New health law may bring pricier premiums

[n2doc]

Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, August 9, 2010


Employers and consumers sorting through their health insurance options may see a bump in their rates next year to account for the potential impact of some of the early elements of the federal health overhaul law, according to some health experts.

Jeff Sher, an independent health insurance agent and consultant in San Francisco, said he's anticipating employee coverage at mid-size companies to go up 13 percent to 15 percent. "Then we're supposed to tack on several percentage points for health reform," he said.

August is a key month for employers to start making decisions about their health benefits because most open-enrollment periods, during which employees select their health insurance plans, begin in the fall for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2011.

While most major pieces of the new health law don't go into effect until 2014, some reforms affecting health insurance carriers take effect this year.

These include provisions that require health plans to cover adult children until age 26, extend coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, end maximum lifetime spending limits and end the practice of retroactively canceling a member's coverage for any reason other than fraud.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/09/BAR91EPHDJ.DTL

[Barack2theFuture]

1. and now we are *required* to buy more expensive products

from predatory criminals. Yippee!

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[SoCalDem]

3. No one gets something for noting

and those of us who tried to get this across when the deliberation was going on, were told to STFU, because this would be great..even if it was not single-payer..

The emphasis is ALWAYS on the "payer" part.

Our "friends" at BigPharma/Medical Insurance,Inc will gladly OFFER us anything we want, BUT there is a price attached..

If it's offered, we cannot complain...It;s not THEIR fault we are broke and cannot afford it.

It's like car shopping.. Who wouldn't want a brand new Jaguar or a Chevy Volt or even a Prius.. The car dealer will OFFER these to you, but if all you can afford is a beat up 1994 Corolla, you won't be going home in that Jag...

[burnsei sensei]

9. There is no comparison between

the sale of automobiles and the provision of necessary care for life and limb.
If health care is a commodity, then it's certainly not a right.
You have no right to thrive.
You have no right to live.
Your money contains all your rights concerning life and limb.
You, in yourself, have no worth. You are a thing. Your body, risks and benefits, has already been bought.
And your insurance is an attempt to buy your right to life and health back from those who stole them from you.

[woo me with science]

12. That's the crux of the matter.

Do we really want to be a society that considers health care a commodity?

Really?

[SoCalDem]

15. "We" don't, but unfortunately our government DOES

:(

Until we have universal/single-payer, we will always be at the mercy (hah!) of so-called insurance companies.

They lobbied hard & bought enough legislators to make sure that we never have a fair chance...and yes they have made medicine on par with buying a car:(

[undeterred]

4. Or shittier insurance.

[earth mom]

Many of us here on DU warned that this was going to happen.

:argh:

[jtrockville]

6. Totally predictable (and, predicted)

[woo me with science]

10. Yes, and were met with condescending, snarky, dismissive replies.

I'm sure the retractions and regret are forthcoming.

[depakid]

18. Generally by those whose knowledge of health policy was limited to press releases and talking points

Next year will see a repeat of this one- and every dollar that's sucked up and wasted by the parasites is one less dollar to get Main street's economy moving again.

[havocmom]

5. 'Oh, don't worry, we'll fix it later.'

I would like to take everyone who uttered that bs out to the wood shed. We got screwed by a DEM congress and a DEM POTUS and they are NOT fixing anything in our favor. WE have no representatives. The people we worked hard for, gave money to, voted for are not serving us, they are serving the corporations who continue to cause harm to the American people


edited for typo

[Autumn]

13. Seriously, they really will fix it

trust them. They wouldn't lie. Hey look its almost election time. Vote and shut up.

[FiveGoodMen]

26. I'd like to echo your woodshed comment

How could so many people have been so naive?

[burnsei sensei]

7. The corporations are cared for.

The people are betrayed.
That was the game all along.

[Quantess]

8. Yes, this was the plan all along.

[LWolf]

11. I suspected this was why my premiums jumped

so high this year. To pay for the parts of the health insurance reform that are kicking in. I wonder what I'll be paying by 2014?

[katandmoon]

14. B-b-b-b-b-ut we can put "Passed Health Care Reform" on the List O'Accomplishments!!!

[bvar22]

16. If we put the Democrats in charge, they would end this Corporate Extortion!!

.
.
.
.
.
.
My Bad.

[burnsei sensei]

19. Corporate extortion is an excellent description

of the health care system, and much of the resource management of this country.
In no way is the public good considered in the matters of resources and people.

[depakid]

17. ...up 13% to 15%. "Then we're supposed to tack on several percentage points for health reform"

No surprise to most of us who followed this sorry escapade- but likely a BIG surprise to the vast majority who hasn't.

And Democrats now own it.

Heck of a job.

[progressoid]

20. Nooo waaaay.

:eyes:

[killbotfactory]

21. Were premiums going to be reduced this year without healthcare reform?

Oh my, no.

[doc03]

22. That was my thought, hasn't health insurance premiums

gone up every year anyway? Now they have an excuse, blame it on the Democrats.

[girl gone mad]

23. What's the point of health insurance reform that doesn't address the spiraling costs?

[killbotfactory]

24. Healthcare reform did address costs

Especially to those with pre-existing conditions, who have been the most vulnerable to being screwed over wholesale by insurance companies.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. Yes, it did "address" costs, it said...

"Costs, we aren't going to place any meaningful restrictions on you."

[Vinca]

28. As a person with a pre-existing condition, if the premiums in 2014

are anything even remotely close to the pre-existing condition pool currently available, people will not be able to afford them . . . even with a subsidy. Heck, the average healthy person will not be able to afford them. We need single payer. Everybody gets their health access card - rich and poor alike - and it's paid for out of our common funds . . . just like trillion dollar wars.

[AlabamaLibrul]

25. It was "cost control" after the "right to HC" idea was killed. Blogga Please. n/t