OT: Medical increases for the year

[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]

Aecetia said:
[quote]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…[/quote]

California has had tort reform for a few decades. The max you can get for pain/suffering (vs actual medical expenses) is $250k. Not a lot if they amputate the wrong leg. But it’s probably why insurance is much cheaper in CA than in many other states. I’ve lived in WA, GA, and PA – insurance was much higher in all those places than here.

[UCGal]

Aecetia said:
[quote]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…[/quote]

California has had tort reform for a few decades. The max you can get for pain/suffering (vs actual medical expenses) is $250k. Not a lot if they amputate the wrong leg. But it’s probably why insurance is much cheaper in CA than in many other states. I’ve lived in WA, GA, and PA – insurance was much higher in all those places than here.

[UCGal]

Aecetia said:
[quote]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…[/quote]

California has had tort reform for a few decades. The max you can get for pain/suffering (vs actual medical expenses) is $250k. Not a lot if they amputate the wrong leg. But it’s probably why insurance is much cheaper in CA than in many other states. I’ve lived in WA, GA, and PA – insurance was much higher in all those places than here.

[UCGal]

Aecetia said:
[quote]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…[/quote]

California has had tort reform for a few decades. The max you can get for pain/suffering (vs actual medical expenses) is $250k. Not a lot if they amputate the wrong leg. But it’s probably why insurance is much cheaper in CA than in many other states. I’ve lived in WA, GA, and PA – insurance was much higher in all those places than here.

[UCGal]

Aecetia said:
[quote]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…[/quote]

California has had tort reform for a few decades. The max you can get for pain/suffering (vs actual medical expenses) is $250k. Not a lot if they amputate the wrong leg. But it’s probably why insurance is much cheaper in CA than in many other states. I’ve lived in WA, GA, and PA – insurance was much higher in all those places than here.

[Aecetia]

Wow. CA is quite high enough for me. I would rather pay out of pocket and have an affordable catastrophic plan. My family does not go to the doctor very much at all. I would like to see some reform, but I am not happy with the 1800+ pages that will take lawyers years to figure out. I understand the insurance companies started raising rates in anticipation of having to pay for people with pre-existing conditions. Maybe they jumped the gun? It is another instance of corporate greed and largesse to themselves.

[Aecetia]

Wow. CA is quite high enough for me. I would rather pay out of pocket and have an affordable catastrophic plan. My family does not go to the doctor very much at all. I would like to see some reform, but I am not happy with the 1800+ pages that will take lawyers years to figure out. I understand the insurance companies started raising rates in anticipation of having to pay for people with pre-existing conditions. Maybe they jumped the gun? It is another instance of corporate greed and largesse to themselves.

[Aecetia]

Wow. CA is quite high enough for me. I would rather pay out of pocket and have an affordable catastrophic plan. My family does not go to the doctor very much at all. I would like to see some reform, but I am not happy with the 1800+ pages that will take lawyers years to figure out. I understand the insurance companies started raising rates in anticipation of having to pay for people with pre-existing conditions. Maybe they jumped the gun? It is another instance of corporate greed and largesse to themselves.

[Aecetia]

Wow. CA is quite high enough for me. I would rather pay out of pocket and have an affordable catastrophic plan. My family does not go to the doctor very much at all. I would like to see some reform, but I am not happy with the 1800+ pages that will take lawyers years to figure out. I understand the insurance companies started raising rates in anticipation of having to pay for people with pre-existing conditions. Maybe they jumped the gun? It is another instance of corporate greed and largesse to themselves.

[Aecetia]

Wow. CA is quite high enough for me. I would rather pay out of pocket and have an affordable catastrophic plan. My family does not go to the doctor very much at all. I would like to see some reform, but I am not happy with the 1800+ pages that will take lawyers years to figure out. I understand the insurance companies started raising rates in anticipation of having to pay for people with pre-existing conditions. Maybe they jumped the gun? It is another instance of corporate greed and largesse to themselves.

[Arraya]

That’s wildly exaggerated. According to the actuarial consulting firm Towers Perrin, medical malpractice tort costs were $30.4 billion in 2007, the last year for which data are available. We have a more than a $2 trillion health care system. That puts litigation costs and malpractice insurance at 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs. That’s a rounding error. Liability isn’t even the tail on the cost dog. It’s the hair on the end of the tail.

[Arraya]

That’s wildly exaggerated. According to the actuarial consulting firm Towers Perrin, medical malpractice tort costs were $30.4 billion in 2007, the last year for which data are available. We have a more than a $2 trillion health care system. That puts litigation costs and malpractice insurance at 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs. That’s a rounding error. Liability isn’t even the tail on the cost dog. It’s the hair on the end of the tail.

[Arraya]

That’s wildly exaggerated. According to the actuarial consulting firm Towers Perrin, medical malpractice tort costs were $30.4 billion in 2007, the last year for which data are available. We have a more than a $2 trillion health care system. That puts litigation costs and malpractice insurance at 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs. That’s a rounding error. Liability isn’t even the tail on the cost dog. It’s the hair on the end of the tail.

[Arraya]

That’s wildly exaggerated. According to the actuarial consulting firm Towers Perrin, medical malpractice tort costs were $30.4 billion in 2007, the last year for which data are available. We have a more than a $2 trillion health care system. That puts litigation costs and malpractice insurance at 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs. That’s a rounding error. Liability isn’t even the tail on the cost dog. It’s the hair on the end of the tail.

[Author]

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