Founding fathers liked taxed government health care

[Crown@club]

Originally Posted by Riot

Gotta love insurance companies. You sign a contract with them, but the contract says that here's the agreement - but they have outs at their discretion

Are the rates reasonable?

On the surface (11% increase) with what I've seen the past 5 years, its tolerable.

Deductibles are getting up there though.

With what I see with Anthem (we were with them in 2007 before switching), rates already increased on one employee, and they already have a higher deductibles. The employee has to worry about his non-formulary co-pays. They are currently at $40, but with other policies offered they could be as high as $80. Expensive for his oldest on his needed monthly medicine.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Crown@club

On the surface (11% increase) with what I've seen the past 5 years its tolerable.

Deductibles are getting up there though.

With what I see with Anthem (we were with them in 2007 before switching), rates already increased on one employee, and they already have a higher deductibles. The employee has to worry about his non-formulary co-pays. They are currently at $40, but with other policies offered they could be as high as $80. Expensive for his oldest on his needed monthly medicine.

Well, at least with kids under 18, the insurance companies can no longer do lifetime caps or kick kids off completely for pre-existings. Although it doesn't mean they won't manipulate the heck out of things, until the 2014 80% reinvestment rule (must spend on policy holders) for the company kicks in.

We are a crazy country. I completely fail to understand why we can't go to a public option, why people are against that?

[Crown@club]

Another 9.7% increase........

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Crown@club

Another 9.7% increase........

but look at all the 'free' stuff you're getting! isn't it wonderful??

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Danzig

but look at all the 'free' stuff you're getting! isn't it wonderful??

OMFG I brought up this thread and say Nascar and nearly had a stroke.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by jms62

OMFG I brought up this thread and say Nascar and nearly had a stroke.

lol

yeah, sometimes you go 'whoa' and then look at the post date/time...that brings a sigh of relief!

[Crown@club]

Originally Posted by Danzig

but look at all the 'free' stuff you're getting! isn't it wonderful??

I can't wait to get a doctor's prescription just for cold medicine.

Ok. That hasn't passed yet.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Crown@club

I can't wait to get a doctor's prescription just for cold medicine.

Ok. That hasn't passed yet.

I purchased some pseudoephedrine a month ago. Took 20 minutes and tons of paperwork. Ridiculous. I asked the pharmacist if it would be easier if I just wrote an Rx for it, considering the DEA has already given me a license that allows me to purchase morphine, codeine, fentanyl, etc.

He wants the law about Rx to pass, it makes it tons easier on him, turns it into just filling an Rx. Big pharmacist lobby in favor of this. Ridiculously difficult for consumers, however.

[Riot]

NEW DATA: Record Slow Growth In Health Care Costs
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Newly released national health expenditures data shows record slow growth in health care costs of only 3.9 percent in 2010. Of course, the severe recession has had a lasting impact on private insurance coverage and consumption. But the actions of the Obama administration also contributed to this slowdown in several ways:

– Growth in Medicare spending slowed significantly, and this can be directly attributed to cuts in payments to private health plans under Medicare. Over the next few years, the Affordable Care Act will cut inefficient subsidies to these plans, slowing Medicare growth even further and leveling the playing field between Medicare and private plans.

– Medicaid spending on prescription drugs slowed significantly from 6.1 percent to 0.3 percent. The Affordable Care Act—which increased the rebates that drug manufacturers must pay, lowering drug prices—contributed to this slowdown.

– Medicare spending on home health care slowed significantly from 11.1 percent to 5.2 percent. The administration’s crackdown on fraudulent billing contributed to this slowdown.

The data also show that Medicare is better at containing costs than private health plans. Medicare continues to have lower growth in costs per enrollee than plans in the private sector. This is because private plans pay higher rates to health care providers and have significantly higher administrative costs.

Finally, the data show why the Affordable Care Act is so needed. The administrative costs and profits of health insurance companies grew at 8.4 percent in 2010—the fastest growing spending category.

But starting in 2011, the Affordable Care Act required public review of unreasonable premium increases and put limits on insurance company administrative costs and profits. Once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, it will continue to slow the growth in health care costs. That’s because the ACA included an array of reforms to the way health care is paid for and delivered. These reforms reward the value and quality of care, and not just the quantity of care:


... snip ... more at: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012...th-care-costs/

The above is fighting this, in the last year before all the ACA provisions kick in:

Health insurer Aetna reports 4th-quarter profit jumps 73 percent, helped by lower medical use

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...HhQ_story.html