Thanks Obamacare for my 68% premium increase!

originally posted by: Sophie111609
I can so relate with you
Ours jumped from $467 a month to $690
On top of that we have a $3500 deductible that has to be met BEFORE
THE INSURANCE KICKS IN.....WTH?

"Hope and change.....fundamentally reshaping america".

originally posted by: ~Lucidity
Did some of you people never have health coverage before this or something? It has varied from state to state and gone up EVERY year and has for over a decade and a half now, along with deductibles and contributions, since we've started having to chip in for it and it has become transparent to us, with or without Affordable Healthcare. It simply amazes me that what was pretty much a standard (rates and deductibles going up every year, sometimes astoundingly) are now all of a sudden all Affordable Healthcare's fault.

You actually trying to be serious with this comment???

Premiums increasing marginally is NORMAL. A premium increase of 68% annually is NOT NORMAL.

My health insurance back when I had United went up about 2-5% each year.

In that decade-and-a-half you speak of that would amount to a 239,684 % increase when compounded 68% EACH YEAR.

So yea, tell me more about how this is NORMAL..... Your $100 policy from 15years ago now costs you 239,684.00/month ?

Hah.

a reply to: 8675309jenny
Your math needs checking. Aside from that? Yes, a few years it DOUBLED. And 45%-60% increases were not uncommon either. Frankly, I think most people are making way too much of this and just either never paid attention to what employers paid or how prices actually went up year to year before it was cool to jump on the bash "Obamacare" bandwagon or never contributed at all or are now being taken advantage of by employers using this as an excuse.

I see the obama-bots are alive and well and still shilling for the president. How in the world is a 68% increase normal in any stretches of your imagination. I swear sometimes I think Obama could shoot someone publicly on the lawn of the WhiteHouse and the bots would find a way to explain it away.

I just wanted to post a follow-up since it's been a few days since I started the thread. First off, I appreciate the replies, especially the supportive ones. As far as the others, while I may not agree with everyone's opinions, I certainly respect your point of view.

I called my carrier Humana, and they said they won't have rates for all plans until mid-November. I got the expected response from them, that the reason for the increase was due to all the wonderful mandatory coverage that we would now have, even though we didn't need it. Wonderful things like maternity care (had a vasectomy years ago), pediatric dentistry (kids are 17 and 14), etc. Ironically most of these new types of coverage wouldn't even be free until after the deductibles are met anyway.

I also spoke with a few independent insurance brokers and they all agreed that my best choice is probably going to be to suck it up and pay the new rates, or try to tweak things in the policy that may make the premium marginally cheaper...maybe $75 to $100. I also wrote both of my state Senators to bitch and moan but I doubt that will get anything more than a canned response letter. It did make me feel a little better though!

I'll post back with any updates or more information that I get.

a reply to: ~Lucidity


Yep. At this rate we will wake up living in a hovel somewhere......but with great health insurance! At least great insurance premiums!

We in affect get up every day and go to work for the insurance, oil, utility, mortgage companies and the government.

originally posted by: ~Lucidity
a reply to: 8675309jenny
Your math needs checking. Aside from that? Yes, a few years it DOUBLED. And 45%-60% increases were not uncommon either. Frankly, I think most people are making way too much of this and just either never paid attention to what employers paid or how prices actually went up year to year before it was cool to jump on the bash "Obamacare" bandwagon or never contributed at all or are now being taken advantage of by employers using this as an excuse.

I didn't become an engineer by having poor math skills.

A 68% increase, means each year you're paying 168% the last years bill. That's 1.68 times the original bill.

Over the course of 15years (like you mentioned) we get 1.68^15th, which is 2396.8410 times more.


So your insurance doubled some years in the past ? And up to 60% increases were "not uncommon" ??

And you're just non-chalant about this? (not that it's even true).

Wow, you must take some serious sedatives and still keep a super-size bottle on KY jelly on hand....

a reply to: 8675309jenny

It started out with us contributing mere pennies. Aside from the math, I'd speculate that this 68% increase person probably works for an employer or has an insurance coverer who is more likely exploiting the system, doesn't live in a participating state, or didn't push the button and get all the way to the discount.

originally posted by: ~Lucidity
a reply to: 8675309jenny

It started out with us contributing mere pennies. Aside from the math, I'd speculate that this 68% increase person probably works for an employer or has an insurance coverer who is more likely exploiting the system, doesn't live in a participating state, or didn't push the button and get all the way to the discount.

I have never contributed mere pennies, and I doubt that most people have. Most companies that I've worked for usually paid 50% of coverage. On a family plan, that's hundred of dollars per month. My current employer doesn't offer insurance. Like I've mentioned, I purchased a policy that was affordable for the benefits my family and I needed. Didn't push the button to get all the way to the discount? I live in Georgia, and the maximum income limit for any exchange discounts is 400% of the poverty level. As far as exploiting the system, I would say that ACA does that quite nicely. It exploits me by taking at least an additional $4,200 of my money each year and using it to subsidize low income applicants via a subsidy.

Let me give you another scenario. Since we live in a litigious society, I CHOOSE to have have high limits of auto insurance coverage AND an umbrella policy. They are my choices. Maybe the government should MANDATE those same levels of coverage for everyone who drives. I mean the costs of driving under insured can be catastrophic financially.

This is why I don't believe in health insurance. So glad I don't have to deal with things like this.

Team:

Isn't there something called "MOOP"? (Maximum Out Of Pocket expense.)

Regardless of how the deductibles and co-pays are worked, doesn't the MOOP become the guiding light?

Perhaps I am just confused, but our office insurance dude was talking about this during a meeting. I should have paid more attention (not more in premiums) to what was said. Unfortunately the meeting was giving me a migraine and I just wanted to zone-out.

Oh, one question: So if I am quarantined due to suspected Ebola - who pays the med bills? One could MOOP out just on those bills alone.

-E2

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Look I don't know what your deal is but if I had to guess I bet you haven't paid for health insurance in years or ever. You're probably one of the sponges on welfare and Medicaid that I have to pay for with my tax dollars.

The reason I say this is simple, anyone that actually works and pays for their own health insurance knows what your'e spouting is a bunch of lies. Yes health insurance has increased about 9% per year for the last decade, but that is a far cry from a 50 to 60% increase in one year most people are getting. My rate also went up over 50 percent and the rates have been posted nationwide, they are increasing that much in most states, that is not spin it is a fact.

As far as nonparticipating states you realize the reason they are not participating is they are broke. The whole country is broke and the truth is this system will come down whether people want it to or not because it is unaffordable to all but the ones getting rich from it.

Deny all you want, the truth will not be hidden when thousands are dying because they can't afford care.

originally posted by: EyesII
Team:

Isn't there something called "MOOP"? (Maximum Out Of Pocket expense.)

Regardless of how the deductibles and co-pays are worked, doesn't the MOOP become the guiding light?

Perhaps I am just confused, but our office insurance dude was talking about this during a meeting. I should have paid more attention (not more in premiums) to what was said. Unfortunately the meeting was giving me a migraine and I just wanted to zone-out.

Oh, one question: So if I am quarantined due to suspected Ebola - who pays the med bills? One could MOOP out just on those bills alone.

-E2

There's a deductible that you pay. Once you max that out insurance kicks in and will pay up until their limit that was set. Once you go past that you're on the hook for the rest of it again. There is no maximum amount. If that happens to you, your only out generally is to declare bankruptcy.

a reply to: ~Lucidity


increases aren't ENTIRELY the fault of the ACA....

there were increases before, but not anywhere NEAR what we're seeing now. the reason for this, is that now the insurance companies can get away with it, due to their government mandated captive audience.

it's now a free-for-all cash grab, because the government is MAKING us buy their product.

honestly, the individual mandate is one of the most corrupt, criminals things i've seen out of this administration.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

mere pennies?

MAYBE, and i can't overstate that enough...maybe, when compared to the overall cost of an employer-provided coverage program, we were contributing "pennies"(still a significant portion of the average person's pay), but now, we're contributing WAY more, and if you hafta buy your own policy, because your employer doesn't provide one, or provides one that no longer meets your needs, then the cost of this "affordable" insurance becomes all too clear.

when i had a job that provided insurance, it was costing me a very significant portion of my pay, and i never needed it, so i cut it, and for the rare occasions when i got sick, i'd go to the doctor, pay him cash, and i'd go pick up any prescriptions i might need...it was simple, and very affordable. now, i wouldn't have that option...that's bulls**t...

so explain how not having a choice is better, and having the decision to manage your own money taken from you is better..

a reply to: Daedalus
Because I'm older than Adam's cat I do remember when health insurance for a family was just pennies and the employer paid for it. The best Blue Cross and Blue Shield family plan available in our area was $36/month and had a $50 deductible when I got my first full-time job in 1972. Health insurance was one of the perks of the job and every employee got it.
That job was working for a small, private employer. These days those small, private employers can't afford to cover the entire cost of the the employee's health insurance because they've had to hire a couple of extra people just to handle the paperwork required by the insurance companies and the government.
Now they are being required to buy software that conforms to the government's specifications and in the words of a doc I spoke with today, "This crap must have been made by the same people who set up the Obamacare website. It just doesn't work."
You do still have the option to not buy heath care insurance. I am not insured. I have negotiated with my health care providers and they are quite happy to accept my cash at the end of each visit. They like treating patients that don't come with a lot of paperwork and waiting a month or more to get paid.

a reply to: diggindirt

yes, you can opt to remain uncovered, but then at tax time, the government STEALS your money......think about that...they TAKE money from you, that's yours, because you didn't feel the need to buy a product from a private company...

this such a perfect example of fascism....

i have private health insurance here in Australia and for me my partner and 3 kids its 250 a month and that's top hospital and most extras (the essentials we all need anyway) how the hell can they charge so much over there that's absolutely ridiculous !!!! that's just not right and that's all you really have when you get sick isn't it if you don't too bad? i atleast have the medicare system here to fall back on the only reason why i avoid it is incredibly long wait times etc, how can they even do that to people i really don't get it its just not fair you all pay tax you should at the very least be entitled to health care when you are in need of it without having to pay ridiculous amounts of money like that a month.

originally posted by: Daedalus
a reply to: diggindirt

yes, you can opt to remain uncovered, but then at tax time, the government STEALS your money......think about that...they TAKE money from you, that's yours, because you didn't feel the need to buy a product from a private company...

this such a perfect example of fascism....

that actually happens here too, if we don't have private health cover we have to pay a levy around $1000 at tax time for under 30's and over 30 it increases, the levy is still a lot cheaper than paying the insurance though if you are a family and your entitled to medicare which you only pay a small gap cover for things like tests etc unless you are a low income earner or single parent then you pay nothing, but hospital admission and everything like that is covered.

a reply to: proximo

Wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

And wrong.

I've paid for DECADES. Maybe even for you.

If you would try reading my posts again and a bit more carefully, you will see I used to pay NOTHING because it was part of my employee benefits package. That package was part of my overall "compensation" and it cost them...something. Didn't cost me a thing.

Is that really that foreign a concept to some of you? The past?

Then the employers started getting wise as to how they could pad their pockets and start cutting our "overall compensation" due to "rising medical costs" and made us "contribute," starting with mere pennies and increasingly at dramatic rates over 20 or so years.

And after they nibbled away about as far as they could at that portion of our "compensation" they started nibbling at our pensions. And after that the bonuses. And after that they stopped giving cost of living increases and then merit pay. And finally they stopped giving raises.

And again, just because some employers are now using Affordable Healthcare to do the same thing, to take advantage, to support a political agenda, doesn't make this increase its fault.

Capisce? Get the drift yet? Or do I have to paint even more of the entire picture for you?