Cigna HMO price increase

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: lupi

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: amddude
It's ridiculous all the shit the gov't forces insurance companies to do, then when prices go up act like the companies are the evil ones. I know a lady who has done artificial insemination THREE TIMES (her ins co is forced to cover this by law). Do you have any idea how expensive it is to do it just once? Outrageous. There are lots of other procedures most people would never have done that they cover and, surprise, we all pay for it.

But you're right, when taxpayers pay for everything I'm sure it will work great. Like the VA hospital system.

the VA system works fantastically... i'm confused

lololololol

I have yet to hear a veteran say "I wish I didn't have this VA coverage, expensive private coverage would be so much better".

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: lupi

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: amddude
It's ridiculous all the shit the gov't forces insurance companies to do, then when prices go up act like the companies are the evil ones. I know a lady who has done artificial insemination THREE TIMES (her ins co is forced to cover this by law). Do you have any idea how expensive it is to do it just once? Outrageous. There are lots of other procedures most people would never have done that they cover and, surprise, we all pay for it.

But you're right, when taxpayers pay for everything I'm sure it will work great. Like the VA hospital system.

the VA system works fantastically... i'm confused

lololololol

the VA gives better care than nearly any public hospital to the sickest demographic in the country on a shoestring budget. Yes there are still a couple bad apple hospitals, but then again its an enormous network.

Today's VA is not the VA of 15 years ago. Even the most ardent right wing hacks admit this. William kristol was quoted on the daily show that the VA system is the best healthcare available and ordinary americans don't deserve it because they haven't 'sacrificed' for their country.

 

[newnameman]

Originally posted by: ironwing

Originally posted by: spidey07

See my edit. So basically your employer reduced what they paid for the same plan and shifted some of the burden to you. Basically you got a pay cut.

In my case, you are completely wrong. The total premium will go up 24.5%. My company passed along a 20% increase, absorbing a portion of the increase. Hooray for the private health insurance industry! Long live profits!

Edit: This is a high deductible plan with HSA.

Right, because it's just impossible that premiums have to be increased to cover rising costs. It's all profits, profits, profits! :roll:

 

[Colt45]

lolmerica

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: ironwing

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: ironwing

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
P&N ---> that way

Sorry. This is one of the very few legislative acts throughout history that will impact every single citizen directly. Every single one. I can't think of such legislative activity the directly affects every living and breathing person in our country. Every single person within our borders will be impacted.

Pay fucking attention people. This affects YOU! It affects every single poster, their neighbors, their parents, their children.

This is true. And unless the private insurance whores are defeated, the whole country loses. Where the hell is the single payer proposal? We can't have an intelligent discussion of insurance reform with this option on the table as all discussions will devolve to how best to serve and protect the interests of the private insurance industry.

You must really have blinders on. The one thing you won't see your exalted Democrats in Congress doing is actually addressing anything that curtails cost in the health care industry because they are too far in bed with everyone. They somehow magically think they can push the burden of cost onto the insurance companies and have that not translate into more costs to you....which they can't. This turd of a bill is going to make EVERYONE pay more....for less. This bill is nothing but a huge wealth transfer to get YOU to pay for people that don't have insurance now all the while thinking you are actually getting something when all you will get is the shaft. How do you think a "public option" would be any better? It wouldn't. Someone still has to pay. You think if the government goes into the insurance business they are somehow going to be efficient? You are a laugh a minute. There isn't that much profit in the health insurance business that government inefficiency couldn't eat that up in no time. There sure isn't a way for a public option to be cheaper than insurance and last too long before it is costing everyone even more.

Most of the clowns in Congress have never had a real job yet you put so much faith in their ability to actually understand how anything works. The problem is even if they understand they still have to package it in a way that keeps getting them re-elected....which is not possible if you really want to fix this fucked up mess. The only way you are ever going to get anything worthwhile from the idiots on the Hill is if you have term limits and these assholes cannot work to screw over the common man for decades. The reason our health care industry is in so much trouble is because of the government, not in spite of it.

The biggest problem with health care is too many people think they deserve hundreds of thousands of dollars of care whenever they need it for $20 a month. That is the actual problem.

Your reading comprehension could use some work. The current bill is a turd, I agree. It is a turd as it lacks a single payer system. It is a turd as the goal of the bill is to sustain the current private insurance industry. You have to understand, I don't want to see the private health insurance system reformed. I want it dead and gone. Government run health insurance has proven itself to be more efficient with lower overhead costs than private insurance.

In addition to costing less, a single payer system removes the burden of paying for health insurance from employers, allowing them to focus on their business and levels the playing field wrt foreign competitors. When GM was heading into bankruptcy folks liked to throw around how much health costs were adding to the cost of manufacturing each car. With a single payer system, those costs are socialized across the entire economy.

A third point: a single payer system unlocks the door to innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit as folks currently chained to corporate employment in order to obtain health insurance can strike out on their own, developing their own businesses w/o fear of medical bankruptcy or inability to obtain care.

Would taxes go up as a result of moving to a single payer system? Of course. But insurance premiums would disappear. Between what my employer pays and what I pay, the cost of my current private insurance plan far exceeds my federal tax bill so bring it on.

This, although Ronstang has some good points too, people expect full coverage for cheap $$ but damm Ron, I work for a HUGE company (one that keeps going and going) and my rates for me/wife =445/month, that's just insane, at this point I say be gone with private ins., it's just broken..

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1
Just got the bad news from HR today, 2010 Cigna HMO will go from $63/wk to $111/wk for 2 people. This is from a large multi-national, multi-billion dollar company too. I know Ins. goes up every year but $48/wk increase for 2 people?. I need the best coverage for my wife who has several conditions and they won't let me take the cheaper (PPO) coverage for myself, both must have the same...

if your wife has several conditions its worth it. a friend of mine has a husband with a severe condition and his treatments cost many thousands per quarter. individually they just got hit with something like a 30% rate increase....but they arent really bitching because they could never afford his treatments and hed be in misery without them.

sucks for everyone but at least you have it. i have jack, im a broke college student, and i still have $2500 in medical bill sfrom an ER visit with a CT scan.

 

[SammyJr]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Engineer


Heh.

Pretty soon, EVERYONE but the most wealthy will be self insured via HSA. At the end of 2007, 69% of companies offered health insurance. Today, just 62% offer health insurance and the plans offered cover less and cost more. Yep, great choices there.

Sits back and waits for someone to tell me that I can get better and AFFORDABLE insurance by buying it myself instead of employer plan.

You can get more affordable insurance premiums and one that may meet your needs better if you get it yourself. Notice the difference.

Thanks for the laugh on this dreary Thursday morning.

 

[SammyJr]

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: Phokus
Spidey07 sure has a lot of nerve coming into this thread. It's Republican douchebags like him who are the cause of this crisis.

I think i read that medical inflation is 4 times higher than normal inflation. Soon, rich people will be showing off their wealth not by flaunting their yahts or vacation homes, but by showing off their health insurance plans.

It's hardly a republican thing that's caused this. It's been getting worse for a long time and democrats didn't stop it when they had a president in the White House.

Yeah right, just look at what the GOP (and insurance industry) did with 'hillarycare' and now with 'obamacare' with their lies and smear campaigns.

A lot of it is not lies. It's truths like runaway costs and studies like the CBO has done showing that the costs of healthcare will not be controlled with ObamaCare. Etc etc etc... It's one thing to push for UHC, but another to believe that the current UHC plans on the table are golden and the one-stop solution for all our problems.

The current UHC plans are shit because they're corporate welfare for for-profit insurance. Its not ObamaCare so much as it is nationwide RomneyCare.

The only way to do insurance with 100% private firms is the way the Swiss do it. Mandatory non-profit status for the company providing the basic health plan. Heavy regulation on laboratory pricing. Heavy regulation, period.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: SammyJr
The only way to do insurance with 100% private firms is the way the Swiss do it. Mandatory non-profit status for the company providing the basic health plan. Heavy regulation on laboratory pricing. Heavy regulation, period.

There are lots of non-profit health insurance companies in the USA. In fact, the largest carriers in 29 of the 50 states are non-profits.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: amddude
It's ridiculous all the shit the gov't forces insurance companies to do, then when prices go up act like the companies are the evil ones. I know a lady who has done artificial insemination THREE TIMES (her ins co is forced to cover this by law). Do you have any idea how expensive it is to do it just once? Outrageous. There are lots of other procedures most people would never have done that they cover and, surprise, we all pay for it.

But you're right, when taxpayers pay for everything I'm sure it will work great. Like the VA hospital system.

The greatest danger to everyones health is people like you who speak on things they know nothing about.
Medical procedures are ALL covered as long as they are "medically" necessary and safe and effective. Unless they are specifically excluded from your contract.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: SammyJr
The only way to do insurance with 100% private firms is the way the Swiss do it. Mandatory non-profit status for the company providing the basic health plan. Heavy regulation on laboratory pricing. Heavy regulation, period.

There are lots of non-profit health insurance companies in the USA. In fact, the largest carriers in 29 of the 50 states are non-profits.

Problem is most of those non-profits are only non-profit in name. The profit just goes to those at the top in terms of pay and other perks or to side business in overpayments.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: amddude
It's ridiculous all the shit the gov't forces insurance companies to do, then when prices go up act like the companies are the evil ones. I know a lady who has done artificial insemination THREE TIMES (her ins co is forced to cover this by law). Do you have any idea how expensive it is to do it just once? Outrageous. There are lots of other procedures most people would never have done that they cover and, surprise, we all pay for it.

But you're right, when taxpayers pay for everything I'm sure it will work great. Like the VA hospital system.

Uh, what state forces this?

Yea I am calling BS on this unless there is a lot of other info left out.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

haven't you been paying attention? The increases are never going to end. Which is why they want some healthcare reform.

 

[hdeck]

my company dropped cigna for 2010.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Ours went up about $650/year, and that is single person coverage working for the state.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: SammyJr

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Engineer


Heh.

Pretty soon, EVERYONE but the most wealthy will be self insured via HSA. At the end of 2007, 69% of companies offered health insurance. Today, just 62% offer health insurance and the plans offered cover less and cost more. Yep, great choices there.

Sits back and waits for someone to tell me that I can get better and AFFORDABLE insurance by buying it myself instead of employer plan.

You can get more affordable insurance premiums and one that may meet your needs better if you get it yourself. Notice the difference.

Thanks for the laugh on this dreary Thursday morning.

Have you ever had to shop around or pay for insurance yourself? Have you ever competitively shopped different insurance brokers and plans for yourself or your employees?

My guess is you haven't. I have. I speak the truth.

 

[SunnyD]

Sadly, I live in a state with only ONE option for health insurance. My company doesn't even get to shop around for better prices.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1
Just got the bad news from HR today, 2010 Cigna HMO will go from $63/wk to $111/wk for 2 people. This is from a large multi-national, multi-billion dollar company too. I know Ins. goes up every year but $48/wk increase for 2 people?. I need the best coverage for my wife who has several conditions and they won't let me take the cheaper (PPO) coverage for myself, both must have the same...

Too bad

You hear the Health Care apologists in here, nothing wrong with the system, suck it up player and pay out the ass.

 

[EagleKeeper]

CIGNA has to pay for your expenses. Any possibilty that health care costs increased to them based on your (in general) use of the system?

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Sabot
Dear god I am glad I live in Canada when I hear about this kind of thing... insane

Stupid people are stupid.

OMG 3% profit margin!

They are raising premiums because you fat fucks are costing more to treat.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
haven't you been paying attention? The increases are never going to end. Which is why they want some healthcare reform.

Unfortunately, the current proposals are going to end up accelerating the increases while depressing wages and driving the country even further into debt.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: Sabot
Dear god I am glad I live in Canada when I hear about this kind of thing... insane

Stupid people are stupid.

OMG 3% profit margin!

They are raising premiums because you fat fucks are costing more to treat.

OMG 20% overhead.

Only .80 of every dollar makes it to the medical field on average. Let alone the millions that is paid to middle men.

 

[BrownShoes]

That's expensive!
Glad my employer's plans aren't like that!

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: Sabot
Dear god I am glad I live in Canada when I hear about this kind of thing... insane

Stupid people are stupid.

OMG 3% profit margin!

They are raising premiums because you fat fucks are costing more to treat.

OMG 20% overhead.

Only .80 of every dollar makes it to the medical field on average. Let alone the millions that is paid to middle men.

Yea government will provide cheaper overhead for sure! They won't create a retardedly expensive bureaucracy! I'm a retarded HR monkey who doesn't know how to analyze financials!

 

[BUTCH1]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: Sabot
Dear god I am glad I live in Canada when I hear about this kind of thing... insane

Stupid people are stupid.

OMG 3% profit margin!

They are raising premiums because you fat fucks are costing more to treat.

I say scrap all the ins. co's and start over. Sick people wind up getting treated @ the ER at a great cost so and someone has to pay these indigent costs to keep the hospitals open so why not tax EVERYONE for healthcare right off the bat to eliminate the "freeloaders", yea we have 'em at work those that refuse to spend $$ on ANY policy the co. offers and then run to the ER when they/family member get sick. Problem is with these new price increases some folks are just getting priced out, period. $111/week for 2 people, that's just nuts, about what I spend on food for a week..