Community Chat

[esmeraldagooch]

All of us with the fancy Cadillac plans are sitting great now, but our time is coming. Ladies with the union plans that is you too.

[mstyrion 1]

My Health insurance did not rise at all this year. I am BCBS through my company's retirement health program. First time in YEARS it has not increased.

[NoelSeven]

Our health insurance didn't go up at all this year, for the first time in a long time.

[mstyrion 1]

On 1/5/2015 hyacinth003 said:

Yes, we have made up the losses. As one gets closer to retirement and needing the funds, it is scarier to have big losses. We sort of just let it be for a long time, thinking it was so far away. It is now not so far away. We saved for retirement when we didn't have an extra dime to spare.

So, now all of us get a much needed decrease in gas prices, only to have it affect another area badly.

So, gas prices are down, and that seems to be affecting the stock market adversely.

Our health insurance was given higher deductibles than we ever had last year. Now, not better coverage but higher premiums. We are trying to keep my daughter with decent coverage (not Medicaid) because she has developed a health issue. But, since it is COBRA coverage, it is now $558 month, up from $526/month. That is in addition to ours going up $1,500 per year. It is to cover the mess that is the ACA. And, all info points to this being worse for those of us who PAY for our coverage without subsidies.

Hyacinth

This is confusing to me.

I believe I read that you stated your husband works as a claims adjuster for an insurance company. Most insurance companies offer group health for employees. For a group health premium to go up $1,500 per year, there had to be a major change in coverage--number of parties insured for instance.

Group health policies have not been affected in that manner by ACA. Is there more to the story? COBRA is another animal entirely and not related to ACA. It's one of the most expensive types of coverage out there.

[Puzzle Piece]

On 1/5/2015 Georgie the 5th said:

On 1/5/2015 Love Roses said:

It's a struggle for most all. We had 10 cents per gallon of gasoline added to our already high prices. They were never as low as some of the other states and never will be. Fees and prices just keep rising.

You must live in PA. I just hope they use the additional tax dollars to fix the bridges in PA. They are in a terrible state of disrepair.

I live in CA. Everything is taxed to the hilt but lots of it is hidden under the word 'fee'.

[qualitygal]

not gonna comment after all, it's too depressing.

[CouponQueen]

On 1/5/2015 mstyrion 1 said:

On 1/5/2015 hyacinth003 said:

Yes, we have made up the losses. As one gets closer to retirement and needing the funds, it is scarier to have big losses. We sort of just let it be for a long time, thinking it was so far away. It is now not so far away. We saved for retirement when we didn't have an extra dime to spare.

So, now all of us get a much needed decrease in gas prices, only to have it affect another area badly.

So, gas prices are down, and that seems to be affecting the stock market adversely.

Our health insurance was given higher deductibles than we ever had last year. Now, not better coverage but higher premiums. We are trying to keep my daughter with decent coverage (not Medicaid) because she has developed a health issue. But, since it is COBRA coverage, it is now $558 month, up from $526/month. That is in addition to ours going up $1,500 per year. It is to cover the mess that is the ACA. And, all info points to this being worse for those of us who PAY for our coverage without subsidies.

Hyacinth

This is confusing to me.

I believe I read that you stated your husband works as a claims adjuster for an insurance company. Most insurance companies offer group health for employees. For a group health premium to go up $1,500 per year, there had to be a major change in coverage--number of parties insured for instance.

Group health policies have not been affected in that manner by ACA. Is there more to the story? COBRA is another animal entirely and not related to ACA. It's one of the most expensive types of coverage out there.

Totally agree. Why are you paying for COBRA coverage? I think you have mentioned your daughter's age and while she is a dependent...she does work..and therefore is entitled to her own insurance..It would cheaper under the ACA then COBRA..

As for the stocks..I don't know but ours has increased steadily last year with some nice gains! It may be the ones managing the 401K.

While you obviously want to make this political..by blaming the ACA I think it is more of the choices you made regarding health insurance!

Not sure why you would have to use COBRA at all.

[Marienkaefer2]

On 1/5/2015 esmeraldagooch said:

All of us with the fancy Cadillac plans are sitting great now, but our time is coming. Ladies with the union plans that is you too.

I can assure you, as someone who has been paying for insurance through the individual market for several years, I most definitely do NOT have a "Cadillac" plan. I think a lot of people complaining right now are the ones who have had generous coverage through employers, and they have been immune and ignorant of what it's like for many of us who do not have that coverage, either because the employer did not offer it, or we lost coverage because of reaching limits, or losing a job, being laid off, or we chose to strike out on our own and become self employed. The fact is, we are in a transitional period. Health insurance should NOT be tied to employment. It should be something that everyone has individually, and is portable, no.matter where they move to. It actually should give you peace of mind because you shouldn't lose it if you can't work or lose your job, or if you choose to go out on your own. Right now I think we are moving in that direction, and there will be bumps along the way. Other industrialized countries have.already reached this.

[kittymomNC]

Everyone blames everything on O care instead of looking at the realities. I realize that some people have been hit with increases they didn't expect, but the OVERALL rise in the cost of health care has been lower in the last couple of years than at any time since they started tracking it in 1960.

When I had private insurance through BCBS my premium DOUBLED one year from $328 a month to $656 a month because THEY changed my plan. I changed to their Plan B and kept taking higher deductibles and higher co-pays to try and keep my premium down. The last year I was on it they were increasing my premium from $690 to $761 a month. Thank goodness I went on Medicare that year!

I expected my Medicare and Medicare supplement to go up for 2015, but they didn't... they remain the same for 2015 as for 2014. And my Part D only went up $6.00 a month.

There are so many things that affect the cost of insurance premiums - company or private insurance, did the company change your benefits or the percentage you pay, did you go from company insurance to private insurance, COBRA coverage does not have anything to do with the ACA - you simply pay the full premium for your insurance instead of it being split between you and your employer (or maybe your employer paid the whole thing)... but it just seems to be simpler to say it's the fault of O care - which is not true in most cases.

And remember, O care dictates that if an insurance company doesn't spend at least 80% of your premiums on your health care, they have to refund a portion of your premiums!

July 18, 2013

...In 2012, 13 million rebates went out, in all 50 states." Another 8.5 million rebates are being sent out this summer,

Total rebates in 2012 equaled $500,000,000.

[kittymomNC]

On 1/6/2015 Love Roses said:

On 1/5/2015 Georgie the 5th said:

On 1/5/2015 Love Roses said:

It's a struggle for most all. We had 10 cents per gallon of gasoline added to our already high prices. They were never as low as some of the other states and never will be. Fees and prices just keep rising.

You must live in PA. I just hope they use the additional tax dollars to fix the bridges in PA. They are in a terrible state of disrepair.

I live in CA. Everything is taxed to the hilt but lots of it is hidden under the word 'fee'.

ITA - the local and state PTB here didn't want to have to admit that they raised any taxes, so they added additional "fees" to everything... yeah, right, no additional taxes. Hah!