Anyone else have a HUGE increase in insurance premiums recently?

[nonconformist]

We have health insurance through my husband's employer, and recently we've had a lot of changes.

At the first of the year, our weekly insurance premiums went up nearly 200%. We used to get reimbursed for the premiums twice annually, but with the rate hike they cut the reimbursements, too.

We've been without insurance several times in our life, and I'm happy to still have coverage, but cripes. Coupled with copays, we're paying out the nose now. Our oldest son has a medical condition that requires frequent doctor's appointments and expensive prescriptions.

Has anyone else experienced recent rate hikes? Sign of the times, perhaps?

[dionysus]

1. ours was going to go up 20% so we had to switch plans

[louis-t]

2. Not yet. BCBS discontinued my program.

I'm grandfathered. Went up slightly, but I expect a large increase next year. Auto and home were edging up, but I changed companies and got them lowered. Previous company had my house valued at $350,000! They said their software required them to use that figure. I asked if they wanted to buy it for $300,000, a bargain! No sense of humor, they.

[kestrel91316]

3. It's no different from the credit card interest. Did you notice how they all

pulled that crap with skyrocketing rates before the laws limiting interest took effect? Gotta rip 'em off now, while you can.

[Change Happens]

4. 26% from Humana!

[havocmom]

5. We're lucky: only 10% increase. Of course, I STILL can't get a doctor

Just paying premiums but no care to be had.

[shireen]

9. why?

I'm just curious ... are you living in a geographically-isolated area?

[havocmom]

11. Pretty rural, long drive, not much in the way of experienced doctors

and the ones with experience not taking on new patients.

Then there is that 10 -15 minute per patient thing the corporate clinics enforce. Sorry, but that is NOT medical care. It is McMedicine and it is probably dangerous.

[shireen]

15. sorry to hear that ...

It's a big problem in rural areas.
Hang in there ...

:hug:

[Moosepoop]

6. Not me.

I have no insurance. :( Otherwise, I'm sure I would have.

[Lugnut]

7. 32% for a Med Advantage plan.

Phooey.

[bhcodem]

8. And coverage decreases

My Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy is going up 18% and they have discontinued routine colonoscopy screening under the $500 wellness benefit which has no deductible or co-pay. After changing to a $1500 deductible to lower my increase to only 9%, I would have to pay for the whole screening out of pocket. How many people will just not have it done and how many people may not catch potential problems. By changing from $1000 deductible to $1500, I almost save premium to equal the increase in deductible. I pay for my own insurance and feel very lucky that I have enough income to do it...only 11 months unti I am on Medicare!

[bridgit]

10. We have no health insurance, neither do most of our friends that are not on Medicare...

Medi-Cal, or receiving health services through CARES

[OneBlueSky]

12. so tell me again why it's a good idea to turn health care over to the insurance companies . . .

who contribute NOTHING -- not one iota of anything -- to the provision of quality health care in this country . . . they are meerly leeches who have managed to insert themselves into the system between providers and patients in order to siphon off as much money as possible . . . and there's only two ways they can keep increasing their bottom line (which is the goal of all profit-making corporations): 1) increase income, and 2) decrease expenditures . . .

in the health insurance field, that means 1) increasing the premiums they charge their customers, and 2) minimizing what they pay out in benefits . . . do we really want our health care system in the hands of corporations whose sole purpose is making more money rather than providing good, cost effective health care? . . . I don't think so . . .

[wroberts189]

13. 24 % Connecticare..and they slashed benefits and billing grace period...

We are now uninsured.

[NNN0LHI]

14. My employer is self-insured but I now have monthly premiums and co-pays and deductibles

Never had them until the last few years.

Things are changing. For the worse

I suspect that if the workers at my employers competitors had unionized when they had the chance instead of voting down union representation so they could continue scabbing us we would all be better off. Its turned into a race to the bottom.

So yes I am pissed off. Just for different reasons probably.

Don