Health Insurance ... ? questions

[chrisjp]

5 years ago my "cadallac plan" with absolutly nothing not covered and absolutly no deductables through BCBS cost me 32$ a week...last year to keep that plan it was 219$ a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... so we took a lower plan and 3000$ deductable for a saveings of 119$ a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we are hunting again for a better plan and guess what...............NOBODY OFFERS IT. I WANT MY ANTI TRUST AND ANTI MONOPOLY LAWS FINNALY APPLYED TO THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY AND INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!! oh wait...it didnt make it into the new health care law....surprise surprise

[skydivr]

Fix tort reform.

[Schexy1]

Healthcare Reform has not affected Healthcare cost yet. In most cases skyrocketing premiums are a result of the employer. In most states insurance providers can't just raise premiums, they have to be approved by the state. Every year your employer negoiates your policy with the providers. Discounts or penalties are based on an overall
workforce health grade. The employer negoiate coverage, deductibles and services. At that point the employer agrees to pay a percentage of the premium and the employee pays the rest.

So, 4 things can make your premiums change.
1. Health provider granted rate increase by state.
2. Change in workforce health grade.
3. Changes in deductibles, coverage and services.
4. Change in employer portion.

The biggest change is usually because of #4. 13 years ago, My last employer paid 100% for single policy, 98% for children with no spouse and 95% for family. Three years ago they paid, 90% across the board.

My current employer's premiums were increased by 24%. They in-turn increased the deductible, dropped some coverages/services and drastically dropped their percentage. In the end employees saw a 12% increase in our premiums with higher co-pays. Having access to the benifit numbers, this year my employer is paying less for my medical coverage than it did last year.

So, who should I blame?

You can figure all of this out if your employer provides Total Comp. information.

[III]

Healthcare Reform has not affected Healthcare cost yet. In most cases skyrocketing premiums are a result of the employer. In most states insurance providers can't just raise premiums, they have to be approved by the state. Every year your employer negoiates your policy with the providers. Discounts or penalties are based on an overall
workforce health grade. The employer negoiate coverage, deductibles and services. At that point the employer agrees to pay a percentage of the premium and the employee pays the rest.

So, 4 things can make your premiums change.
1. Health provider granted rate increase by state.
2. Change in workforce health grade.
3. Changes in deductibles, coverage and services.
4. Change in employer portion.

The biggest change is usually because of #4. 13 years ago, My last employer paid 100% for single policy, 98% for children with no spouse and 95% for family. Three years ago they paid, 90% across the board.

My current employer's premiums were increased by 24%. They in-turn increased the deductible, dropped some coverages/services and drastically dropped their percentage. In the end employees saw a 12% increase in our premiums with higher co-pays. Having access to the benifit numbers, this year my employer is paying less for my medical coverage than it did last year.

So, who should I blame?

You can figure all of this out if your employer provides Total Comp. information.

Was reading through all of these to wait and see if someone was really going to out the true bad guy. Like Schexy1 said, Healthcare reform isn't in play yet, so that's not the reason. It very well may be due to the upcoming reform that ins. cos. are drastically raising rates, as they know they will be losing the government stipends, which is huge money for them.

It seems the OP has a couple of choices of where to place the blame...
It's a squeeze play all the way around. We're getting squeezed by the ins. cos., which is no different than it's always been, except now they're getting a little squeeze themselves from the gov't in the form of not giving them handouts.
I look at it like this...we are getting and have been getting the raw end no matter what. It makes me feel a little better to know that the one punishing me is finally getting a little punishment back.

[Commuta_Busa]

I've got to pay my own insurance coverage. I live in New Jersey and am a business owner. The insruance costs have gone through the roof. I only have medical coverage right now to reduce some of the costs. Raised the deductable but that didn't have much of an impact. The limitations impact the drop in costs but of course means less coverage as well. I have to prioritize for the short term which insurance coverages are required, and which can be reduced or eliminated. Between business, home owner, motorvehicle, medical, dental, eye, life, etc. alot of money goes out. Do I see a light at the end of the tunnel... not any time soon.
I can't even say Insurance are the only increased costs. Everything has gone up except business contracts with clients. They want more for less because they say there feeling the pinch as well.

[4HSMEN]

I have no problems paying taxes to take care of service members. If they ever try to make servicemen/women pay for their health insurance, well,

They deserve that at the very least. Just wondering if my tax dollar should also cover free plastic surgery for service members, like boob job, ass implants or penis enlargement. Times are tough maybe that is not the best way to spend tax dollars. Before you say I am wrong check it out they get a free elective plastic surgery case.

[PandaNin]

I don't believe anyone's insurance should cover plastic surgery EXCEPT in cases of restorative surgery. By that I mean allowing recovery from injury/illness so as to be able to live a "more normal" life. Prosthetics should be covered by insurance as well.

Elective surgery should not be covered. There is no medical reason for it therefore it should be paid by the patient.

[kromdom]

Before you say I am wrong check it out they get a free elective plastic surgery case.

Not as simple as the member simply asking for one though. Heck, tattoo removal is not available via current Navy healthcare.

From my limited personal experience, more proof/justification is required before an elective procedure is authorized.

A good example is a person suffering from (clinical) Depression as a result of his/her body image issues (e.g. breast size) eventually leading her to be seen by Mental Health (MH). MH now bears the burden of proof to plead the case to the Surgeons.

[MrsGrumpy]

It seems the OP has a couple of choices of where to place the blame...
It's a squeeze play all the way around. We're getting squeezed by the ins. cos., which is no different than it's always been, except now they're getting a little squeeze themselves from the gov't in the form of not giving them handouts.
I look at it like this...we are getting and have been getting the raw end no matter what. It makes me feel a little better to know that the one punishing me is finally getting a little punishment back.

Ok so explain where the non-profit ins co comes into play here? Rates are regulated by the state. Who are they getting the "squeeze" from? Certainly not the fed gov't. Like I said before, we pay out 90% of what we take in on premiums toward medical costs. The other 10% is administrative costs.

I'm half asleep so forgive my jumbled thought process here. Lol
Posted via Mobile Device

[Vonderbach]

Even a non-profit has to amortize costs. You will be forced to except a lower grade of client (i.e. pre existing conditions.) Your company MUST amortize this additional expense. Most companies are choosing to take increases now to soften the blow when this law kicks in.