Anyone here work a job you despise so you can have affordable health insurance?

[mark_a]

I have done it, but not at the moment.

I think it’s modern day slavery.

And another thing- why does health insurance cost me 60% more for comparable coverage than it cost when I was covered by my company?

It’s a conspiracy. There ya go. I said it. Anyone care to challenge me?

 

[dawgfan]

I have done it, but not at the moment.

I think it’s modern day slavery.

People did this prior to passage of HIPPA but since then it hasn’t been nearly as much as an issue since you can now change jobs and with proof of prior coverage you can shorten or eliminate pre-existing clauses that the new company’s plan might have.

And another thing- why does health insurance cost me 60% more for comparable coverage than it cost when I was covered by my company?

As a rule, Group coverage is cheaper than individual coverage. That is its appeal. There is less risk associated with insuring a group of people than for insuring individuals.

It’s a conspiracy. There ya go. I said it. Anyone care to challenge me?

The real issue is “why are health premiums increasing at an exponential rate” and is it the fault of doctors, hospitals, drug companies, patients themselves or a combination of all.

 

[jmcrae]

The real issue is “why are health premiums increasing at an exponential rate” and is it the fault of doctors, hospitals, drug companies, patients themselves or a combination of all.

Because prices are based on what the market will bear, and when the market is made up of billionaire capitalists (or rather, their insurance companies), an aspirin will cost whatever a billionaire capitalist’s insurance company can afford to pay.

 

[Carrie_Andrews]

Well, I actually enjoy my job, but it’s low paying and the main draw is health insurance. Alot of people I work with do hate the job, they’ve been there 25 to 40 years and do get a good pay rate, but stick around for the perks, like insurance and daycare.
It is a shame that you have to be wealthy to really get great health care, but I know some wealthy people who still get bad health care because they are elderly, and this country is all about the youth, IMHO.
It does seem like slavery to me, from an insiders veiw, after seeing how unhappy some of the long time workers are. But I think they would be alot better off if they would spend more time in prayer and less complaining. I have noticed the faithful, knowledgeable Catholics are alot more content with there job and don’t complain like those who are at loose ends in their relationship with God.

 

[dawgfan]

Because prices are based on what the market will bear, and when the market is made up of billionaire capitalists (or rather, their insurance companies), an aspirin will cost whatever a billionaire capitalist’s insurance company can afford to pay.

So are you saying that doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and sometimes patients themselves do not share in the blame?

 

[mary_bobo]

Because prices are based on what the market will bear, and when the market is made up of billionaire capitalists (or rather, their insurance companies), an aspirin will cost whatever a billionaire capitalist’s insurance company can afford to pay.

And please don’t forget the outrageous law suits. Malpractice premiums go up as a result. If I am correct, Canada does not have a contingency law for attorneys. At least they did not when I lived there. Perhaps there has been a change.

In this country folks want the latest innovations and new techniques and that costs money. Things in medicine are costly but that does not mean that one can’t educate themselves on what is what and not ask for the moon when a simple star will do.

 

[dawgfan]

And another thing- why does health insurance cost me 60% more for comparable coverage than it cost when I was covered by my company?

I also forgot to add that most companies pay a significant portion of the entire premium cost as well as a benefit for the employees. If you add up what the company is paying and what the employee is paying it is alot more than what people see on their paycheck as a deduction.

 

[mark_a]

As a rule, Group coverage is cheaper than individual coverage. That is its appeal. There is less risk associated with insuring a group of people than for insuring individuals.

This is an answer I hear very often, and quite frankly, I think its at best an incomplete answer.

Insurance is all done with computers and telephones. If groups handling, for the sake of argument, radioacive waste or anthrax, can get affordable health insurance coverage, why can’t I get it for my gensing and mushroom gathering business?

 

[jmcrae]

So are you saying that doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and sometimes patients themselves do not share in the blame?

They all have a share in it - doctors, for taking whatever the insurance companies will give them, hospitals for inflating prices, drug companies for inflating prices, and patients for not insisting that costs be reasonable, but instead getting their insurance companies to pay outrageous prices.

We have the same situation with dentistry in this country. When I was a kid, two children could go to the dentist for a check-up, and one of them could get a cavity filled, and it would cost $25.00. Their Mom could give them the money and send them on their own.

Today, the same two kids would have to practically take out a mortgage to get the same check-up and tooth filled, all because most people are covered by dental insurance - insurance companies are willing to pay out huge sums of money, dentists are willing to take it, and there you go - prices go straight through the roof, and the average person can no longer go to the dentist.

 

[mark_a]

I also forgot to add that most companies pay a significant portion of the entire premium cost as well as a benefit for the employees. If you add up what the company is paying and what the employee is paying it is alot more than what people see on their paycheck as a deduction.

Not in my case. I did cobra payments of 102% ($560 monthly) of the company’s cost after being laid off after 9/11. Comparable insurance coverage would have cost me $890 per month.

My health or my family’s health did not change significantly to warrent that kind of an increase.

 

[mark_a]

And while I’m at it, why does the hospital bill for an uninsured person average 3X the cost of an insured person’s bill?

 

[dawgfan]

Not in my case. I did cobra payments of 102% ($560 monthly) of the company’s cost after being laid off after 9/11. Comparable insurance coverage would have cost me $890 per month.

My health or my family’s health did not change significantly to warrent that kind of an increase.

Yep, that’s how COBRA works. Most companies usually make the termed employee pay the total cost of the premium (employee and company portion) plus an administration fee.

As you can see in your example, group coverage is still cheaper than individual coverage.

IMO premium rates are too much both for group and individual coverage.

 

[dawgfan]

And while I’m at it, why does the hospital bill for an uninsured person average 3X the cost of an insured person’s bill?

I wouldn’t even begin to be able to explain or understand that if that happened in your circumstance. I’ve never been able to understand hospital billing.

 

[Sabda]

And please don’t forget the outrageous law suits. Malpractice premiums go up as a result. If I am correct, Canada does not have a contingency law for attorneys. At least they did not when I lived there. Perhaps there has been a change.

This is soo soooo true! Right after I had my son my ob sent out a letter saying that he was having to retire because of the cost of malpratice insurance. It’s a real shame because we are losing so many good doctors and so many good potential doctors due to the amount of insurance that THEY have to pay.

Our area lost an ob who was willing to do whatever it took to save lives.

 

[dawgfan]

Not in my case. I did cobra payments of 102% ($560 monthly) of the company’s cost after being laid off after 9/11. Comparable insurance coverage would have cost me $890 per month.

My health or my family’s health did not change significantly to warrent that kind of an increase.

Ooops, I also forgot to add that alot of companies group insurance plans are also self-funded. That means that the premiums that the employees pay goes toward the payment of the total group claims.

If a company has had a low amount of money paid out in claims then they usually pass the savings on to the employees. That is the goal for group self funded plans.

With individual insurance, you don’t have the same scenario for savings in premium cost.

Also, another reason for difference in cost is that most group plans don’t charge any difference based on age of a person. Individual plans costs are usually age based.

 

[skeffer]

This is soo soooo true! Right after I had my son my ob sent out a letter saying that he was having to retire because of the cost of malpratice insurance. It’s a real shame because we are losing so many good doctors and so many good potential doctors due to the amount of insurance that THEY have to pay.

Our area lost an ob who was willing to do whatever it took to save lives.

I know just what you are saying our family drocot of 18 years left town do to high mal-practice insurance …He left private practice altogether and went to work in a clinic out west that pays his insurance . He left his wife and children here so that the boys could finish their high school as the oldest one is a senoir and the other is a year behind he comes home every couple of weeks or so… It is terrible I’m not sure what the answer is to get insurance cost under control:shrug:

 

[dawgfan]

They all have a share in it - doctors, for taking whatever the insurance companies will give them, hospitals for inflating prices, drug companies for inflating prices, and patients for not insisting that costs be reasonable, but instead getting their insurance companies to pay outrageous prices.

I’m in total agreement with you. There’s so many pieces of the puzzle that has contributed to what we have that has been labeled as a"broken" system.

I just think it oversimplifies the discussion to blame everything on just one culprit (including the insurance companies - although they certainly have their fair share of the blame IMO)

 

[dawgfan]

This is an answer I hear very often, and quite frankly, I think its at best an incomplete answer.

Insurance is all done with computers and telephones. If groups handling, for the sake of argument, radioacive waste or anthrax, can get affordable health insurance coverage, why can’t I get it for my gensing and mushroom gathering business?

In negotiating for rates with insurance companies, bigger companies have an advantage due to size of potential business that the company will bring to the Insurance company.

 

[holly_potter]

Hmm…my dad did that. Actually, the way the story goes is that he was trying for a couple of years to find a different job. But all of the offers fell through through no fault of his. Then I got my cochlear implant with 100% coverage, and shortly therafter, he got a new job he likes even better.

Maybe it’s not slavery. Maybe that’s just God’s way of saying you can’t have it both ways. There’s a reason for everything, including a bad job with good insurance. My dad’s now glad he wasn’t hired right away like he wanted, because the implant has been such a blessing. Bear the crosses willingly, because afterwards you’ll find out why you had to bear them.

 

[gmarie21]

Not in my case. I did cobra payments of 102% ($560 monthly) of the company’s cost after being laid off after 9/11. Comparable insurance coverage would have cost me $890 per month.

My health or my family’s health did not change significantly to warrent that kind of an increase.

I had quite the opposite. When I was on Cobra PPO and paid for my dd and myself, I was dishing out close to $600 per month for health and dental. When I switched to individual PPO I paid close to $230 per month for my dd and myself for health, dental and life. Now my dd is under her father’s PPO for health and so I pay $207 per month for myself for health, dental, and life, and for my dd for dental and I have the EXACT same coverage that I had when I was on Cobra. I think, as one poster stated, that it all depends on the group plan and also the pre-existing conditions of the patients. By the way, I make slightly above minimum wage (18K/year) and sacrifice in other areas because I believe health insurance is more important to be spending my money on than the latest gadgets.

Also, because so many in this country DON’T go to the doctor for regular checkups, problems don’t get caught at their early stages when they are less expensive to treat and handle. However, I wouldn’t want to go to a system like in Canada either, because their doctors aren’t motivated to be the best since they’re paid by the government, and well, those who can afford to get medical help here in the US, usually cross the boarder to do so. Their system must be broken too.