Just don't get sick.....

[iamwhatiseem]

I have had company provided insurance for 25 years.
Throughout the 90's our deduction was $500...I am not sure, but at some point it went to $1000 I would guess about 2005, but we received a $500 "bridge" health account...so in fact it was still really $500.
In 2008 it went to $1500 with the same $500 bridge. It stayed that way until 2009.
In 2009 it went to $2000, but the bridge also went up to $750.
In 2010 it went up to $2500.
In 2012 it went up to $3000.
In 2013 the health bridge was eliminated...stayed at $3000
No change in 2014.
In 2015 it went to $3500, the health bridge was reinstated but held to $500.
So to recap our deduction stayed at $500 for about 17 years.
ACA passed and our deduction has went up 500%.

I an among many, many, many others.

Among many, many, many others, you were fortunate to work for a company that offered a group plan. Many, many, many others were not as fortunate. I realize that comes under "I don't care about anyone else," but there it is.

I'm guessing you never, never, never considered trying to find a better plan through the marketplace exchange sites. Much more productive to just whine on a message board.

Uh yeah...go ahead...find a better family plan that is 80/20 with a $3500 deductible for $670 a month. Doesn't exist without subsidies that I assure you I do not qualify for.
"Fortunate enough to get company insurance" - good God, once again we see the example of how Americans are being conditioned to think that company insurance is "fortunate". The vast majority of Americans for generations had company healthcare - many at NO cost and many 100% coverage with no deductible. That used to be normal. I am also "fortunate" enough to have a pension plan over most of those years - yet ANOTHER benefit that has been quietly extracted from the middle class.
"Whining" - you should be screaming at the top of your lungs about how wages have stayed stagnate for yeaars now. For the past 7 years in a row wages have declined..everyone has lost benefits and healthcare cost to the employer has SKYROCKETED.
We are all getting hosed while the top 7% (since Obama was elected) have lavished in a 33% earnings increase!!!!!!!!
The real mystery here - is why are you not upset that your hero is an elitist/corporatist that has been slamming the middle class since the day he took office!!!

 

[Arianrhod]

The vast majority of Americans for generations had company healthcare - many at NO cost and many 100% coverage with no deductible. That used to be normal.

Precisely.

Then the for-profit insurers entered the market and everything changed.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

And end up with crappy insurance? ......no thanks.

You still don't understand how it works, do you?

Yeah I do.
Which is why i'm paying $1400 a month.

 

[Arianrhod]

And end up with crappy insurance? ......no thanks.

You still don't understand how it works, do you?

Yeah I do.
Which is why i'm paying $1400 a month.

Because you believe there's a difference between a Blue Cross policy purchased through the marketplace and a Blue Cross policy purchased anywhere else. Hokay.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The vast majority of Americans for generations had company healthcare - many at NO cost and many 100% coverage with no deductible. That used to be normal.

Precisely.

Then the for-profit insurers entered the market and everything changed.

Well looky at you...ignored all of the points I made in this post...and picked out one small sentence that you could attempt to spin.
What about it Arian? Did you even know that the top 7% earners in America have been enjoying record...let me repeat...RECORD increases in earnings while the remaining 93% of working Americans have, on average, have made 5% less under Obama.
Did you not know that the only demographic that has improved under Obama's "big recovery" is the extreme wealthy??
No comment on this either?

 

[JimH52]

Well, my insurance has not increased at such a rate. Maybe 20% in a couple years. And I have employer supplied insurance, with excellent coverage.

 

[JimH52]

And when I retire in a year or so....(woulda been sooner if the recovering alcoholic Bush had not screwed me over), my employer will pay for my premium and the wife's premium will be about $550.

Many of your stories are HARD TO BELIEVE!

 

[Arianrhod]

The vast majority of Americans for generations had company healthcare - many at NO cost and many 100% coverage with no deductible. That used to be normal.

Precisely.

Then the for-profit insurers entered the market and everything changed.

Well looky at you...ignored all of the points I made in this post...and picked out one small sentence that you could attempt to spin.

Are you saying the advent of for-profit insurers in the 1980s didn't change the face of health insurance? To what else do you attribute the change you and I agree occurred then?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

And end up with crappy insurance? ......no thanks.

You still don't understand how it works, do you?

Yeah I do.
Which is why i'm paying $1400 a month.

Because you believe there's a difference between a Blue Cross policy purchased through the marketplace and a Blue Cross policy purchased anywhere else. Hokay.

Yes there is a difference.
To get the same coverage would cost even more than what I'm paying now whether in deductibles or premiums.
And with the advent of obamacare my prices have skyrocketed.

 

[Arianrhod]

And end up with crappy insurance? ......no thanks.

You still don't understand how it works, do you?

Yeah I do.
Which is why i'm paying $1400 a month.

Because you believe there's a difference between a Blue Cross policy purchased through the marketplace and a Blue Cross policy purchased anywhere else. Hokay.

Yes there is a difference.
To get the same coverage would cost even more than what I'm paying now whether in deductibles or premiums.
And with the advent of obamacare my prices have skyrocketed.

So it's not that the insurance is destining you to inferior medical treatment (which is what another poster was arguing in the Obamacare forum yesterday), but that it costs too much.

And you're not at all interested in changing insurers.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The vast majority of Americans for generations had company healthcare - many at NO cost and many 100% coverage with no deductible. That used to be normal.

Precisely.

Then the for-profit insurers entered the market and everything changed.

Well looky at you...ignored all of the points I made in this post...and picked out one small sentence that you could attempt to spin.

Are you saying the advent of for-profit insurers in the 1980s didn't change the face of health insurance? To what else do you attribute the change you and I agree occurred then?

And again ignore all points but one you believe you can score points.
You have been defined.

 

[Arianrhod]

The vast majority of Americans for generations had company healthcare - many at NO cost and many 100% coverage with no deductible. That used to be normal.

Precisely.

Then the for-profit insurers entered the market and everything changed.

Well looky at you...ignored all of the points I made in this post...and picked out one small sentence that you could attempt to spin.

Are you saying the advent of for-profit insurers in the 1980s didn't change the face of health insurance? To what else do you attribute the change you and I agree occurred then?

And again ignore all points but one you believe you can score points.

I'd be happy to address each point one at a time, but if you think this is some sort of contest, I can't help you.

 

[Disir]

Anthem to acquire Cigna, leaving only 3 big insurance companies

Hospital mergers and acquisitions leading to increased patient costs

Mergers.

Paying upfront.
Health plans lead to more hospital pre-pays

Why Hospitals Want Patients to Pay Upfront - Businessweek

Patients paying more upfront for care | Physicians for a National Health Program

All of this crap people have been trying to talk about but can't be heard because this rah, rah go team bullshit.

 

[Arianrhod]

Anthem to acquire Cigna, leaving only 3 big insurance companies

Hospital mergers and acquisitions leading to increased patient costs

Mergers.

Paying upfront.
Health plans lead to more hospital pre-pays

Why Hospitals Want Patients to Pay Upfront - Businessweek

Patients paying more upfront for care | Physicians for a National Health Program

All of this crap people have been trying to talk about but can't be heard because this rah, rah go team bullshit.

The noise has been from the "Obamacare is the worst thing to happen since the Holocaust" side. When y'all settle down, we can talk about the points you raised.

Not long ago y'all were claiming all the hospitals were going broke and were shutting down, while at the same time gloating because some of the co-ops were closing.

So when you settle on which version of "I've got mine and fuck everyone else" you want to discuss, let us know.

 

[dblack]

A big problem is ignorance.

Nailed it.

 

[Arianrhod]

A big problem is ignorance.

Nailed it.

So how do you propose we help people who don't understand or are afraid to access the marketplace sites? I've had a few successes one-on-one.

 

[dblack]

A big problem is ignorance.

Nailed it.

So how do you propose we help people who don't understand or are afraid to access the marketplace sites? I've had a few successes one-on-one.

Heh... well, I think you know I'm not talking about that.

 

[Arianrhod]

A big problem is ignorance.

Nailed it.

So how do you propose we help people who don't understand or are afraid to access the marketplace sites? I've had a few successes one-on-one.

Heh... well, I think you know I'm not talking about that.

Obviously not. So would you like to say something else about the topic?

 

[dblack]

A big problem is ignorance.

Nailed it.

So how do you propose we help people who don't understand or are afraid to access the marketplace sites? I've had a few successes one-on-one.

Heh... well, I think you know I'm not talking about that.

Obviously not. So would you like to say something else about the topic?

Yep. And I will!

 

[Disir]

Anthem to acquire Cigna, leaving only 3 big insurance companies

Hospital mergers and acquisitions leading to increased patient costs

Mergers.

Paying upfront.
Health plans lead to more hospital pre-pays

Why Hospitals Want Patients to Pay Upfront - Businessweek

Patients paying more upfront for care | Physicians for a National Health Program

All of this crap people have been trying to talk about but can't be heard because this rah, rah go team bullshit.

The noise has been from the "Obamacare is the worst thing to happen since the Holocaust" side. When y'all settle down, we can talk about the points you raised.

Not long ago y'all were claiming all the hospitals were going broke and were shutting down, while at the same time gloating because some of the co-ops were closing.

So when you settle on which version of "I've got mine and fuck everyone else" you want to discuss, let us know.

No, I didn't. Try again. When "ya'll" grow the fuck up and pay attention to the details maybe we can get somewhere unless "ya'll" can only handle the I've got mine and fuck everyone else crowd. How 'bout them apples?