ACA

cgonz15

I sell ACA plans and do tax preparation

AnnoyingEditor

"A report released today by the American Cement Association’s (ACA) market intelligence team predicts the U.S. will need approximately 1-million metric tons of cement to construct data centers that will house Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology over the next few years. Data centers are typically built with high volumes of concrete due to their unique design considerations."

silver_2000_

The paygo thing is vaporware. I've had tandem pumps for 10ish years , current pump is out of warranty, option for new pump is $4400 cash. ACA insurance is useless ... I'd love to pay as you go but wasn't offered that option

Hummin2k

Democrats have continued to steer left on social issues, but they very much have not on economic issues. Both Clinton and Obama took the party to the right. Don’t you remember Clinton lambasting welfare queens? Obama did a great thing in ACA….by enacting the Republicans’ alternative to single payer or a national health system.

Wooden-Variety175

Ok so, this might cause a lot of the main health insurance companies who offer on ACA to go down however Cigna are not continuing ACA plans in 2027 so they may be one to watch if the others tank they may rise. Who knows. Maybe all the health insurers will jsut go down.

Waiting4Reccession

How does that matter, their net income will go down. Unless youre saying people buying through the ACA are making way more claims, the companies would try to get rid of those people even before this then?

dgreenmachine

The senior tax deduction is a phase-out and not a cliff so that shouldn't hurt by making more money. If you go above the 400% FPL cliff and lose the ACA tax credit when you retire before medicare then you're looking at potentially like $25k penalty when you lose the ACA completely.

sum_dude44

Except our government bows down to health insurers. UNH 2010 (ACA passage) -2022 returned better than MSFT.

PoopyisSmelly

Personally I would never touch any of the major healthcare stocks - there is so much regulatory risk its like owning Chinese stocks. Changes to medicare reimbursement rates, ACA subsidies, rules on HSAs or FSAs, or something more transfornative like single payer all could completely disrupt them. Pharma is a bit different IMO.

mx5plus2cones

On thing you cannot count on in the US is healthcare expenses . Insurance from the ACA, if it survives, is anything but cheap if you earn a decent wage. And healthcare costs is one of those things that is incredibly expensive. I have a medical condition that requiements me to get a colonoscopy every year and a MRI every year or 2. With a negotiated rate, the colonscopy is about $25,000 and the MRI is about $15,000. So right out of the bat, if I had to pay out of pocket, that's $40k/year. People say, well you can get it cheaper in mexico, thailand, taiwan etc etc. Well, if this s routine checkup, yes. But if this is a routine checkup, I wouldn't be doing this every year. Basically, I have a genetic condition that is guaranteed 100$ colon cancer, and doxtors found out about this when I was early 30ies. Before that I don't drink, dont' smoke, no drugs, and for the most part eat healthy no soda, no excessive sugary snacks, lots veggies, lots of white meat and fish, and red meat sparingly. Sorry, something caused your DNA to mutate because nobody else in familial ancestory or your sibling has it and you're considered a "spontatneous mutation". So basically while most people get their colonscopy in their 50ies and find many 1 or 2 polyps... Doctors found over 1000 polyps in my colon, which basically meant taking the entire thing out. Well I was lucky, because if you take the entire thing out, normally they create a little button for you in front and you get to wear a bag the rest of your life...For me, I had an option they take most of it out and leave the last 5 inches so I can more of less function the same way. But in doing so, that last 5 inches will continue to grow shit, but instead of 1000, it;'s more like 20-30/year. So every year I need to go see Mr. Assman, so he can go remove the 20-30 things that grow in there so they don't develop into cancer, which is guaranteed. Cost aside, it's just annoying as fuck to prep for a colonscopy, drinking that awful fluid, shitting the entire day, and then not being eat for 48 hours before and then after because they also need me to swallow a pill camera to check the rest of my GI track. You're not going to be able to do this at 1/4 the cost in mexico. And if you go to a country where there is universal coverage, you'll be waiting forever to find a specialist that does this, again it needs to be done every year. Here in the states, don't bother if you have a preexisting condition with getting on an HMO plan or with a high deductible HSA plan. And the you are left with a PPO plan which frankly doesn't matter if you pick the bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan... The diffence between all 4 is the lower tier plan is you pay lower monthly premiums but have higher deductible and out of pocket costs...The platinum plan you pay higher monthly premium but lower out of pocket expenses...But if you do these special procedures, you're going to hit the maximum out of pocket expense anyway, so you end up paying about the same regardless of which plan you pick.. The monthly premimum and out of pocket expenses total about $15k/year or a $10/year saves versus without insurance and goes up with age. Yes, there is such a thing such as mediCal which is free medical coverage, but that only is a free option if you have close to nothing in your savings account, and then you are fully dependent on the social benefits of the US. MRIs, are not better. Simple procedure, but again around $15k out of pocket without insurance. Then let's talk about dental. Fortunately for me, my teeth are pretty decent. But some people dealt a shitty hand, like my GF, just has bad teeth. She brushes all the time, doesn't eat sugary shit, and yet still manages to get severe tooth decay. Dental is one of those things that royally suck in the US, even if you have insurance. Insurance while cheap, maybe $50/month covers very little, usually about $1000-2000 maximum coverage a year. Getting a filling these days cost a few hundred, getting a crown a thousand, and implants, let's not even talk about that. You can try to go to mexico and get it done, like she did , to save money, only for the dentist down their to royally botch things up and caused more damage that good, which is why she ended up needing to get about $20k worth of implants back here. I estimate that both me and my GF's healthcare burn rate is about $25k-40k/year (insurance premiums + copays + out of pocket expenses). There's insurance costs associated with my kid and her kids, but the assumption is when they grow up, they will have their own insurance. There was a period of time when I early retired from tech 4 years ago and that was pretty much my out of pocket healthcare costs for everyone. But as of last year, not that I really needed to work, I went back to work by invite of a CTO to work on AI, as a personal interest, and one of the side benefits (besides a pretty good paycheck that I really don't need, stock grants that are worthless right now) was pretty darn good PPO medical insurance where my total expense for myself and my kid is close less than $1000/year, leaving only my GF's dental costs of a few thousand. Huge huge savings by being on a company sponsored healthcare plan. It's expensive to get sick here in the US. It's even more expensive if you are born with a pre-existing condition. In fact, given everything that happened concerning my medical condition, the followup divorce from it, the detour I was forced to take when some asshole coworker stole my project while on medical leave....I seriously thought about doing the 180 degree reverse and driink heavily, smoke heavily, do drugs heavily, and eat high sugary snacks and food and totally fuck up my health since it couldn't be really fucked up any more and my health care costs to deal with it all would still be the same, lol.

ynotfoster

While you will have to pay taxes on the appreciated amount in your 401k, the nice thing is you won't pay on dividends and interest over the years before you withdraw. However, it's nice to have a stash in a regular brokerage account so you can withdraw without the early withdraw tax penalty if you need cash. In the days of decent ACA subsidies some people built up their taxable accounts to have enough money to live on before Medicare kicked in. That way they were living mostly on cash and kept their income low enough (but above Medicaid level) to get the substantial subsidies.

Kindly-Eagle6207

>You're not familiar with IRMAA surcharges? ...you're seriously complaining about IRMAA surcharges? I assumed you were talking about the ACA subsidy cliff because the difference between 400% of FPL and above is actually significant as far as premiums go and it's something that requires actual retirement income planning to take advantage of. But you're complaining *IRMAA*? Let me put this bluntly: If you're complaining about an extra $100/month once your household income is *above $200k* you are a deeply unserious spoiled brat. >I think you might want to head over to one of the retirement-oriented subreddits, where you'll find a lot higher level of knowledge. "Higher level knowledge" Christ are you out of touch.

big_deal

When I was younger I valued flexibility so I just put in enough to get the match and put anything else I wanted to save in a taxable account. Back then we had plans to replace cars, buy a home, have a baby so we didn't want money we might need locked up. As we got older, saving for retirement became a bigger priority so locking up money until retirement isn't a concern. And we were earning more, so the tax reduction from 401k contributions became a significant benefit. So we prioritize maximizing tax-deferred contributions (401k and HSA) for the tax reduction. Now that we are nearing retirement and considering early retirement we might back off on 401k so we can shift contributions to taxable account. This will help us manage our taxable income for ACA subsidies until we reach Medicare age.

Weekly_Print_3437

Medicaid cuts next year, ACA cuts this year, Medicare increases below the rate of inflation (so basically cuts)

jazxxl

Problem with some of these is no one has an actual plan on how to implement it . ACA for instance has no replacement . But I see your point. The issue the legalization or even the SAFE banking act was the pork . Safe could only pass if they also allowed other businesses like gun shops the same protections.

SwordfishOk504

Yes, Trump has frequently asked Congress to pass specific legislation that it has not passed, both during his first term (2017–2021) and in his 2025–2026 term. That's why he so often relies on EOs. Here's a few examples from Google: * The SAVE America Act (2026): In early 2026, Trump repeatedly demanded that Congress pass the "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act," which includes voter ID requirements, proof of citizenship to vote, and limitations on mail-in ballots. He threatened to not sign any other legislation, including Republican priorities, until this was passed in its complete form. As of late March/April 2026, the Senate had not passed it due to a lack of votes. * Reining in College Sports (2026): In April 2026, Trump repeated calls for Congress to pass federal legislation to regulate name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals in college sports, stop pay-for-play schemes, and grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to enforce these rules. * Codifying Drug-Price-Lowering Deals (2026): Trump requested that Congress codify his deals with pharmaceutical companies regarding drug prices, specifically asking for a law that ensures the U.S. does not pay higher prices than other countries. * Permanent Ban on Wall Street Buying Homes (2026): Trump requested Congress pass a law making permanent his executive order aiming to stop large institutional investors (those owning more than 100 homes) from purchasing single-family homes. * Immigration Enforcement Funding (2025/2026): Trump has requested that Congress pass funding for massive deportation operations and enhanced border security, sometimes demanding this be done via a budget reconciliation process to avoid Democratic opposition. * Repeal and Replace Obamacare (2017): In 2017, early in his first term, Trump pressured Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Despite having a Republican majority, Congress was unable to pass the legislation, specifically falling short in the Senate. * Border Wall Funding (2018-2019): Trump requested direct, large-scale funding from Congress to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. When Congress did not pass the requested amount, it led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

ddrsdght

VM, I have 100k saved but think my wife can be a top ten OF model mostly with gangbang content. We have about 5k a month fixed expenses. Can we realistically live off her OF content if we factor in ACA? Also live in a MCOL area and she has nice knockers.

ddrsdght

Hear me out. I have 100k saved but think my wife can be a top ten OF model mostly with gangbang content. We have about 5k a month fixed expenses. Can we realistically live off her OF content if we factor in ACA? Also live in a MCOL area and she has nice knockers.

Impressive_Review

They can’t. 2024: 30% of INSURED Americans delay or bypass filling prescriptions/getting needed care due to cost Medical bankruptcies are at all time highs. Medical debt is at all time high with 80% owing over $5,000.00. Over 75% of doctors now work for corporations or healthcare systems. Over 80% of primary care physicians and over 90% of specialists are paid based quantity, not quality. Pharmacy Benefits Managers had profits of $7.3 billion in just 5 years by denying prescriptions outright or via impossible prior authorizations until the patient abandons care. The price for health insurance continues to skyrocket since the ACA. The average insurance premium prices have tripled, deductibles have increased by 119%. Corporate-imposed protocols often override a physician’s individual clinical judgment. We now have the most expensive healthcare in the western world, highest priced prescriptions, worst outcomes, most avoidable deaths. Medicare reimbursement rate to doctors has been cut -30% and counting since ACA, with doctors increasingly opting out leaving hundreds of thousands seniors without access to care. Medicaid improper payment rates are substantial and soared after the ACA Medicaid expansion reaching up to $1.1 trillion from 2015-2024. Improper Medicaid payments ran around 6% before the ACA expansion in 2014. The improper Medicaid payment rate today is 27%. Another cumbersome govt program ‘No Surprises Act’ signed into law in December 2020 promised to lower cost of medical care but left providers with up to a 40% decrease in reimbursements, 680,0000 payment disputes, drove up of price insurance premiums, and led doctors to cut back on services. Taxpayers provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants, though states rather than the federal government bear the brunt, along with some funding shifted from the VA. In 2025 alone California spent $8.5 billion while Texas spent $1 billion. In order to do so, it is logged as “emergency” care.

ddrsdght

50m can I leanfire if wife does OF? Hear me out. I have 100k saved but think my wife can be a top ten OF model mostly with gangbang content. We have about 5k a month fixed expenses. Can we realistically live off her OF content if we factor in ACA? Also live in a MCOL area and she has nice knockers.

DelphiTsar

There is a lot of reasons to be bearish. S&P500 in particular has no reasonable way to meet its valuations. EPS & P/E data is skewed by GAAP rule changes in 2017. Mostly minority shares you own, you count unrealized gains as net income(profit) which is absolutely insane. Anthropic/SpaceX paper money funding round shows up on your books as profit. IOU's from companies that have no revenue to pay. Private Credit/Commercial Real estate loan debt reissue wall. The Japanese Yen Carry Trade Unwind ACA/Medicaid Cuts __________________________________________ Things were bearish before Oil issues. The market is held up with paper money and hype. It's much worse than dot com bubble. Who knows how long it'll last though. People have been bought in to buy S&P500 and hold forever and you can't lose (which is itself one of the reasons it keeps getting more and more out of Wack of reasonable valuations). It's musical chairs gambling at this point, someone's going to be left holding the bag when the market finally corrects. If you are still heavily invested sure better hope you can beat algo's.

GailaMonster

I moved about 10% into 6-months, but I really want to put that money elsewhere, so i'm mostly split between 3-month and 8 week (which until recently was actually the high water mark for rates on short term). I have another 25k in a HYSA that gives me 5, which is spiffy for a savings account, but only the first 25k in the account earns that rate, and as you said - that's basically just capital preservation in an inflationary environment. I could open a second account and throw another 25k in there in the short term, but that seems silly. (like you said, a lot of paperwork to hold up to 25k doesn't solve where to put most of the money i'm trying to push someplace more productive). I'm about to shoot the moon and buy me some IVF LOL. it's a nice hedge to have more kids in case things really go south and we return to an agrarian economy (/s). I could encourage them to go into healthcare as a hedge against elimination of ACA and Medicare. hmmmm

DelphiTsar

Not really, it's all GAAP account changes in 2017 and AI hype that doesn't exist(or rather AI hype that cannot translate to the profits these valuations require). Minority stake in Anthropic funding round counting unrealized gains as Net income(profit) lol what? IOU's on books that these companies have absolutely no path to actually pay. SpaceX trying to sell the idea of space datacenters that are a joke for so many reasons. All the companies that own minority stake in it, every time it does a funding round show a massive massive profit spike. (Yes it really does work like this now) It's the dot com bubble with extra bad accounting. ________________________________________________ The only other thing doing semi okay was inefficient healthcare spending (Not more or better services, just more expensive overhead). But that's going to take a hit with ACA/Medicaid cuts. __________________________________________________ The world is balancing on floating paper money held up by pure hype (or more increasingly cope)

GailaMonster

I get that the oil still exists and is merely waylaid. I am somewhat shocked the market is so confident we can get back to business as usual in a month or two. Trump is always saying something will happen in a couple more weeks- remember when he said infrastructure week was coming (the closest we got to infrastructure week…was the Biden administration’s infrastructure investments, which Trump was desperate to cancel). Remember when he said he was gonna show us a big beautiful healthcare plan to replace the ACA, and it literally never materialized? When Trump says something will happen in 2 weeks, that’s code for never.

bobrobor

Sounds like someone who did not actually try to get and use ACA. I forgive you.

cernv

Not only did Obama's ACA vastly expand access to health insurance, eliminating the pre-existing condition exclusions has been a huge boon for families. Blue states have better education, higher incomes, and lower murder rates.

artisanrox

> The Dems have been legislatively 10x more effective than Republicans, and largely with the thinnest of margins. aaaaand we're heading into a global recession/depression so I don't think you're caring about how all that works, you're just mad. >Want healthcare reform? Vote! Want more than ACA? Vote! We were literally one senate seat away from a public option when it was passed. You people are exhausting. We vote. We ground level fundraise. We work our asses off for a party whose Speaker doesn't seem to care how anything fkn works and can't be bothered to combat the media machine that creates their no-wins or razor thin successes. Dems don't want to RUN ON nationalized health care. They do not want to RUN on Medicare For All and universal basic Income. Dems win office and hand over as much money as possible right back into private business baron industries so they can elect more senators to get more tax breaks! How absolutely balls-on dare you ppl constantly yell to Vote Harder instead of figuring out ways to move the national needle back to the place that should have NEVER elected Trump to begin with.

2stix89

The Dems have been legislatively 10x more effective than Republicans, and largely with the thinnest of margins. You know what would be nice? Having people actually helping to spreading that message. You’re on here, attacking Dems for not countering right wing programming, while actively spreading the right wing programmed language. “WhY dONt tHE deMS stOp ME frOM atTaCkinG TheM??!!?!?? ArE THEy stuPID?!??” The biggest difference between republican and democrats isn’t their messaging, it’s that republicans have voters who actively get behind them, while dem voters look for every reason to shit on their own side, sit on the sidelines, and complain about why they aren’t doing anything when they objectively don’t have the power to do the things they want. Want healthcare reform? Vote! Want more than ACA? Vote! We were literally one senate seat away from a public option when it was passed.

2stix89

The Dems have been legislatively 10x more effective than Republicans, and largely with the thinnest of margins. You know what would be nice? Having people actually helping to spreading that message. You’re on here, attacking Dems for not countering right wing programming, while actively spreading the right wing programmed language. “WhY dONt tHE deMS stOp ME frOM atTaCkinG TheM??!!?!?? ArE THEy stuPID?!??” The biggest difference between republican and democrats isn’t their messaging, it’s that republicans have voters who actively get behind them, while dem voters look for every reason to shit on their own side, sit on the sidelines, and complain about why they aren’t doing anything when they objectively don’t have the power to do the things they want. Want healthcare reform? Vote! Want more than ACA? Vote! We were literally one senate seat away from a public option when it was passed.

2stix89

The ACA was the most progressive bill that could be passed through the senate. The house version had a public option, which was definitely not wanted by the upper class. Sorry, we didn’t have 60 dems in the Senate to pass it, meaning we needed votes from independents, namely Lieberman. Alternatively we would have had nothing. Maybe would have been fine for you, I know a lot of “progressives” are actually just wealthy white kids who are broadly insulated from political consequences. On my side, the law literally saved my uncles life. But hey, I guess Dems should have just let him die for your fucking purity test? Inflation reduction act included new taxes on major corporations, hard limits on deductions and loopholes, and massive increase of IRS agents to combat tax evasion. Was that all for the upper class? What about trying to forgive student debt? Think the banks liked that? Was massively investing in clean and green energy a boon for major oil manufacturers and foreign wealthy interests? You literally just gave no clue what you’re talking about. The Dem party is a wide coalition. In final action, the results are moderated by the political system we have. However broadly speaking, when dems have had agency to act, they’ve acted to push policies to help regular people to the extent they’ve been politically able to. It’s just never good enough for dipshits like you.

VrtualOtis

What a crock of shit. Name one time democrats haven't enriched the upper class? Every fucking one of them has been heavily influenced by special interests. Even the ACA was written by republican special interest groups. The only thing that stopped Democrats from privatizating Social Security was the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The only legislation they pass is usually a watered down version of a republican plan. The Democrats would be a right wing party anywhere else in the world.

Bittererr

>And no lifetime golden ticket pension and health plans. Who is this referring to? Congress doesn't have this. They have the standard federal pension plan and buy their health care off the ACA exchange as required by the ACA law itself.

Traditional_Drama_91

But they haven’t been treated worse.  If we look objectively at the facts dem policies from the CHIPS act to the ACA have benefited rural areas in this country in yet slogans like “Harris is for they/them” move poll numbers.   Small town decline is a real phenomenon and unfortunately, a consequence of the capitalist system we live in.  It’s also occurred as a cycle since the country was founded, have you ever heard of Yorktown? They would rather eat bigoted social media slop that tells them they’re victims and that they should believe the lies of a con man who tell them the impossible 

shryke12

We spend huge amounts of taxpayer money on healthcare. Saying we have 'no healthcare' is kind of insane. Medicare (mandatory): $839 billion Covers ~68 million older adults and people with disabilities. This is the largest single program. Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (federal share, mandatory): $584 billion Covers ~83 million low-income people; Medicaid alone finances a large share of long-term care. Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace subsidies (primarily mandatory refundable premium tax credits): $125 billion total support (~$111 billion in direct outlays) Helps ~19 million people buy private coverage. Veterans’ health care (VA medical care) (discretionary): $128 billion Provides hospital and outpatient care to over 7 million veterans. National Institutes of Health (NIH) research (discretionary): $46 billion Funds biomedical research (often classified under health but supports future care). Other discretionary health programs (examples): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): ~$9 billion Public health and emergency/social services: ~$11 billion Global/international health assistance: ~$10 billion Total direct federal outlays on health care programs and services: ~$1.9 trillion.

DelphiTsar

Completely ignoring the case for AI and the Revenue it would need to generate to make sense (Tough ask). There is no path for current tracked CAPEX spending to be used without Grid power that doesn't and cannot exist. No one is pricing in these companies funding their own energy. Healthcare is going to get a wakeup call with ACA funding revoked and Medicaid cuts coming. It was the only other thing keeping the economy afloat. Apart from maxing out what it's reasonable able to extract from the market. Private Credit is sitting on a 2T landmine. with debt reservicing mostly falling around this year. Commercial real estate held longer term debt but a lot of it needs to be reserviced this year too around 1.5T. The Japanese Yen Carry Trade Unwind Consumer wall, carried by 10%. The thing with 10% holding everything on their shoulders is it takes a lot less of them spending to cause issues. We'll pretend Oil/LNG/Fertilizer/Plastics/Petrochemicals is short term issue. I will say Oil last closed at 111 though. The .88% of GDP extraction sector will make a killing, administration hasn't banned exports like most countries though, so US businesses have the honor of bidding war with Asia which is fun. __________________________________________________________ **Don't get me wrong, I am not saying the market is going to crash any time soon. Copium is a strong drug.**

jimtow28

They didn't tell us 290 weeks ago that they'd have a healthcare plan that was better than the ACA in 2 weeks. That was your boy who did that.

ynotfoster

It's his approach to everything that is so undiplomatic, and he never has a well thought out plan. He tried to end the ACA but had no plan to replace it. He deported migrant workers without a thought as to who will fill those jobs. He bombed Iran then said nobody knew they would attack their neighbors. Now he has no plan to pull out of Iran. How long do you think it would take to build the manufacturing plants and train people to run and operate? In the meantime, should people just die because they can't afford their medications - is there a backup plan to handle this? It's a pattern with trump, it's the way he operates. Perhaps trump is playing 4D chess and I just can't see it? /s

arrowmarcher

The ACA replacement is just a few weeks away (since 2009).

Head_Permission

Everything takes 2 weeks in his world. It’s literally his default answer for everything, replace ACA, about 2 weeks for 4 fucking years. 2 weeks, 2 weeks, 2 weeks. He’s like stupid Teddy bear with a pull string and that’s one of its half a dozen phrases.

Cinderhazed15

Oh, before or after he has a replacement healthcare plan for the ACA?

NeuroLeak

If there is any consolation, so much of 🥭's policies disproportionately hurt his base. "Sorry to hear that meemaw died on the way to the ER because the rural hospital closed after the ACA subsidies got cut". "Aw dang, Billybob sorry you can't fill your lifted diesel truck anymore since the factory closed due to tariffs".

katc704

Exactly. He tore that and severely damaged the ACA. All because a black man did it. Bottom line. He just recently said he does not want to stand a black female 1 star general. He is a racist just a simple fact.

DISAPPOINTING_FAIRY

can't help but chuckle at everyone just now figuring out that he is an idiot. I figured that out back in 2017 when he tried repealing ACA without a real plan and I was STILL later than I should have been

Famous_Blueberry6

My husband and I are in our 60's I feel like we're fucked. If we take money out of any of our retirement plans we pay a penalty as we have over a year left on our 5 year lock in plan. Taking money out we lose our ACA because our income goes over 84,000. Can't afford 1800 a month for insurance. Luckily our home is paid off. Just wanted to enjoy retirement after being a 34 year firefighter career and a school system employee. What did we do wrong?

DelphiTsar

It's so self-inflicted. US had everything going for it for so long. Could have migrated away from oil 2x over from just Middle east oil wars alone. Cold war the US escalated at every opportunity to the tune of 24 Trillion inflation adjusted. NATO existed two years into the cold war, there was never any threat. Decades to do healthcare reform, best chance GOP nuked their own plan (ACA). Self-own after self-own.

Weak_Emu3659

I'm still working with ACA filings at my job, so no.

kkkssskkksss

Buying a home is generally financially sub-optimal at current interest rates and prices in HCOL areas. Life however is not a spreadsheet so if you want to make the lifestyle choice of owning a home definitely go for it. There are lots of upsides to home ownership and like you said it helps control costs when you are retired - especially in early retirement with ACA income limits and Roth conversion opportunities. If you're not comfortable doing a huge selloff of your brokerage ($100k?), just divert that $2500 a month to short term safe vehicles like HYSAs or CDs until you hit that number. If it's too stressful not investing at all, do a bit of both and contribute to your 401k up to the max employer match, max your Roth IRA, then the rest into the house fund after selling off $50k or something. Never invest money you'll need in the next 1-3 years. >While my retirement accounts will continue to grow, I won’t be able to access them until 60 - ten years after I intend to retire. I’m worried about not having enough money to get me through those ten years, and having to continue to work. Actually that's where you're wrong thankfully. You can absolutely access that money through a few ways. Don't forget that aside from your taxable brokerage you can withdraw contributions (but not growth) penalty free from your Roth IRA. There's also two (three?) ways you can get 401k money which the simple way is through a Roth ladder https://www.investopedia.com/how-roth-conversion-ladder-works-5214808 where you pay tax on $X dollars in your traditional IRA (usually up to the 0% standard deduction limit or 10% bracket, but can be more) and instantly roll it over to a Roth account. You can't touch that money for 5 years, but your taxable + initial Roth contributions will cover that gap. Second way is 72(t) SEPP which you absolutely should get a tax professional for. It's fairly straightforward but punitive if you mess it up. Read up on this because this is what you'll likely need to do if your Roth conversion ladder isn't appropriate. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/substantially-equal-periodic-payments The third way is just working to 55 and getting full access to your company's 401k penalty free called rule of 55.

Unlucky_Internal9686

30 billion a year to extend ACA subsidies So glad we’re paying 3x in health care premiums this year 

Garbage-Disposal-938

I think they could've restored the ACA tax credits for half that

Balz122

Have any good sources for where to see the long term trends? I would guess that ACA policy was the a big contributor for improving access to healthcare

0o0o0o0o0o0z

I am guessing thats right after or before the new ACA, err Obamacare replacement?

AlfB63

Are you going to retire before 65?  If so, will you be using ACA (Obamacare) for your healthcare?  Healthcare will be expensive if you have high income at retirement. One way to avoid taxable income is a Roth.  If all or most of your portfolio is in a traditional IRA, you will struggle to get the income you need to live on and keep income low which keeps ACA premiums low. Also, your income approaches the limit that prevents contributions to a Roth.  At some date you may not be able to contribute to one due to total family income.  And lastly, RMDs will be required of traditional IRA balances and they can be a huge hit on taxes especially since you really can't control their timing. For these reasons, I suggest you not totally going into a traditional IRA. A good amount in a Roth at retirement gives you significant flexibility when it comes to adjusting your taxable income. If you have most of your money in a traditional IRA and retire early, there will likely be times when you wish you had more in a Roth.  This is my situation. We could not contribute to a Roth most of my career and Roth 401ks did not exist until near the end. Most of my money is in a tradional IRA and keeping taxable income low while getting enough for living without killing me on the ACA premium end is a continual struggle.  It also limits me due to IRMAA starting this year and these all prevent significant conversions from traditional to Roth so RMDs are likely going to be painful.  I wish that I had much more in a Roth to give me flexibility over these issues.

torokunai

30% of the cost of extending the ACA subsidies for a year (what the Dems were filibustering for late last year)

sleepyguy007

some of the tariffs, most of the ICE stuff seems fine, voter ID if it ever happens. not renewing ACA, nothing really too crazy here.

i-make-books

I like how they blame a Kaiser strike for the loss in healthcare payroll, but I know there have been significant layoffs in Utah where the reason given was the expiration of ACA subsidies that caused many people to drop their health insurance. Which also means that many people won't be getting preventative care. I'm sure this wasn't just local either. One stupid decision by the GOP is having a ripple effect across healthcare.

Distinct-Pain4972

How would Republicans have acted if Barro-O forced medical insurance companies to insure people through the ACA?  

stickman07738

Well this week, I was in South Carolina and group of older golfing gentleman were arguing in the diner sitting next to me - how much better the ACA was than Obamacare. I knew better than to interrupt them.

Traditional-Fix-9807

I know this is a though time with a baby almost here. The ACA marketplace can really help families since subsidies often make plans way more affordable. It's worth checking what you qualify for and comparing plans in your area.

ToMorrowsEnd

The same dipshits believe that "obamacare" is not the ACA

toedwy0716

The issue is this is pointing to that we're heading for stagflation. You're right in that there has not been much demand destruction but that was in the past, this is now. We're going to see consumer cuts as student loan repayment comes into fuller affect and the health care costs from the cuts to the ACA subsidies start to work there way through the system and people's pockets. I also expect that this wholesale inflation will cool depending on what happens with the tariffs, this reading was from Jan, before the SCOTUS ruling. I wouldn't count on refunds yet, that decision is going to take a while to make and even longer to actually see the money. I don't really touch bonds but the stock play may be in international funds.

Basement_Chicken

The real inflation, and I'm talking about 15%, the rate your real assets appreciate while your fiat depreciates, not 2.4% that they are making you to believe, will eat all the difference between your 62 and 70 year-old SS payments, because your 70 money buying power will be worth same or even less than your 62 money, so take it early and enjoy, unless you still work or need medical between 62 and 65. With destroyed ACA and monthly premiums of $2000+, not many can afford medical between 62 and 65 anymore and are forced to continue working. Thank you, mister Trump!

Happy_Discussion_536

> pubs get the entitlement spending cuts they want If they get big cuts sure.... But they won't. Look how much damage they took just fighting to remove ACA enhanced subsidies which have cost a mere $60B for a two year extension. And that's with a $2T deficit. Look at the spectacular backlash and failure of DOGE. The whole ordeal will end up actually have probably cost taxpayers money not saved it. While healthcare costs will keep rising, that doesn't magically make money disappear from the economy and circulation. It only vanishes when government: * Taxes. * Cuts spending. Otherwise that money goes to someone else who consumes and generates profits and invests. >pressure against the inflow-outflow balance Only thing that would contract liquidity in the system is through taxation and reduced spending plus less printing to support that. >is there anything we could call it besides communism for companies? I try to avoid the political labeling part here. It is not very productive for what we do as individuals. Do I think it is probably bad for the sustainability of the country for my kids? Yea which is why I vote, volunteer, donate etc. But investing I just can't make a good case for cash. Like literally credit expansion is accelerating faster and faster. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=1St8G&height=490 Rate of growth has risen to 6.8% YoY and continues climbing. Credit conditions are loosening, not tightening.

Domitus_Aurelian

Why not? They redefined the ACA as a tax to get around the law.

MyGruffaloCrumble

I remind them that the last time Dems had a majority in house and senate was the first half of Obamas first term, and they passed with great difficulty  the ACA.

Jeydon

They estimate the shut down cost 1% off of GDP growth which would have been an added $350B to the economy. Recall that the issue which caused the shutdown was disagreement over funding the ACA premium subsidies which the CBO estimated to cost $350B over ten years. Now Americans have to spend more on healthcare and the economy is smaller than it could have been.

PHL1365

Seems like a reasonable plan if the numbers work out for you. Never thought about borrowing against a brokerage account. Seems kind of risky if the market performs poorly. Just note that you won't need to start RMD's until age 75 if you were born after 1960. As for the other considerations: 1. I misspoke. My money (>90%) is mostly in a rollover IRA, which I can start pulling from in \~20 months without penalty. 2. If I expatfire, no need for ACA. Will either get an international plan or self-insure 3. Part of my rationale for saving the inheritance money is so that I can utilize some of these tax strategies over time. Never really occurred to utilize debt as part of that strategy, but might be useful

technical_guy

People like to over-complicate this and throw in some FUD, but heres the things I am thinking about at the same age/about to retire: 1. Can you pull from the 401k without penalty (does you plan support the age of 55 feature). If not you wont be pulling from this til you are 60 unless you do a sepp which just adds unneeded complexity 2. Health ins when you retire - if you are going to use ACA then you want to control your income to keep the monthly premiums low 3. Risk factor - for me I have a brokerage account with a large amount in and a line of credit at 5% against that account - I can live on debt for a few years so my income is $0, I can do tax gain harvesting or Roth conversions and my taxable portfolio continues to grow at 9% average even with basic diversified index funds 4. Age for SS - for me I base everything on 67 and can change it as I get older. So my plan \- live on debt from brokerage account from 57 to 60 (at 5% while account grows at 9%) \- live on 401K/IRAs from 60 to 67 to lower balances and reduce RMDs when they kick in at 73 \- live on SS plus some from 401K/IRAs to 73 - note my brokerage account continues to be available as does any ROTH conversions I did more than 5 years prior for splurges I also have some complications because I live in a high tax state with HCOL and I have 2 houses so my plan is to sell up and move to a no-tax state before I do any ROTH conversions.

RightSideBlind

And, uh... who were those Democrats siding with at that point? The point is, Obama couldn't just wave a magic Executive Order to get it done. Republicans fought him every step of the way- and they fought him on everything. That 72 days also had to be used for other aspects of keeping the government running. And since then, Republicans have been chipping away at the ACA, trying to kill it- without even the barest hint of what they'd replace it with. You seem to be blaming the Democrats for not getting *enough* done for the American people, while also giving the Republicans a pass on actively trying to *hurt* the citizens.

RightSideBlind

>The ACA was passed and signed into law without any [republican support](https://ballotpedia.org/Affordable_Care_Act). ... with *lots* of concessions (removal of the Public Option, restrictive abortion language, dropping Medicare buy-in, state incentives, and with pharmaceutical and hospital industry agreements) made to the Republicans, because... > At the time, the democrats had a majority enough in the senate to override a filibuster with 60 votes. ... the Democrats only had a supermajority for about [two months](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/111th_United_States_Congress). > They also had a 258-177 majority in the house. ... for 72 working days.

boomares

The ACA was passed and signed into law without any [republican support](https://ballotpedia.org/Affordable_Care_Act). At the time, the democrats had a majority enough in the senate to override a filibuster with 60 votes. Don’t blame the republicans for the democrats not being able to get what they wanted in the bill. They had the senate (with a filibuster proof 60 votes), the house and the White House.

muldersposter

Your story is not the case for millions of Americans who are victims of a system that is foundationally built on exploitation. Good for you that you haven't been totally fucked by the system (yet) but your anecdotal experience is nothing compared to decades of data illustrating how absolutely fucked our Healthcare system is. Keep in mind, pre-ACA, rejecting claimants for pre-existing conditions was totally legal, and it can become legal again, and the insurance companies would just *love* that.

boomares

But the ACA was passed into law. Why didn’t they fix all this?

Crazy_Donkies

I don't think you could be comparing two more different things.  People hate insurance companies sure, but they're important for many reasons. Auto insurance is legally required in many states. Protection of assets and income make insurance a wise recurring cost.  Such as disability insurance, hospital indemnity,  and life insurance.  Estates and corporate buy sell agreements are backed by life insurance. ACA requires health insurance of some sort. Home insurance is required by mortgage underwriters. Insurance is hated because of their necessity and then reluctance to pay out. AdBe is hated because they screw their customers and until recently there were not many viable alternatives.  Dude.  Just buy the stock, but as long as you're here to pump it ill be here to save more nieve people from buying it.   WSB is filled with nieve people buying these crap companies, such as ADBE PYPL and others.  Only to get wrecked because youre a bag holder.

Cold_Specialist_3656

Every single Republican voted against the single payer option of ACA.  And they're currently trying to switch Medicare to private "advantage" plans lol.  It's funny that being a cuckservative necessitates lying your ass off constantly. 

stickman07738

Good approach. When I retired early 12 years ago, I keep a bunch and slowly sold managing my "income" to maximize my ACA subsidiaries and living off my cash accounts.

New_Bad_8760

ACA created the problem, guaranteeing profits for insurance co’s. Still illegal to sell health insurance across state borders. Still no requirement to fully disclose medical pricing schemes. The system is built to benefit special interests and promotes fraud.

platinumarks

I just don't know how much that increased revenue guidance will correspond to actual profits, and honestly I think they're delusional. They've basically been doing a run to the bottom on the ACA Marketplace, drastically undercutting other insurers (other than Centene, which is bleeding money left and right) to get more signups. I signed up on the Marketplace, and Centene and Oscar were significantly lower premiums than the better plans (Anthem and UHC). The problem is, they're likely going to be paying out huge amounts in claims that the premiums aren't able to cover, and unlike most major insurers out there, they don't have any Medicaid business where the government will bail them out from high claims costs. It's gonna come around to bite their ass later in the year, and it's going to be even worse because so many healthy people dropped out of the Marketplace this year when the extended subsidies expired, leaving the sicker people in there who will pay the higher premiums because being without is more expensive.

platinumarks

They're a big seller of health insurance on the ACA Marketplace

-----Marcel-----

This was widely expected to be a softer quarter, particularly with the ACA subsidies weighing on both guidance and overall sentiment. Expectations had already been revised lower going in. That said, if management actually delivers on the updated guidance, the stock looks extremely cheap at these levels. The real issue isn’t valuation — it’s execution.

ThirstyWolfSpider

ACA isn't bad, even without subsidies. In these parts, it's around half of the cost of housing.

Background-Summer-56

They had leverage with the shutdown. Particularly with the ACA. They let it ride out to the point people were already hurting. They had popular support. There is plenty of time before the midterms to recover politically. And THEY STILL capitulated. Once again, when it came to reducing funding for ICE, they capitulated. Hell, even Bernie Sanders sounds like a broken record. He has been shouting about what's going to happen to anyone that would listen for so long, that when people started listening, all he did was keep repeating the same thing like a broken record. When it came time to start putting forward solutions, he kept pointing to the problem. And he still does the same. The sad thing is that he has solutions, but his advisors are so incompetent that no one has made this strategy change. I even wrote to them pointing this out in hopes that it would make a change during the course of his bid for the presidency. Any time they get any legislation up to do some good, it's always one or two that block it, and they take turns falling on the sword so that no one takes too much damage. They can't accomplish anything. They won't get their hands dirty to get the job done. Their messaging sucks. They can't mount any form of opposition. They are weak, and divided, and completely out of touch with their voter base. You can't sit there and blame the electorate for feeling hopeless and not going out there to vote. Especially when there are so many barriers in place that disproportionately affect the working poor, who are so tired at this point and are doing good just to get up every day, let alone jump through the increasing number of hoops just to vote, then take the hits to their pay on top of it. And what do these smug pieces of shit do from their Ivory towers? Take a piss on the people they want to help them. The Democratic Party doesn't seem to be able to get a single fucking thing right, and at this point it's getting harder to believe that it isn't intentional. We have people in the streets talking about arming themselves, training because our civil rights are being shit on, and they have the ability to shut the fucking thing down. Yes, it will suck for people. But not as much as citizens and the government shooting each other in the streets. When you fight you have to take some punches. That IS justification for shutting the government down, exercising their oversight authority, and playing hard ball. So you want a couple things, there you go. Calls on PEW.

IncomingAxofKindness

In all seriousness, they could get an uptick of business if more people decide to jump ship from health insurance given the ending ACA subsidies.

SakaWreath

The ACA was written by the Heritage Foundation. Obama picked it because it was his opponents plan and he incorrectly assumed that he could get Republicans to work with him and fulfill a promise to Hillary all at the same time.

Ap0llo

America has not instituted a single progressive policy since 1980 with any major tangible impact for the majority of people. One possible exception was the ACA healthcare reform, but to call that progressive is a major stretch. US Politics works only for billionaires and corporations. In the past people like Teddy Roosevelt and FDR, spurned their class, and passed major reforms to stop the steamroll. We have no champion today, no billionaire willing to fight for the people. Unless people do something and demand change, things are going to get ever more grim.

Happy_Discussion_536

Obama wasn't boring. At least his first term. He moved really fast and did a lot. Was a transformational figure. Banking regulation, bailouts. ACA. Expanded executive power. Changed cultural norms. We're definitely getting someone that doubles down hard on Trump populism or a lot of fresh ideas no matter what.

trebuchetwarmachine

Remember when their main request for the last budget was that they vote on ACA subsidies? A VOTE!? And obviously the vote failed bc repubs own a majority lol.

Due_Outside_1459

They need to tie additional ICE funding to extending ACA subsidies. Otherwise this is for nothing.

ZenMasterOfDisguise

lol, this reads like liberal fanfiction. Obama represented the same billionaires that Trump does, the ACA was written by the Heritage Foundation. Obama built the billionaire's mass surveillance database, he permanently reauthorized the patriot act, he built the concentration camp that OP posted. Obama paved the way for Trump, Trump was not some way to stop the progress made under Obama, Obama only made progress for the fascists, not for us.

DeliciousDouble3D

Find Documentary 2011-2012 "Free China" details how xenophobic, misogynistic, homophobic USA Billionaires oligarchs & apartheidists the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Robert & Rebekka Mercer, Larry Ellison . . . hired Trump to reverse all Social, Civil & Economic Progress over the last 80 years Since the 1980's Trickle Down Economics, these billionaires have been buying unethical politicians to work for them & not the American Working class people's best interest. These Racist, misogynistic xenophobic Billionaires definitely do not want to pay the 3.8% Net Investment Tax, money used to subsidize the Medicaid & Affordable Healthcare Act subsides for low income Americans. Since 2009 GOP Billionaires have been focused on dismantling Pres Obama's, our first Black President policies, advancements & especially his legendary ACA ~ Affordable Healthcare Act for low income families (ObamaCare). GOP is Focused on Erasing Black & Brown social economic historical advancements. Greedy Billionaires planned as early as 2009 to install Trump to disrupt the Democratic Civil & Voting Right process that elected Black President, Minorities & Women into political offices Trump's first term he signed 220 Executive orders & in 2025/2026 he has already signed 225 implementing Extreme Fascist plan including reversing Disable & Veterans protections as mandated in his (Project 2025 playbook) Like China, the USA will Build labor camps staffed by migrants & low income Americans including underage slaves like labor workers, as they exist in China to increase profits for WS investors. Apartheisdists Fascist Billionaires are funding the implementation of their Project 2025. NOW they own & control SCOTUS, GOP and their puppet Trump. Vote & Elect for Democracy! Vote for Living wages, Affordable Housing, Education, Healthcare. Trickle Down Economics has not worked for the Working class and it will never work. Expose their crimes, release Epstein Files Enough is Enough

2manyhobby

US medical insurance was headed for disaster even before Luigi. Probably a discussion point the CEO was talking about in New York with the board. Where he flew in on the company private jet. Insurance is massively subsidized by the gov but thats become untenable for the federal budget. They are heading for a fed shut down now when the ACA subsidy agreement was meant to be done. And dear leader really does not want the subsidy, although some Rs were breaking over this. The fact is that subsidies are kicking the can down the road. And medical spending at 3x the 1st world average is not sustainable anymore. That means US insurance profitability has peaked and has no where to go but down. Or completely taken over by the government.

anthony_doan

Healthcare Insurance just tank because of Trump announcement. Like wise probably credit card stocks too. This is because Trump is trying to appeal to the working class for the upcoming elections. It's a bone to give for working class votes. Elon did it with his million dollar contest to vote for Trump. He could have just kept ACA instead of this bs market manipulation (a surprise btw). He also underfuneded Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It's all a show for mid term votes. After the show is over... Also there are talks about Japan's Yen is tanking and US is propping that up. USA's debt is supposedly 100% of GDP now. Tbills are going up too. It cost more for USA to borrow now. I'm holding money back: - chaos of this administration: (allies tarriffs, random credit card and health insurance policy) - Japan's Yen problem - S&P is really concentrated on tech. It's scary, AI bubble is my thesis. - Gold price increasing which I believe is a flight from USD currency toward more safer assets

rufio313

The 2010 shellacking wasn’t just “midterm gravity”…voters specifically rejected the ACA and Pelosi’s agenda, with Republicans explicitly campaigning against both. Calling legislation “landmark” doesn’t magically erase that it was deeply unpopular at the time, cost Democrats the House for years, and proved Pelosi “disastrously misread public opinion”. And defending congressional stock trading by saying “well, they picked good tech stocks” is exactly the problem, powerful lawmakers regulating those same tech companies shouldn’t be crushing the market in those sectors, whether it’s pork bellies or Apple.

NagyLebowski

Dems lost the House in 2010 primarily because Obama was President and during midterms that results in losses for the President's party (e.g., in 20 of the past 22 midterms since 1938). Blaming Pelosi is nonsense, and blame is better put on Obama for not prioritizing assistance with House races. Seriously, you are blaming landmark legislation like ACA, delivering health care to millions. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, repealing don't ask don't tell, Dodd-Frank, student loan reform, etc.., for Dem losses?!? And "the market" is irrelevant when Paul Pelosi's big wins came trading in the biggest tech stocks. The comparison should be to others doing the same, not those investing in pork bellies or defense or whatever else people invest in. Seriously, you've lost the plot here.

rufio313

“Most effective in a generation” is quite the claim for someone whose legislative wins in 2009-2010 helped Democrats lose the House, and who initially defended lawmakers’ right to trade stocks while her portfolio mysteriously outperformed the market by upwards of 47 percentage points. But sure, I’m certain a face-to-face chat would totally override concerns about turning the ACA victory into a Republican landslide and resisting ethics reforms until public pressure became unbearable.

FarrisAT

They TACO’d last year. Preliminary 0% in January followed by a 3% in March final decision. Once again, the CMS rates are only a small piece of UNH’s revenue. Most of their money doesn’t come from Medicare Advantage or ACA subsidized plans. The issue is price and plan volatility. They got caught selling plans worth $10,000 for $9,700 and assumed annual CMS + ACA increases would move the revenue up to $10,500. Instead they lost some healthy users due to ACA subsidies ending, lost CMS rate increase, and lost money on Federal Investigations. What’s wild is that even now, UNH is set to make $15 EPS in 2026. Even with all these problems.

FarrisAT

UNH barely serves ACA enhanced subsidized plans.

jrex035

Why were so many people still holding UNH? It was clear months ago it was in trouble, without the ACA subsidies alone they'd lose a boatload of money and customers. Trump's announcement about capping federal healthcare spending was the cherry on top of course, but what did you expect? A Republican president to care about healthcare???? Lmao

AMCorBUST2021

Stay strong king OBBA and the non-renewal of ACA subsidies are gonna make this a tough year for all health care players

Strive--

Of course the govt will shut down! How else does anyone expect to take Greenland and lower the price of eggs while releasing his taxes and proving an update on the transportation bill and ACA overhaul while grabbing them in the pussy?

No_Broccoli_4427

oh yea i remember that ! Were Democrats successful in forcing those added policy items? 🔹 On health insurance (ACA subsidies): • No immediate win. • The government was eventually reopened without permanently locking in the ACA subsidy extensions Democrats wanted. • At best, they got short-term promises, side negotiations, or future consideration, not a clean, guaranteed extension baked into the reopening bill. 👉 That means the main thing they were holding out for did not fully materialize at the moment leverage mattered most.