Health Insurance

Golfgar4 · Mar 2, 2005

( That's great if they can't change that later. )

Oh, I've already figured that that will happen Bird! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

The max 3% increase is what's SUPPOSED to happen. But I won't hold my breath. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif I figure we'll be O.K. for at least a couple of years, as the new rates were just agreed upon at the end of 2004.

gsxr1100 · Mar 2, 2005

I pay $2,300 a year for a family. It does not matter on how many kids either..You could have one or 5 and pay the same.

We had United but our Company dropped them and went to Blue cross blue shield

JDGREEN4ME · Mar 2, 2005

We have BC/BS provided at no cost to the employee. Not sure how long that can last but some of our employees do not realize how lucky they are at this point not to be paying anything yet.

BigAl · Mar 2, 2005

Hi ,
Yes ,the insurnace company did the same thing to my wife . You know what is really amazing ? We have a vacation home in the Republic of Panama , and "Major Medical Insurance" for a family(4) runs about $37 a month . This is no "backwoods type " insurance they have .It is as good as it gets ! The doctors are all U.S.trained and the hospitals are brand new! For a so called "Third World Country" it is pretty amazing how good the health care is . I was in the emergency room in Panama for 4 hours after a accident ,I had there last year . Total Cost of the emergency room including the Doctor Cost ? Are you ready for this ? $ 1.25 !!!!! Yes, one dollar and twenty five cents . My medications ended up costing $9 .
How long are we going to let the Insurance Company's in the U.S. play these games ? Sure wish we could get an administration that had the "guts" to stop this kind of "rip off" to the U.S. people ! It is pretty bad when a "older person on limited income" and in failing health in the U.S. has to make a choice between buying food or paying for insurance .sad sad sad
Big Al

gsganzer · Mar 2, 2005

I hate to reply to my own post, but I found out what the deal is.

My employer quit making any contribution for spouse or family. They only make a contribution for the direct employee now.

It would have been nice of them to share this with us, instead of it just getting brushed off as "There were a few chages to the medical, it went up a little as it normally does from time to time".

It would have been better to be upfront and truthful and state: "We have once again proven that we don't know what the heck we're doing when it comes to running this company. The level of our ineptitude is evidenced by the fact that we're unable to make payroll and we have cut our expenses so we don't go bankrupt."

/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

cowboydoc · Mar 2, 2005

How long are we going to let the Insurance Company's in the U.S. play these games ? 

You don't know how true this is!!! I can tell you that our reimbursement rates have only went up about 10% over the last five years. Every year insurance pays for less and in many instances we are actually making less on some codes than 5 years ago. BTW there is no healthcare crisis. That's about as big of a croc as the insurance industry. We have four full-time people and five part-time people in our office just to do the insurance and keep up with compliance issues!

gsxr1100 · Mar 2, 2005

How long are we going to let the Insurance Company's in the U.S. play these games ?

My wife worked for Aetna and let me tell you they are making huge profits. She was a manager for billing and saw what $$$ was going where! They waste money left and right but, us, the people that pay, pay for that.

Until they re-vamp it, the people paying for insurance are paying for everyone not paying for it.

caddison · Mar 2, 2005

More than likely your coverage didn't increase but your dependents coverage did. I am seeing most group coverage for dependents increasing drastically. You may want to look into a seperate health plan for your dependents. The new HSA's are becoming more popular. Remember the more perks your plan has the higher the premium. Healthcare provider are looking to do away with co-pays and the like and getting healthcare plans back to a basic deductible and co-insurance plan.

Alan L. · Mar 3, 2005

Our firm, of which I am a partner, has only 6 employees under the plan. It is a very good BC/BS HMO, but the premiums for an employee, spouse, and children are now over $1600 a month. The total premium for 6 of us is $9300 a month, up from about $7500 a month last year and $6000 a month 2 years ago.

Every year we fill out reams of applications and try to find cheaper insurance, but it always works out to only $1000 or so a month less (total) for MUCH less coverage.

Health insurance is killing us. I don't know what the solution is.

DUMBDOG · Mar 3, 2005

The problem will continue to get worse as fewer people can afford health insurance. This means fewer people will have insurance to pay for the rest that cannot afford it. The ones without health insurance will be no pays or government pays, which will not cover the cost of service as the government continues to tighten its belt with its domestic programs. Then the suppliers of health services will raise the costs for those will health insurance. It is a never ending spiral of escalating costs for those of us with health insurance.

This will continue until only the very rich will have insurance and we will be forced to have some sort of federal sponsored insurance for the rest of us who do not work for the government or have some super paying job with a fortune 500 company.

This is not meant to be a political statement of any type, but just my best guess of what the future of health case holds for this country as the population ages and the drug companies continue to push drugs that are not necessary for our well being but are life style choices that the rest of us must pay for.

The health insurance companies do not have a vested interest in reducing costs as they work off a percentage of the cost of the system. The drug companies have no interest in cutting costs as they line the pockets of their CEO's, and have big contracts for ex politicians etc. A lot of the people actually working in the health care industry are stuck in the middle.

The only ones that have an interest in solving the problem are us more smucks paying the bill.