Does health insurance increase when you use it?

[The motor guy]

I hardly ever go to the doctor, just a couple times a year to get a prescription for my asthma inhaler. This year I went to the doctor for some pain and he thought I had a hernia, so after an ultrasound, a CT scan and 4 or 5 doctor office visits later they found nothing, but it makes me wonder if my insurance will go up in price next year due to this. It hasn't yet, but I think they have to keep it at the same price for the rest of the year no matter what.

 

[PimTac]

This must have been an internal hernia like a hiatal? I'm surprised at the number of visits and tests. It shouldn't affect your premium.

 

[xshoex]

No mine doesn't i have aetna. Last year i had $400k in services done and mine didnt go up or else i would have been screwed LOL

 

[Wolf359]

Thanks to Obamacare, your premiums are somewhat fixed. They may change year to year as you get older and as their losses increase or decrease, but it's not directly tied to how much you use it. The more you use it, the more costs go up for your entire group so they may increase premiums next year if the cost of care for the entire group exceed their estimates. Who knows how much longer that will last, but then that gets political and we don't want to go there.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
This must have been an internal hernia like a hiatal? I'm surprised at the number of visits and tests. It shouldn't affect your premium.


Inguinal hernia. The doctor was just an idiot. Didn't even write down the correct side he thought it was on.

 

[RichardS]

The only time my premiums went up were when I had coverage through an employer. Every year my premiums went up, my deductible increased, and coverage went down. When I bought it myself through the exchange, it was the same for the 3 years I had it, with only minor changes to my coverage.

 

[JustinH]

My employer puts their health insurance contract out for bid every couple years.

They usually go for the low bid, and the employee ends up with higher deductible every single year (5 years running), and worse coverage.

This year, they will not be offering PPO/HMO anymore because it is unaffordable. They are going to that Flex Spend Health Savings account, and I hate that.

I have talked to some people who put the contract out for bid, they have told me that the insurer will increase the group's rates if they have X amount of "large" claims (over $50k). I guess a few people had high dollar claims, so this coming year we will pay more again.

If you have employer health insurance, then getting a hernia won't make you pay more. If a few people in your office have high dollar claims, that will cause the insurer to raise the rates the following year.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: PimTac
This must have been an internal hernia like a hiatal? I'm surprised at the number of visits and tests. It shouldn't affect your premium.


Inguinal hernia. The doctor was just an idiot. Didn't even write down the correct side he thought it was on.



While every case is different, those hernias are easy to diagnose. I had one several years ago. My GP examined it, told me what it was and said I needed surgery. I had the surgery done a few months later. No scans, no other tests. Two visits to the surgeon in total.

No wonder medical expenses are so high. Mostly unnecessary tests to CYA for the doctor.

Hope it works out or has already worked out.

 

[Donald]

Your individual rates will not go up but the general insurance plan may go up. So while you may see an increase it was not due to what claims you submitted. As you get older your rates may go up if your not on an employer plan.

Under Trumpcare who knows. Many people will loose coverage. I am glad I on an employer plan and then Medicare in a year.

 

[RichardS]

^exactly. But we live in such a litigious society, that even doctors are running every. available. test. before giving a diagnosis so they aren't sued into the dirt if they make a mistake.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: PimTac
This must have been an internal hernia like a hiatal? I'm surprised at the number of visits and tests. It shouldn't affect your premium.


Inguinal hernia. The doctor was just an idiot. Didn't even write down the correct side he thought it was on.



While every case is different, those hernias are easy to diagnose. I had one several years ago. My GP examined it, told me what it was and said I needed surgery. I had the surgery done a few months later. No scans, no other tests. Two visits to the surgeon in total.

No wonder medical expenses are so high. Mostly unnecessary tests to CYA for the doctor.

Hope it works out or has already worked out.



That's what they do. They'll have you come in just to tell you results, so they can fill their schedule for the day. The nurse told me my CT scan was clear, then I asked so what's the problem with me then and she calls back saying oh the doctor wants to see you. I go in that day a couple hours later and he tells me I need surgery, so I told the doctor, you couldn't have told me that over the phone? You're wasting my time I have work to do and he's like don't make me feel guilty here, so he schedules me an appointment with a surgeon who does a proper hernia check and says he didn't feel a hernia.

The doctor just wanted me to come in and fill his schedule.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: RichardS
^exactly. But we live in such a litigious society, that even doctors are running every. available. test. before giving a diagnosis so they aren't sued into the dirt if they make a mistake.



I'm sure you could sue either way. You know what the surgeon told me? Go see a urologist. lol

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: PimTac
This must have been an internal hernia like a hiatal? I'm surprised at the number of visits and tests. It shouldn't affect your premium.


Inguinal hernia. The doctor was just an idiot. Didn't even write down the correct side he thought it was on.



While every case is different, those hernias are easy to diagnose. I had one several years ago. My GP examined it, told me what it was and said I needed surgery. I had the surgery done a few months later. No scans, no other tests. Two visits to the surgeon in total.

No wonder medical expenses are so high. Mostly unnecessary tests to CYA for the doctor.

Hope it works out or has already worked out.



That's what they do. They'll have you come in just to tell you results, so they can fill their schedule for the day. The nurse told me my CT scan was clear, then I asked so what's the problem with me then and she calls back saying oh the doctor wants to see you. I go in that day a couple hours later and he tells me I need surgery, so I told the doctor, you couldn't have told me that over the phone? You're wasting my time I have work to do and he's like don't make me feel guilty here, so he schedules me an appointment with a surgeon who does a proper hernia check and says he didn't feel a hernia.

The doctor just wanted me to come in and fill his schedule.



They don't get paid for those phone consultations. He wanted to get paid. Like everyone else.

 

[PimTac]

As a doctor once told me, "This is why they call it the "practice" of medicine."

In my case it was obvious as I had a lump a bit bigger than a golf ball protruding. If you had no complaints or symptoms, then he just ran you through the mill for money. They say that most adult men have hernias they don't know about. It's very common.

 

[KzMitch]

Does health insurance increase when you use it?

I don't see how it couldn't.
It increases if you don't use it.

 

[CKN]

CAUTION!

Thread closing ahead!

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

I am on a group plan thru my employer, we are an unhealthy bunch and at 37 im one of the younger employees so needless to say we have had years where we have had several large claims, I am talking well over 100k. The insurance company "lost" money on us one year and our rates went up substantially the next year.

In the past 10 years I went from having great insurance to mediocre insurance. It is now one of our biggest expenses each month. On top of that my employer doesn't offer vision or dental anymore so we really got hammered.

It is so bad I am actively looking for a new job in my field, but that would require moving and we are living on our dream property. (Dream property that is in our price range. Its tough.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

Originally Posted By: PimTac
As a doctor once told me, "This is why they call it the "practice" of medicine."



You know the difference between a doctor and a mechanic?

Doctors bury their mistakes.

 

[02SE]

My health insurance premiums were pretty steady for years, before Obamacare was forced upon us. Since then, despite being lied to that "If you like your health insurance, you can keep your health insurance" I was forced to go to another plan. My premiums have increased dramatically, (about fourfold) my coverage has gotten worse, my Doctor retired early because he was being compensated at a much lower rate than before. To make matters worse, I was told essentially that I was now basically subsidizing the lower premiums of others..

 

[Leo99]

No, it's not like home owners or car insurance. Go to the Dr. if you need to. That's why you have insurance.