CottageFarm
Well-known member
The #1 factor in the rise in health care costs and insurance rates is Gov't intervension.
When the passed HIPPA in '97 (98 maybe), they said it was to make sure everyone could afford to keep insurance. Well, guess what happened, rates increased an average of 20% overnight and annual increases continued at that same rate. And for people who were eligible for COBRA, most couldn't afford the premiums anyway.
We had 10 employees at the time and we provided 100% coverage for them and 50% coverage for their dependents. Overnite, our premiums ( for a very good plan) went from $125/mo per person, flat rate, to $95 - $300 depending on age and gender. My own rate more than doubled to $280/mo. I dropped ins for me. I was in my 30's, very healthy with no plans for children.
Care to guess what I did after about a year of that? If you guessed that I dropped the plan all together you're spot on. Gave everyone one a raise, and we no longer offered health insurance.
MF--your friend has a lousy plan, I don't care who it's with. After meeting the deductible, he should have very little or no out of pocket expenses. Most plans have a fairly low out of pocket cap that would be no were near $12,000/yr. And, I don't want this to sound too harsh, but maybe they should reconsider some of the recommended treatments. It's important to always remember, that Health Care providers are in business, to make a profit. Sometimes things are recommended to increase their bottom line, sometimes to practice CYA medicine. It's up to each one of us to take control of our own health and play an active role in determining our own treatment.
As to the # of people who bankrupt because of cancer or other major heath issues, it has far more to do with the loss of income and sometimes loss of insurance because of lost income, than the actual cost of care.
When the passed HIPPA in '97 (98 maybe), they said it was to make sure everyone could afford to keep insurance. Well, guess what happened, rates increased an average of 20% overnight and annual increases continued at that same rate. And for people who were eligible for COBRA, most couldn't afford the premiums anyway.
We had 10 employees at the time and we provided 100% coverage for them and 50% coverage for their dependents. Overnite, our premiums ( for a very good plan) went from $125/mo per person, flat rate, to $95 - $300 depending on age and gender. My own rate more than doubled to $280/mo. I dropped ins for me. I was in my 30's, very healthy with no plans for children.
Care to guess what I did after about a year of that? If you guessed that I dropped the plan all together you're spot on. Gave everyone one a raise, and we no longer offered health insurance.
MF--your friend has a lousy plan, I don't care who it's with. After meeting the deductible, he should have very little or no out of pocket expenses. Most plans have a fairly low out of pocket cap that would be no were near $12,000/yr. And, I don't want this to sound too harsh, but maybe they should reconsider some of the recommended treatments. It's important to always remember, that Health Care providers are in business, to make a profit. Sometimes things are recommended to increase their bottom line, sometimes to practice CYA medicine. It's up to each one of us to take control of our own health and play an active role in determining our own treatment.
As to the # of people who bankrupt because of cancer or other major heath issues, it has far more to do with the loss of income and sometimes loss of insurance because of lost income, than the actual cost of care.