Obamacare could make cancer patients pay high costs for medications, reports the Associated Press:
To try to keep premiums low, some states are allowing insurers to charge patients a hefty share of the cost for expensive medications used to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other life-altering chronic diseases.
Patients in California could pay up to 30 percent of the cost for "specialty drugs."
According to AP, Obamacare limits "out-of-pocket costs" for consumers.
In California, the annual out-of-pocket limit for an individual is $6,400, although it can be as low as $2,250 for low-income people. Once that limit is reached, insurance pays 100 percent.
Additionally, Obamacare critics see similarities with the law’s controversial provision that makes health care more expensive for smokers.
Insurers are allowed to charge tobacco users buying an individual policy up to 50 percent higher premiums. For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year, on top of the standard premium. California is trying to override that problem by passing its own law. There's also pending state legislation to address some issues with prescription costs, but its prospects are unclear.
