Health Care Changes for 2011

I know this topic is hot politically, but this poll is created with a pure heart. With many of the health care changes coming into law on January 1, I thought it would be a natural time to compare your last 2010 paycheck and your first 2011 paycheck and see what change in health care costs there is.

If you buy your policy separately, like auto insurance, did it go up or stay the same or what? If you run your business and buy coverage for your employees, what happened?

Obama said that, if you like your coverage, it will not change. Is that the case?

In my case, it's same coverage, 2.5x the cost. And the coverage wasn't that great to begin with, something like a $5,000 deductible.

My health insurance premiums went up significantly too.

I know you say the poll was created with a pure heart, but my answer "Same coverage, less cost" was not on there...

I think cost is going up because there's nothing to stop insurance companies from raising costs. They all have a nice convenient excuse now.

My dental and vision stayed the same. Medical went up $138.58 for the year or about 25%. I think coverage is about the same.

My health insurance costs go up every year. For me, this year's increase is LESS than last year's increase, and my coverage has stayed the same. I think that what really matters here is the relative rate of change - basically the rate of acceleration of the change in healthcare costs.

*editing and elaborating*

When Obama said it'd stay the same, he meant you'd be treated in the same way, not that the rates would freeze. Your rate would almost certainly have gone up this year even if HCRA had not passed.

Insurers have no choice but to raise rates. In 2010 a family plan covers children until age 21. The same plan is required to cover those 'children' to age 26 in 2011. So there are millions of adults age 21 - 26 that are now covered, that previously weren't. The insurance companies are thus increasing the costs of their policies. As far as what the rates actually are, the medical insurance business is extremely competitive. In my town there are essentially 3 large companies which dominate the marketplace. If one is 10% higher than another, it will go out of business.

Average rates have increased for at least the last decade.

Quote: ItsCalledSoccer

I know this topic is hot politically, but this poll is created with a pure heart. With many of the health care changes coming into law on January 1, I thought it would be a natural time to compare your last 2010 paycheck and your first 2011 paycheck and see what change in health care costs there is.

Health insurance costs will keep going up and it is nothing new. In December 2002 my then employer got the new rates. I spent literally three solid days making spreadsheets for the owners of the company. They were buying wrong IMHO (too many plan choices) but that was the year they were going to have to ask workers to pay > 50% of their insurance cost for the first time. The owner was clear that this was something he didn't want to do. He said how way back the company paid 100% of the cost. I find two things more than anything driving it.

First, there is more and more coverage. Some politician decides people should have mamograms or prostrate screenings covered, so they make a law. Insurance company actuarys (no offense, Wiz) compute the cost and up goes the premium. This for preventitive care.

Second, people have very little idea what co-payments at time of service should be. They want to pay $10 for an office visit. To get your CAR looked at by a mechanic will cost $65 or more. $10 will only cover the cost to bill the insurance company for crying out loud.

I will vote for the next politician who at a town hall answers a "complaint" about it costing $50 to see the doctor with they reply, "Yes, that is what it costs to see a professional mechanic, electrician, plumber, or even doctor. What on earth do you expect it to cost? This isn't 1964."