Health Insurance Sucksass
 

Just got a letter in the mail from my health insurance company(Anthem) that my premium is going up 215% starting May 1. Looks like I will officially be joining the ranks of the uninsured. At what point exactly is an increase in premium considered too big?

You're lucky you still have the option to go uninsured. You'll have to figure out another plan in a few years.

Wow. I've never heard of such a big increase. I know some people who are getting theirs increased 10-15% this year, but that is the first time I've ever heard of such a huge increase.

I was truly speechless when I opened the letter b/c I expected it to be a bill. When I saw my new monthly premium my jaw dropped.

That's awful.

And here I was, worrying that my insurance was going to force me to pay out of pocket for some rehab, since right now I need rehab on two different body parts/injuries and owing the the therapist availability, I may have to schedule 2 sessions (with different therapists in different locations and different hospital/rehab center affiliations) on the same day. I know my previous insurance wouldn't let you get treated for more than 1 thing on a given day, am afraid of what my current insurance will do.

Thankfully I think my insurance premium rate is locked in (I THINK) until 1 January 2011, it will be interesting to see what options I have and the cost associated with those options when open season starts.

/tk

Some states are trying to limit increases, if they're able to do so, other states are going to have to make up the difference:

Health insurers sue Mass. on rate denial - Daily Business Update - The Boston Globe

Have we removed their anti-trust exemption yet?

SI

No, you have it wrong. Obamacare is what sucks ass, not the current system.

I love how if people criticize Obamacare, the response is to tout the superiority of a DIFFERENT system.

Very good:D

Wasn't Obamacare based largely on Romneycare?

What really sucks about it all is that it does nothing about pharmaceutical companies making record profits. It's a wee bit disturbing to me (generally speaking) that I'm by and large a healthy person with very good health insurance through my job. I take 2 pills every day. Neither is available in a generic and my insurance pays about $10 on each. I pay $100/month for them. I'd hate to see what would happen if I were NOT a healthy person.

As a complete aside, I would very much like to see a comparison of how much of my federal tax money is going to the new health care platform as compared to how much of my state tax money currently goes to hospitals to care for those without insurance.

/tk

Shenanigans!

SI

Paying higher taxes or paying it on your own. It's really no different how it's paid for, just who you pay it to.

But government only uses money for honorable things (like developing alternative energy - oh wait), and corporations only use it for evil things (like killing puppies).

The interesting part of that lawsuit is I think all but one insurance company are non-for-profits.

If the drug is not available in generic, I'm guessing they are rather young, patented drugs?

Yeah, I don't understand why people make a distinction between a company that, say, makes cars or sells software as opposed to one who gets to decide who lives and dies when they offer large corporate bonuses and pay back shareholders just like any other company.

SI

The health insurance industry is just an extension of the federal government at this point. Check the donations to candidates, where they come from. Nothings getting done, at least at the federal level, unless they're protected.

More like an Act a Republican congress passed 14 years ago. When a Democrat passes it is bad, but when a Republican passes it it is good.

Sounds great. Has nothing to do with how Obamacare works though.

So where do you think all our money in the U.S. is going, that we spent way more and can't get anything close to that? What's going on there? Do you think if we give that entity way more money that will sort itself out? Why do we need to spend 100X what Europe does to get worse services? (I'm only estimating that it would take 100x more spending to get the Euro-level of services, considering what we spend now, and what we get). Doesn't it seem like THAT is the problem to address? I know why the U.S. government doesn't care about that problem, but I'm not sure why voters don't.

It just depends who's making the statement whether it's "good" or not. That's true of anything in politics.

This thread sucks ass.

But sorry to hear about your ridiculous increase, dubb.

+1. Predictable as well.

2 drugs, one has been around for a couple years, I think the other is relatively new.

First is a birth control pill, taken to manage pain leading up to and during my period. I've tried other pills, none of worked as well as the one I'm on. Actually I just looked it up, it appears that a generic may have recently become available, so hopefully I'll be able to switch to that.

The other is for nerve damage in my ankle as a result of all the trauma it experienced.

Oh well. As I said, I can't imagine what people who are unhealthy have to deal with. I'm perhaps a little overweight but not obese. I have good blood pressure and cholesterol. I workout regularly. I rarely get sick and the only chronic issue I have can't be treated, only supported. I can't imagine what someone who's not healthy has to pay for scrips, etc.

/tk

Did you call them and ask if there was a decimal point they left out between the 1 and the 5?

(And you're built like Mr Glass)

SI

This used to be called 'durational rating'.

If you are with a health insurer for a long time, they will jack up your premium out of the blue to force you to shop around. This means you will have to pass another physical. Any medical conditions you have picked up since your policy began will now be revealed.

If you have nothing the matter, another insurance company will pick you up. If you do have an expensive condition, you will either have to pay, or no one will insure you.

If you are okay, another company will pick you up at less gouging price.

The insurance companies don't care about losing your business because they will pick up a similar customer. In essence, we are all traded and the rates go up.

This is one thing my insurance company friends tell me Obama Care will eliminate and one reason the industry is against it.

I did not call them today. I will call them tomorrow. It didn't say 215%, they showed my old premium and my new premium starting May 1. They new premium is a 215% increase over my old premium. The letter encouraged me to call and get a less expensive plan if the rate increase was not acceptable.


Well I don't have a new expensive condition. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out tomorrow.

Ahhh gotcha. You should also ask them if you can expect a corresponding increase in the quality of services from them. ;)

Any chance your math is wrong? You didn't just divide the new number by the old number did you? It would still be a substantial increase but not tripling it.

How do you know? We aren't under it yet.

Obamacare is a lapdog of the insurance industry, I doubt this practice of 'durational rating' will be stopped.

durational rationing? that's some fucked up shit.

YAEOWWNSPHC

(Yet another example of why we need single-payer health care)

If you take my old bi-weekly premium and multiply it by 2 and then add the old bi-weekly premium again on top of that you aren't quite up to my new premium yet.

On another note, didn't call today and check on it. I was under the weather today with a temp of over 102 when I woke up.