ObamaCare: What you need to know... (Part 2)

A recent comment from Denver Todd on this post is very helpful, and so I'm promoting it to a full blog post:

Just some extra information to help people make decisions about signing up for Obamacare. I am numbering them out of convenience, not in order of importance...

1. All plans in America that are Obamacare compliant, no matter how they come to you, through an exchange or employer, fund abortions and contraceptives for other insurance customers. The only people who can get around this are church workers, and even then, Obama has narrowly defined what a church is, so that fewer and fewer will qualify for this exemption. A Christian ministry probably doesn't qualify, and neither does a Christian school.
2. There are a number of lawsuits out there, most notably by Hobby Lobby, that are taking up the issue of business owners funding abortions and other contraceptives through employee health plans.
   
3. One does not need to go through an exchange to purchase an Obamacare compliant health plan. Many of these same plans are available directly through the insurance companies themselves, and the signup may be easier and more private. You may have more choices for networks if you find other providers who sell on the individual market but do not have a presence on the exchanges.
4. Obamacare plans are significantly more expensive than they have to be, and there will be sticker shock for most shoppers. One reason they are expensive is that they offer coverage for procedures that people don't need. For example, maternity care for men. The other reason is that there is no exclusion for pre-existing conditions. This latter issue is a helpful change for many people, but could have been handled in a different manner than harnessing 330 million people to find a solution for such a small percentage of Americans.
5. Monthly premiums are higher than they need to be due to cost sharing with other customers, but deductibles are high too. A common deductible is $5,000. This means you pay for most everything until you reach that amount. In other words, these are catastrophic plans that are masquerading as everyday coverage.
6. There is little to distinguish between one plan and the next. In effect, these are all the same plans, with different premiums and deductibles, all feeding off the same underlying actuarial numbers, and offering the same benefits, no matter the supplier. Only the networks differ.
7. The only reason to use the exchange is if you feel you can get a subsidy. The numbers are out there to help you figure that out in advance. In many states, you don't qualify if your income is in the mid-20s.
8. There is a marriage penalty built into the system. In a marriage, both partners will be penalized by an income level that disqualifies both for subsidies. If divorced, the non-wage earner would get practically free insurance.
9. Expats are free from Obamacare. If you want to reconnect with American freedom, you'll have to find it in Canada.
10. Obamacare will soon fail. It wasn't meant to succeed. Since private and group coverage will be destroyed, single-payer will be only other option.

As for me, my cobra coverage costing around $400 monthly with a $750 deductible will soon end. I will share exact amounts that Cigna recently offered to me. The first number is the deductible, the second is the premium:

5100/473
2750/518
1250/617

I have personal issues with the new system, mainly due to the abortion issue, and how it promotes government control. I don't know what to do, and I am looking to Christian leaders for advice. You really can't control accidents or illness. I could easily trust God to protect me from something that I can't pay out of pocket. Where will this take me?

Denver is not unusual, of course, and many Christians are wondering what to do. In a follow-up post, I hope to explain what I plan to do and why. Stay tuned.