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

[Dakota731]

I think it depends a lot on your age and health conditions. My brother's girlfriend said for her it's fine since she rarely uses it unless she has the flu, UTI etc since she's young and healthy, but for her father who has a heart condition, he has suffered long waits that here in the US we would find unacceptable

Sorry, didn't mean to imply it was free

Contrary to popular belief, it's not free to Canadians either! The average cost for a family of four is IN CANADA $12,000! We pay less than that for our insurance here (we are lucky to have through employer).

 

[SirDuff]

I think it depends a lot on your age and health conditions. My brother's girlfriend said for her it's fine since she rarely uses it unless she has the flu, UTI etc since she's young and healthy, but for her father who has a heart condition, he has suffered long waits that here in the US we would find unacceptable Contrary to popular belief, it's not free to Canadians either! The average cost for a family of four is IN CANADA $12,000! We pay less than that for our insurance here (we are lucky to have through employer).

But how much do you pay in co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, and for your medicare contribution on your income? Possibly some other forms of taxes too (not sure). Since the 12K stat (which comes from the Fraser Institute and has been disputed - though I suspect the number is a lot higher than most Canadians think it is) is the amount of taxes that go to health care, you'd need to include all those things (in addition to your premiums) before saying that you pay less. You might still pay less, but I know that since I just moved to the US, it will cost me more than that per year (adding all those things up) and I'm single.

But, agreed, healthcare in Canada is not free. I've often argued that Canadians should be given a bill when they access healthcare. Not a bill to pay, but to understand the actual costs.

 

[manning]

We all know how well the government did with Obamacare so let's have them try again! If we are that stupid, we deserve just what we get.

Interesting link here from a Canadian's perspective http://americanvision.org/6618/a-canadian-perspective-of-socialized-medicine/

Let me condense that article with a quote from Margarete Thatcher when she was Prime minister.

"Eventually we will run out of the people's money"

 

[Shughart]

Our plan actually went down. We were on an HMO. Now we're on a no deductible PPO for slightly less than before, with amazing copays. This is through my husband's employer.

 

[twoolle]

Our costs keep going up as we are self-employed, small business (chiropractors). We switched to a Christian sharing plan for catastrophic situations and pay OOP for normal dr visits. Taking a kid to the dr is $35 cash. Insurance would have been a $1000/month premium and a $75 office visit.

We also are self employed and participate In a Christian sharing plan. But how did you find a doctor for $35 cash? Ours seem to run around 80-90.

 

[lynzi2004]

We live in a smallish town ~7500 people. The pediatrician (nurse practitioner) charges around $90 for insurance but when we told them we would pay cash same day they wrote it off to $35! My DH and I don't go very often and our Walmart has a clinic extension ran by our local hospital. Same day cash there is $69.

 

[starry_solo]

We live in a smallish town ~7500 people. The pediatrician (nurse practitioner) charges around $90 for insurance but when we told them we would pay cash same day they wrote it off to $35! My DH and I don't go very often and our Walmart has a clinic extension ran by our local hospital. Same day cash there is $69.

Probably because of all the forms insurance makes you fill out

 

[MuppetFan418]

Just did open enrollment, up 22% for next year.
Up more than $6,000/year since the Affordable Care Act came to be.
We reduced our retirement contribution to help bridge the gap.

This kills me. Despite not wanting to turn this into a political discussion, I would be remiss not to mention that stories such as yours reinforce my very negative feelings about the ACA. I know I will get flamed for saying this but I am simply fed up. Pooh2 finds it necessary to reduce his/her retirement contribution in order to supplement a ridiculously expensive system that seems to favor people like my sister-- a healthy, intelligent, 29-year-old (with no children) who is ill-inclined to work, relies on Mommy and Daddy for money/food/basically everything, and is now on Medicaid thanks to the ACA. My sister now receives totally free medical care ($0 copay, $0 deductible for medical visits and medications). Meanwhile, Pooh2 is contributing less to retirement so that people like my lovely sister can drink from the government's teat.

While I understand that the ACA has its merits (for example, those with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied medical coverage), I am incredibly frustrated that the middle-class is finding it necessary to reduce their retirement contributions, opt for lower-quality plans, etc. in order to pay for their ever-increasing healthcare premiums.

[Steps off soapbox...for now]

 

[JohnDaleswife]

This kills me. Despite not wanting to turn this into a political discussion, I would be remiss not to mention that stories such as yours reinforce my very negative feelings about the ACA. I know I will get flamed for saying this but I am simply fed up. Pooh2 finds it necessary to reduce his/her retirement contribution in order to supplement a ridiculously expensive system that seems to favor people like my sister-- a healthy, intelligent, 29-year-old (with no children) who is ill-inclined to work, relies on Mommy and Daddy for money/food/basically everything, and is now on Medicaid thanks to the ACA. My sister now receives totally free medical care ($0 copay, $0 deductible for medical visits and medications). Meanwhile, Pooh2 is contributing less to retirement so that people like my lovely sister can drink from the government's teat.

While I understand that the ACA has its merits (for example, those with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied medical coverage), I am incredibly frustrated that the middle-class is finding it necessary to reduce their retirement contributions, opt for lower-quality plans, etc. in order to pay for their ever-increasing healthcare premiums.

[Steps off soapbox...for now]

Totally agree, my cousin who will not work, gets free food, free healthcare, phone, ect. What is the point in trying to work and have much now a days?

 

[manning]

Totally agree, my cousin who will not work, gets free food, free healthcare, phone, ect. What is the point in trying to work and have much now a days?

Welcome to socialism.

 

[wendow]

Totally agree, my cousin who will not work, gets free food, free healthcare, phone, ect. What is the point in trying to work and have much now a days?

Know several people like this too. Getting free everything off the backs of hardworking, middle-class Americans.

 

[summermom2]

Then I guess Obamacare did what it was supposed to do - being so horrible that people are considering socialized medicine as a cure totally ignoring how disastrous these plans have been in Europe and Canada. The waiting lists for basic procedures, the out of pocket expenses and prescriptions they still have to pay for, the lack of doctors and hospitals, the high taxes, sure let's just jump from the pot to the frying pan. I just read an article about a Canadian celebrity's child's cancer diagnosis and how he is being brought to the US for treatment. So the wealthy will do ok with government healthcare as will those who don't work, and as usual the middle class will foot the bill.

If you are not European or Canadian do not act like you know what you are talking about. The only reason there is a problem with these plans is when people who are not European or Canadian come to the countries and use their system. If Americans do not want socialize medicine fine but stop trying to pretend you know how it works.

 

[CaterFamily]

If you are not European or Canadian do not act like you know what you are talking about. The only reason there is a problem with these plans is when people who are not European or Canadian come to the countries and use their system. If Americans do not want socialize medicine fine but stop trying to pretend you know how it works.

Not sure about pretending how things work - doesn't take a mad scientist to use Google to figure things out. Even if it means sifting through copious amount of sites with misinformation out the wazoo.

Post sort of got off topic - bleh - not a political thread but one about budgets.

OT: We are also a small business owner - our rate is going to be ~$4500/mo for 4 employees with families (myself included).

It's a business expense and reduces overall tax liability. Par the course.

 

[Gracie09]

Every person from Canada and England I've talked to on here said they're happy with their socialized medicine programs.

Yup. One friend just had a cancer scare. Saw several specialists had testing all within two weeks. Total bill to her zero.
Another friend way up north usually has longer waits but she is in the middle of nowhere and doesn't like to travel. Still satisfied with the care they receive

 

[Gracie09]

I believe that. Our old insurance did just that. Went from $50 to $150. We've only ever been to the hospital twice: an appendectomy was the result of one and pneumonia in my then 5 year old. Constant fever, vomiting , sprained foot etc. and we head to urgent care.

I have family who post on FB about a check-in to the hospital at least once a month for one of their kids or themselves. They're on government assisted insurance - is it encouraged to go to the hospital rather than urgent care or the doctor? Most of the time they get sent home with a diagnosis of a tummy ache or a bandage on their finger. I just can't imagine going to the hospital even if it didn't cost a lot for 3-5 hours to be sent home with nothing wrong .

Most urgent cares do not take Medicaid. When we fostered if our pediatrician was closed we had to take our foster kids to the er.

 

[smokeyblue]

We just did open enrollment. As a single subscriber my insurance went down over $20/mo. Co-pays remain the same at $20/visit, $200 deductible for the year and $800 max out of pocket. I get paid pretty poorly for what I do, but the insurance makes up for it.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Most urgent cares do not take Medicaid. When we fostered if our pediatrician was closed we had to take our foster kids to the er.

Thank you for clarifying. I wasn't sure. That just seems silly on the government's part.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

If the "Canadian celebrity" whose son has cancer being discussed is Michael Buble, he has dual Canadian-Italian citizenship and was living in Argentina (not Canada, his wife is Argentinian) when his son became ill. They took him from Argentina to the US to get him diagnosed and have started treatment there. It's hardly a case of someone living in Canada and deciding to go to the US.

I'll agree with the previous poster that most Canadians (like me) are generally very happy with our system. If nothing else we avoid all the headaches people describe in this thread (and others) of figuring out which doctors or care centres are "in plan" or not, what the co-payments are, how the plan might increase or change next year, etc., etc. If I am sick, I go to my doctor (or, if necessary, one of the after-hours clinics or one of the ERs in my community) or a specialist he recommends - and that's it. That peace of mind is worth a lot to me.

 

[drinkme]

Dh just got laid off. Cobra will be $1900 a month. I went to the healthcare marketplace. The cheapest plan for just dh & 2 kids is $700 a month. And that's for a crappy high-deductible plan.

 

[Yarbogash]

Let me condense that article with a quote from Margarete Thatcher when she was Prime minister.

"Eventually we will run out of the people's money"

I couldn't get thru it. I like reading a good article on the topic regardless of its stance; left, right, whatever as long as it's well done. It is a very interesting and relevant subject but that article has too much turgid, rhetorical junk in it for my taste.

Ty to all who have posted! Very interesting thread.