Just did my healthcare enrollment. Are these cost reductions for real?

[Reepekg]

2 healthy 28-year-olds. Last year we had the lowest coverage high-deductible health plan with an HSA through my wife's employer and paid just under $1400 for it. This made sense to me, because the year before that I was single and self-employed and paid $100 a month on the open market for a HDHP. To recap $1200 a year for one self-employed,  $1400 a year for two through an employer.

This year, I just got the offer for a bronze level plan (HDHP with HSA) from my employer... $22.15 per pay period for the two of us. $531 a year, can it be true? Then my wife got her company's bronze plan which will be on an exchange... $8 per pay period. Two people covered for $192 a year?!?

This is basically like paying the penalty except, oh wait, you get health insurance. Has anybody else got back the numbers on how Obamacare will affect them? Does this sound right? MMM was saying $460/mo. I don't understand how they're coming up with such big reductions for us. I would assume there aren't government subsidies for our income level/corporate overlords, and the plans seem similar in deductible, etc.

[beltim]

Your employer is paying most of the premiums of your plan.  Still, it's interesting that the cost to you went down so much year over year.

[dragoncar]

Your employer is paying most of the premiums of your plan.  Still, it's interesting that the cost to you went down so much year over year.

Yep, and in most of the "Obamacare took my monies" threads, it's the employer reducing their subsidy.  I'm personally happy to give up employer subsidy of health care (just gimme the cash!)

[Reepekg]

Your employer is paying most of the premiums of your plan.  Still, it's interesting that the cost to you went down so much year over year.

Right. I guess the question is, does Obamacare contain anything that would motivate my employer to increase their subsidy?

[nedwin]

When my family's health insurance renewed in July, our premiums went down by about $100/month for the top shelf insurance offered.  There are four of us, husband, wife and two kids.  We are all insured through my wife's employer.  She works for University of Colorado Health, previously Poudre Valley Health Systems before the two merged.

But I doubt that the reduced premium is because of the ACA.  Rather, I think the reduction is due to the merger, resulting in a larger pool of employees and a different insurance provider.  The benefits year is July through June, so it may be interesting what may happen next year when the ACA is fully implemented.