Holy Cow - Health Insurance Premiums are nuts in AK (live in, metropolitan area)

[Dakster]

eok - That is basically what I was referring too... Or price fixing the costs of things so that they are the same all over the country, the insurance premiums are the same, the co-pays the same, etc...

[Alaskan Mutt]

Health insurance in Alaska is what made me leave the state. Several years ago insurance companies world only pay 80 percent of what they thought the clinics should be charging. I had to pay 100 percent of the difference. As health premiums started going up my employer switched to a PPO. They used the same provider for all locations around the U.S.. In Alaska the only member of the PPO was a marriage counselor. Thus we had to pay 50 percent of the costs for using an out of network provider. My employer finally convinced headquarters to find a PPO that actually worked in Alaska. Then I broke my arm. Total cost was only $2,000 which the insurance paid 80 percent. Then they turned around and dumped me as a high risk. Alaska being the most insurance company friendly state in the U.S. placed no statute of limitations on how long they could use something to disqualify you from getting insurance. Thus I was never able to again qualify for insurance. My only option was to use the state high risk pool. That was going to cost me $19,000 a year with outrageous deductibles. I had no choice but to leave Alaska.

[riceme]

^WTF, are you serious?? Can I ask how you broke your arm? I mean, did you, like, jump out of a plane or do something "high risk"?

Man, I am really sorry to hear that happened to you. It is not, however, the first time I have heard someone left Alaska because of healthcare issues.

[Dakster]

Sorry you had to leave Alaskan Mutt... Especially over health insurance costs.

[AADAD]

...and there was POTUS talking about "reforming" the health care system last night. What a snake.

[riceme]

I had to pick up a couple prescriptions today, which are normally free for generic (or, they USED TO BE free, I should say). New 2016 plan... one was $18 and the other was $10. So very pissed off right now.

[jdhpa]

Are costs high for Medicare patients, too, or only private coverage?

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by riceme

I had to pick up a couple prescriptions today, which are normally free for generic (or, they USED TO BE free, I should say). New 2016 plan... one was $18 and the other was $10. So very pissed off right now.

At least they were covered. A lot of meds have been taken off my formulary. So I get to pay full boat if I want them.

[riceme]

Good point. I would be friggin irate if I were you. But hey, just wait... I could find I'm in the same boat here soon!

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by eok

What would work? The only thing I can think of that would work for everyone would be to nationalize all health care, make all hospitals become government hospitals, and all doctors become government employees. But what are the odds we would go down that path? Maybe the government would subsidize medical education. If you want to become a doctor, you can go to medical school free, if you agree to become a government employee once you become a doctor. That might get us a lot more doctors, because a lot of people can't afford to go to medical school.

That's what's happening right now. Do you want something like the VA hospitals taking care of us? They can't even take care of our veterans.