Starting today!

[Clyde]

 

BTW the mortality rate in socialized healthcare is higher than that of ours.

 

Mortality rates IMO do not have a strong correlation to healthcare. If there are a bunch of murders in Chicago or Detroit does that mean our healthcare is poor?

 

A better way to prove your point would be to break it down by treatable diseases. For example, 57% of men in Britain who get prostate (or prostrate for some) cancer die while only 19% of American men do.

[Clyde]

 

BTW the mortality rate in socialized healthcare is higher than that of ours.

 

In Canada's case the UN would disagree.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_death_rate

[Jim Schue]

:ohbrother: Nothing like giving young people and others the extra incentive to be lazy....

 

If a person's lazy, insurance coverage is highly unlikely to be the deciding factor as to whether or not that lazy person gets a job.

[Jim Schue]

I think insurance costs are going to skyrocket-and then what will happen if you can't afford to pay it?

 

This is the beginning of antionalized health care, and I hope people are ready to wait for things they take for granted now-like seeing a doctor ina reasonable amount of time.

 

I feel like this will turn into the haves that can afford good health care and the have nots-tose that cannot and am afraid there will be two different types of attention given to these patients.

 

This has been going on for a while now.

[75center]

What is the size of this company?

 

About 50 employees, sales of around 5 million.

[75center]

Obviously, that sounds extreme. I'd be curious to hear all of the variables.

 

I've read that costs are going up for various reasons. Young people (low cost to the insurers) are going without insurance due to lack of jobs. This leaves the rest of us to share the cost. Medical services continue to skyrocket in cost. Yes, new provisions in this plan have actual costs. I also believe that insurers are using public sentiment against the plan to raise premiums even more.

 

When you have to cover high risk people and pre-existing conditions it makes sense that costs are going to go up. A lot.

[75center]

My insurance has gone up every year, while coverage has been reduced. At least now when it goes up, I know that I'm paying for something of substance. Up till this point, I felt I was paying in, but when the time came (God forbid) that I needed it the worst, my fate was in the insurance company's hands. They could deny my coverage for procedures or even drop me completely without notice. I'm of the opinion that I pay for insurance more as a peace of mind. Now, I feel there is some peace of mind that all that I've paid in the past has not been for naught.

 

That's great IF you can absorb the increases that look like they're coming.

[marvel]

Mortality rates IMO do not have a strong correlation to healthcare. If there are a bunch of murders in Chicago or Detroit does that mean our healthcare is poor?

 

A better way to prove your point would be to break it down by treatable diseases. For example, 57% of men in Britain who get prostate (or prostrate for some) cancer die while only 19% of American men do.

 

Thank you Clyde. For doing the research I mean.

[All Tell]

How did you get so lucky? My insurance starting 4 or 5 years ago, long before HCR was mentioned went from covering just about anything with the only out of pocket expense being a co-pay, to higher premimums, co-pays, a deductiable (which we never had before) and to top it all off less coverage. Our rates have increased double digits each year the last 5. I haven't seen this years increase yet but I bet its another double digit hike. Rates were climbing long before HCR and to suggest its all the fault of this bill is a fallacy.

 

The wonderful thing about opinions is that everyone is entitled to one.

[acemona]

When you have to cover high risk people and pre-existing conditions it makes sense that costs are going to go up. A lot.

 

Unless you force everyone into the pool. If everybody is buying it, the cost can be spread over a larger group.

 

As it stands, a lot of young healthy people have been foregoing health insurance and the insurance companies are dropping those who are sick, so the only ones getting it are wealthy, and middle and upper middle class people who are healthy. (I understand I am speaking in generalities here).

[stickymitts]

I know this, prior to this fiscal year I received a lot better benefits for a lot less money. Copay hasn't gone up in years and visit/ER copays did this year. While my premium went up considerably from last year, part of that is because my company is picking up less of the tab. Out of pocket max doubled. $250 out of pocket for inpatient stays when it used to cost nothing if admitted.

 

So why am I paying more but getting less?

[2 Humped Camel]

The wonderful thing about opinions is that everyone is entitled to one.

 

That is not an opinion. It is a fact that insurance rates have been rising dramatically prior to this most recent HCR debate and bill. If you want to discount that as not factual then there is no further debate to be had.

[woodsrider]

Unless you force everyone into the pool. If everybody is buying it, the cost can be spread over a larger group.

 

As it stands, a lot of young healthy people have been foregoing health insurance and the insurance companies are dropping those who are sick, so the only ones getting it are wealthy, and middle and upper middle class people who are healthy. (I understand I am speaking in generalities here).

 

Why is that a good thing? Why should I have to pay more when I am healthy because someone that isn't healthy is in the same pool? Shouldn't your health insurance premiums be based on you and your history and not everyone?

[75center]

Unless you force everyone into the pool. If everybody is buying it, the cost can be spread over a larger group.

 

As it stands, a lot of young healthy people have been foregoing health insurance and the insurance companies are dropping those who are sick, so the only ones getting it are wealthy, and middle and upper middle class people who are healthy. (I understand I am speaking in generalities here).

 

Doesn't work that way unless you're talking nationalized health care. The insurance companies are still working withing specific parameters based on their own customer base. It will grow larger but the question is in a specific census will the growth be large enough to offset the additional exposure?

[75center]

I know this, prior to this fiscal year I received a lot better benefits for a lot less money. Copay hasn't gone up in years and visit/ER copays did this year. While my premium went up considerably from last year, part of that is because my company is picking up less of the tab. Out of pocket max doubled. $250 out of pocket for inpatient stays when it used to cost nothing if admitted.

 

So why am I paying more but getting less?

 

I suspect existing policy holders are going to see a lot of changes in copays, premiums, deductibles, flexibility, provider access and other ways we haven't even considered. Considering the large percentage of people who currently have policies, there are going to be some unhappy people out there in the coming months/years. I realize that there is going to be another group who are much happier in that time. Are those figures comparable? I don't think so.