plan would have on his business, and the resulting increased costs.  While he was in agreement with some of the planned changes, he said something like, “It's impossible to plan, because no one has any real idea of the impact Obamacare will have.”

I told him he was wrong.  Of course I hadn’t read the 2,000-page report, but I was confident I knew the basics.   We got into a spirited discussion about Health Care.  As an unemployed individual, I must buy my own health Insurance.  I purchase Alexander’s through Cornell, and I buy an individual plan for myself through my membership at New York Women in Film and Television.  I pay an exhorbitant amount of money for my Oxford individual plan, $800/month.  But the coverage is good, all my doctors are in-network, and I have the comfort of knowing that if I am hit by a bus, I will be accepted at a hospital.

I argued with my brother-in-law that Obama’s plan looks out for the little guy.  I tell him how difficult and expensive it is for an individual to buy health insurance.  I applaud Obama’s plan. I think it’ll protect individuals.  It will give us more options without taking away the ones we have.

Today I get an email from TEIGIT (The Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust), the administrators of my Oxford plan.

OXFORD just informed us that effective January 1, 2014, they will no longer offer any sole proprietor health insurance plans in New York State…

We will not have other plans to offer you.  There will be people/organizations set up to help you through finding insurance.  No other brokers will have alternate options available.

I call and Alice Rubin, TEIGIT’s President, answers.  She tells me TEIGIT will now have to close their doors.  Doors that have been open since 1965.  As a result of Obamacare, Alice says, “all Sole Proprietor policies must be converted to individual contracts.” I have no idea what this means and what options will now be available to individuals.  No one does.  We won’t know until October, when the NY health care exchange opens.  Maybe it’ll be better, though I’m not optimistic.  Will it cost me more?  What type of networks will be in place?  What kind of coverage will be available? It all sounds so very 1984-ish. 

I hate to admit it, but I should probably call my brother-in-law and apologize. I think he was right.