OT: Medical increases for the year

[ocrenter]

we live in a litigious society. we also live in a consumer is always right society.

the combination applied to medicine is therefore ALL doctors must be RIGHT 100% of the time. they also need to keep the patients happy by giving them what they demand.

how do doctors make sure they are RIGHT 100% of the time? they order tests, lots of them. they also give in to patients who want the newest (and therefore priciest) medication that was just advertised on TV.

the end result is the cost keeps going up, and the premium keeps rising.

Here’s the example:

let’s take 10 people showing up with cough in America. that 10 people will all get chest x-rays because the doctors don’t dare miss anything. 3 out of the 10 will have an incidental finding on the chest x-ray that will require CT scan, 1 will need the CT scan repeated 2 or 3 times to ensure it is nothing. nothing was found but that’s 10 chest x-rays, and 5 CT scans.

take the same 10 people showing up with cough in Taiwan. all told most likely cough would just go away. 2 comes back with the cough after a couple of weeks, those are the 2 that gets the chest x-ray. having only had 2 chest x-rays done, there are fewer incidental findings, no CT scan had to be done.

the result? the American gets more radiation, and the American then goes on a blog to complaint that his insurance premium is going up by another 24% this next year.

[ralphfurley]

My deductible went up from $500 to $2000. And they increased the amount taken out of every paycheck from $150 to $260.

[ralphfurley]

My deductible went up from $500 to $2000. And they increased the amount taken out of every paycheck from $150 to $260.

[ralphfurley]

My deductible went up from $500 to $2000. And they increased the amount taken out of every paycheck from $150 to $260.

[ralphfurley]

My deductible went up from $500 to $2000. And they increased the amount taken out of every paycheck from $150 to $260.

[ralphfurley]

My deductible went up from $500 to $2000. And they increased the amount taken out of every paycheck from $150 to $260.

[Aecetia]

Time for tort reform and let health insurance be sold competitively across State lines. My costs went up $72. a month. We need reform, but not the Pelosi brand. Anyone watch V? I think she might be a reptile…

Hey Brian, knowing how you embrace religion, did you know that:

“A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.” This is from the LA Times. I hope this is a source you approve of…
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-health-religion3-2009nov03,0,2239900.story?page=1

[Aecetia]

Time for tort reform and let health insurance be sold competitively across State lines. My costs went up $72. a month. We need reform, but not the Pelosi brand. Anyone watch V? I think she might be a reptile…

Hey Brian, knowing how you embrace religion, did you know that:

“A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.” This is from the LA Times. I hope this is a source you approve of…
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-health-religion3-2009nov03,0,2239900.story?page=1

[Aecetia]

Time for tort reform and let health insurance be sold competitively across State lines. My costs went up $72. a month. We need reform, but not the Pelosi brand. Anyone watch V? I think she might be a reptile…

Hey Brian, knowing how you embrace religion, did you know that:

“A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.” This is from the LA Times. I hope this is a source you approve of…
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-health-religion3-2009nov03,0,2239900.story?page=1

[Aecetia]

Time for tort reform and let health insurance be sold competitively across State lines. My costs went up $72. a month. We need reform, but not the Pelosi brand. Anyone watch V? I think she might be a reptile…

Hey Brian, knowing how you embrace religion, did you know that:

“A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.” This is from the LA Times. I hope this is a source you approve of…
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-health-religion3-2009nov03,0,2239900.story?page=1

[Aecetia]

Time for tort reform and let health insurance be sold competitively across State lines. My costs went up $72. a month. We need reform, but not the Pelosi brand. Anyone watch V? I think she might be a reptile…

Hey Brian, knowing how you embrace religion, did you know that:

“A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.” This is from the LA Times. I hope this is a source you approve of…
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-health-religion3-2009nov03,0,2239900.story?page=1

[UCGal]

Our employee contributions went up over %60, year over year, for family coverage for the two HMO’s offered. (By far the most popular plans at this corporate campus.)

I did some digging to find the raw numbers – the pre-stimulus adjusted COBRA numbers for 2009 and 2010… to determine how much the ACTUAL premiums went up (employer + employee contributions.) They went up 9% and 11% – depending on which plan.

So, not only did premiums go up… but my employer made the choice to shift a much higher percentage of the insurance cost to the employee.

In the past year we’ve also lost our 401k match, had our salaries frozen, and seen bonuses decimated.

But, as mentioned, we’re lucky to have jobs.

I don’t blame congress and the health care reform advocates. I blame the people at the corporate level who are determined to make sure our real wages go down significantly while they continue to pad their compensation packages pretty nicely.

[UCGal]

Our employee contributions went up over %60, year over year, for family coverage for the two HMO’s offered. (By far the most popular plans at this corporate campus.)

I did some digging to find the raw numbers – the pre-stimulus adjusted COBRA numbers for 2009 and 2010… to determine how much the ACTUAL premiums went up (employer + employee contributions.) They went up 9% and 11% – depending on which plan.

So, not only did premiums go up… but my employer made the choice to shift a much higher percentage of the insurance cost to the employee.

In the past year we’ve also lost our 401k match, had our salaries frozen, and seen bonuses decimated.

But, as mentioned, we’re lucky to have jobs.

I don’t blame congress and the health care reform advocates. I blame the people at the corporate level who are determined to make sure our real wages go down significantly while they continue to pad their compensation packages pretty nicely.

[UCGal]

Our employee contributions went up over %60, year over year, for family coverage for the two HMO’s offered. (By far the most popular plans at this corporate campus.)

I did some digging to find the raw numbers – the pre-stimulus adjusted COBRA numbers for 2009 and 2010… to determine how much the ACTUAL premiums went up (employer + employee contributions.) They went up 9% and 11% – depending on which plan.

So, not only did premiums go up… but my employer made the choice to shift a much higher percentage of the insurance cost to the employee.

In the past year we’ve also lost our 401k match, had our salaries frozen, and seen bonuses decimated.

But, as mentioned, we’re lucky to have jobs.

I don’t blame congress and the health care reform advocates. I blame the people at the corporate level who are determined to make sure our real wages go down significantly while they continue to pad their compensation packages pretty nicely.

[UCGal]

Our employee contributions went up over %60, year over year, for family coverage for the two HMO’s offered. (By far the most popular plans at this corporate campus.)

I did some digging to find the raw numbers – the pre-stimulus adjusted COBRA numbers for 2009 and 2010… to determine how much the ACTUAL premiums went up (employer + employee contributions.) They went up 9% and 11% – depending on which plan.

So, not only did premiums go up… but my employer made the choice to shift a much higher percentage of the insurance cost to the employee.

In the past year we’ve also lost our 401k match, had our salaries frozen, and seen bonuses decimated.

But, as mentioned, we’re lucky to have jobs.

I don’t blame congress and the health care reform advocates. I blame the people at the corporate level who are determined to make sure our real wages go down significantly while they continue to pad their compensation packages pretty nicely.

[Author]

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