Nope his premiums didn't go down by 3000% and he didn't get a raise.
LWolf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Aug-08-10 01:25 PM
Original message
My health insurance changes for the coming year: Updated at 4:50 PM
This week the bad news arrived. We were warned that costs were rising by 15-26%. Now we see the reality.
This is for employer-provided health care. We pay whatever the insurance costs over our negotiated cap.
First I got a letter explaining that there will now be "tiers" of copayments: the "value" tier is the lowest copay. Then comes the "additional cost" tier, which applies to endoscopies, spine surgery, knee or hip replacement, and arthroscopies; an additional $500 copay applies. MRIs, CT scans, and PET scans will now require an additional $100 copay. There are lower copays for office visits to primary care providers, higher for specialists.
Next I got a list of the plans available to me this year. I can choose between 4 plans, just like always. No fees were attached to this list. My current plan was not on the list.
Finally, I got an email from the district letting me know that I could look at rates on the district's HR pages.
I have to choose a new plan, since the current plan is no longer offered. So I looked at the plan that cost about the same as the one I've got now. Yes, I can have insurance without paying more.
That plan doubles my deductible, doubles my maximum out-of-pocket costs, and doubles my copay percentages. Which are already more than I can afford.
So I looked at the next cheapest plan. That one's premium is not 15-26% more. It is EIGHT TIMES what I'm paying for a premium now. And there is not one service provided that I'm not paying out more copays and deductibles in addition to that premium.
Finally, there is a section in the paperwork entitled "Health Care Reform." It informs me that "health care reform" passed in March requires 2 changes in our plans this year:
1. Extended coverage of dependents through age 25, of which I have none. I would have appreciated this when I did, though.
2. The lifetime maximum benefit has been removed. Not that this matters. If I didn't use my insurance because I couldn't afford the copays and deductibles this year, I'm not likely to use the insurance next year, either.
Since I can't find enough in the budget to pay EIGHT TIMES the cost of the premium for no care, I'll probably go with the plan that doubles the cost of everything except the premium. Since I can't afford the care regardless, I might as well not pay more for the insurance.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8903175Gee who would have thought Obama was lying when he said premiums would go down?
Oh that's right we did.
Safetykitten (53 posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Aug-08-10 01:32 PM
Response to Original message
1. You obviously are not aware of the HCR benefits.
A triumph in modern times. Revolutionary in it's incrementalism and forward thinking.
So don't worry about your increasing premiums and evaporating benefits.
2014 is on it's way to help.
Good thing they passed it so we can see what's in it.
Bandit (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon Aug-09-10 09:22 AM
Response to Reply #2
69. What do you think it would be like if nothing at all had been done like the GOP wished?
Is this year any different than the last ten years?
Hmm in the last ten years I don't recall anyone's premiums shooting up by 800%.
INdemo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon Aug-09-10 11:05 AM
Response to Reply #69
114. This is a GOP kind of legislation
They balked just to oppose it,because they could.....When health insurance companies actually endorsed this bill in the end, then we should have known what we were in for.
Sure blame the GOP for what your party did.
maryf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Aug-08-10 03:39 PM
Response to Original message
8. When more realize how bad this is, more will start crying for the easy solution:
Expanded and Improved Medicare for all...HR 676 is still in the house...we could still demand it...
Have you goons received anything you demanded? I know you demanded impeachment for Bush and frog marching to the Hague. That never happened.
NorthCarolina Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Aug-08-10 04:28 PM
Response to Original message
11. Welcome to "change you can believe in"!
It's so nice to finally have a progressive in the White House, instead of your typical run of the mill pro-corporate politician. :eyes:
For nuanced people you all keep missing the grand plan that Obama has. He is actively working on giving you exactly what you want. He just has to destroy the system we have now first and, that takes time.
spinbaby Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Aug-08-10 07:15 PM
Response to Original message
18. We're at the point where the middle class can't afford health care
I flinch whenever our company's health insurance renewal is up--the last three years have seen major increases.
All the middle class folks I know see the doctor pretty regularly.
walldude (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon Aug-09-10 10:57 AM
Response to Reply #32
106. I'm looking in to Major Medical
Edited on Mon Aug-09-10 10:58 AM by walldude
A friend told me I should get it. It has a huge deductible and is fairly cheap and only covers major hospital visits. You pay doctors visits out of pocket. Since I haven't had insurance for 10 years and haven't seen a doctor in 20 it sounded like a good option to me. Not that I have too many choices...
LWolf, man sorry to hear about this, I have been struggling with the insurance issue for years now, I feel ya.
Does that plan qualify under the Obama requirement?
I would look into that walldude you may end up paying a fee at the end of the year.
Just remember DUmmies you voted for this.
