Employees face 'shockingly higher' health costs

Employees face 'shockingly higher' health costs

money.cnn.com

It's open enrollment time. As employees nationwide peruse their benefit options, experts say prepare for 'shockingly' higher costs.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's open enrollment time at work. Prepare yourself. Starting in 2010, your employer is making sure that when it comes to paying for your health care, you're going to be sharing much more of the burden.

"The headline is greater cost sharing," said Tom Billet, senior consultant with human resources consultancy Watson Wyatt. "That means higher [employee] contributions, higher deductibles, or both," he said.

In 2010, employ

(visit the link for the full news article)

Once again, Obama has managed to potentially alter the financial landscape of the country with mere words.

Just as when he announced he would be capping credit card interest rates, which resulted in credit card companies coast-to-coast rising rates on the majority of its customers, the insurance companies are following suit.

In anticipation of healthcare reform, insurance companies are raising their premiums for employers -- which will of course will result in increased costs for the employees.

So how much more can you afford to pay for the insurance you already have?

How quickly are you going to jump at the chance to join the gov't run low-cost option?

Keep in mind, this benefits the government as well. The higher the average premiums that health insurance companies offer, the higher the gov't-run option can be and still be considered "cost-effective".

This should do wonders for any already disasterous foreclosure rate.....

Thoughts?

money.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Also from the article:

"Most people are shielded from the true cost of care because all they pay when they go to the doctor is a $15 to $20 co-pay," he said. "To me the catch phrase in 2010 will be 'Taking responsibility.' "

Consumer advocates, however, aren't thrilled with these declarations.

"We recognize that this is a hard economy," said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy with Families USA, a health care consumer advocacy group.

"We know that medical debt is growing. We know that [employer-based] coverage is thinning," said Fish-Parcham. "This is a really difficult environment for everyone. That's why we're all looking forward to health reform."

Here's what to expect
So how are employers tweaking health care benefits options in 2010? Here's the rundown:

Higher out-of-pocket costs. "Employers and employees will face shockingly higher [health care] costs," warned Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, whose members include Fortune 500 companies such as American Express (AXP, Fortune 500), Coca-Cola (KO, Fortune 500) and IBM (IBM, Fortune 500).

Link: money.cnn.com...

Quick quiz: Anybody catch this sentence:

""This is a really difficult environment for everyone. That's why we're all looking forward to health reform."


Could one get a better plug for government-run health care? We're so sorry the rates have to go up.......especially since money is really tight and nobody can afford it.....but don't worry: the government will be here to save you soon.....

And what happens if reform doesn't pass? We'll one saddled with higher costs regardless.

We've been hoodwinked. We've been backed into a corner. Is this the way we want legislation to pass in the U.S. By force?

In the days of the Old West, people would band together and form posses that would seek out those that had robbed, stolen, killed, injured or were just plain bad guys.

It was a time when a person could be a person. To make a name for themselves in the community. Some even rose to legendary status. I wonder what ever happened to that sort of lifestyle? Have we as a people changed so much in 120 or so years that we cannot recognize right from wrong and do something about it?

reply to post by lpowell0627


The reason prices are going higher is like you pointed out in preparation for the mandatory private health care coverage that we will be forced into taking with no public option, everything you said is right but do you know that is not current public option on the bill in congress yet.

Yes, so don't blame it on public option because this reform so far is not about public option but mandatory private insurance or else, we will be paying what the corrupted private insurance wants and like you said they are doing like the banks are doing with the interest in preparation for the laws that will be passed.

So people once again we have been deceived and still fighting for the wrong reasons.

reply to post by marg6043


Exactly, by legislating that everyone has to purchase private insurance without any regulation of the rates. The federal government has just written a blank check for the insurance companies to charge whatever they want with no recourse.

The exact same thing happened to liability insurance for automobiles in the several states as car insurance became mandatory. By forcing a demand, the supply was unregulated to charge what ever they pleased.

Yes, it resulted in many of what I would call fly-by-night insurance companies. We can only expect the same will happen to medical insurance. Small start ups that make their money and run, leaving their policy holders with cheap coverage or no coverage at all.

Who wants to be that credit ratings will come into play for setting the premium rates as well.

As I eluded to in my previous post, it is time to saddle up the ponies and ride, for justice.

Oh jeez, what is next from this evil regime government? THe dude promised change, well when he gets through with us, CHANGE is about all we are going to have in our pocket.

My employer paid insurance where I have worked 24 years has some changes for us. In Jan. my rx co-pays ALL go to $50, if the rx is less I pay for every cent of it. My doctor visit co-pays ALL go from $25 to $50. I have to go to the doctor monthly and I have 3 rx's each month, soooo, my out of pocket just went up $75 a month (total $200 month will be my out of pocket for doctor and prescriptions). That may not sound like much to a lot of you, but I haven't had a raise in 3 years (state employer). Of course the big wigs here fanagled so-called retention bonuses for themselves of multi thousands each. That was so they would promise to stay and not let anyone else hire them away from us!!! Biggest farce ever, most of them couldn't get hired as Walmart hosts.

That snake in the grass Obama has some heavy karma building up.



[edit on 19-10-2009 by Bombeni]

reply to post by Ahabstar


Bingo!!!!!!

And the ball is starting to roll on the tax payer pockets specially those that still hold a job and can be forced and manipulated by mandatory health care reform on purchases of private insurance.

And still is people that doesn't understand that this is going to be like the car insurance business but at least if you don't have a car you don't have to buy an insurance, with the health care reform if you work or make a check you will be forced to get insurance regardless, wake up America you are just about to taste what mandatory means with a big slap on the face

reply to post by marg6043


Even HR 3200 that included a public option required everyone to buy insurance and fined them if they didn't. Being required to purchase insurance isn't something that got added when the public option got dropped from a few bills it was there all along.

Originally posted by Bombeni
Oh jeez, what is next from this evil regime government? THe dude promised change, well when he gets through with us, CHANGE is about all we are going to have in our pocket.

Before you hyperventilate too much, let me just point out that a similar increase in rates occurred last year, without any fanfare. We had a meeting here at work to discuss this. It's only because of the proposed legislation that people started paying more attention to this, this year.

Again: same thing happened before Obama. Don't call this "evil regime", this sounds either silly or disingenuous, or both.

reply to post by Jenna


The mandatory regulations on the people that were part of the original bill specially the baucus bill were thanks to the private insurance lobbying efforts, yes something that many don't even know or ignore, it was the private insurance lobbying that added the penalties on the people if they didn't purchase the insurances.

So as you see my friend they have been behind the reform all along and they are right now while meetings are on going behind closed doors.

reply to post by marg6043


That's part of the reasons I hate lobbyists with a passion. Several of your posts on health care lately have implied that if there was a public option we wouldn't be forced to purchase insurance though and that's simply not true. Regardless of who is responsible for it, it's been the plan from the beginning.

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by Bombeni
Oh jeez, what is next from this evil regime government? THe dude promised change, well when he gets through with us, CHANGE is about all we are going to have in our pocket.

Before you hyperventilate too much, let me just point out that a similar increase in rates occurred last year, without any fanfare. We had a meeting here at work to discuss this. It's only because of the proposed legislation that people started paying more attention to this, this year.

Again: same thing happened before Obama. Don't call this "evil regime", this sounds either silly or disingenuous, or both.

Look Mac, I was being kind when I used the term evil regime when referring to Barry, Barack, Baal, whateverthehell his name is. You don't know what you are talking about. I haven't had an increase in my out of pocket in several years. There have been some increases but my employer took them up over the years from the state budget which increased automatically every year (I am a state employee). Well no budget increase this year, a decrease in fact. Of course with a multi-trillion dollar deficit, what can we expect? And WHOSE fault is that? Joe taxpayer? Not. Push is rapidly coming to shove.



[edit on 19-10-2009 by Bombeni]

reply to post by Jenna


No, what I was telling people in the boards is that with public option for anybody to qualify will increase the competition against the private insurance, the mandatory part of the bill is staying there and is not going anywhere, something that I have been telling that is also unconstitutional because no where in the constitutions said that we are to support private entities by congress mandate.

company sponsered health plans are a part of your wage package that you accepted when agreeing to work.

If the employee's costs have risen in that health insurance package,
then the take home pay must therefore increase, or else your contracted wage agreement is in default by the employer.

You could shop-around for other health insurance that is not part of the employer package... but that action would mean that you elected to default the wage/employment agreement. and the employer would not be obliged to 'make whole' your wage package contract.


~come on guys~

Originally posted by marg6043
something that I have been telling that is also unconstitutional because no where in the constitutions said that we are to support private entities by congress mandate.

Perhaps I have misunderstood your posts then. I realize you haven't come right out and said it, that I've seen anyway, but it appeared to be implied. If I misunderstood then my apologies.

This section I have quoted above I fully agree with you on.

reply to post by Jenna


Thanks, I guess I didn't emphasize the mandatory insurance to stay regardless because I know is part of the bill and I know that is not going to be taken out, I only imagine that everybody is aware of that fact also.

But many fail to understand the part that shows what mandatory servitude (as what I refer to the purchasing of private insurance or else) means when it comes to what congress is doing against the tax payer. Because if you don't work you are not forced to buy anything, only if you work and have a pay check you are going to be faced with mandatory purchase of a private insurance.

Originally posted by St Udio


company sponsered health plans are a part of your wage package that you accepted when agreeing to work.

If the employee's costs have risen in that health insurance package,
then the take home pay must therefore increase, or else your contracted wage agreement is in default by the employer.

You could shop-around for other health insurance that is not part of the employer package... but that action would mean that you elected to default the wage/employment agreement. and the employer would not be obliged to 'make whole' your wage package contract.


~come on guys~

Is this a law? Because anytime we have had an increase in insurance costs, we have also, "coincidentally", had a raise which always covered the increase, plus a little more. So in 24 years with the same state employer this is the first time we have had to "take from our wages" to pay an increase in health care.

Obama is the most bald-faced liar that ever lived. Of course, I knew from the moment I saw him that he was a lying conniving con artist. I tried to tell my mom and sister this but they said he was the best thing to come along in a long time. Well they are eating their words now and I don't get pleasure from that. He promised change as though it would be a POSITIVE change, but all we have seen is the negative. He lied about every single thing he campaigned on.

If he is re-elected in 3 years then I will take my american flag, cut it up into pieces and use it to clean up after the dog.

reply to post by marg6043


From what I've read of the bills (and I've read so many they all mesh together in my head now) even if you don't have a job you'll still be required to purchase health insurance. The only difference is that if you don't have a job you'll get a tax credit or something similar to a voucher (can't remember exactly what they called it) to offset the cost. So those who have jobs will not only be required to purchase their own, they'll also be forced to provide the funds to purchase coverage for those without jobs through their taxes.

Obama isnt the problem, the health insurance companies are. Rates haven't gone done for health insurance ever for me. Every year they make up some BS why it should go up. Good economy the rates went up, bad economy the rates went up.

This is the reason we need true health reform.