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Stretching Your Dollar: Finding affordable healthcare

About half of us are lucky enough to have healthcare through our employers and about 25% have government-insured Medicare. The rest? They have to fend for themselves

TOLEDO, Ohio — Healthcare is something we all worry about. 

About half of us are lucky enough to have healthcare through our employers and about 25% have government-insured Medicare. The rest? They have to fend for themselves.  

Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, is out there. But, you might find it expensive. Obamacare has been with us about six years. It served it’s purpose. Government subsidies made it affordable for low income folks to get health insurance. But higher income Americans?  They’re stuck paying high premiums. Obamacare can cost $800 or more.

Dave Spiess has been a health insurance specialist for 35 years. 

Before Obamacare, there were 11 carriers in Ohio that competed for your business. Now, there are five including Paramount and Medical Mutual of Ohio. If Obamacare needs tweaking, it’s this: the affordability factor and erosion of benefits for many.

“We might have gone to a $1,000 deductible seven to eight years ago. Now, the norm is a $5,000 deductible. So, while people can afford health insurance, they may not be able to afford the healthcare component of it," Spiess said. "Some, you think about it, you have a high deductible plan at $5,000 - $750,000 to keep your premiums at an affordable level, but then when it comes to accessing care knowing you’re gonna be on the hook for the first $5,000 of expenses in a calendar year, that’s a frightening thought.”

If you’re in that group “fending for yourself," take a look at your medical needs; how much you can afford. And, talk to any health care specialist. They can lead you to a better fit.

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