Health premiums exploding, several pull out

[Rex Kwon Do]

Letter from Humana last week stating my plan would not be offered in '17 and no direct replacement (KEEP YOUR DOCTIR AND PLAN AND $2500 LOLS). My insurance agent called this week about it, says there is no definitive answer on whether they stay in KY for individual plans or what types yet.

Basically Bill Clinton's diatribe the other day was about people like me. Small business owner, bust my ***, employ people...and have to buy expensive total crap plans on the individual market. Pay a $1000 month premium with $8200 moop....which we hit every year due one of my kid's medication. And that moop is up $1200 from the year before. $20,000 straight cash (and rising) on the books before the year starts and I still may not be able to physically buy the plan I want.

Wife is a nurse who started to stay at home with the kids the last few years, have already talked about just saying eff it and her go back just for a decent ins plan. I'm fortunate to make Paddock Money but hell, that does no good if the plans aren't available to you and you have to buy some wack Obamacare HMO that doesn't cover anything.

In some kind of weird irony, I would almost be better off with single payer/Medicare for all so that we (and all of you all) all had wack terrible coverage, waits, and treatment but I could put $20K back in my pocket. Would be a disaster of Biblical proportions, but whatevs at this point. Enjoy.

 

[mashburned]

That can't be true can it? College aged kids have a voter turnout of like 20%, there is no way that's their biggest voting block or they wouldn't keep winning elections.

What's total % of voters again? 30%

 

[UKserialkiller]

Letter from Humana last week stating my plan would not be offered in '17 and no direct replacement (KEEP YOUR DOCTIR AND PLAN AND $2500 LOLS). My insurance agent called this week about it, says there is no definitive answer on whether they stay in KY for individual plans or what types yet.

That's why you need Obamacare.

Sucks to read that.

 

[anthonys735]

Letter from Humana last week stating my plan would not be offered in '17 and no direct replacement (KEEP YOUR DOCTIR AND PLAN AND $2500 LOLS). My insurance agent called this week about it, says there is no definitive answer on whether they stay in KY for individual plans or what types yet.

That's the game. We're fully expecting our renewal for our exact plan being 60+% or no longer offered. So then we go through the charade of finding the closest plan we can, taking a 30% increase(again), decreasing the benefits of the policy(again), and hoping that we don't have to switch providers(again).

Leave it to the small business owners that have no voice or lobbyist to continue to carry the weight of this political insanity.

 

[Anon1712931820]

Just wait till everyone gets free college.

If Hillary wins and college is now free what do they do for the ones like myself who have $15,000 left on student loans? Might as well bail us out too.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

If Hillary wins and college is now free what do they do for the ones like myself who have $15,000 left on student loans? Might as well bail us out too.

I want a tax credit. I paid mine off.

 

[WettCat]

Bill's negative comments regarding Obamacare a couple of days ago were strategically placed to try and get out ahead of the ACA issues that are surfacing before the upcoming election. It was originally designed to keep the coverage problems from showing up until after November 2016 but....the government doesn't always get things just right. Will be interesting to see how Hillary changes course on Obamacare in the coming month.

The $$ increases I've seen mentioned by some are not just an inconvenience, but life changing financial disruptions.

 

[mashburned]

EKU Faculty Senate voted on their new plan - plan increases of 200% to 400%. Newspaper reported this.

EKU contacted newspaper, told them that's not accurate. They said they actually voted on a much more expensive plan, but there were cheaper plans available....

They just wanted to make sure the local paper made it clear that healthcare costs rose because that's what EKU wanted, not because they didn't have lower priced plans available...

LMAO

 

[Anon1712931820]

I want a tax credit. I paid mine off.

I agree. I've only been paying on mine for 5 years, so I still have a way to go, but if you're going to make it free for everyone now there needs to be something for the ones who currently have or have had them.

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

And the people it was supposed to help now have insurance on paper, but not in reality. While premiums are high, that's not even the real story. These people have such high deductibles that for their income level, they essentially have no insurance.

The ACA did nothing to improve health other than making the number of insured go up and those people still can't afford to go to the dr.

That's all washington (and particularly dems) care about. Now they can say "We gave 25 million people health coverage who were previously uninsured" or "10 million jobs have been added to the economy while I've been in office" regardless of whether those facts actually helped anyone. It's nice to throw out while you're campaigning. That's about it.

But thanks for the higher premiums/deductibles and millions of burger flipping jobs, you despicable *******.

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

Letter from Humana last week stating my plan would not be offered in '17 and no direct replacement (KEEP YOUR DOCTIR AND PLAN AND $2500 LOLS). My insurance agent called this week about it, says there is no definitive answer on whether they stay in KY for individual plans or what types yet.

Basically Bill Clinton's diatribe the other day was about people like me. Small business owner, bust my ***, employ people...and have to buy expensive total crap plans on the individual market. Pay a $1000 month premium with $8200 moop....which we hit every year due one of my kid's medication. And that moop is up $1200 from the year before. $20,000 straight cash (and rising) on the books before the year starts and I still may not be able to physically buy the plan I want.

Wife is a nurse who started to stay at home with the kids the last few years, have already talked about just saying eff it and her go back just for a decent ins plan. I'm fortunate to make Paddock Money but hell, that does no good if the plans aren't available to you and you have to buy some wack Obamacare HMO that doesn't cover anything.

In some kind of weird irony, I would almost be better off with single payer/Medicare for all so that we (and all of you all) all had wack terrible coverage, waits, and treatment but I could put $20K back in my pocket. Would be a disaster of Biblical proportions, but whatevs at this point. Enjoy.

Try being like me. 2 professional degrees in my household and making rafters money. Pay premiums out the wazoo for the privilege of paying $6k in medical bills for routine ****.

I kinda feel for my small business employer boss. May have to tell him that I gotta leave for a job that will subsidize my health insurance premiums so that I'm literally not just working to pay for health insurance. Any government jobs open?

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

If Hillary wins and college is now free what do they do for the ones like myself who have $15,000 left on student loans? Might as well bail us out too.

What will they do to people like me and my wife who will likely have our loans paid off by the time that witch passed such a bill? We have sacrificed 10 years of earning potential for those loan payments.

I'll be forming a posse if thst comes to fruition and I'm not even halfway joking. I'll make Sherman's tour of the south look like campfire.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Where is Albany Wildcat to explain to you guys that this is not true. You are actually saving money and 10 million more people now have health insurance. Did you guys spend your $2500.00 in savings already?

This is a bi fu**ing deal, says Joe Biden

 

[anthonys735]

The $$ increases I've seen mentioned by some are not just an inconvenience, but life changing financial disruptions.

For those families just out of subsidies, which is a large portion of middle class, it's a gut punch.

 

[domino79]

Couldn't you also "become Amish" and get an exemption?

Hello, my name is Yoder, and I work just as hard as the next guy plus half.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Inside track on this one. Losses not protected. Gains not protected either. A carrier with a certain relatively healthy population gave back 50% of premium to risk adjustment. 50%. Do you know ANY health insurance carrier with a 50% MLR? This very small carrier can't afford to play in that market. Just sayin' .The risk adjustment program in ACA is a Ponzi scheme. ACA is doomed.

Of course it's doomed. The government is forcing companies to do business with non profitable customers, while simultaneously forcing them to limit their profit on profitable customers.

Of course they'll eventually quit this game. That was the goal all along.

That may be the plan but it is a political impossibility. Passing Obamacare took a gullible public and Democratic control of the entire Congress and it still barely happened -- by one vote after the most unseemly and grotesque deals imaginable.

Those conditions won't exist again for decades. The GOP, at a minimum, will hold the House and possibly the Senate. And they will gain seats in two years-- that is inevitable, if a century of history is a guide. And arguing to double-down on a failed ACA will be political suicide.

Probably. But you're assuming hillary wouldn't just eo it. By the time it reaches the scotus she stacked, the train would probably be too big to stop anyway. Not that they would

 

[Tinker Dan]

By all means, let's expand a failing and soon-to-be-bankrupt program that is projected right now to be one of the biggest drivers of annual budget deficits and let's include everyone (Medicare). And, by the way, its sister program, Medicaid, in study after study, does not lead to better health outcomes. So, we're spending hundreds of billions of dollars that we cannot afford for a program that is proven ineffective.

Yep, that's about right for our government. At least we've got two qualified candidates who are sure to make things much, much worse. Christ, who can feel good about voting in November with these two sociopathic numbskulls our only choices?

I believe there will be a push to "fix" the VA by adding those who are eligible to Obamacare and abolish the VA.

Then they will shift the military to it and you will never get rid of it then.

 

[WettCat]

Let's not forget, Hillary was pushing for universal healthcare the minute Bill became President. It was going to be her big entry into politics---and it fell flat on its face. Really can't see her shutting it down.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Let's not forget, Hillary was pushing for universal healthcare the minute Bill became President. It was going to be her big entry into politics---and it fell flat on its face. Really can't see her shutting it down.

Make no mistake, that was Bill Clinton's point with his comments on Obamacare. Question it publicly so Hillary can "fix it". She is on record as saying Obamacare is great, so she won't be the one before the election bringing up it's disaster hence Bill.

Hope Trump has enough sense to realize this and hit on it at the debate and box her into a corner on it. Good grief, what a disaster universal would be in this country. Obamacare is bad enough, what a shittastic piece of legislation.

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

Looks like nationwide, insurers can choose to drop coverage on a county by county basis. Not sure if this is the case in KY or if it is determined by each state's health insurance regulatory board.

I love how they can force citizens to buy health insurance but cannot force insurers to sell it. Gee... I ******* wonder why. What a cluster. And the middle class pays YET again.

 

[backbeatcat_rivals376595]

Looks like nationwide, insurers can choose to drop coverage on a county by county basis. Not sure if this is the case in KY or if it is determined by each state's health insurance regulatory board.

I love how they can force citizens to buy health insurance but cannot force insurers to sell it. Gee... I ****ing wonder why. What a cluster. And the middle class pays YET again.

They shouldn't be forcing citizens to buy it. They certainly shouldn't be able to force anyone to sell anything. BTW, please note that MANY insurance carriers volunteered to sell insurance on those wack-*** exchanges assuming that they would lose money on them the first few years, and hopefully lock in a market once they stabilized.

What those insurers didn't know is that the RRR - Rating, Reinsurance, and Risk Adjustment pieces (that receive almost no press at all) wouldn't be adequately funded - making those losses way higher than they anticipated in just the third year. The "public option" that they built into the plan (called coops) failed miserably by year 2 because they were artificially price-fixing the market by under-pricing the market and taking huge losses.

As socio-economic engineering this was a complete and catastrophic failure and anyone who doesn't acknowledge that fact at this point has a political agenda. Even the modest gains in insurance coverage were likely the result of crawling out of a historic recession. Expanding Medicaid may have been the only worthwhile outcome, but even that is doubtful as the states are about to be stuck with the huge bill. Call me cynical I guess...

 

[BlueKel_rivals210266]

I am NOT defending Obamacare. And I do realize that part of the "selling point" was that it was supposed to get healthcare costs contained some.

However, people act like these problems didn't exist before Obamacare. Health insurance costs have been skyrocketing. Healthcare costs have been skyrocketing. Long before Obamacare. It was a constant cycle of higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher co-pays, less benefits. We moved to a High Deductible plan years ago, and used a HSA - worked out pretty well for us. Granted, other than one ugly kidney stone battle, we had no major expenses.

I think absent of Obamacare, we would still be fighting a lot of these same issues with costs and benefits. Granted, it probably has made the issue a lot more prominent.

Interestingly, the wife's employer health insurance is NOT taking a rate increase this year, nor a reduction of benefits. I cannot remember the last time such a thing every happened.

 

[backbeatcat_rivals376595]

I am NOT defending Obamacare. And I do realize that part of the "selling point" was that it was supposed to get healthcare costs contained some.

However, people act like these problems didn't exist before Obamacare. Health insurance costs have been skyrocketing. Healthcare costs have been skyrocketing. Long before Obamacare. It was a constant cycle of higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher co-pays, less benefits. We moved to a High Deductible plan years ago, and used a HSA - worked out pretty well for us. Granted, other than one ugly kidney stone battle, we had no major expenses.

I think absent of Obamacare, we would still be fighting a lot of these same issues with costs and benefits. Granted, it probably has made the issue a lot more prominent.

Interestingly, the wife's employer health insurance is NOT taking a rate increase this year, nor a reduction of benefits. I cannot remember the last time such a thing every happened.

All true, BUT PPACA forced tons of benefit mandates that pushed premiums higher along with new underwriting restrictions. It absolutely accelerated premium increases that, as you say, were significant already. BTW, medical cost increases had slowed way down prior to PPACA.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Where I worked they had to reduce our benefits or face a tax. Remember the "Cadillac tax"?

 

[DSmith21]

Where I worked they had to reduce our benefits or face a tax. Remember the "Cadillac tax"?

The Cadillac Plan excise tax was delayed by Congress. Look for that bomb to hit in 2020. Count on most employers to cut healthcare benefits rather than paying the 40% tax.

http://www.benefitspro.com/2016/02/02/the-cadillac-tax-delay-and-whats-next

 

[Spanish Radio]

Where I worked they had to reduce our benefits or face a tax. Remember the "Cadillac tax"?

Mine too.

 

[Spanish Radio]

The Cadillac Plan excise tax was delayed by Congress. Look for that bomb to hit in 2020. Count on most employers to cut healthcare benefits rather than paying the 40% tax.

http://www.benefitspro.com/2016/02/02/the-cadillac-tax-delay-and-whats-next

My company was just ahead of the curve. They had an excuse to just go ahead and do it and drop their costs.

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

I am NOT defending Obamacare. And I do realize that part of the "selling point" was that it was supposed to get healthcare costs contained some.

However, people act like these problems didn't exist before Obamacare. Health insurance costs have been skyrocketing. Healthcare costs have been skyrocketing. Long before Obamacare. It was a constant cycle of higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher co-pays, less benefits. We moved to a High Deductible plan years ago, and used a HSA - worked out pretty well for us. Granted, other than one ugly kidney stone battle, we had no major expenses.

I think absent of Obamacare, we would still be fighting a lot of these same issues with costs and benefits. Granted, it probably has made the issue a lot more prominent.

Interestingly, the wife's employer health insurance is NOT taking a rate increase this year, nor a reduction of benefits. I cannot remember the last time such a thing every happened.

My premiums were going up 7-15% a year before the ACA. Far ahead of inflation, but still reasonable by healthcare standards. I looked at the rates for 2017 on something called benefind that was sent to me by Kynect, and a similar plan looks to be a 60% increase.

I know this is all anecdotal, but dear lord... It borders on compmetely ******* asinine to compare the increases before the ACA to what we are experiencing right now.

 

[roguemocha]

Single, 34 year old male, no kids, great health, rarely ever go to the doctor...$268/month.

That's effing criminal. They think I should pay over 3K/year for health insurance that is basically a just in case thing? You wonder why so many people don't have health insurance, there's your reason. That's based off a 41K salary as well. So they think 1/13th of all my money should go to a fund for just in case I get hurt?

Can't use it outside the state of Florida either.

 

[Clive Gollings]

Letter from Humana last week stating my plan would not be offered in '17 and no direct replacement (KEEP YOUR DOCTIR AND PLAN AND $2500 LOLS). My insurance agent called this week about it, says there is no definitive answer on whether they stay in KY for individual plans or what types yet.

Basically Bill Clinton's diatribe the other day was about people like me. Small business owner, bust my ***, employ people...and have to buy expensive total crap plans on the individual market. Pay a $1000 month premium with $8200 moop....which we hit every year due one of my kid's medication. And that moop is up $1200 from the year before. $20,000 straight cash (and rising) on the books before the year starts and I still may not be able to physically buy the plan I want.

Wife is a nurse who started to stay at home with the kids the last few years, have already talked about just saying eff it and her go back just for a decent ins plan. I'm fortunate to make Paddock Money but hell, that does no good if the plans aren't available to you and you have to buy some wack Obamacare HMO that doesn't cover anything.

In some kind of weird irony, I would almost be better off with single payer/Medicare for all so that we (and all of you all) all had wack terrible coverage, waits, and treatment but I could put $20K back in my pocket. Would be a disaster of Biblical proportions, but whatevs at this point. Enjoy.

It's cool you have a horse and fortunate to make "Paddock Money". Does the horse have insurance? What's that like? I've been thinking of pet insurance. I don't know if that's a thing but I need it.

 

[domino79]

I don't have health insurance.

Ive never been penalized for this. Pretty sweet gig.

 

[tammefan]

Mine went up $3.57 every two weeks. Feels good

 

[UKserialkiller]

Single, 34 year old male, no kids, great health, rarely ever go to the doctor...$268/month.

That's effing criminal. They think I should pay over 3K/year for health insurance that is basically a just in case thing? You wonder why so many people don't have health insurance, there's your reason. That's based off a 41K salary as well. So they think 1/13th of all my money should go to a fund for just in case I get hurt?

Can't use it outside the state of Florida either.

Rogue, I'm 41 yr old male, semi littleish white big penis, no AIDs or cancer, no kids, great health, never go to the doctor. Non profit job pays $516 a month for me. $268? You're complaining about that? Did I misunderstand you? You pay $268 a month for health insurance and you're complaining?

 

[UKserialkiller]

Unless I don't know. A dude over 40 can get health insurance under $268?

 

[KyFaninNC]

My company was just ahead of the curve. They had an excuse to just go ahead and do it and drop their costs.

This, it was the becoming law so they jumped on it early, just because they could.

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

Single, 34 year old male, no kids, great health, rarely ever go to the doctor...$268/month.

That's effing criminal. They think I should pay over 3K/year for health insurance that is basically a just in case thing? You wonder why so many people don't have health insurance, there's your reason. That's based off a 41K salary as well. So they think 1/13th of all my money should go to a fund for just in case I get hurt?

Can't use it outside the state of Florida either.

First of all, I thought you made over $100k. Are you failing to claim 60% of your income? Figures.

Secondly, you are paying for poor people and the elderly. Welcome to America.

 

[80 Proof]

That's the game. We're fully expecting our renewal for our exact plan being 60+% or no longer offered. So then we go through the charade of finding the closest plan we can, taking a 30% increase(again), decreasing the benefits of the policy(again), and hoping that we don't have to switch providers(again).

Leave it to the small business owners that have no voice or lobbyist to continue to carry the weight of this political insanity.

Yep, I also got the "'we're cancelling your plan" letter last week. Paying nearly $300 a month for one of the lower tier, higher deductible plans already. I'm a small business owner fighting to grow my company, and employing multiple people (many of which take home more money than me). I've tried to find a way to provide a health insurance plan the last two years for them, but there's no way, now my own plan that I pay for out of pocket is being cancelled.

The ACA is garbage, a complete failure of legislation. Pretty sure that was the intended outcome though. Now we can just pay more taxes making it harder for me to run a business so that everyone can get "something for nothing". [sick]

 

[Anon1640710541]

Just to reiterate a popular theme --> the ACA sucks and I hate it. But, to build on BlueKel's point, you can't blame every single adverse scenario on Obamacare. It's ignorant to just throw up your hands and blame every cost increase or raised deductible on the legislation. It's made most issues worst, but the system itself was a steaming pile of **** long before the ACA came around.

There's no other industry that operates the way healthcare does. The consumer is completely unaware of the cost, and mostly unable to negotiate in any way. Imagine going to the gas station and there wasn't a sign with the price per gallon. Or buying a house, sight unseen, then getting the mortgage statement in the mail 3 months later and being shocked at the balance. What if you filled up your grocery cart and had no clue what the total bill would be, only to get an IOU 90 days later? Insanity.

There are some really clever ways that you can work around the ridiculousness of the ACA (Minimum Essential Coverage plans, hybrid self-funded plans, self-funded plans, High Deductible plans, etc) -- but my god, it's a hell of a lot of work.

 

[Spanish Radio]

Just to reiterate a popular theme --> the ACA sucks and I hate it. But, to build on BlueKel's point, you can't blame every single adverse scenario on Obamacare. It's ignorant to just throw up your hands and blame every cost increase or raised deductible on the legislation. It's made most issues worst, but the system itself was a steaming pile of **** long before the ACA came around.

There's no other industry that operates the way healthcare does. The consumer is completely unaware of the cost, and mostly unable to negotiate in any way. Imagine going to the gas station and there wasn't a sign with the price per gallon. Or buying a house, sight unseen, then getting the mortgage statement in the mail 3 months later and being shocked at the balance. What if you filled up your grocery cart and had no clue what the total bill would be, only to get an IOU 90 days later? Insanity.

There are some really clever ways that you can work around the ridiculousness of the ACA (Minimum Essential Coverage plans, hybrid self-funded plans, self-funded plans, High Deductible plans, etc) -- but my god, it's a hell of a lot of work.

Our president used a year of his political capital to make things worse. He had both houses of congress and this was the best they could come up with.

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

Just to reiterate a popular theme --> the ACA sucks and I hate it. But, to build on BlueKel's point, you can't blame every single adverse scenario on Obamacare. It's ignorant to just throw up your hands and blame every cost increase or raised deductible on the legislation. It's made most issues worst, but the system itself was a steaming pile of **** long before the ACA came around.

There's no other industry that operates the way healthcare does. The consumer is completely unaware of the cost, and mostly unable to negotiate in any way. Imagine going to the gas station and there wasn't a sign with the price per gallon. Or buying a house, sight unseen, then getting the mortgage statement in the mail 3 months later and being shocked at the balance. What if you filled up your grocery cart and had no clue what the total bill would be, only to get an IOU 90 days later? Insanity.

There are some really clever ways that you can work around the ridiculousness of the ACA (Minimum Essential Coverage plans, hybrid self-funded plans, self-funded plans, High Deductible plans, etc) -- but my god, it's a hell of a lot of work.

2nd paragraph is spot on. Most people don't care. $20 copay and hit the vending machine for a mt. dew and grippos.