Has your health insurance cost increased lately?

[medeak]

Am curious as mine was increased two days before presidential election and then AGAIN 2 weeks ago. A precedent in 27 yrs. Had an increase of over $200 a month for one person in just a few months. Pray tell...has anyone else experienced the same?
Can't help but think the insurance industry is making manipulative preparations for Obama administration?

[Warpy]

1. Layoffs mean they're losing paying customers

so they're going to make up the difference on everybody else's backs.

[W_HAMILTON]

2. Yes.

My premiums went up a little bit, and my co-pays all went up approximately 33%.

[Historic NY]

3. Co-pay went up 2 dollars, I don't know about prescriptions yet.

[shanti]

4. yes

mine went up at the first of the year - kaiser.

[medeak]

5. am self employed and wondering what employers are paying?

Surely they are suffering as well along with lower revenues

[zeos3]

10. Employers and employees are both suffering

The employers are seeing their premiums go up. Those who choose to stay put bear the brunt of it. Those who change their plans usually increase the deductibles and copays for the employees. Sometimes, even with increases in deductibles and copays, both employer and employee see minor increases in premium payments.

[glowing]

6. Yes, ours went up at the first of the year.. and the plan is shittier than ever.

God-Forbid anyone in our home actually needs to use the insurance for something major. I'm thinking its just about time for all of us to let the insurance go, show up at the govt medicare office, and not leave until we are signed up.

[Cleita]

7. I have a Medigap policy on my Medicare. It goes up every year and has almost

doubled in the last five years from $125 a month to almost $250.00. Mine comes with a prescription drug benefit that pays for less than half the cost of the drugs, which have also gone up astronomically every since the prescription drug benefit was passed by a Republican Congress and a Republican President giving a big gift to big PhRMA.

[47of74]

8. Actually, mine hasn't increased this year

Mine stayed the same this year, no changes were made from last year. It was last year that they bent us over.

[zeos3]

9. Everyone's has gone up recently

If your renewal date comes up, bet on an increase. If your birthday comes up, bet on an increase (although some companies use age brackets instead of charging the increase for every single year you age). Also, the "usage" increase comes into play often. This is especially true for those in group plans.

The $200 monthly increase isn't altogether uncommon. If you already have a high premium, a relatively small percentage increase will translate into a big actual dollar increase.

If I remember correctly, in 2007 one of the companies I'm familiar with "only" raised their rates by 6-7 percent, on average. Before that was 5 straight years of double digit percentage increases. I'm not sure what the 2008 figures are.

My advice to you: Stop aging and stop being one of those annoying people who uses their health insurance. :sarcasm:

[glinda]

11. Yes. This last year it went up about 200. Now mine went up $20 from the

first month I was on it alone as husband went on Medicare.

[global1]

12. I Am Self-Employed And Pay My Own Blue Cross/Blue Shield......

My premium was raised $150 just around my last birthday in August and then was raised another $150 again at the next payment cycle (I pay every 2 months). My payment each cycle is now $1903.46 every two months. This is with a $3000 deductible - I pay the first $3000 - and this is only for me - one person. That's $11,420.76 a year and if I have to pay the first $3000 we're talking about an expenditure of approximately $15,000 per year before BC/BS spends dollar one. I posited a theory that the premiums went up before the election - because they are anticipating that they might have to lower the premiums given the new president - and when they lower them - it will look like I'm getting a better deal - but it will still be lopsided in their favor. \

I'm told that I could re-enroll in some cheaper plans - but - I would have to start from the beginning and go through their whole application process complete with providing them MD's records. The problem is that I (knock on wood) have been pretty healthy and haven't had a need for a physician since I signed up with them. They essentially have all my records - but I'm told that I have to go around to MD's I haven't seen in years (that have probably discarded or archived my med records) and get those resent to BC/BS. Otherwise they would be suspect if I failed to provide records and may be denied coverage.

I feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. If there are any suggestions as to what I can do to lower my premiums - I sure would appreciate hearing them.

I am all for Universal - Single Payer health insurance. This is why.

[medeak]

16. have Blue Cross/Blue Shield as well!

Husband has it as well through his business... he has Parkinsons and needs to retire at age 55 as no longer can work..but unable to as pre-existing condition...even if I transfer him through SAME Blue Cross/Blue Shield to my business they told me his montly fee would be $4900 a month! TOTALLY EMPATHIZE.

Also.. would like to have same employer rates as large corporations do...totally unfair to small business and how the heck to we compete in this market?

[Selatius]

19. Large employers can typically force companies like BC/BS to come down on rates.

If an employer represents, say, 1,000,000 employees, then theoretically it has quite a large amount of bargaining power in terms of trying to negotiate downward the price of coverage with the insurance company. Otherwise, the company risks losing a very large pool of paying customers when the employer decides to contract with a competitor insurance company to deliver the same service for less.

Taken to its logical conclusion, an entity that represents every single American citizen and legal resident could have the greatest bargaining power in terms of negotiating rates and costs for procedures. Evolving towards that goal would mean making insurance companies merge into one large entity. Then, that conglomerate could be nationalized to remove the profit mark-up and finally with coverage expanded to cover all people with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions or age.

The final result is one non-profit insurance entity run by the state, a single-payer health insurance structure that has bargaining power to keep in check inflation as far as medical procedures and prescription drugs. The only problem is pharmaceutical companies and privately owned hospitals would have to accept lower profit margins, a bitter pill many of them are unwilling to swallow and would fight tooth and nail.

[kestrel91316]

13. WHAT health insurance??

I got priced out of the market 4 years ago.

[gblady]

14. I am very lucky....

to be covered by my state's Basic Health plan...

(of course I'm piss poor at this point of my life)
but no increases for me...great coverage...small price.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

15. Changes are pretty common at the start of the calender year.

[silverojo]

17. I don't have insurance

"Thank you, George Bush!" :sarcasm: :grr: :mad:

[Selatius]

18. Sadly, like the last poster on this thread, I lack any health insurance whatsoever.

The jobs are few, and there are many people fighting over those few jobs, and even if I landed those jobs, there's no guarantee that it will be affordable.

[DRoseDARs]

20. I have the bargain bin plan for individuals through Anthem Bluecross Blueshield.

In January 2007 they upped my premium because of a "recent change in age or due to an address change, which resulted in a move to another geographic area." Which is interesting because A) they'd already increased my premium in April 2006 for my birthday, B) they increased my premium in April 2007 for my birthday, and C) I've lived in this house for 22 years. Apparently I aged 2 years in 6 months AND the city of Reno was physically relocated, mountains and all, to Whatthefuckistan. Anthem was on the losing end of a class action lawsuit in neighboring California for shenanigans like this.

I just got the letter stating they'll up my premium again this April for my birthday and no, they didn't forget to do it last April.

[medeak]

21. ok...we have TOO much in common

Have Anthem as well and live in NV.... and NO reason for any of my increases? What the hell do we do?

[DRoseDARs]

22. It's possible they redrew their region map, which placed parts or all of Nevada in a new Screw Zone.

Ergo, "a move to another geographic area." Though, I doubt this explanation fits. They probably just upped the premium for shits and giggles.

I believe by law, you're supposed to receive advance notice of any and all rate changes (well, rate increases because really, how often does anyone see a rate DECREASE on health insurance?) but you should probably give either the NV AG's office or the Consumer Affairs office for clarification on this. Anthem says they're providing me advance notice "in accordance with the terms of < my > certificate of insurance..." with them.

[medeak]

23. have friend in NV AG office

thanks!

[janx]

24. What health insurance? n/t