Major Budget Buster - HEALTHCARE

[Jaklackus]

My premiums were doubling each year when Clinton was in the White House ...this isn't recent..one year the HMO failed and we had to switch to another company and got a 100% increase mid year....only to have my employer merge with another company and have to switch coverage again 2 months after that....with another increase.

I have friends in the medical field that started losing their jobs as soon as the health care bill passed....so not only are prices going up..companies that provide various health services are downsizing to conserve cash.


What congress did was give a huge gift to health insurance companies by mandating the purchase of health insurance which I am sure guarantees huge campaign contributions well into the future. Our representatives should have just gone all the way with universal gov't run healthcare or done nothing at all....HCR is one of the reasons small businesses aren't hiring....they just don't know how much each new employee is going to cost them down the line between taxes and health care....employer paid unemployment taxes are set for big increases very soon as each state has to replenish their reserves....each potential employee is a giant dollar sign ...with less money coming in...who wants throw good money after bad? Work with what you have...downsize today before the long term obligations get any worse.

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Right now the insurance companies are doing exactly what the credit card companies did - jacking up rates to make a bigger profit now in retaliation for attempts to regulate the way they do business. The goal, no doubt, is to keep fanning the flames to get the bill repealed, so they'll be free to continue to raise rates and reduce coverage as they see fit well into the future.

^^^^This is exactly right. Our CC rates went through the roof the month after the legislation was passed for that. DH and I both have Chase cards - never a late payment, loyal customers for 10+ years. DH called and ranted when the rates we up - they refused to lower so we did a home equity loan to consolidate - no way we were going to pay almost 20% interest when we had been paying under 9%!

It is all corporate greed. The insurance companies are now jacking up rates so they can add to their billions of profits every year, and outrage millions of people in the process. The new legislation just gives them the excuse to do it rampantly.

 

[RobDoc]

Please keep the political comments out of this thread as they are not allowed on the DIS. Several have already been removed.

Thanks.

 

[okeydokey]

I have to disagree. Greed is the worst thing to happen to health care.

When people make a profit on your health care, health care will always take a back seat to profit. Private insurance companies are greedy.

 

[Jennabeth]

We just received DH's Benefits package for next year to review and sign up. WE have to pay $500 more a month to keep our exact same current medical coverage in 2011. I thought Obama said that we would not have to pay anymore out of pocket for his new plan. Our medical, dental and vision will now cost us over $1100 every month and this is through his company. This is crazy!!!!

This happened at my company too. Last year our cost was 10% of the companies health care cost (my employer paid the remaining 90%) and our plan was known as a "cadillac" health plan (low premiums, low co-pays, no deductibles). The new laws would tax any benefits received under "cadillac" plans, so my employers is phasing those out meaning we have to pay a larger percent of health insurance costs, and our new plan have higher co-pays and deductibles.

If you are paying that large of a premium per month, you may want to look at a high deductible plan with an HSA. My employer is offering that for the first time and it will save me $$ over our traditional plan. My traditional plan would cost me $4152 per year with a deductible of $500 and out of pocket max of $2000 (for a total of $2500). The high ded. plan has a family deductible of $3000 and no premium. My employer will also put $1300 into my HSA. So if I wanted to get $3000 in my HSA, I would only have to add an additional $1700. So worst case scenario with HSA, I pay $3000 out of pocket, but get reimbursed with my HSA (employers $ and my pre-tax money), so it costs ME $1700. Worst case scenario with traditional plan, I pay $4152 (pre tax) in premiums, $500 deductible (doesn't include co-pays), and $2000 OOP max, it costs ME $6652. I would really look into this option if I was paying more than $6000 per year in preiums.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

This happened at my company too. Last year our cost was 10% of the companies health care cost (my employer paid the remaining 90%) and our plan was known as a "cadillac" health plan (low premiums, low co-pays, no deductibles). The new laws would tax any benefits received under "cadillac" plans, so my employers is phasing those out meaning we have to pay a larger percent of health insurance costs, and our new plan have higher co-pays and deductibles.

If you are paying that large of a premium per month, you may want to look at a high deductible plan with an HSA. My employer is offering that for the first time and it will save me $$ over our traditional plan. My traditional plan would cost me $4152 per year with a deductible of $500 and out of pocket max of $2000 (for a total of $2500). The high ded. plan has a family deductible of $3000 and no premium. My employer will also put $1300 into my HSA. So if I wanted to get $3000 in my HSA, I would only have to add an additional $1700. So worst case scenario with HSA, I pay $3000 out of pocket, but get reimbursed with my HSA (employers $ and my pre-tax money), so it costs ME $1700. Worst case scenario with traditional plan, I pay $4152 (pre tax) in premiums, $500 deductible (doesn't include co-pays), and $2000 OOP max, it costs ME $6652. I would really look into this option if I was paying more than $6000 per year in preiums.

The most we can save with any other plan they offer is $200, still costing us at least $900 a month. I wish they offered something like you are describing with little cost to us even if it meant less. My sister just switched to this plan for $200 plus a month.

 

[disneyfan55]

^^^^This is exactly right. Our CC rates went through the roof the month after the legislation was passed for that. DH and I both have Chase cards - never a late payment, loyal customers for 10+ years. DH called and ranted when the rates we up - they refused to lower so we did a home equity loan to consolidate - no way we were going to pay almost 20% interest when we had been paying under 9%!

It is all corporate greed. The insurance companies are now jacking up rates so they can add to their billions of profits every year, and outrage millions of people in the process. The new legislation just gives them the excuse to do it rampantly.

Yes, I think they want to make all they can with many large companies either not offering or decreasing what is offered Ins. co. have to make all they can now! Every day it seems some large co. is going to drop some portion of their healthcare. Many are removing the retired that currently receive healthcare! 3M was the latest just the other day to announce so their retirees can prepare!

 

[jodifla]

THe funny thing is that you HAVE to buy it. What about the many companies not going to offer health ins. or the unemployed! Where will the money come from to buy it with so many struggling to make ends meet. I really can't understand where it is that we HAVE to buy something what ever it may be! Enforcement will be a nightmare and another big govt mess.

But studies show this is the only way reform will work, short of UHC. Otherwise, people don't buy insurance until they are sick, which would quickly sink the insurance companies, who rely on a large amount of NONsick people to make money.

 

[kimblebee]

Who's Prime Minister flew to the USA for treatment????

It wasn't the Prime Minister, he was a Premier of a province. It is kind of the same thing as a senator of a state. I'm not joining the argument, I just wanted to clear this one point up.

 

[bettymae1121]

My company sends a statement every year to us showing what our total premiums are (our share + company share). It's gone up double digit percentage points for the 11 years I've worked at the company. Thankfully my company has absorbed the bulk of the increases and continues to provide us with a top of the line plan. But my point is that the insurance companies increase rates every year, sometimes by huge amounts. This isn't anything new I'm afraid.

The two big mistakes of the health care legislation was A) no public option and B) having most of it not kick in until 2014.

 

[disneyfan55]

But studies show this is the only way reform will work, short of UHC. Otherwise, people don't buy insurance until they are sick, which would quickly sink the insurance companies, who rely on a large amount of NONsick people to make money.

yes, maybe in a perfect world, but chance are most that can't afford won't buy

 

[CarissaDance]

Ooh, ooh, ooh...My new raise goes into evvect on November 1st. When my new insurance premiums hit...it will more than negate the raise. Happens every year.

It's hard to get excited about the raise. Easy come...easy go...

Same here, my husband just got a promotion and once 2011 hits we'll be lucky to see $10 extra a month of it . But I am happy we wont be taking as big a hit as some people.

 

[mrsklamc]

I don't think it's necessarily wrong for people to profit off of healthcare. I know several doctors personally who will be doing something else very shortly because it's no longer profitable for them to practice.

The richest man in my state invented medical devices that have saved the lives of many and he didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart.

A friend's DH is a brilliant medical researcher and he doesn't do it because it's fun or intellectually stimulating. He does it for the $$$.

 

[sam_gordon]

My company sends a statement every year to us showing what our total premiums are (our share + company share). It's gone up double digit percentage points for the 11 years I've worked at the company. Thankfully my company has absorbed the bulk of the increases and continues to provide us with a top of the line plan. But my point is that the insurance companies increase rates every year, sometimes by huge amounts. This isn't anything new I'm afraid.

Mine was one of the posts that got booted for being "political", but you made the point much better than I did.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Our copays are up to $50 and $80! And they are going up in january, but not sure to what yet. All DH said was they are going up again. For me to get my bc looked at I have to go to my doctor for the referral, then go to get x-rays then back to the doctor to read the x-rays.

We have gone though this dance a few tiems and it was annoying enough when the copays were lower but now it will be $180 just in copays and they will likely again call it "unexplained" and nothing will come of it. I also have endometrosis and have not gone in yet to get my yearly exam because the endo is getting worse again so I am waiting to combine the visits. That is an $80 copay to see the dr, then I will go to ultrasound for another $80 then back to the dr to set up surgery for another $80 before paying my % of the surgery. Yep, have done that dance before too.

That is the only thing I go to the doctor for anymore. I get chronic strep and ear infections but find that they will clear up on their own if I wait them out and so that is what I do. It's not ideal but I often say I am going to go but once I go to make the appointment I just can't do it.

Yikes.. and I have been complaining since ours went from no co-pay to $10/$15. Had to bring my older son for xrays and it was $10 for primary drs $15 for xrays than $15 for Orthopedic.

I will add though my husband is a county employee and makes crap money wise compared to so many others. We always looked at it like he could be making more but how much more of that money would we be putting out to premiums and co-pays.

 

[bettymae1121]

I don't think it's necessarily wrong for people to profit off of healthcare. I know several doctors personally who will be doing something else very shortly because it's no longer profitable for them to practice.

The richest man in my state invented medical devices that have saved the lives of many and he didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart.

A friend's DH is a brilliant medical researcher and he doesn't do it because it's fun or intellectually stimulating. He does it for the $$$.

It's not R&D or provider services that shouldn't be for-profit, it's health insurance that many feel (myself included) that shouldn't be for-profit. When your bottom line depends on how many sick people you DON'T cover, you're going cover the fewest and pay for the least health care you can get away with.

I'd love for all health insurance to be non-profit, but I'm pretty sure that won't happen in my lifetime.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I think the co-pays should be middle of the road - maybe $50? You do not want them so low that people run to the doctor with the sniffles, nor so high that people ignore threatening health issues.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I think the co-pays should be middle of the road - maybe $50? You do not want them so low that people run to the doctor with the sniffles, nor so high that people ignore threatening health issues.

Exaclty, though I think $50 is too high. But I do ignore things as dumb as it is because of our copays, but my friend (mentioned before) takes her kids for everything. She has even taken them for a headache because she was out of Motrin and if she goes to the doctor it is not only no copay but they give her the meds for free! So, we all pay for the doctor visit so she doesn't have to pay for a bottle of Motrin.

ETA- Both of our DD8s got RSV as babies. I paid off the bill, the hospital visits, the folow ups, the nebulizer and she paid not a penny. Every time her DD gets a cough she takes her right to the doctor, I don't for my DD and she will say "you better be careful, I don't take any cough as nothing since the RSV." Well, I'd pay anything for my kids but I can't take them to the doctor for any little cough because of our copays. Thankfully all but a couple times it was just a cough or cold and went away and the couple times it turned into bronchitis it wouldn't have been caught in the cough stages anyway, but it still is so irritating to me that she can go for anything and look down on me cause I don't. And like I said, her DH is working P/T to keep this medical.

 

[disneyfan55]

Yikes.. and I have been complaining since ours went from no co-pay to $10/$15. Had to bring my older son for xrays and it was $10 for primary drs $15 for xrays than $15 for Orthopedic.

I will add though my husband is a county employee and makes crap money wise compared to so many others. We always looked at it like he could be making more but how much more of that money would we be putting out to premiums and co-pays.

Yes, we are in NJ as well with retired law enforcement benefits. I never really understood how the system could support itself between benefits and pensions. Well now it's all coming short, we will all have to contribute, yes, I know we have lower pay, but still have been very lucky all these years.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Yes, we are in NJ as well with retired law enforcement benefits. I never really understood how the system could support itself between benefits and pensions. Well now it's all coming short, we will all have to contribute, yes, I know we have lower pay, but still have been very lucky all these years.

Yes, I know how fortunate we are compared to others. I feel sorry for those coming in.. used to be you took the town/county/state jobs for the benefits. Not any longer. The are voted so many things out it is not worth if for the new people coming in.