Employer med insurance enrollment time !!!

[sportage]

Well its that time again. Here where I work we got the word. Rates are staying pretty stable. Two HUGE changes however, you can add your kid up to age 26 if they do not have insurance. And the life limit has been removed. People that hit the lifetime limit can go back on insurance. Thank YOU Mr Obama !!!!

REPEAL THAT TEA PARTY !!!!

 

[Fear No Evil]

This is definitely going to lower costs..

 

[soccerballtux]

This reads like a troll post, and makes me think the OP is lying. Need proof dude. Everyone I know has premiums going up.

 

[PeshakJang]

Everyone should go have a Thickburger and a milkshake to celebrate.

 

[Engineer]

This reads like a troll post, and makes me think the OP is lying. Need proof dude. Everyone I know has premiums going up.

I just left a job but their premiums went down $0.80 per month, lol.

My new job has 0 premium for myself and my wife picked my kids and herself up on a "not as good" plan for $8.50 per month through her work. Total reduction in premiums = $300 per month. Does that count?

Everyone should go have a Thickburger and a milkshake to celebrate.

Already did. Time for another! :biggrin:

 

[Double Trouble]

Troll thread is troll.

My premium is going up 80%, my deductible is going up and my coverage has more limitations. The one "positive" is that I can now let my kids on my policy 'till they are 26. That's great except I don't have any kids near that age so it doesn't matter. I work for a fortune 100 company by the way.

Individual experiences are anecdotal and don't mean squat. Most of the Obamacare disaster has not kicked in yet so you won't see the results yet, good or (as I suspect) bad. I also suspect many companies are taking advantage of this sucky job market to make big changes that employees won't like. They know people won't complain and don't have many alternatives at this point.....

Only union people and government employees are essentially immune from market realities (for now), the people in the real world are gonna get hammered by health care costs.

 

[sportage]

Troll post? How bout much needed info directed at all those candidates threatening to repeal Obamacare. People think ( or are Foxed News brain washed) that Obamacare was worthless, and did noting for the ... wait for it... its coming... wait... wait... THE MIDDLE CLASS FOLKS !!!!
Naturally, if you think this is a troll threat you're probably a CEO pulling down 25 million in salary...

 

[Engineer]

Only union people and government employees are essentially immune from market realities (for now), the people in the real world are gonna get hammered by health care costs.

People in the real world have been hammered by health care costs on a rising basis for years. Might be worse later but definitely nothing new.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I work for a company that's self insured and our premiums increased.

 

[techs]

I have read that health insurance premiums, on average, will rise about 10 percent this year, which is about what it has done for the last 10 years.

Not only has health care costs been increasing despite weakness in other areas of the economy, as more people lose health insurance they utilize doctors less and stick hospitals with more unpaid bills, raising fees and forcing insurance up.

Without some kind of UHC we are looking at even more dramatic increases as more and more companies drop health care, or pass along more increases to workers.

And with the Republican guest worker program we can look forward to millions more uninsured Americans as foreign workers force American companies to drop health insurance to compete.

Yep. UHC. Who needs it?
/sarcasm.

 

[IBMer]

My premium went from $0 to $0 and the family plans didn't go up at all either. Maybe my company is just better at negotiating.

 

[techs]

My premium went from $0 to $0 and the family plans didn't go up at all either. Maybe my company is just better at negotiating.

Yeah, that must be it.
"Don't give us any of the new needle bullshit. Just spit on a used one and stick it in"

 

[ProfJohn]

Well its that time again. Here where I work we got the word. Rates are staying pretty stable. Two HUGE changes however, you can add your kid up to age 26 if they do not have insurance. And the life limit has been removed. People that hit the lifetime limit can go back on insurance. Thank YOU Mr Obama !!!!

REPEAL THAT TEA PARTY !!!!

Who is going to pay for the additional costs related to adding 26 year old children to their parents policies and the removal of life limits??

When you figure that out let us know.

 

[IBMer]

Who is going to pay for the additional costs related to adding 26 year old children to their parents policies and the removal of life limits??

When you figure that out let us know.

Probably should look up what 21-26 year olds cost in medical coverage first. Its say it isn't more than 1-2 percent of what it cost to cover old people with Medicare if any a fraction of that.

The real debilitating thing is for someone freshly out of college still looking for a job like a lot of college graduates are facing now having to face something like their appendix bursting and going bankrupt from medical bills before they can even get a job with health coverage.

 

[Double Trouble]

Troll post? How bout much needed info directed at all those candidates threatening to repeal Obamacare. People think ( or are Foxed News brain washed) that Obamacare was worthless, and did noting for the ... wait for it... its coming... wait... wait... THE MIDDLE CLASS FOLKS !!!!

.. and they are correct. Obamacare has done nothing for the vast majority of the people, and like I said, most of the benefits and cost increases haven't kicked in yet. It should be repealed but the republicans won't have the numbers to repeal it so that's a moot point.

Naturally, if you think this is a troll threat you're probably a CEO pulling down 25 million in salary...

I think it's a troll thread, you are the troll threat And no, I'm not a CEO making millions, I'm solid middle class. And trust me, that healthcare cost hammer is hitting me bigtime since I don't work for the government (I'm actually productive).

 

[Double Trouble]

People in the real world have been hammered by health care costs on a rising basis for years. Might be worse later but definitely nothing new.

Agreed, it's definitely not something new. Obamacare has absolutely no provisions that are going to decrease costs either, so we're not going to see any relief anytime soon.

Most companies are starting to go to HSA and plans like that, which means the costs of healthcare are getting increasingly shifted to the individuals. That might finally be the factor that drives people to demand improvement instead of the bullshit both sides have been feeding us for decades.

 

[Engineer]

Agreed, it's definitely not something new. Obamacare has absolutely no provisions that are going to decrease costs either, so we're not going to see any relief anytime soon.

Most companies are starting to go to HSA and plans like that, which means the costs of healthcare are getting increasingly shifted to the individuals. That might finally be the factor that drives people to demand improvement instead of the bullshit both sides have been feeding us for decades.

Ah, the good ole HSA. The "bringing the power back to the consumers to shop for better and cheaper services" promise. I tried to negotiate with a doctor and dentist earlier this year when I didn't have insurance. I asked if I paid them cash instead of having to have them deal with insurance, would I get a discount? Was told by both that they don't give discounts for cash payments. I tried twice and no go. Not only that, they charged the same full prices that were submitted to the insurance company. Of course, the insurance company lowers that "submitted" price down and pays a certain amount and you pay the rest of the "lowered" price. The doctor and dentist would not even lower the submitted charges down for me direct.

It's a screwed up system.

Of course, many say shop around for another doctor/dentists. Not easy to do when you are in agony from medical issues or have a tooth that needs a root canal.

 

[dmcowen674]

Who is going to pay for the additional costs related to adding 26 year old children to their parents policies and the removal of life limits??

YOU :thumbsup:

 

[drebo]

Not only that, they charged the same full prices that were submitted to the insurance company. Of course, the insurance company lowers that "submitted" price down and pays a certain amount and you pay the rest of the "lowered" price. The doctor and dentist would not even lower the submitted charges down for me direct.

That's something you can blame directly on Medicare. Before Medicare, prices were between doctor and patient. Now, Medicare has dictated the cost of medical procedures by having a "max payable" for procedures. Everyone gets charged that max.

Go go government boondoggle!

 

[Double Trouble]

Ah, the good ole HSA. The "bringing the power back to the consumers to shop for better and cheaper services" promise. I tried to negotiate with a doctor and dentist earlier this year when I didn't have insurance. I asked if I paid them cash instead of having to have them deal with insurance, would I get a discount? Was told by both that they don't give discounts for cash payments. I tried twice and no go. Not only that, they charged the same full prices that were submitted to the insurance company. Of course, the insurance company lowers that "submitted" price down and pays a certain amount and you pay the rest of the "lowered" price. The doctor and dentist would not even lower the submitted charges down for me direct.

It's a screwed up system.

Of course, many say shop around for another doctor/dentists. Not easy to do when you are in agony from medical issues or have a tooth that needs a root canal.

It is screwed up and makes no sense. The doctor's office can charge you the same they get from the insurance company, but without having to do any of the paperwork and overhead..... yet they usually don't want to do that. I don't get it. It is messed up though, there has to be a better way than this, and Obamacare ain't it.

 

[Engineer]

It is screwed up and makes no sense. The doctor's office can charge you the same they get from the insurance company, but without having to do any of the paperwork and overhead..... yet they usually don't want to do that. I don't get it. It is messed up though, there has to be a better way than this, and Obamacare ain't it.

Forgot, tried the same with the orthodontist for my daughter (consultation to get braces in January). Was told the same, other than a 4% discount if I paid the non-insurance portion up front in cash/check (no discount with credit card). I asked if a discount for paying it 100% up front and them not having to deal with insurance and was told no discount other than the 4% off for paying cash up front.

Again, if they submitted with insurance, the insurance company will pay them a "knocked down" portion and I'll pay the rest of the that knocked down portion. Without insurance, I don't get to even pay the 100% knocked down portion...just 100% of the pre-knocked down portion. I don't get it either.

 

[Zebo]

You can't negotiate like insurers. Sad but true. Like you say you'd think they'd love cash, under the table cash, but they won't move like they do on insurance.

Just an example because I tried as I did not want my insurance to get hit.

Needed a tune up from an old accident where I broke 14 bones. Basically my fibula was never lined up quite right and it was painful running. The impact was getting to be like someone jamming an ice pick in my leg each step.

Anyway - I called orthopedic and get scheduled for an xray/MRI costed $4100, ask him how much if I pay cash - he said 50% cash discount, or $2050. Guess what?! Insurance only paid him $800!!!! My co-pay was 100% of that since my deductible is $2500.

Next came rebreaking & surgery. docs/hosp/anesthesiologist billed about $40K. Celtic, my insurance only paid ~$9000 and my share was pretty low as 100% is covered after deductable. Imagine negotiating with 15-20 bills that came in too.


I would not carry insurance if it was cheaper cash discount as insurance is a scam

 

[umbrella39]

Who is going to pay for the additional costs related to adding 26 year old children to their parents policies and the removal of life limits??

When you figure that out let us know.

Who is going to pay the cost of them not being insured and using our ERs as their PCP and stiffing us when the bill comes in the mail?

 

[Double Trouble]

In all the rhetoric this year, I think what got lost in the mix is the fact that normal tax paying citizens really do want a better system. Neither party seems willing to provide it. Obamacare doesn't do anything to reduce costs, it's just going to make them skyrocket and screw up the system even more, and the republicans had no plan and have been unwilling to change a damn thing for 20 years. It's disgusting.

 

[Sinsear]

Two HUGE changes however, you can add your kid up to age 26 if they do not have insurance.

Yay for adults being able to stay in their parents basement longer playing WoW.