UGH!!! Health Insurance! How Much Did Your Premiums Go Up?

[dclpluto]

Find out tomorrow during our benefit meeting. Benefit meeting is usually in Mid October. Probably took more time to get us for more money. I get paid every other week this year they take out 60 dollars a paycheck. That's not for the best plan either. The plan I'm in has a 800 ded and the max you can pay is 2400 if you stay in network. But I also pay 115 dollars so 175 all together because my wife can get insurance where she works. The insurance there isn't much thou if something happens we will be in serious debt.

 

[daughtersrus]

Another possible difference. For those with very small increases do your companies self insure? I just remembered mine does. The fund is managed by a insurance company but the money pool is my company's.

Our plan is self funded. A few years ago (before ACA) they switched from processing claims in house and use BC/BS as a claims processor.

We just got an email saying that we will have a Tele Doc option starting next month and it will be free of charge. No copay at all. Of course this will be for things like colds, sinus infections, sore throat...

 

[wendow]

I'm curious if those of you who have these outrageously priced plans with high deductibles are in typical careers with employer-offered insurance plans or are these plans you're seeking out on your own (Affordable Healthcare Act) because you have hourly-paid jobs? We don't know anyone in typical college-educated careers that have these insanely priced plans.

Our insurance is through my dh's employer. My dh is college-educated and is an IT Director. He works for a small, non-profit. We are paying a lot but are actually 'shielded' from some of the higher price increases because he works for a non-profit. His employer covers a good part of his premium but very little of mine and the kids. But because his is covered at the ACA required amount, none of us are eligible for healthcare on the exchange. I think they call it the 'family gap'. It really stinks b/c we qualify from an income standpoint but are excluded for coverage b/c of the family gap.

 

[scard192]

Another possible difference. For those with very small increases do your companies self insure? I just remembered mine does. The fund is managed by a insurance company but the money pool is my company's.

my company self insures the first XXXX$$

 

[Eighty8Keys]

I work for a church with about 25 of the 75 employees having health coverage. Since the ACA went live we've been able to keep our pre-ACA health plan with about a 3-5% decrease each year in premiums. However, we just met with our broker and we'll need to move to one of the ACA plans for 2017. Moving to the gold plan will increase our premiums for a single employee by $60 a month, but it hasn't been decided how much, if any, of that will be passed along to the employees. I currently have $6.85 deducted from my paycheck twice a month to cover my insurance. In the 13 years I've worked for this church, they haven't increased my payroll deduction, but that may end this year. I'm willing to pay the $60 if necessary, because the gold plan offers a little better coverage than our current plan. After hearing what others pay, I can't complain at all.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I read an article online with a local Chattanooga news station about a family who's premium was going up to $3300 a month, yes a month. $40,000 a year. It doubled this year, so they chose to go without it. Can't say I blame them, I mean they need to eat first! But there is no way I could afford a $1500 a month premium to begin with.

I think we will eventually see where this will be the norm. Choosing food or housing over health insurance because you won't be able to afford both.

 

[wendow]

I read an article online with a local Chattanooga news station about a family who's premium was going up to $3300 a month, yes a month. $40,000 a year. It doubled this year, so they chose to go without it. Can't say I blame them, I mean they need to eat first! But there is no way I could afford a $1500 a month premium to begin with.

I think we will eventually see where this will be the norm. Choosing food or housing over health insurance because you won't be able to afford both.

Isn't that sad? Oh my goodness, it is just awful. We know more and more middle class families who are having to go without health insurance, and are choosing to pay the penalty instead. Lots moving to Christian health shares, which are what we will most likely do also. Sad state of healthcare for so many these days.

 

[wilkeliza]

I read an article online with a local Chattanooga news station about a family who's premium was going up to $3300 a month, yes a month. $40,000 a year. It doubled this year, so they chose to go without it. Can't say I blame them, I mean they need to eat first! But there is no way I could afford a $1500 a month premium to begin with.

I think we will eventually see where this will be the norm. Choosing food or housing over health insurance because you won't be able to afford both.

Sadly that already is a norm for many many people. It is just being reported more because it is starting to affect the entire chain and not just the lower.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I read an article online with a local Chattanooga news station about a family who's premium was going up to $3300 a month, yes a month. $40,000 a year. It doubled this year, so they chose to go without it. Can't say I blame them, I mean they need to eat first! But there is no way I could afford a $1500 a month premium to begin with.

I think we will eventually see where this will be the norm. Choosing food or housing over health insurance because you won't be able to afford both.

Can you link the article? I'm very skeptical of claims like this. Insurance is high, but $3300 seems a bit exaggerated

 

[Stacy's a freak]

We only went up by 2% this year (hooray!). Our company is self insured - a little less than 500 employees, not all are on the plan. We have had a high deductible plan for several years now and the company puts a bit into our HSA accounts to help with the savings towards the deductible. There are two high deductible plans (one high, the other higher) and you can do "single" or "family" (no 2 person plan). If a person does a health screening and passes healthy metrics or actively complies with doctor's orders if they have some health concern, then the company gives a $500 per year credit towards that person's premiums. It seems like the health screenings have been good for all. It can identify health concerns to the person so they might be able to get ahead of a bad condition. And it helps to control the overall cost of the plan. Well, that is how it's designed, anyway.

Since I'm a relatively healthy person, I like the idea of a high deductible plan. I like that it makes a person think twice about going to the doctor for a simple cold or sniffle. And it makes someone realize the cost of various tests so they can at least question the doctor about whether or not it's necessary while fully paying the routine annual stuff a person should do to be smart about health (annual female visits, mammograms, colonoscopy for those of age, etc.).

 

[disfanforlife]

Ours doesn't renew for several months, but it has increased every year too. We opted for a plan with a high deductible to keep the monthly premium lower ( which is still high in my opinion) We also have our insurance through our family business so even though work pays for it, it's still coming out of our pocket in the long run. My DH has had several eye surgeries this year and so far we are paying for them all since we have the high deductible.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Can you link the article? I'm very skeptical of claims like this. Insurance is high, but $3300 seems a bit exaggerated

I don't think so - just looking at fed employee Plans for a high service HMO...Aetna Open Access HMO - High - the biweekly rate for a family is $1054. Multiply that by 26 and you get around $28K for an HMO. Feds would only pay about half of it or $14K/year OUT OF POCKET. And this is a government job, so the government probably gets better rates from the insurance company.

 

[DreamIsaWish]

Looks like we're going up about 12%, or about $15 per pay period (whole family). The percentage is kind of high, but clearly the absolute amount is something very manageable. Not to sound smug (and believe me it's not meant as such), but reading this thread makes me feel very fortunate to have affordable healthcare. I know that health insurance is always talked about as a benefit, but sometimes I take it as a given. Reading of the self-employed folks among my fellow Disney fans reminds me that it really is a benefit. Good luck to those of you impacted in such big ways.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I pay $4320/year for crappy lowest-end coverage for our family and am thankful that I am not in open market system where I would get destroyed, since we wouldn't qualify for a subsidy (and next year, my payment is going up 6.5% from this year (and has been the last 5-8 years while salary increases have been basically zero)...

 

[Viking7641]

The ACA didn't really effect our state in terms of coverage mandates, we basically already had it a decade+ ago.

I was on MassHealth for a while, then bought insurance as a grad student. Now my municipal job pays 80/20. I pay roughly $100 a month for myself.

My recently passed father..........good thing he was able to get Medicare and wasn't a "pre-existing" condition. His treatments were mid six figures all told.

When my father was working and my mother bought insurance out of pocket (his employer didn't offer) it was insane.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Can you link the article? I'm very skeptical of claims like this. Insurance is high, but $3300 seems a bit exaggerated

Not sure if I can. But it is on newschannel9.com Go to the story about Tennessee face sticker shock. I believe at some point this healthcare issue will bankrupt my family as well.

 

[Marionnette]

Can you link the article? I'm very skeptical of claims like this. Insurance is high, but $3300 seems a bit exaggerated

I don't need to see an article to believe this. My plan will be $2400+/month for 2 people if we decide to stay with it. If our kids weren't getting coverage through their employers (2 are still under 26), our cost would be well north of that number. Even the cheapest, high deductible, high copays, tiered provider plan would be better than $1600/month for the 2 of us. We have to buy on the market, don't qualify for a subsidy and there's only one insurer to choose from. No competition = high premiums

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I don't need to see an article to believe this. My plan will be $2400+/month for 2 people if we decide to stay with it. If our kids weren't getting coverage through their employers (2 are still under 26), our cost would be well north of that number. Even the cheapest, high deductible, high copays, tiered provider plan would be better than $1600/month for the 2 of us. We have to buy on the market, don't qualify for a subsidy and there's only one insurer to choose from. No competition = high premiums

Wow, I did go back myself and double check the article before I posted about it. I too thought, did I read that wrong, but I didn't. I really think our next trip to Disney in February will one of our last ones, or at least for an extremely long time. I believe the life style we are accustom to will be ending, and if so, I will still be blessed beyond measure. Health care will become the biggest expenditure for our budget and will likely overwhelm us.

 

[seb65]

So, for those of you who say that your rates are the same or going down, is that with keeping the same plan? or is it because your employer changed the available plans? or your employer is taking care of the increase.

And for those who work for the government or have union plans, I'm jealous. You guys seem to be insulated from the cost increases.

I am fortunate to be in a union, judging by these outrageous stories. But, I am not exempt from the cost increases. My job went from offering 90% paid to 70% paid. While this is still great compared to what other people have to pay, it hit me hard because it was a huge jump in what I need to pay. I also chose my job based on the insurance. I gave up more money because the insurance, at the time, was outstanding. Not only that, but co-pays have gone up $30 for visits and medicine. Since my son has medication, this has also been a hit for me. I wish our country could find a way to take care of everyone. So many people are going to be hurting financially.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm curious if those of you who have these outrageously priced plans with high deductibles are in typical careers with employer-offered insurance plans or are these plans you're seeking out on your own (Affordable Healthcare Act) because you have hourly-paid jobs? We don't know anyone in typical college-educated careers that have these insanely priced plans.

Privately purchased plan, self employed, don't qualify for subsidies. My husband is a electrical and computer systems engineer who owns his consulting business, he is the only employee.