Health insurance premiums rise 6.1 pct. (outpacing inflation)

[spinbaby]

Source: AP

Health insurance premiums paid by workers and their employers rose an average of 6.1 percent this year, outpacing inflation and pay increases and taking a bigger chunk out of families' budgets, according to a new survey.

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance for the average family topped $12,000 — with employees picking up about one-fourth of that cost — although the increase in premiums slowed for a fourth straight year.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070911/ap_on_bi_ge/insurance_rising_premiums

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Is anyone surprised?

[TheFarseer]

1. that's what happens

when health care costs rise by about 6.1%

[Medical Speaking]

2. How Nice

They have't to raise premium tp pay the CEO's more money. I pay $1250.00 a month for my wife and
myself now.

[ramapo]

3. It really is an outrage

Our premium costs are astronomical. Then you have co-pays and deductibles.

The solution from our representatives? Tax breaks to offset a couple thousand dollars in premiums or even worse, medical savings accounts so you can save money you don't have.

[TheFarseer]

13. damn, man, you're getting ripped

my parents pay a little over half that and my mom had flipping cancer like 3 years ago.

[ClintonTyree]

4. It looks as if a vast majority of people....

who read this article on Yahoo think it's VERY important. :shrug:

So why do these very same people keep electing Republicans who promise to do absolutely nothing about it?

I guess they'd rather do without health care then have some "socialistic" single payer health-care system in our country, huh? :banghead:

[Frances]

5. A couple of days ago someone at DU

argued that college tuition would not go up above the cost of inflation if the gov't didn't provide loans to students. I didn't agree with that argument.

I also don't think the gov't causes health insurance premiums to rise. In fact, I think a single-payer system would make health insurance premiums go down.

[Delphinus]

6. It will probably follow the same course for

this year which means I will be back to being uninsured. Went seven years without and was finally able to afford it this year. But, I won't even receive a cost of living raise and I'm strapped right now, trying to afford the coverage I have, so, once again, health insurance is off the table.

[Vinca]

7. Good. Apparently the only way we'll get to universal health care

is to have more people uninsured than insured and at this pace it will happen. The last time we priced it, it was $12,000 a year with a humungous deductible. Since you can't stop aging, no matter how healthy you are, I imagine it's more than that now. I don't even bother to call the agent anymore.

[sybylla]

8. Whose premiums have only gone up 6.1%?

I'd love to have only a 6.1% increase. My jumped 18% nine months after I switched from a policy that was to jump over 20% and had increased at a pace no less than 10% for five years until I couldn't afford it any more.

And I never use it because I can't afford the high deductibles either.

[newportdadde]

9. Mine has gone up roughly 350% since 2000. The title of the article is not accurate, real inflation

is over 6.1%.

Of course if healthcare is too costly just follow the new way of calculating inflation.. subsituation. Hamburger instead of steak, no healtcare in place of healthcare.

[lovuian]

10. this is America's Disaster happening this moment

nobody can or will be able to afford this healthcare

its absolutely ridiculous

[sarcasmo]

11. I think there should be a Census survey every four years to see how many

Americans have Health Insurance. I would guess half of us have Insurance and the other half doesn't.

[Earth_First]

12. Health Insurance?

:rofl:

Sorry for the outburst, but some of us don't understand the concept of health insurance...

Signed,

- 1 of 46.6 million (if you believe the 'official' numbers) uninsured Americans.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Unbullshit inflation is somewhere between 9-12%.

So cheer up!

:)

[NMMNG]

15. Health care premiums rise 6.1 percent

Source: Associated Press

<snip>

Since 2001, the cost of premiums has gone up 78 percent, far outpacing a 19 percent increase in wages and 17 percent jump in inflation, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health care research group that annually tracks the cost of health insurance.

This year, the cost of premiums paid by workers and their employers was up 6.1 percent, while wages rose an average of 3.7 percent and inflation went up 2.6 percent, the survey said. Kaiser estimates that between 1 million and 2 million people join the ranks of the uninsured every year.

<snip>

But more companies are looking at changing benefits, whether by adding lower-cost insurance options or shifting more costs to employees, according to the Kaiser survey and another that was recently released.

Preliminary results of the Mercer Health & Benefits survey of 1,557 employer plans shows more than half of the respondents planned to shift costs to employees through higher premiums, deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket maximums.

<snip>

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070911/ap_on_bi_ge/insurance_rising_premiums

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Nearly every year my agency is forced to increase copays and/or deductibles to avoid raising premiums. Every few years they have to shop for a new insurance company because premiums have skyrocketed so astronomically they can't avoid passing them on to us, and simply raising copays/deductibles won't do any more. I'll give them credit--they at least do that much for us.

[DS1]

16. This should either put a lot of people out of health insurance, or make them homeless

[NMMNG]

17. Yeah. But Rush says health care isn't a need, it's a desire.

:eyes:

[DS1]

21. Wow

Hadn't heard that one. It's a need one moment after you desire it, but often by then it's too late.

[burned]

18. 10% rise for my state benefit plan in December

[NMMNG]

19. Ouch

My condolences. :-(

[toadzilla]

20. my co pay just tripled.

Last year I payed $15. Today for the exact same type of annual check up I payed $40.

[OhioChick]

22. Mine Recently Went Up, Too.

Guess they want to continue with those record profits. Bastards.

[HereSince1628]

23. The most important transplant in medicine today

is the transplant of your assets into the stock portfolios of the health-care robber barons.

[ProudDad]

24. Ready for Universal Single-Payer now?

HR 676;

Call your congresscritters:

http://www.house.gov/conyers/news_hr676_2.htm

Brief Summary of HR 676

· The United States National Health Insurance Act establishes an American national health insurance program. The bill would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care system that uses the already existing Medicare program by expanding and improving it to all U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all Americans will have access, guaranteed by law, to the highest quality and most cost effective health care services regardless of their employment, income, or health status.
· With over 45-75 million uninsured Americans, and another 50 million who are under- insured, the time has come to change our inefficient and costly fragmented non health care system.

Who is Eligible

· Every person living in or visiting the United States and the U.S. Territories would receive a United States National Health Insurance Card and ID number once they enroll at the appropriate location. Social Security numbers may not be used when assigning ID cards.

Health Care Services Covered

· This program will cover all medically necessary services, including primary care, in patient care, outpatient care, emergency care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, long term care, mental health services, dentistry, eye care, chiropractic, and substance abuse treatment. Patients have their choice of physicians, providers, hospitals, clinics and practices. No co-pays or deductibles are permitted under this act.

Conversion To A Non-Profit Health Care System

· Private health insurers shall be prohibited under this act from selling coverage that duplicates the benefits of the USNHI program. Exceptions to this rule include coverage for cosmetic surgery, and other medically unnecessary treatments. Those who are displaced as the result of the transition to a non- profit health care system are the first to be hired and retrained under this act.

Cost Containment Provisions/ Reimbursement

· The National USNHI program will set reimbursement rates annually for physicians, allow for "global budgets" (annual lump sums for operating expenses) for health care providers; and negotiate prescription drug prices. The national office will provide an annual lump sum allotment to each existing Medicare region; each region will administer the program.

· The conversion to a not-for-profit health care system will take place over a 15 year period. U.S. treasury bonds will be sold to compensate investor-owned providers for the actual appraised value of converted facilities used in the delivery of care; payment will not be made for loss of business profits. Health insurance companies could be sub-contracted out to handle reimbursements.

Proposed Funding For USNHI Program:

· Maintaining current federal and state funding of existing health care programs. A modest payroll tax on all employers of 3.3%. A 5% health tax on the top 5% of income earners. A small tax on stock and bond transfers. Closing corporate tax loop-holes, repealing the Bush tax cut.