Anybody else getting soaring health insurance premiums? (public schools, costs)

[fisheye]

I am a retired Teamster and I just got a letter telling me my monthly health insurance premium was going from $695 per Month to $995 per month (that is for me and my wife). I have been hit with increases before - but never 143%. That is a big difference! This will be effective June 1st and is due May 25th. This insurance has no eye or dental plan.

Fortunately; I do not have that long to go before Medicare. I am just curious if other have seen similar increases? I am also curious if this has anything to do with our new national health care?

[Kayee]

Yes! We are looking at a large increase starting May 1st too. Ours (husband, myself & 1 daughter - family plan, no eye, no dental) is going from 867.00 per month to 1,720.00. Employer pays 1/2 of this amount but it is still unbelievable!

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by fisheye

monthly health insurance premium was going from $695 per Month to $995 per month (that is for me and my wife). I have been hit with increases before - but never 143%. That is a big difference!

That's actually 43% but yes it's a huge increase. We've been hit by 30% increases each of the past three years. It's criminal.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Kayee

Yes! We are looking at a large increase starting May 1st too. Ours (husband, myself & 1 daughter - family plan, no eye, no dental) is going from 867.00 per month to 1,720.00. Employer pays 1/2 of this amount but it is still unbelievable!

Kayee,
It would be bad if it was just the insurance increase. However, when you also have the rising price of energy and food; increases like this can be crushing. I would not want to be in the shoes of a newly married young couple with children on the way. It is becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet for most workers.

By the way; we also do not have eye or dental. We also get substantial penalties for going out of network.

Bideshi,

I meant that I would be paying 143% in June. However; you are right.

I also have had substantial increases every year leading up to this big one. I had one smaller retirement plan that I figured would pay for our health insurance until I turned 65. With this increase; that was only wishful thinking.

[MaryleeII]

We have a special ed ds, I'm so sick of teachers, school counsleors, etc, saying, oh, don't you have insurance? then get him "tested" for this and that, take him here and there, after all, insurance pays everything, and you pay nothing for you, right

And we do have insurance, the best plan our employer offers, the benefits are limited. then, they say, well, why don't you get better insurance? Oh, geez, why didn't I think of that? Its out there for the picking. meanwhile, why don't they utilize the programs they have available, somehow, he just never seems to qualify for anything funded through public schools, oh, why don't we just use our insurance!

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by fisheye

I had one smaller retirement plan that I figured would pay for our health insurance until I turned 65. With this increase; that was only wishful thinking.

We're in the same boat. I'm nearly 67 and still working, purely for the health insurance (my wife is not eligible for Medicare yet). Looks like I'll have to die in the saddle.

[Pretzelogik]

Originally Posted by fisheye

I am a retired Teamster and I just got a letter telling me my monthly health insurance premium was going from $695 per Month to $995 per month (that is for me and my wife). I have been hit with increases before - but never 143%. That is a big difference! This will be effective June 1st and is due May 25th. This insurance has no eye or dental plan.

Fortunately; I do not have that long to go before Medicare. I am just curious if other have seen similar increases? I am also curious if this has anything to do with our new national health care?

CHANGE we can believe in....Obamacare.

[wanneroo]

As expected, I got a letter from my old insurance company last year saying thanks to obamacare and the increased costs of meeting the bureaucratic intricacies and regulations and other impositions, my insurance was going up 60%. I ended up switching companies, still paying an increase, but got more coverage and a hospital/health company I like(Geisinger).

The idea behind obamacare was to break the insurance companies and private health care industry and drive people to a government plan and the industry to socialized medicine. It's been the goal of the democrats since roosevelt and it happens in dribs and drabs, but we are on our way to health care ruin. I've seen socialized health care in Canada, UK and NZ and it aint pretty.

[fisheye]

wanneroo, Pretzelogik,

I would like to blame Obamacare. Our fingers could be pointing in the right direction? However; the Teamsters are also in trouble. YRCW (Yellow Roadway Corporation Worldwide) is in dire financial straights. If they would go belly up that would leave only two large Teamster corporations (UPS and ABFS) left to anchor our benefits. So I am not sure who to blame - that is why I started this thread.

We are lucky that we are both in pretty good health for our age. We had tried Geisinger about two years ago. They had recommended that we stay with our Central PA Teamsters; until we hit 65. It was refreshing to hear a company recommend another company. We will give the Geisinger Gold plan a try when we hit 65. Humana was also recommended.

We were thinking of moving to Rushville, Ill: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40661756/ns/today-today_people/
We wish that we had a few Doc Dohner’s in PA.

Actually; I wish there was more competition in the medical industry. When was the last time you saw a sign on a dentist office wall listing their prices? We have billboards proclaiming that our heart surgeons are the best - however; the public does not always want the best (highest) bills for the services.

Bideshi,

I think that many of us will die in the saddle! I work part time at 64 and expect to work more when I hit 66.