>>Andy had a dislocated knee cap that was excruciatingly painful. If he had wanted to get the problem taken care of by the NHS, he would have been put on a waiting list and wait for approximately 2 years for his surgery. Since he had private health insurance, he was able to have his surgery much sooner. And this would not have been considered a pre-existing condition even if he had lived in the US at the time.

He is at higher risk of degenerative joint disease now. Surprised the US insurer didn't cheerfully hand that one back to you when you took out the policy. Had you made a claim, probably fine print would allow a decline if they could establish prior risk. Won't be able to under the ACA.

>>And what is so funny about that? Are you saying that Andy and I are rich? If so, that is absurd. If we were rich, don't you think that we would be retired by now? Both of us are still working 40 hours a week. QED.

I work 80 hours a week so I must be twice as not-rich as you. ;-) Seriously, didn't you say that you don't have much debt? If any? Many here would be delighted to have a valuable property with no debt. The next generation may consider owning your own home and receiving free healthcare as a level of wealth that no longer can be achieved.

>>I agree. Unfortunately, as both my PCP and chiropractor have informed me, this is a problem that has only gotten worse under the ACA.

Here's something you heard here first: US physicians are emigrating to New Zealand and Australia. Particularly obstetricians. When asked why, they talk about the beauty etc but also they describe the joy of conducting medicine without the massive payment burden that hangs over US healthcare. Sounds bad, but NZ physicians are sought after in Australia and Europe and have left in droves, and the system goes on. Always seems to.

>>Physicians have called the ACA "Medicaid Plus". Because the reimbursement rates for Medicaid are so low, may physicians and hospitals will not accept patients on Medicaid. There are also many that are on the record as saying that they will not accept patients covered by the Obamacare exchanges. So, even if the ACA supposedly covers a bunch of people who were not covered before, these people are still not going to have access to a wide range of services.

Been there, done that. This is not the first time a nation has gone for a mandated insurance scheme with physicians threatening to opt out. The negotiations happen, the physicians are satisfied in the short term and once committed, the dead hand of highly-paid management believes it can treat them to a frog boiling. Except that no manager is prepared to stick around for as long as it takes to wear down people who expect to spend 50 years in the same career. ;-)

>>I am not saying that our system doesn't need reforming - it does. Allowing insurance companies to sell insurance across state lines and tort reform are two things that actually would reduce the cost of health insurance. However, neither one of these things were addresses by the ACA. Figures - most politicians are attorneys...

My expectation: it'll come right. Because it always does. Behind closed doors money will be shuffled, deals will be made, the system will stagger along for an extra electoral period or two. A pattern that usually is changed by revolution, declaration of a popular war or the sudden arrival of millions of starving refugees. Take your pick. ;-)