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This month my health insurance company increased my premium 6.9%, or gave a choice of a decrease in coverage for the same premium.
Has anyone else been informed of similar changes lately?
My expectation going forward is continued increases in premiums for a increasing lower level of services, an increase in propaganda that the US health care system is the best in the world, and an increase in literate US citizens who go abroad for basic health care services.
According to the latest Senate report, I believe, Medicare will be bankrupt in less than 10 years.
I have had private health insurance through Blue Cross for years and yes, each year there has been an increase equal to if not greater than the amount you were informed of.
My health insurance went up 11% this year after a 23% increase the prior year. I have had to increase my deductible to $6000 to keep the premium low enough to make... so now the policy is worthless to me except for a catastrophic illness.
My health insurance went up 11% this year after a 23% increase the prior year. I have had to increase my deductible to $6000 to keep the premium low enough to make... so now the policy is worthless to me except for a catastrophic illness.
I wouldn't say it's worthless. If you're with BCBS, you ought to still be getting a discounted rate with network providers over the cash price charged by those providers.
I wouldn't say it's worthless. If you're with BCBS, you ought to still be getting a discounted rate with network providers over the cash price charged by those providers.
Yes, probably, I do but the amount before the discount is over $100 for the simplest office visit; through in labs and other stuff the nickel and dime you with and it gets to be too expensive to go to the doctor.
Yes, ours has not gone up much but the level of care has decreased severely. We no longer can go to the doctors/dentists of our choice because they are not in the plan. Deductibles are extremely high now. No more co-pays. Basically you end up paying for everything: checkups, tests etc. out of pocket, it only kicks in insurance when something catastrophic/expensive happens. it cost almost $300 last month when my child had bronchitis.
cdelena My health insurance went up 11% this year after a 23% increase the prior year. I have had to increase my deductible to $6000 to keep the premium low enough to make... so now the policy is worthless to me except for a catastrophic illness.
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StoneOne I wouldn't say it's worthless. If you're with BCBS, you ought to still be getting a discounted rate with network providers over the cash price charged by those providers.
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myrc60 Yes, probably, I do but the amount before the discount is over $100 for the simplest office visit; through in labs and other stuff the nickel and dime you with and it gets to be too expensive to go to the doctor.
My deductible is $10,000, so my policy (BCBS) is worth catastrophic accident or illness, discounted rates with network providers, and the opportunity to put tax-free money into an Health Savings Account.
I avoid the US health care/scam system to the extent possible and since I go abroad at least once a year, that's when I seek routine maintenance and other care for me and my family, even had corrective eye surgery, highly successful; generally speaking the cost of service is about 1/7 the price in the US - transparent and agreed to in advance, unlike the US -, plus personal, courteous, careful attention from one actual doctor.
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ozzie679 I dropped my insurance two years ago. It was either the business goes or the insurance goes.
I am not at that point yet, but the most likely scenario, at the least, is to retire outside the US: Medicare will be broke in less than 10 years, Social Security by around 2037, I believe; the future is ever higher prices at an increasingly lower level of service for more and more semi-illiterate people.
Good luck!
Last edited by bale002; 05-19-2009 at 02:10 AM..
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