health insurance

I Know someone will probably turn this political, But this is the time of year my company has its annual enrollment for health benefits.

For the same policy as last year, my health insurance costs will do up 71.15 per month.

My dental will actually drop 93 cents a month. A different plan that my dentist is not in network. So i will need to find a different dentist

Vision is going up 4.32 a month for same plan.

Just curious if others are going through the same thing.

My monthly budget is very tight now, so this 70 dollar increase will hit me very hard!!

Please don't turn this political, for right now i could care less what MIGHT happen , or might NOT happen .

[yarcraft91]

Many companies pay part of your health insurance premium for you. Your company may have done what mine did- declare a limit (called a "cap") to the monthly payment they would make toward health insurance premiums and employees/retirees will pay 100% of any increase beyond that. Current employees have not yet reached the cap, but retirees reached it a few years ago. Retirees are seeing $100/monthly increases each year in the cost of health insurance until they reach age 65 (retirees under age 65 pay $600/month this year vs. employees who pay under $150). As a recent retiree, I understand your pain because it is also my pain.

[Terroreyes]

Same here. Our healthcare costs have gone up an average of 12%(over $100) per year for the last few years. Each time, we've had our policies changed to inferior ones to offset some of the costs, along with the employees contributions going up each time anyways. We're to the point that we have a policy through a 3rd part broker with ridiculous co-pays, first $12,000 you pay 80%, and we have to fill out and file all our own paperwork. If there's a long hiccup in your paperwork processing, the doctors have been known to toss you right into collections, and the collection agency goes after your credit report. To avoid that, you have to cover the insurance companies 20% and wait for them to reimburse you when they get around to it. One guy at work got a nearly $10,000 bill, AFTER the insurance companies 20%, for a child birth. Real nice when you're making about $10/hr.

[2jranch]

MY wife and I are self employed and with $5,000 (per individual) deductible we are paying$1300.00 a month. We get regular increases every year. That's $15,600 a year and if we both get sick we still have to pay $10,000 to cover our deductible on an individual basis. When I get Medicare I will be able to see a doctor when I'm not well and not wait until I have bones protruding or worse. I realize that it's difficult for every one but at least having a company contribute towards insurance with a $250 to $500 deductible for a family plan is very beneficial. Even if you make $10.00 an hr., add up your benefits and you will feel a whole lot better on what your making. This does not include any vison, dental or chiropractic, just a basic health plan.

[Terroreyes]

Originally Posted by 2jranch

I realize that it's difficult for every one but at least having a company contribute towards insurance with a $250 to $500 deductible for a family plan is very beneficial. Even if you make $10.00 an hr., add up your benefits and you will feel a whole lot better on what your making. This does not include any vison, dental or chiropractic, just a basic health plan.

Agreed. But because of cost cuts, some of those $10 employees who hired in 3-5 years ago at $16 with no insurance co-pay, it makes it even harder to swallow. Same story everywhere. Pay going down, employee costs going up.

[SteveJ]

I have a different story to tell. I am the Director of Compensation & Benefits for a HealthCare system, so I am sharing facts not a figment of someone's imagination. We have implemented a program that will have a long-term impact on the demand for health care services. It is not cost shifting to employees. This past Janaury we were able to lower employee contributions 17% and they will remain flat for 2010. I have also been able to make some changes to improve our plan, which was rather generous in the first place. We are actually seeing a reduction in our claims in our self-funded plan, which is a little luck and a lot of futuristic thinking.