The problem is the insurance model of paying for health care.
Insurance works well for things that are normally unexpected casualties, like an auto accident but for an ongoing expense like health care it just becomes a cash cow for wealthy corporations.
Well, I used to hate my $500/month health insurance too - I hadn't been to a doctor in 10-20 years, what did I need this useless insurance for?
Then in May I finally saw a doctor and got a cancer diagnosis, and with chemo, radiation and now surgery, my claims have been running about $70,000 per month. In addition to premiums, it has cost me about $5,000 so far in out of pocket expenses.
So I don't think I can complain about premium costs anymore. In fact, I'm probably one of the reasons your costs are going up. Sorry about that...
[USER=597]@Gromaticus[/USER]
IMVHO you should be getting the care you deserve now when you need it no matter the cost to the insurance company.
Those amounts were known and used to determine your monthly premium amount.
Most auto insurance have a medical portion that pays for the driver and others in that vehicle and in other vehicle.
Several years ago Texas raised the minimum amount of medical because $10k was no longer enough to cover minor trips to the ER from an accident scene.
$30k per person, $60k per accident
$25k property damage per accident
Not counting uninsured motorist, liability, collision and repair or replacement of vehicles.
Your health insurance may or may not pay after the limits of the auto medical is exceeded.
It is a case by case decision.
The different class of insurance is outrageous, HMO, HPO, PPO.
It all gets crazy trying to keep your long term family doctor in a one horse town or in a metropolitan area when doctors must be accepted and kept on a list by the insurance company for benefits to be paid.
Good luck needing care while out of town or state and your insurance only covers you in your home neighborhood.
They do not necessarily pay for a specialist without a referral from your named caregiver.
Twice a year for the last several years the doctor in charge of our care, of my wife, my daughter and my doctor has magically changed at the Insurance Company data center and we have had to prove that the doctor they had listed has never ever been our care provider or is even at the facility we visit.
I have proven to them time and time again that the list they are using is out of date and the correct information is on our applications.
We are at the mercy of corporate boards that only look at the bottom line.
That bottom line is to continue to keep a profit increase of 20+% per year.
I went to the same doctor for 30 years until he retired. I stayed with the large operation that bought him out and inherited his records, but in the last 4 years they've assigned me to 4 different primary care doctors as they went through the revolving door. I haven't even yet seen the one I'm currently assigned to.
I've always made sure I picked a plan that would allow me to be covered regardless of who I needed to see. The in-network requirement is too constricting.
I never thought I'd look forward to Medicare but almost there. Buying a ACA plan this year was a disaster. Something going to need to change, can't imagine this being sustainable. Wife almost made it through the deductible, me very little. Deductible is $3500 each. Premiums $1500/month. So coverage not really kicked in until over $22,000/year.
I'm thinking a a better catastrophic plan is a SW 38 Special.
They should place everyone into the same pool, make all buy there own policies. Employers should only pay some money to employees for insurance and no other involvement. Get the other 200 million people in the US dragged into this mess and I believe we'd soon find some solutions and make some required changes. I don't think we could have set out to make a mess and even come close to what we got.
LRDay, post: 398700, member: 571 wrote: I never thought I'd look forward to Medicare but almost there.
If you're close, look for some orientation sessions to learn the terminology. For those not already on Social Security, start the Medicare signup process about 3 months before the first of the month in which you turn 65. For mysterious reasons, if your birthday falls on the 1st, that's part of the prior month for SS & Medicare purposes so you can lose a month of lead time by not paying attention to that. That is Medicare Part A and Part B.
My opinion: don't sign up for a Medicare (dis)Advantage plan with its restrictions. Get a Part D drug plan (more expensive later for the rest of your life if you don't sign up when eligible) and a High Deductible F supplement. YMMV.
Totalsurv, post: 398676, member: 8202 wrote: Now is the standard of healthcare in the US better than here I don't know.
I believe you have a fitness based health maintenance system over there that is superior to what we have in the US
Our Affordable Healthcare Act is far from that. On our current plan, basically we have to pay for everything. Routine check-ups have a co-payment. But Dr decided a need something else. Called the insurance company and basically I have to foot the whole bill. Our individual deductible is $1500, but then there is the Out-of-Pocket of $3500. So I have to pay the first $5000 before insurance would kick in. Now if something catastrophic happens, then it would be there ( I think ). But that isn't what we were sold on when Obama pushed this policy through. So I had to cancel the appointment and hope for the best. Got to love insurance that I pay for that I can't use.
The like button seems so unfitting, we need one for I hear ya. Maybe a big ear.
The problem is that we are buying insurance instead of paying for health care...
Jim in AZ, post: 398884, member: 249 wrote: The problem is that we are buying insurance instead of paying for health care...
Glad someone gets it. Pass the word!
My bills are $125k for my neck and $30k for my hand since July. Not done with either but that is bulk of it. Used up 210 hours of paid sick leave, tapped out $5k catastrophic out-of-pocket for this year, so in a way fortunate I had two accidents in one calendar year. I am appealing another $5k the insurance won't pay & doctor wont write off (I wouldn't either and don't expect him to). I paid the $5k to doctor and maybe be a year fighting insurance company to pay me if I prevail. The only thing I want from retirement is continue my employee Group share of continuing coverage cause myself/spouse share is $400/mo.
I paid for my insurance up front. 6 years Army. Lucky for me our local VA is awesome. My wife works in a hospital so the rest of the family is less than 50 bucks a week...
We're members of Samaritan Ministries, and we couldn't be happier with it. We pay cash for our medical expenses, generally at a substantial discount. We send money monthly directly to other members, so we know where the money goes. We've been on the receiving end, too, with needs ranging from a broken arm to child birth to bladder cancer treatment. It's a great alternative to medical insurance.
(un)Affordable (non)Healthcare = Inflated Medical costs(so they end up with what it should really cost) and inflated insurance premiums and basically crap healthcare.
Nearly $1000/month for just the wife and myself. After all this, I can't stand any more government "assistance"
Heard a rumor that its all going to change by April 2017....
Lets hope that the change isn't yet another double digit increase with less coverage.....
Getting rid of Obamacare isn't going to reduce the cost of health insurance.
Jim Frame, post: 399043, member: 10 wrote: Getting rid of Obamacare isn't going to reduce the cost of health insurance.
true.
however replacing Health Insurance with Health Care could save tons.
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