- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
March 2014 Moms
Lindsey312
member
Thanks Mr. President.
Lindsey312
member
I am in no way trying to start a political debate here. I am just hoping that someone, anyone, can help me understand why this is happening, and what good is coming out of it.
My husband had a meeting over our health care changes for next year... our premium is being raised $220 A MONTH!!!!! $220 a freaking month. We live comfortably. Other than our mortgage we have no debt, we're able to save and can afford what we want, within reason. But we're going to feel this extra cost.
I honestly feel violated, and like we have no option other than bending over and taking it. Is anyone else seeing rises like this? Does it make sense?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Thanks Mr. President.
You are all right... I am not necessarily mad at Obama himself, but at the overall situation. I feel like we should have a choice in the matter. And to whomever said that premiums rise every year... I have never seen an increase like this for my family.
I am honestly asking what benefits are coming out of all of these health care changes. I want to know other's opinions.
X( UGH! It is statements like these that make my blood boil. YOU elected YOUR representatives. That IS your choice.
Unless you are one of those who does not vote and then bitches at the outcome.
Side Note: I, as a fairly conservative person when it comes to economic issues, was opposed to ACA. But it passed, it law and now we just have to deal with it. Higher healthcare costs to my business and all. Socially I am pretty liberal, so I have to side eye both sides of the aisle sometimes.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. The rise in cost is coming from the company that insures you, not the government. When I was working, I remember my premiums rising yearly as well.
Married my love 6/11/11 | MMC 10/11/11 | Eliza Frances born 9/18/12 | Rhett Garland born 2/24/14
Littlejohn115 said " I think everyone benefits from living in a society where your financial status doesn't have to determine your ability to be treated for health conditions."
unfortunately even with insurance not all people can afford the treatments, medicines, etc needed for their conditions. We have health insurance, but are struggeling to pay for my husbands prescriptions, etc. for his chronic disease. We are not selfish nor uncaring but my priorties do lie with my family- our insurance rates going up even $100 a month with no additional coverage is a huge burden. I am happy with one change and one change only and that has to do with pre-existing conditions...
Of course it is not President Obama's "fault" my insurance rates are going up but his policies are not helping them stay the same, and go down... please Im pretty damn certain not many people thought that would happen.
PS for those in desperate need of insurance the current situation is a sad state of affairs for all the promises we were sold
Eta- this is before the ACA. The company DH works for now has horrible insurance options. DH is going to start a new job soon, so it will change. Hopefully for the better. We'll see
I think it's a perspective thing. The "expensive" insurance rates I see cited here are about a 3rd of what we pay just to get him basic coverage. Our insurance costs as much as our mortgage. It will be drastically reduced under the ACA because we can join the exchange.
This was absolutely not MY choice. I most certainly voted, and not in favor of the ACA. It sounds like we see eye to eye on most issues... I am extremely conservative when it comes to economics and foreign policy, but extremely liberal when it comes to social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. However, I voted as a conservative during the last elections, and I am definitely bitching about the outcome.
Ha, yes. There is a huge variation in the people who compete. All are amazing, but there is a large spectrum of the healthy of the participants. That's all I meant. My life revolves around these stupid races.
Eta: and I'm super lazy. I don't do an ounce of exercising. I'm a professional race watcher.
I am so tired of hearing stupid people bash the president because of the ACA. I wish all of you would move to some other country and leave the rest of us alone.
ETA: Particularly you, @jaynina. That way I know your kids will be far away from mine. It's scary that you are "educating" your kids through home school and don't even know how our legislative system works.
Just teasing...heehee? I work for a government agency of sorts so I make nothing lol. So maybe jokes on me.
I was thinking this, too! I am glad for the overall tone of this board... overall, smart women!
But OP, is your husbands company renewing in December or January?
If you're renewing before 1/1/14, your rate increase has NOTHING to do with the ACA. Any plan that renews before the 1st of the year is grandfathered and doesn't have to be an ACA compliant plan. The rate increase falls on your employer, and your employer alone. Premium rates increase every year, and your employers insurance agent gave them the option of taking the increase, or doing a plan change to save money, which in turn may increase OOP expenses for you.
Many of the major healthcare companies haven't even released their rates for 1/1 yet (I can't even quote 1/1 renewals for another 2 weeks).
Married my love 6/11/11 | MMC 10/11/11 | Eliza Frances born 9/18/12 | Rhett Garland born 2/24/14
edit* stupid quote thing broken
I work for an insurance agency and I don't want to get too far into this convo because I could go on for days.. But OP, is your husbands company renewing in December or January? If you're renewing before 1/1/14, your rate increase has NOTHING to do with the ACA. I do not believe that rate increases have as you state NOTHING to do with the ACA even if they renew after 1/1/14. Companies may not know what the exact amount of change *increase* will be, but they know it will change and that just means the following year is when the change *increase* will go into effect so it's not like the change won't occur at all...
We actually cover 100% of the premium for all our employees (no spouses/family, but they are given the option to pay for that themselves). Increases in healthcare cost are just a fact of doing business. We feel we have valuable employees who deserve to be compensated well.
However, I am weary of what the 2015 premiums will look like. We hope to continue to be able to cover our people's premiums, but with the increases that my agent is hinting at we may have to re-look at this. At some point, you just can't support everyone's costs.
While I get what you're saying, @Lindsey312, I get really tired of people complaining about how this is America and we're supposed to have freedom of choice.
This rant probably goes beyond the scope of @Lindsey312's comment on choice, (and isn't even really a rant on the costs of insurance, per se), but the choice an individual gets under our system of government is who to vote for. If your candidate loses and another candidate wins, as an individual living under this system of government you are subject to the laws passed by the candidate you did not choose. Next time elections come around, you again have a choice on whom to vote for. Maybe they will win, maybe not. But we can't all have the "freedom" of choice to do every single thing the way we want. There are too many people in the USA with too many different opinions. It would never work. So while it may be true of someone that they didn't choose Obama for President or choose the Congressmen/women who passed the ACA, that person is still choosing to live in America and they still have a choice in voting. You have to live with the laws that are passed and can vote your opinion later in hopes those laws might be changed. Those are the choices you get. I'm so tired of everyone on Facebook ranting about our freedom of choice being taken away. When representatives get voted in, the people have spoken. YOU may not be a fan of universal healthcare, but a lot of people are, and they have a right to their choice and opinion too. It is what it is.
We actually cover 100% of the premium for all our employees (no spouses/family, but they are given the option to pay for that themselves). Increases in healthcare cost are just a fact of doing business. We feel we have valuable employees who deserve to be compensated well.
However, I am weary of what the 2015 premiums will look like. We hope to continue to be able to cover our people's premiums, but with the increases that my agent is hinting at we may have to re-look at this. At some point, you just can't support everyone's costs.
Yeah, we know we're just creating a TON of work for ourselves once Fall 2014 rolls around, but there are so many uncertainties with the ACA right now, it makes sense for most groups to just renew early and take a year to let the "dust settle" and see what happens. However, if you are a "sick" group (lots of medical conditions etc), it may be a better bet to wait it out and renew in 2014. Medical underwriting goes away, so the only things that reflect your individual premiums is your age, and if you are a tobacco user (how they plan to enforce THAT remains to be seen).
I will say, that even though I work in the industry, I am all in favor for affordable care for everyone. I agree with a lot of things the ACA is trying to do (no pre exsisting conditions, etc), but I'm not 100% sure this is the right method. It's also not very comforting that most of the big companies are just as confused as we are. It's hard to explain things to clients when the government hasn't entirely explained things to them, and in turn us.
I also predict this is NOT the last we will see in healthcare reform. Companies are already talking about when ACA 2.0 will undoubtedly take place, to fix all the issues ACA 1.0 neglected to address.
Ugh...as others said these increases are from your insurance carrier not obama. Secondly, you are really jumping the gun on this especially since you haven't even been on the exchange to see exactly what you could be paying. And based upon what you are saying and assuming you make an average salary the aca may well be your saving grace. A large part of this law is that it is affordable. Affordable has been defined as costing less than 9.5 percent of your total income. If your employer's insurance is increasing as you say and will be costing over 9.5 percent than you qualify for the exchange which I can certainly guarantee will be far less out of pocket. You really need to read the facts and law of the aca and check the exchange to see what options you have before throwing your hands up and blaming the wrong people. Do you research first. You may end up being very happy.
That's awesome Jess!! We aren't going to Florida, but most of our team is. That's such a fun race. My H actually doesn't have an IM on the calendar until Chattanooga. He was injured all summer and just getting back into the swing of things. He is most competitive at short distances so usually loads up with sprints and Olympics between the longer distances. Which one is your H doing? I love races. My H's team jokingly calls me manager b/c I'm more cutthroat than my H.
Mine will be going down slightly. I have had increases the past 5 years except for this year. But, comparably I can't complain. I work for the government and pay far less than others so even my increases are mininimal compared to others. But, I do think a lot of people, not neccessarily in this post, are just complaining to complain because they don't like the overall concept of the aca. There are now choices in insurance and actual restrictions on how much one can pay oop for insurance which is huge. People really need to look on the exchange and investigate the new law before cryingthat their employer's premiums are going up 3467898765%.