My health insurance rates are going up...again

[SHRED]

In the 'open enrollment' packet from work the rates are shown.

The Blue Cross plan we have is going up 9%...again this next year.

No public option means no price control as far as I can tell.


---

[CoffeeCat]

1. There are no price controls...

The lobbyists representing the health-insurance industry--who camped out in DC and wrote
the healthcare bill--made SURE that there were no cost controls.

A public option was never--an option.

The healthcare bill had to preserve the profit-centric model, in order to further enrich the
corporations.

It doesn't matter how they glitter-up a healthcare bill. None of it matters--as long as
health-insurance companies have the POWER to make life or death decisions about our
health--based on how much money they make (or lose) off of us.

It's a very sick system. One that no one in DC has the stomach to change--because the health-insurance
corporations have bribed our politicians into keeping their profits intact--while we die and suffer.

There was a recent article in our local paper about how health insurance companies are dropping child-only
health insurance policies. This is their way of getting around any "reforms" in the healthcare bill.
Obama said that children couldn't be denied health insurance due to pre-existing conditions. OK--said the
health insurers. We just won't offer child-only policies because they don't make us any dough!

All of the "reform" in the healthcare reform bill--is not reform because there are no cost controls and the
health-insurance companies have ways around each and every good bit of "reform".

It's all such a despicable lie perpetrated on the American people. We've got NOT ONE politician who will
stand up to these greedy corporations--and put "WE THE PEOPLE" first. It's a disgrace.

[a_post_8]

7. The Health Coverage Question to Ask Candidates

We need to re-inject into the political discussion a "that could be me" fear...

Ask this question of anyone running for office:

Case:
50 year old unmarried woman recently diagnosed with Lyme's disease.
Put kids through college, bought a house, has a modest 401k plan.
Lost her job last year - and hasn't been able to find work.
Her COBRA is about to run out.
She was refused coverage by the health insurers who write individual policies in her state.

Tell me how you would provide affordable health care now that would let her keep her home, continue to contribute to retirement, and not go bankrupt?

[SHRED]

8. The real world does not apply to politicians anymore

They are the 1%.

---

[kestrel91316]

15. They have known that for a long time, but WE are just figuring it out.

Time to change that situation: NO MORE 1%ers in charge.

[RickFromMN]

17. She will have no choice but to go through a medical bankruptcy.

She will have to use all her assets to pay for her health care.
When she is broke she will have to get help through Medicaid.

A few years ago I watched a Congressional committee during the health care debates.

People testified before this committee telling horror stories.
Some had jobs, but their employer couldn't afford the health care costs.
Some had to go through a medical bankruptcy and spend-down to qualify for Medicaid.

It was very sad. It made me feel country is very, very cruel and merciless.

[CoffeeCat]

19. What's sad is the REASON...

...that our country is totally controlled by the corporations--in particular, the healthcare companies.

Every Westernized country on this planet has a national health care system. Except the United States.

Doesn't that just make your blood boil?

We are the only modernized country in the world--who has elected representatives who don't represent
the people--and instead kow tow to the corporations.

It really is disgusting.

And our politicians KNOW very well that the people they are supposed to serve--are being bankrupt,
financially destroyed and even dying--because our government has decided that the profits of
big insurance companies trump people.

When the reality hits you--it's like a ton of bricks. It's almost too much to grasp--that we live
in a nation--being governed by such sick corruption from cowardly, unAmerican elected representatives
who have betrayed us so deeply.

[Fumesucker]

2. The Affordable Care Act..

Orwell would be so proud.

I wonder if this is going to bite the Dems in the butt before or after 2012?

[area51]

16. After 2012, I'm guessing,

due to the GingrichCare mandate that will kick in, in 2014. Why the hell did the demos give us the republican health care plan?

Republican '93 plan:

"Subtitle F: Universal Coverage - Requires each citizen or lawful permanent resident to be covered under a qualified health plan or equivalent health care program by January 1, 2005."

No single-payer, no public option, no way insurance rates will ever be reasonable.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. No surprise there. Insurance companies are doing quite well

Meanwhile, the majority of the nation is not.

[Schema Thing]

4. be sure to find out how much of the increase is the price of insurance

and how much is you company shifting the burden on to you.



Your company certainly isn't going to volunteer that information.

[SHRED]

6. I work in the public sector

That info is transparent.

This is a rate increase from Anthem Blue Cross.

--

[customerserviceguy]

5. Everybody's is going up

I noticed that at my work, too, the "cadillac" plan is a lot more costly, even for an "employee only" coverage than it was when I looked at it a couple of years ago. However, I took the high-deductible option, and my monthly premium is going from $5 to $6. Plus, the company sticks $75 a month into my HSA, and I get to stuff a lot more than that into there, tax-free (including freedom from FICA and Medicare taxes).

You didn't think covering all of those layabout children up to age 26 was going to be free, did you?

[lynne]

9. Exactly. This was anticipated and is no surprise -

- one reason being that children to age 26 are now covered. I wouldn't necessarily call all the children "layabout" as I re-added my own 24 year old daughter back to our family policy. She has worked almost full time since the age of 18. Her employer doesn't offer health insurance and she had paid for her own individual policy until the law changed. I knew our rates would increase with or without her so there was no reason for her not to take advantage of our family policy.

Really, this increase is to be expected. Those that didn't anticipate it were just fooling themselves.

[ejpoeta]

10. You know what I like.... when I hear people like members of my own family

try to blame 'obamacare' for their health insurance going up. What was the reason every year for the past how many years it has gone up then, because it has gone up every year no matter what. The fact is that while they try to blame 'obamacare' that is not the reason. Someone recently blamed NYS making insurance companies cover autism related stuff for their insurance going up. Are you kidding me!! Is this not a health issue that the insurance companies SHOULD be covering and shouldn't have to be MADE to do it!!! Not sure why people don't get it. Why they aren't demanding Single payer Medicare for all or at the very least a public option. No... let's just blame people asking the companies to cover shit they should already be covering.

[Exilednight]

13. Since the passing of the "affordable care" act, my premiums have jumped by leaps and bounds. I use

to figure about a 5-8% jump per year, but now it's averaging 10-15%.

The reason for HCR was to fix this problem, but Obama managed to do is expand upon the problem.

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. I spend about $15,000 annually for

(1) homeowner's insurance on a small 60 year old home (with security system and multi-policy discount and no history of claims)
(2) real estate taxes on said home (have nearly doubled in the last decade and are now being used for many purposes other than education and literacy - purpoases which have traditionally been funded by other tax revenues)
(3) auto insurance with a $1,000 deductible on a mid-size 10 year old sedan driven less than 7,500 miles annually (and no accidents or tickets in a decade)
(4) health insurance that carries a $10,000 deductible, a co-pay beyond that and does not cover doctor visits (I am 50ish but have no documented health conditions because I haven't seen a doctor in nearly 15 years)

I am long-term unemployed, don't qualify for any kind of assistance and carefully watch and limit my expenditures. These four expenses total more than all of my remaining annual expenses combined. My annual heat and air and termite contracts, combined, cost less then 6 months of auto insurance. My annual electric and natural gas utility bills are less than my annual property taxes. And these expenses continue to increase considerably faster than other costs.

There is something very wrong in this fucked up nation.

[Odin2005]

12. Insurance is like loaning out an umbrella, then demanding it back when it starts raining.

With Interest, and you are blamed for letting yourself getting wet.

[Highway61]

14. It's outrageous

This shit has got to STOP!

[Horse with no Name]

18. I have a feeling we will be feeling the same pain very soon.

:(

I have some necessary bloodwork that needs to be done but was trying to put it off until next year so I can put it towards THAT deductible.:(