[notch656c]

Doesn't this create a huge incentive for people to buy rolling "temporary" insurance plans which can consider pre-existing conditions, and then switch to subsidizing off the healthy once they actually get a condition and buy the regular ACA plans?

[vikingerik]

Yes, and that's one reason why costs have ballooned so much, the need to subsidize people who didn't pay while they didn't have a condition and now do. The temporary plans aren't even necessary, if you can wait until the next regular enrollment period.

The ACA originally tried to hide that vulnerability by making insurance mandatory, then it appeared when that forcible mandate was repealed.

Edit to reply to the reply: Right, it's not insurance. Insurance is pooling risk. If you wait until the risk event has already happened, it's not insurance, it's just paying your own costs with extra steps.

[notch656c]

... so we have the worst of both worlds. Insurers are forced to take pre-existing conditions, but you can wait until you have a condition before buying it.

I don't think that's even "insurance" at that point....

America may quite possible have the absolute dumbest system humanly possible.

[willcipriano]

The best part? The US spends more per captia than any other OECD nation on socialized medicine. The United Kingdom's NHS costs around half, per capita and delivers universal coverage.

[notch656c]

Yeah. As a a pretty hardcore ancap who hates socialized anything, I'll still take NHS over our current system. Anything is better than our current bastardized system.

[rcme]

You can only switch plans during the open enrollment window or in cases of specific life events. You can't arbitrarily change plans whenever you want.

[notch656c]

"Temporary" plans are 1-12 months so you can buy ones that last until the next open enrollment, and if you're healthy you buy another (12 month) temporary plan. If you develop a condition you buy the regular plan.