Unofficial DU Health Insurance Coverage Poll - End of March 2010 Edition

[DRoseDARs]

Just curious about the state of health insurance coverage in the DU community. I just received notice today from Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield that my monthly premium is going up 18% in June to $325/month (They delayed my usual April increase to see what happened with Health Care Reform this year). I have monthly self pay insurance as my employer does not offer any coverage (and I believe has fewer than 50 employees) and I am the only person on my policy (no spouse, no children, no anybody, just me).

Some of you have been informed of a pending (like me) or have already seen a rate increase for the year. Some of you are expecting a rate increase later this year but have neither seen nor been informed of one yet. Some of you may even see more than one rate increase this year. Please pick whichever option reflects what you have already seen or have been informed of for the year, not what you think you will see. Also, please state who your provider is, whether it is through your employer or not, and if it is for yourself or for more than one person (you +spouse +children under 25) to paint a clearer picture.

Note for those having a brain fart trying to figure out the percentage rate change: (Assumed to be a single increase for the year. If it is a decrease for the year, well then good for you, glad to hear it. If it is MORE than one increase for the year, well then fuck fuckety fuckfuckfuck for you, you have my sympathy. That happened to me in 2007, giving a cumulative increase of 22% for that year)
1) Take the new dollar amount (what you will be paying after the rate increase)
2) Subtract the old dollar amount (what you are paying before the rate increase) to get the dollar difference
3) Take the dollar difference and times it by 100
4) Divide the result by the old dollar amount to get the percentage rate change (again, assumed to an increase) between the old dollar amount and the new dollar amount.
Ex: I will be paying the old dollar amount of $275 through May, then the new dollar amount of $325 starting in June. That gives a $50 dollar difference. Take that $50 dollar difference and times it by 100 and you get 5000. Divide that number by the old dollar amount of $275 and I get a rate increase of 18% in June. *I hope I got all these numbers right. Ah, the joys of posting in a public forum Internet where those postings, for better of worse, live for eternity...*

Edit:
*So, yeah, forgot an option for those of you who have some sort of commie-socialist government deathcare. Sorry comrades who have already voted.*

[Hawkeye-X]

1. I have Medicare... does it mean that I'm not eligible to vote?

I pay my premiums for Part A. And the darn things keeps going up every year. No COLA increase and my disability checks has remained the same for the last year.

Hawkeye-X

[DRoseDARs]

2. That occured to me AFTER I posted. Edit: Option added.

:shrug:

I haven't looked in-depth, but I don't believe I'm eligible for Medicaid in the state of Nevada due to living with my parents as my stepdad makes a few tens of thousands a year with his employer, I believe over the household amount allowed for assistance. If I lost my insurance, I would end up in the "No Insurance" category. If I could afford to live on my own, then I might qualify for assistance. Of course, if I could afford to live on my own, I would hope I could afford insurance on my own or at least have get it through an employer. Such is NOT my case.

Edit:
Apparently I could still fix the poll. Yay!

[Hawkeye-X]

3. That's okay. I don't have any idea how much I pay into the premiums

but Medicare has been good to me since 2001 - I'm only 34 - and have documented disability.

[pinboy3niner]

4. Doesn't apply to me, either

All my healthcare is from VA, at no cost to me.

[denbot]

5. I lurves me my socialized medicine..

I get all my care from the V.A., along with the rest of my socialist Veteran 5th columnist's.

[barbtries]

6. insured through my employer

and open enrollment comes up in may, i think i'll learn then how much it will go up. to my knowledge this is an expense that always goes up.

[Kitty Herder]

7. K&R

[DRoseDARs]

8. Kick before bed (while the rest of you are waking up). Goodnight all. n/t

[ThomWV]

9. We have Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan - the one they call the best - up 18%

We got the notice at the first of the year, it went up 18%.

[DRoseDARs]

10. Afternoon kick. n/t

[DRoseDARs]

11. Kick for the evening crowd. n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Nobody seems very interested in your poll.

I am, though.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8042804

[DRoseDARs]

14. People are burnt out on the issue maybe? And $30k/yr? Good god I hope you get good coverage for that

When I signed up, my policy was the cheapest semi-descent coverage we could find for me. $3300 (this past year) for one person for one year vs. ~$30,000 for two people for one year? Yeeesh, your bills better be printed on silk with gold-based ink and scented with frankincense.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. I don't think they're burnt out. I think they're cowed by the folks who see this as a win

And that's all they think matters - the win. They tend to "shout down" by one means or another anyone who disagrees with them. Lots of folks have simply shut up and stopped posting about it.

Oh look .... new shiny thing.

Yup, we got the real mccoy healthcare, we did. Go Team!

[iris27]

13. I have employer-based Anthem (Blue Cross) and last October during open

enrollment it went up about 12ish percent. I have a feeling it will do the same this fall, or increase by an even larger amount.

[Betty]

15. here in Massachusetts

where we already are required (forced) to buy insurance, (I am self employed) mine went up 25% in January. The previous year, it went up by about 11%. You can imagine what I think about this plan going national.