Thread: Health Insurance--costing more than your raise every year

As of July 1st my health insurance is going up another 60 $/week--more than my last raise-- for the past 5 years Ive been taking home less-- The company agent says it's due to
Obama care, the companys are just passing the cost's onto their customers, wtf, is it just where I live or is this happening everywhere?

Originally Posted by Red eye

.... The company agent says it's due to Obama care, the companys are just passing the cost's onto their customers,....

Well, this is sure to be a good thread.

Be sure to ask your agent about the previous 30 years worth of increases.
Must of been because the companies knew Obama care was coming.
Now the health care industry has a whole new scapegoat and a new bag full of excuses.

Yup, happening everywhere, has been for a long time.
Only recently have employees actually known what is happening as employers now pass it down.
Ah,the good ole days when good health care came with the job at no cost to the average Joe.
Bob

Originally Posted by Red eye

The company agent says it's due to Obama care, the companys are just passing the cost's onto their customers

Our company agent suggested I go on a diet and improve my health, that would keep my healthcare cost down.....I nearly came unglued!!
Healthcare increases have more to do with insurance companies working hard to appease their investors than Obama's healthcare reform.
It's not just where you live, it's everywhere.

Brian

Originally Posted by CarbideBob

Well, this is sure to be a good thread.

Be sure to ask your agent about the previous 30 years worth of increases.
Must of been because the companies knew Obama care was coming.
Now the health care industry has a whole new scapegoat and a new bag full of excuses.

Yup, happening everywhere, has been for a long time.
Only recently have employees actually known what is happening as employers now pass it down.
Ah,the good ole days when good health care came with the job at no cost to the average Joe.
Bob

So Obamacare is without costs. It's all the insurance company's fault. Got it.

It has been going up like crazy since (at LEAST) the mid to late 1990's. The ins. co's simply need to be told they can only charge so much. THEY can figure out how to get doctors to charge less or SOMETHING. Everyone else needs to learn how to make money efficiently, not simply increasing their fee to infinity! Why don't the insurance co's? Paper pushers that just COST everyone money. If they can't make enough money (HA!) they can go under. F*ck them. The world could certainly keep turning without some of them.

Originally Posted by smalltime

So Obamacare is without costs. It's all the insurance company's fault. Got it.

WTF?
Are you going to try to deny the skyrocketing cost of health insurance PRIOR to Obama? You probably would after a comment as stupid as this.
Yeah, insurance companies wouldn't be greedy! I have seen some really stupid horse shit from you, but this is your crowning achievement! Good work!

Originally Posted by smalltime

So Obamacare is without costs. It's all the insurance company's fault. Got it.

I don't want to get into any kind of political debate on this forum (I can bang my head on the wall just fine at home). The intention of "Obama Care", as you call it, is to reduce insurance premium cost at the individual level. The idea is that if everyone has insurance, there are most people sharing the total cost of health care.

That means that younger/healthier people pay for more than they use, and older/less healthy people pay less than they use. This is how all insurance works. More people in the insurance pool lowers the individual cost. The caveat is that everyone has to play along. Hence the laws requiring insurance.

That's the idea. Draw your own conclusions.

Originally Posted by Neslob660

Our company agent suggested I go on a diet and improve my health, that would keep my healthcare cost down.....I nearly came unglued!!
Healthcare increases have more to do with insurance companies working hard to appease their investors than Obama's healthcare reform.
It's not just where you live, it's everywhere.

Brian

Yeah, they will drop your rate RIGHT DOWN! SUUUURRRRRRREEE!

Originally Posted by Neslob660

Our company agent suggested I go on a diet and improve my health, that would keep my healthcare cost down.....I nearly came unglued!!

As strange as it may be this is part of the problem.

Smalltime, let me be clear:
I in no way blame the insurance companies and yes I think Obama care creates very little in increases compared to the overall picture.

Since this is the shop owners section I'll assume you have been signing those $25,000 checks every month for the past 25 years for health insurance and realize how long it has been running wild.
It has now reached the point where it gets passed onto the employee's take home and now everybody is starting to feel it.

At some point we need to shove the politics out of the way and seriously work on a solution.
Bob.

Originally Posted by smalltime

So Obamacare is without costs. It's all the insurance company's fault. Got it.

Actually, you have got part of it! It IS all the insurance co's fault. Yes.

Originally Posted by Red eye

As of July 1st my health insurance is going up another 60 $/week--more than my last raise-- for the past 5 years Ive been taking home less-- The company agent says it's due to
Obama care, the companys are just passing the cost's onto their customers, wtf, is it just where I live or is this happening everywhere?

No matter whose "fault" it is then it's an American problem so I'll just shut up There's no point in rubbing salt in an open wound

Gordon

You (USA) have the most expensive health care in the world but sadly, not the best. OK, that was a pinch of salt

Originally Posted by CarbideBob

As strange as it may be this is part of the problem.

REALLY???? Do I really need to justify myself here? Let's get one thing straight.......I'm not fat. I'm 6'1" 225 lbs. Not the 195 I weighed at 25 but by no means fat. I work 65 friggen hours a week minimum. After work I like a couple of cold ones, and maybe 3 or 4 on weekends. That's my god damned business and not any concern of some skinny little puke of an insurance agent trying to defend the greedy practices of insurance companies.

When insurance companies continually cut benefits and raise costs, yet have no problems paying out 6 figure incomes plus grand bonuses and phat dividends to shareholders, then tell me I need to live a more healthy life....keep my cholesterol and triglycerides down so I don't eat into their profits....I mean....REALLY????

Originally Posted by Neslob660

REA Let's get one thing straight.......I'm not fat. I'm 6'1" 225 lbs. Not the 195 I weighed at 25 but by no means fat.

I don't know what your physique looks like but if you're a normal guy then you certainly are overweight. Still, as you say, it is your problem and no one elses

Originally Posted by Gordon B. Clarke

I don't know what your physique looks like but if you're a normal guy then you certainly are overweight.

Thanks for pointing that out!

I wrote in post #11 that I'd shut up but when I was reading my (right wing) national newspaper afterwards at breakfast there were two pages devoted to American health care. The following is a (translated by me) quote from part of it.

USA is in last place

► In 2009 USA used $8,000 per person on healthcare. This is much more than any other developed country in the world. Japan used 1/3 of that amount and Norway and Switzerland 2/3.

► Despite the cost the USA is in bottom place among 12 highly developed industrial nations.

► USA has fewer doctors than other countries and fewer hospital beds.

► USA hospitals are nevertheless among the most expensive in the world.

► Higher prices and more use of technology are part of the reason for the price difference.

Source: The Commonwealth Fund in New York from an investigation of 12 industrial countries.

I'm no fan of Obama but was he president in 2009? To be honest I don't know if any single president can be blamed. I think what needs to be looked into is who really pulls the strings on this and why.

So much for me shutting up LOL

Gordon

Originally Posted by Neslob660

Thanks for pointing that out!

No thanks necessary. All part of the free service

Originally Posted by CarbideBob

At some point we need to shove the politics out of the way and seriously work on a solution.
Bob.

For a number of reasons that have been discussed to death, the 'problem' is probably past fixing, simpy 'coz the parasites have taken the wheel.

The 'solution' exists and is within reach of Joe Average. There are MANY countries with good to excellent medical care systems that are much less costly than those of the US EVEN WITH r/t airfare and cost of offshore meals and lodging (hospital or otherwise) for patient AND family member(s) included. That cannot cover ALL illnesses or their timing, least of all true ''emergencies'. But 'it works for me'.

Cost for a couple in their '60's? About US$ 330/month the pair. You got a better deal? You are probably not in the US.

After a very long time under that plan, I trust it enough to have cancelled my Medicare last year.

The US health care system isn't just overly costly - it is seriously bad healthcare. Ergo my risks are LESS if I have to delay start of care for a normal flight if I am in shape to take one, or need a costlier care-while-in-flight aeromed-evac if I am not.
Plan covers either, 'coz the net cost is still less than US rates.

Already a growing trend, expect there to be more such 'medical tourists' as the US healthcare train-wreck progresses.

Whether Obama or 'whomever' is blamed for the most-recent round of long-running increases that pushed it off the cliff is no longer important.

It is already in free-fall.

Do your own due diligence.

But do NOT say 'we have no choice'. There is no monopoly.

As with any other service, Medical care is a commodity. 'Fungible goods' as it were.

All America has to do is wake up and vote with their wallet - just as they do for any other goods and services.

Bill

Australia has a 'socialised' medical system because the Govt taxes everyone to pay for it.

The USA has a free enterprise system because the current Govt is forcing everyone to pay, just like in Australia, but has outsourced the collection and payment system to insurance companies.

This is going to be so much more efficient that we will all see the USA widen even further the gap in per capita payments and health outcomes between them and the rest of the 'socialised' 1st World.

Problem is, that gap............... I've got my doubts which way it's going to move.

PDW

I can't wait until the Republicans finally reverse Obamacare and then, when Joe Average Republican Worker looks around and realizes that the premiums are still going up and up and up.............spiraling out of complete control..........and they can no longer blame Obama, who will they blame then ??? The Republican plan for health care is.......... do nothing. Instead of trying to fix the problem, they keep repeating that health care isn't a right, they've said that over and over. If you can afford it, you can have health care.




Frank



Home

So....When these studies come out (as they have in the last FEW years,) saying "the following tests aren't that valuable", and "The test is valuable, but not that often", and journalists are observing "Doctors die peacefully, at home, without extreme efforts to remain alive"....

Can we credit Obama Care, or is that the industry policing itself?

The insurance companies are frightened not so much about everyone having insurance funded by taxpayer dollars; it's already happening, for about 50% of the population.

With "universal" health care, who needs workman's comp? You folks (apparently) have had jobs where nobody gets crippled, nobody gets carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. should ask around and see how often an employer creates workplaces wherein it is inevitable for the workers to get carpal tunnel syndrome.

That's what scaring the insurance industry; no more workman's comp claims with summary denial of the claim.

You doom-sayers better be careful about your hand-wringing; might result in carpal tunnel.