Health Insurance Plan Costs

[Al]

Originally Posted By: JOD

Here's what NOT causing it: increased expenditures due to regulations. If anyone can point to some concrete examples of how it is, I'd like to see it.


I see. Its those non-Government evil insurance companies again who are forced by [Government] regulation to take everyone.. making it really not "insurance"....but medical care at a reduced cost (for them)

 

[Tempest]

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Blaming the ACA for their gouging on premiums is common for insurance companies. I've yet to hear of a insurance company going belly up due to government mandates.

How many new insurance firms aren't started, which would introduce greater competition, due to government regulations?

Originally Posted By: dwendt44

Had discussions with a self absorbed type that moved half way across the country and then complained that he couldn't take his old insurance (health) with him.

Geeeze. You pay for the location you live in, not where you were two years ago.

Most states limit the number of insurance companies and force you to buy from those companies. This greatly reduces competition and causes rates to be higher.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Tempest

Most states limit the number of insurance companies and force you to buy from those companies. This greatly reduces competition and causes rates to be higher.

But again that's the fault of the insurance companies right?

 

[kb01]

My current plan is a $5,000 deductible family HDHP with no dental or vision. I'm currently paying around $1,000/month for it and my employer is throwing in another $300/month on top of that.

We just got word from HR that our premiums will be going up another $400/month (split 50/50 between employee and employer) at renewal if we can't find another provider. Or they may dump the plan entirely because our office is so small (my wife's employer did the same thing last year).

My wife and I are trying to find an individual policy because there is no way we'd be able to spend $1,200/month on insurance. We have a ton of applications out there (we're working with a broker) and are hoping for a $6,000 deductible HDHP through BC/[censored] for about $600/month. It's completely bare bones with no dental/vision/prescriptions/maternity.

The really aggregating this is that due to the new laws, no insurers sell child-only policies in my state any more. So, if we can't get insurance, that means our kids can't either.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: JOD

Here's what NOT causing it: increased expenditures due to regulations. If anyone can point to some concrete examples of how it is, I'd like to see it.


I see. Its those non-Government evil insurance companies again who are forced by [Government] regulation to take everyone.. making it really not "insurance"....but medical care at a reduced cost (for them)


So in other words, you have no evidence that the increase in premiums is related to expenditures. Got it. Please, continue with the same, tired talking points....

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Two major costs:

- end of life care. According to a report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), about a quarter of the total Medicare budget is spent on services for beneficiaries in their last year of life3,4, 40% of it on the last 30 days5.

- care for premature babies.

Eliminate these (chuck the sick elderly to the street and let premature babies die) and your health care costs will go down substantially.

The thing is, will you, yourself, put your money where your mouth is?


The bottomline is the healthcare industry charges too much for what they do. It shouldn't be an option of either pay outrageous costs for care or no care. It should be reasonable fees for treatment. Healthcare bills a lot of for elder care but they aren't really delivering much. The solution is addressing the inflated prices not cutting services and paying more and getting less.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: JOD

So in other words, you have no evidence that the increase in premiums is related to expenditures. Got it. Please, continue with the same, tired talking points....

Yea..everything is free.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/07/Red-Tape-Rising-A-2011-Mid-Year-Report

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: JOD
you've got to be kidding if you think you can post something like this and have it not be "political". Of course the typical talking points blaming "regulation and illegals" have already been covered, so is it OK if I mention that heath insurance profits from some of the biggest insurance companies are at record levels? In other words, insurance companies are charging more because until the new regulations take effect, they can.

Here's what NOT causing it: increased expenditures due to regulations. If anyone can point to some concrete examples of how it is, I'd like to see it.


I can very easily lock it completely if you wish.

Note my very specific end comment:

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
How has anyone else fared with plan cost increases? Double digit year or did you manage to fare better? It looks like some of the BCBS plans actually decreased in price by a fraction of a percent.


What is so difficult about that for you and others to understand?

 

[JOD]

I think you should lock it, personally, since health care is simply too politicized of a topic to rationally discuss without it becoming a political discussion.

And I understood the intent of your comments perfectly, but as is often the case comments that are highly politicized and immediately thrown out there--and while I generally try to either ignore them or answer in a way that's in accordance with the rules, it just gets annoying sometimes. Sorry if my responses stepped over the line. I'll leave the other comments out there to just sit...

But to you, hey, I'm sorry your premiums have gone up! Mine too. It becomes a tough decision when evaluating plans, that's for sure. Good luck in figuring it out.

 

[JHZR2]

JOD, thanks and you're right. Wish people could have just chimed in with their percentage changes or not...

Some people got it.