Another hit on the health Insurance

[QuadJunkies]

I just got done enrolling all my benefits for the 2007 season threw my work and WOW... I cant believe how much insurance has went up over the last few years.

When my husband and I first got married, insruance was provided 100% threw his employer. I paid 34.00 a month for a family of 4(we had dbl coverage) the Deduc. was 100.00 per person 300 per family.We have now dropped my Husband insurance and went with just mine because the rates just keep getting higher and higher...and LESS COVERAGE!:confused:
Dont get me wrong, Im VERY fortunate to have any insurance and that I get a better break than many others threw my work,but its still high .... but at what point is it going to be when NONE OF US can afford to buy it anymore??My check gets smaller and smaller (literally) every year as my benefits and are more and coverage LESS.:ermm:

[MOFO]

Your not the only one... I feel your pain! :(

[<DRS>GPF]

Originally posted by QuadJunkies
the rates just keep getting higher and higher...and LESS COVERAGE!:confused:



yup... every time we are explained the "new" policy, i make a point of asking ".. so what specifically is getting worse?.."



ironically, the last time we changed(early this year) i was pulled aside separately..
i asked "why?".. they(HR rep) said "that i create too much controversy with my comments..".. go figure..:blah:


they(the hourly's) came later to ask what i thought anyway..:D

[MR.BIG]

I can definately agree with this thread. I have my health insurance through a company that you can get in PA and its 350a month for a family plan. If I had my health insurance through work it would cost me $200 a week:eek2: for a family plan. It equals out to about 6 dollars an hour so somebody who has a family and only makes $12 an hour here is actually only making $6 an hour how do they expect people to survive. You definately need health insurance if you have a child like myself. The government needs to do something about this:grr:

[QuadJunkies]

Does anyone know WHY we are not regulating the prices on prescription drugs?? I dont get too into politics ,but they gouge our pocket books sooooo bad. For example, I have migraines thank Goodness I only might have to take them 2-3 times a year ,but that still adds up. Each pill had I not had insurance is about 30.00 a piece. Sometimes I need to take 2 in a 24 hr period to kick the migraine.My Mom was telling me the other day that the pill thats out to cure that nail fungus thing(Sorry, I cant remember what its called) is 150.00 PER PILL!! :eek2: Im sorry, but thats just wrong! Most of our insurance knows this and wont pay a dime on them or very little unless they have generics, well..... these big medicines dont have one
I feel for those who cant afford insurnace and have families.
MR.BIG~~
Thatds why we dropped my hubbys insurance,family rates are sky high now. We need insurance ,we dont use it alot, but you never know when you will. But heck , I do need a paycheck!:scary:

[wvspeedfreak]

Originally posted by <DRS>GPF
yup... every time we are explained the "new" policy, i make a point of asking ".. so what specifically is getting worse?.."



ironically, the last time we changed(early this year) i was pulled aside separately..
i asked "why?".. they(HR rep) said "that i create too much controversy with my comments..".. go figure..:blah:


they(the hourly's) came later to ask what i thought anyway..:D

I know what you mean there!About every 6 months the insurance agent stops by to "go over" the policy with us.The term "go over" just means the premium is going up and the coverage is going down.It is a huge rip off but you never know when you will need it and once is all it takes without it to lose everything you have :(

[QuadJunkies]

Right now a 1/3 of my wage per month pays for my families Insurance, my fuel to commute gets another 1/3.At what point do I keep working.
:huh :p LOL

[<DRS>GPF]

imagine minimum wage and still paying the 100+ per month.. then throw on gas/ins and baby-sitter..
i look at them wondering "why?!?!" they basically spend their whole income in maintenance..

a single parent can only look forward to tax refund, as any monetary raise only means the COL is going up..(most times more than the amount of raise).. :(

[insaneracin2003]

I agree 100% with this thread,most companies I know of will give a 4% raise anually to it's employees,it is nice to get a lil raise every year but when the cost of living,insurance and gas keeps going up,your raise is pertty much wiped out.Last year I think I made less than the year prior due to increases in living expenses.:rolleyes:

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by insaneracin2003
I agree 100% with this thread,most companies I know of will give a 4% raise anually to it's employees,it is nice to get a lil raise every year but when the cost of living,insurance and gas keeps going up,your raise is pertty much wiped out.Last year I think I made less than the year prior due to increases in living expenses.:rolleyes:
Same with us!

I just got a cost of living raise last week, my rates just soaked every penny of that raise up :mad:

i haven't had a cost of living raise in 5 years...we are told we will be getting 3% come january...woo friggin hoo..

2 years ago we went from having full medical, dental adn vision benefits to having to pay for them...all in all, it cost me about $400 month to keep my benfits...and i have to since i have a 5 yr old daughter...

it is a full time job, but i only work 3 dyas a week...since she is in scholl now, i have been considering seeking extra employment at mcdonalds, walmart, or trying to figure out some kind of business or hobby that i can turn into am oney maker...just for some extra cashola in the wallet

[450Racer]

i don't work but, i completely understand how it is and it sucks. my insurance covers 1/3 of my medical supplies. it comes out to be $240 a month just to keep my bladder working. and none of that is covered through insurance. thank god for social security. but by the time everything is covered, the check it gone. but serves its purpose. i think it's ridiculus that some companies don't cover contacts. what a world it would be if we didn't wear contacts. we'd all be in accidents and dead, see how the insurance likes your premiums when you're in the grave. and the sad thing is, you know they're making millions. i don't mean to open myself up for flaming but, when we get a new president, HOPEFULLY he'll be more of a homelife/business reformer than over seas/foreign reformer. i remember how much clinton did, he was great. we'll just have to see.

Well its free here, brake my leg, go in, fix er up, walk out with the same size walltet:D

[Anthony's Dad]

Anthony's right. It has been a real battle to get his current supplies covered. But, thank God we had good coverage at the time of his accident. The accident cost the insurance company over $200,000.00. :scary:

[firefighterjosh]

I pay $35 every 2 weeks for my self. I have full coverage. Insurance pays for 90% + on everything I Do. I only had to pay 4k for my 45k arm. But I do not get a cost of living raise. My job Sucks:grr:

[stalefish_132]

I love CANADA! even though the waiting tiem in the ER sucks its still worth it when its free, I shouldn't say free. I pay for it everytime i buy allmost anything but its still worth it. I often wonderd why the health care system isn't privatized (sp) in the US.I guess it has its ups and downs. i know i wouldn't last long if i had to pay for my healthcare out of my pocket.:eek:

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by 450Racer
what a world it would be if we didn't wear contacts. we'd all be in accidents and dead, see how the insurance likes your premiums when you're in the grave. and the sad thing is, you know they're making millions. i don't mean to open myself up for flaming but, when we get a new president, HOPEFULLY he'll be more of a homelife/business reformer than over seas/foreign reformer. i remember how much clinton did, he was great. we'll just have to see.

AMEN!

[dirtmomma]

Ahh yes good ol' insurance:rolleyes: I didn't have insurance for the last 3-4 yrs due to the cost of it!! My husband didn't either, it was not offered when the new people took over the company his parents used to own!! Then the new owner FINALLY decided to offer it, BUT it came w/ a price, he has given up his L&I bonuses to pay for it, & it was too expensive to put me & the kids on it!!!! The kids were insured thru the state(for a price) & I went w/o,
NOW that is why I went to work @ McDonalds, my hubby also has NO 401K or retirement AT ALL, & he's been there 19-20 yrs :( so I pay for my insurance(will be adding him & the kids soon, IF he can get his L&I $$ back) now thru my work & am getting a 401K, stock investing ect. whatever they offer I am taking as it will be all we have!!! I even took a promotion to management for a bigger raise. MY paychecks will be close to nothing I"m sure but I figure I just have to remember that at least there might be a little retirement for us!!! My oldest son also is working @ McD's & he is going to get his 401K rolling ASAP man I wish I would of done that at the age of 16 :(
Another insurance that is horrible is AUTO wait till your kids start driving :eek: now thats a shocker too LOL, I pay about $1600 every 6 months for coverage on 2 cars, motorhome, & the teenagers car(it's more to cover that w/ liability than my NEW car w/ full covereage) but he does pay for most of his insurance, that is the only way we can afford to have him drive!!!
Back to hte health insurance, here's a good one on Memorial weekend my hubby had a bad wipe out on his quad up camping in the middle of nowhere w/o cell service ect, so we took him to the ER the next morning, WELLLLLLL come to find out his insurance is denying the claim cuz he didn't have an accident report :huh:huh:huh now I have to call & fight w/ them, so I'm trying to figure out if we fall off our quads & get hurt do we lay there until someoen can get an officer or something to fill out an accident report!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STUPID STUPID STUPID
So yes costs are getting ridiculous, I did find out yesterday @ my managers meeting that min. wage is going up Jan. 1

[bwamos]

31yr old single male.

I'm now paying $100/mo w/ $1200 deductible in-network $2400 out of network.

Used to pay $20/mo for a $5 co-pay.. lol.

[ATV Chic]

I feel everyone's pain on this issue. You should try being diabetic. The cost of insulin is outrageous, nevermind your testing supplies. And if you are young like myself, there are NO assitance programs out there for the cost of the testing supplies. The first year after I was diagnosed ( 3 yrs ago in march 07') i didn't have insurance and it was ridiculous. There were no government help agencies to assist me because I was 25 yrs old and single with no children. Our healthcare system and government need to address the healthcare issue instead of sweeping it under the rug as they have. There are too many people, especially elderely people in this country who just can't make it any more because of the cost of living, insufficient pensions from the government, and poor medical coverage. It's amazing that we have to work so hard just to pay for the medicine we need to survive and can't afford rent or transportation. The insurance coverage that I am blessed enough to have now does not cover very much and my deduct. is $1,000. Maybe I need to move to canada....:)

[Northernrider]

Originally posted by sexyatvchic
I feel everyone's pain on this issue. You should try being diabetic. The cost of insulin is outrageous, nevermind your testing supplies. And if you are young like myself, there are NO assitance programs out there for the cost of the testing supplies. The first year after I was diagnosed ( 3 yrs ago in march 07') i didn't have insurance and it was ridiculous. There were no government help agencies to assist me because I was 25 yrs old and single with no children. Our healthcare system and government need to address the healthcare issue instead of sweeping it under the rug as they have. There are too many people, especially elderely people in this country who just can't make it any more because of the cost of living, insufficient pensions from the government, and poor medical coverage. It's amazing that we have to work so hard just to pay for the medicine we need to survive and can't afford rent or transportation. The insurance coverage that I am blessed enough to have now does not cover very much and my deduct. is $1,000. Maybe I need to move to canada....:)

Come on up!! you will be covered if you become a Canadian!!

[Quad18star]

I enjoy the health care we have provided to us up here in Ontario Canada . It's nice to be able to walk into a doctors office or a hospital and not have to worry about being in debt over my head .

But times are changing , and the whole health care system is slowly turning into a privatized system . I give it another 10 years and I'll be paying for everything out of my pocket .

Our system has it's UPs and Downs . I have some medication that costs well over $3000 every 8 weeks , which thankfully is covered by the government , but then again I only receive $300 every 6 months to help cover supplies to manage Crohn's , and that $300 will only last me about a month and half . :ermm:

I'm the controller of an engieering firm.

The last 2 years in a row insurance costs and employee premiums have actually DROPPED slightly.

That's cuz I work my butt off to get a strong insurance package for our 65 employees.

$750 deductible... with good benefits.

Means I've had to change agencies & carriers the last two years. ALOT of work for me and my people.

But good for the employees.

Good pricing is out there.

But I suspect employers are just letting the same company keep their business, cuz its a pain in the neck to change.

Then they pass the increased cost along to employees.

[soonerlightning]

I pay 44$ per week for me and my wife. I was glad when I blew my knee out that I had insurance. Total cost for the surgery and rehab was over $45K.. I paid $200.. If it is going to cover stuff that well I will pay the price for it. If its going to be expensive and have minimal coverage I wouldnt waste the cash