About
Content
Store
Forum

Rebirth of Reason
War
People
Archives
Objectivism

Post to this threadMark all messages in this thread as readMark all messages in this thread as unread


Sanction: 6, No Sanction: 0
Sanction: 6, No Sanction: 0
Post 0

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 12:53pmSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

..so it is safe to send out the new HI premium notices. Mine only went up 22% this year. I just got the notice today(11/19) and have until mid December to decline it or find new HI. Again. Before the arrival of Obama's ACA, I used to hear about the new premiums in July from my insurer. But that was before the primary focus was Democratic Politics and ameliorating elections that were already going to be a drubbing. So I'd be interested to hear from other folks here both 'when they found out' and 'how much (+%, -%) their new HI premiums changed.

 

 

Nov 19, +22%



Post 1

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 8:14pmSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Canadian so no idea.  They "sayyyy" we have free healthcare but SOMEONE is paying for it.  I'm paying about 38% taxes plus about 2450/ year towards Canada pension plan and about 1500/ year towards unemployment insurance.  I wish I could opt out of both if those if I signed a waiver to be allowed to "never be eligible" to collect it.



Post 2

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 3:15amSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

My 2015 Medicare supplement insurance premium is about 8% more than 2014's.



Post 3

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 9:02amSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Jules:

 

I was hoping you'd be too busy building that Eastern route alternative to the Keystone pipeline to even notice.

 

You think that has a prayer of overcoming the Quebec environmentalists and whatnot?

 

What's not to like?  Existing right aways via nat gas pipleline routes, oil handling terminals already with environmental permits.    Twice as long as the Western route, but so what?  More pipe.

 

 

 

See, this where we miss Barney Frank; he's laid more pipe in his day than Atlantic-Richfield.

 

Come on, that's funny.  Get over it.

 

regards,

Fred



Post 4

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 9:14amSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Merlin:

 

See?   Compared to 22%, that 8% is a 14% savings. Should make you feel instantly better about saving 14%.   Although, it would be hard to take that to the bank.  Plus, they always ask for dollars, those pesky bankers.

 

Depending on the mix, I've heard some insurers might actually be lowering rates...but have not seen or heard of an actual example yet from anybody, and my b-i-l is in the HI broker business.

 

I'm 59; of course it's going up 22%.

 

I spent $0 on health care last yr, except for two dentist visits, which I paid out of pocket.

 

Thank God.

 

My wife, OTOH, is treated for migraines(not my fault in spite of all appearances), and more than makes up for that, but... all of that is out of pocket, too.   We basically have catastrophic high deductible coverage.   We used to call this 'hospitalization' insurance when not referring to it as 'In Case Shit Happens' insurance, before it became The Shit Already Happened Redistributive Shell Game.

 

regards,

Fred



Post 5

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 9:37amSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Fred, off-hand I guess one reason your premium increase is more than mine is because you are pre-Medicare, but I am not.  For many years Medicare has "negotiated" with health care providers to reimburse them less and less. Health care providers try to compensate by charging higher rates to private insurers.  I was retired for several years before becoming eligible for Medicare. Premiums more than tripled during that time.

 

(Edited by Merlin Jetton on 11/20, 9:38am)



Post 6

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 1:56pmSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Merlin:

 

Yes, they've been growing nearly unbounded.  (Part of this is, they've been going up, and part of this is, I'm getting close to that cliff, where insurers get the most nerrvous about issuing insurance.)

 

It was just a few years ago that my premiums had climbed to about $2700/mo before I converted to high deduct/catastrophic coverage (and then they dropped to about 770/mo..or 24G less per year.)  And that $2700/mo plan, as I remember, also had a fairly high deductible towards the end.

 

But, think back 40 yrs.   I for sure don't remember my parents going through anything like this.   Not even close.   Yet....they lived into their 90s.  They didn't suffer for inferior health care.  

 

God forbid, at this rate.  

 

So... what changed, do you think?

 

The market just seems ... broken.   So who or what broke it?

 

The other explanation is, as a nation, we are far more sickly, ill, forever at the doctors office, going to the hospital, etc., than earlier generations.

 

Do you think that is really the case?   We are forever on expensive ICU life support to eke out an extra 5 yrs of bedsores?

 

Or..as I suspect, has third party payer/ring around the rosy so damaged the marketplace that it is totally out of all (commercial) control, and now, a confluence of interests, including, as a yet another tool of redistributuon?

 

regards,

Fred

 

(Edited by Fred Bartlett on 11/20, 1:58pm)



Post 7

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 7:07pmSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Yes Fred I do not think Quebec will be a problem.  Seeing as Alberta pays a lot INTO transfer payments to the Feds who then GIVE it to Quebec.  If the Alberta economy comes to a grinding halt so do transfer payments to Quebec, environmentalists be damned if people's benefits dry up then they will scream bloody murder.  It is in their own best interests to let it go through.



Post 8

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 8:45pmSanction this postReply
Bookmark
Link
Edit

Jules,

 

I know nothing about Canada or this situation, but my guess would be that some environmentalists might remain quiet, but that there will be some who will have no problem rationalizing the loss of transfer payments if it serves their religous jihad on fossel fuels.  In modern day politics it never pays to underestimate irrationality, dishonesty, or the motive power of hatred.



Post to this thread


User ID Password or create a free account.