I've been paying $110 a paycheck (twice a month) for the past year or so. Single, no dependents, PPO. HR gave us some estimates today, and it looks like I'm going to be paying $175 every paycheck. This is the biggest jump we've ever had. In the past, the increase has been no more than $20/paycheck.
I've been paying a bit over $150 a paycheck for an identical situation. I can't possible know how much it will go up as benefits do not follow the calendar year and won't be known until into the new year (making switching to the exchange a not particularly practical idea even if for some reason I wanted to). It went up about $30 a paycheck to this current rate from last year. So big jumps are not new, but I suppose it might be even worse. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if I'm paying $200 a paycheck ($400 a month) soon - not even including what the employer contributes.
Trees don't grow on money
Mine stayed flat this year at $112/month for my portion. The high deductible option actually went down in price this year and the deductible and max out of pocket for it both went down as well.
Interesting.....I was on yahoo news before I logged in here, reading about a married couple in their 50's who fled to Costa Rica for affordable health care. They spent two years there and then went to retire in Nicaragua, where their dollars stretched even further and health care cost yet less. I am of the opinion that with a few more rounds of price increases for health insurance, more and more people will be looking into leaving the US - it will become a more practical solution as more folks are priced out of access to health care. Part of me cherishes the day this happens as there's a part of me that's like, I told everyone so, and part of me dreads this happening as other countries will be overrun with Americans fleeing a bad deal. But I don't read the future, and who knows if what I believe will come to pass? There's nothing like being stretched to the limit with no room to give to make you think outside your personal box, though.
Back to Tradd's question - for me it will be different as I qualify this year for Medicaid under the new guidelines. It will be next to free with minor check in copays for services. I might still keep going to Mexico if the waiting time for an appointment becomes unreal, which I think may be a consequence. I have had a few people ask me lately for the name of my doctor in Mexicali, just in case. But for me ObamaCare is a different scenario than it is for others here, and like so many things in this country, it all boils down to social class and this fact does not get adequately addressed. Rob
Originally Posted by Tradd
While I would love to pin this on The Prez (and who knows? maybe later I will!) I would not do it yet unless you have evidence from an objective source. Things to consider:
1) your company did poorly at negotiating health insurance this year and costs shot up
2) your Management decided to stop eating cost increases and just passed them on to you, conveniently scapegoating the Prez
I think 1600 Penn Ave should to hire me as an apologist for them.
Score!
See Tradd, there are winners and losers. You need to finagle to get to the right side.
True, Iris Lilly, there will be winners and losers. Would you want to live at my income level to be a "winner" on this one? I'll go out on a limb here and guess that most people would not. But I also understand that people such as Tradd will be stretched yet more, meaning such people will have less disposable income, so there go more restaurant jobs and retail jobs down the drain.....
There really is no way to win in the game of American health care unless you are very well to do is my opinion. But ObamaCare at my level is indeed better than nothing. Too bad the government wont pay for me to go to Mexico for my care - they'd save money and I would experience higher quality - amazing how just crossing a border (after having done lots of research, mind you) can make this situation win/win - but staying in the US for health care aids and abets a system which creates health care "winners and losers". Doesn't say much for the American way, at least as far as health care is concerned, does it? Rob
Rob, you're always mentioning social class as if it's some kind of caste system that you can never escape. Deep down, you know that's not right dontcha?
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
To some degree I do consider this a caste system. Yes, I truly do. When I say this I don't mean quite the extreme of how caste systems work in India - but Alan, you strike me as being well read and up to date on things. You probably are aware of recent research ranking the US dead last in the developed world for upward social mobility - and heavily socialistic countries like Denmark - which was #1 in upwards mobility in the developed world - come out on top. I think it's a good thing that not a lot of folks on my end of the scale are aware of this and how it affects them. Good thing - this is the stuff revolutions are made of.
Deep down for me anyway, much of how things are in the US don't work especially well, no. Not your point I guess but it is my truth. Rob
I haven't signed up yet on the exchange, but it looks like our will go down over $2K a month for a much better policy.
I have paid up our current insurance through the end of the year and I hope that is the last premium I will have to make for 4 figures a month. We did have one family member have unusually high medical expenses this year, so my only consolation is even at our current premiums the insurance company will still be paying out much more than we paid in.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote