Who has to buy their own individual medical insurance policy?
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I know exactly what is going down and it’s going to be and has been a shit show. I love how people get angry every day because of the cost of insurance but what they hell did they think was going to happen? When 70% of the United States is obese, you have a serious health problem.
Well now the commercially owned carriers don’t have the choice of rejecting anybody so we are all absorbing the cost. Everybody is paying for those that couldn’t get insurance to get insurance now. Most carriers are not going to be offering individual policies as of January 1[SUP]st[/SUP], 2014; however anybody who has an individual policy will most likely be grandfathered in.
It has been hell because so many groups are getting 35-50% renewals that are killing them and not all these are large companies. A lot of them are small companies that have less than 50 employees. They get pissed because there brokers can get them better rates. Carriers are being saddled with larger claims and it doesn’t matter if you are a perfectly health group with great utilization, you are getting at a minimum a 15% increase if you are fully insured.
One of the best options is to go self-insured like most large companies but small companies cannot take on that risk. Self-insuring for companies with less than 150 employees is dangerous to say the least. For the individual that needs to go onto the exchange, I am sorry for you. The exchanges just became the high risk pools and it won’t balance out for years. There is no incentive for a healthy individual to join the exchanges when the cost is going to be ¾ of their paycheck. It is hardly going to be affordable for the average American.
Some actuaries have predicted that depending on the exchange, you could be looking at $1,300 - $2,300 a month for family premium. Not many can take on that cost. I like the concept of everybody being insured and being able to see a doctor but it might have been more effective to buy everyone in the United States a 24-hour fitness membership and enroll them into a wellness program.
It’s just a bad situation no matter how you cut it.
Well now the commercially owned carriers don’t have the choice of rejecting anybody so we are all absorbing the cost. Everybody is paying for those that couldn’t get insurance to get insurance now. Most carriers are not going to be offering individual policies as of January 1[SUP]st[/SUP], 2014; however anybody who has an individual policy will most likely be grandfathered in.
It has been hell because so many groups are getting 35-50% renewals that are killing them and not all these are large companies. A lot of them are small companies that have less than 50 employees. They get pissed because there brokers can get them better rates. Carriers are being saddled with larger claims and it doesn’t matter if you are a perfectly health group with great utilization, you are getting at a minimum a 15% increase if you are fully insured.
One of the best options is to go self-insured like most large companies but small companies cannot take on that risk. Self-insuring for companies with less than 150 employees is dangerous to say the least. For the individual that needs to go onto the exchange, I am sorry for you. The exchanges just became the high risk pools and it won’t balance out for years. There is no incentive for a healthy individual to join the exchanges when the cost is going to be ¾ of their paycheck. It is hardly going to be affordable for the average American.
Some actuaries have predicted that depending on the exchange, you could be looking at $1,300 - $2,300 a month for family premium. Not many can take on that cost. I like the concept of everybody being insured and being able to see a doctor but it might have been more effective to buy everyone in the United States a 24-hour fitness membership and enroll them into a wellness program.
It’s just a bad situation no matter how you cut it.
just me
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My rate went from mid seven hundreds to high twelve hundreds a month, with the wife's going up to mid nine hundreds. We are grandfathered, but who can afford this nonsense when we have been doing without to pay the old premiums? They're going up every year, too. Before this government BS, we expected in our budgets about a 16 to 18 percent increase every year. Our agent tells me today we won't really know what the government is going to do until October. To me, that means they don't even know yet. Friends of a friend cancelled their policies. They said it was between paying their house payment and house insurance or having health insurance. They chose their home. One surgery and the hospital can lien if they don't make payments. Lose their home anyway one day...............................Oh, and we might be considered for a government form of help if we are poor enough. Only thing is we would possibly have to estimate our income for next year.
just me
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If the insurance companies are going up on rates to cover those without insurance, why is the government footing the bill for the poor. We are getting hammered both ways. First, globalization BS; now, we have to pay higher premiums while the government pays for the poor? Are we subsidizing more government jobs to audit everyone's income every year under the auspices of insurance? "Don't worry, folks: we gotcha back."
I posted this already elsewhere, but it is relevant to this thread....it breaks it down nicely.
Essentially, kiss your ass goodbye. By every study found to date, I am one of the most hated individuals in the United States. Everyday I have to tell people this which is again why I say the best insurance is to not get sick in the first place. Take care of your health. Work out, eat healthy, put down the cheeseburger and show some self control.
If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you both on the same plan? Your agent is pretty much correct. We know what some of what the government is doing and some of it is still in the air. The employer responsibility, 'pay or play' has been delayed one year however I advise acting as if it has not. It is not worth risking taking the $2,000 per employee fee for every employee you have FT or PT, minus the first 30 for not offering benefits that reach minimal essential benefit guidelines.
It is better take the delay and get compliment than procrastinate another year. Most states I work in already have their group exchanges set up but the individual exchange is ??? For example Utah has decided to go federal after debating if they wanted to run their own individual exchange. They decided it would be just too much of a pain. We now that there is going to be an exchange and they are debating delaying the individual pay or play mandate but it has not been delayed. It has not been delayed yet so anybody who does not have insurance in 2014 will be fined however the fine is tiny compared to the cost of insurance.
My question is always, how are they going to administer this? Forgot cost and all that. Just think about administering that much. How can the federal government afford the man power to run such a program? It is difficult enough getting people to fill a simple paper or online application let alone get them to jump through the million loop holes involved in getting into either a group or an individual exchange.
The truth is that benefits are becoming a more important factor than salary. It is typically the highest cost of any employer. That it is the sad part. It costs an owner more to provide benefits than it does for them to run their company.
just me
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[MENTION=2710]jimtaylor[/MENTION],
"My question is always, how are they going to administer this? Forgot cost and all that. Just think about administering that much. How can the federal government afford the man power to run such a program? It is difficult enough getting people to fill a simple paper or online application let alone get them to jump through the million loop holes involved in getting into either a group or an individual exchange." exactly....I have many questions. [MENTION=5045]Skarekrow[/MENTION], That might possibly show something to someone, but it shows little to me. We have a system that will not work any longer................................................................................. Wasn't it Obama that shut down our space program? Why? Sad thing is NASA was probably responsible, whether directly or indirectly, for more knowledge than we can ever put to practical use today. With the extremely high percentage of Americans(and those here that are not) living under the poverty level, this is plainly not going to fix the problem. It will drain what is left of the middle class. Taxpaying people will be paying less taxes. Government will be paying for a large percentage of this, making it bigger and citizens smaller.................................................. How many health insurance companies have asked the government to Fannie or Freddie them? Why pay them more money when it is the government that needs more money? They might not see it that way, but watch and see. Maybe the medical industry needs to take a look at their expenditures like everyone else is having to do. People are not going to be able to afford this. There must be a more sensible, simple solution.
"My question is always, how are they going to administer this? Forgot cost and all that. Just think about administering that much. How can the federal government afford the man power to run such a program? It is difficult enough getting people to fill a simple paper or online application let alone get them to jump through the million loop holes involved in getting into either a group or an individual exchange." exactly....I have many questions. [MENTION=5045]Skarekrow[/MENTION], That might possibly show something to someone, but it shows little to me. We have a system that will not work any longer................................................................................. Wasn't it Obama that shut down our space program? Why? Sad thing is NASA was probably responsible, whether directly or indirectly, for more knowledge than we can ever put to practical use today. With the extremely high percentage of Americans(and those here that are not) living under the poverty level, this is plainly not going to fix the problem. It will drain what is left of the middle class. Taxpaying people will be paying less taxes. Government will be paying for a large percentage of this, making it bigger and citizens smaller.................................................. How many health insurance companies have asked the government to Fannie or Freddie them? Why pay them more money when it is the government that needs more money? They might not see it that way, but watch and see. Maybe the medical industry needs to take a look at their expenditures like everyone else is having to do. People are not going to be able to afford this. There must be a more sensible, simple solution.
One of my favorite quotes and I think it is pertinent to this conversation. "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both". I am not against helping those in need but lets not just give them the fish, lets teach them to fish. If we continue to expect the government to pay for everything we are giving up our rights. We are making them responsible for our happiness, for our pain, for our sorrow versus taking control of it for ourselves. I am not anti-government or an anarchist or anything like that. Neither do I affiliate with any party. I am just for personal responsibility and accountability. If I decided to eat big macs everyday and then I get heart disease, that's my fault for being stupid. It was my decision, I should pay for it.
Skarekrow
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It wasn’t a chart showing how Obama or the insurance companies or anyone else for that matter are going to try and fix anything....it was merely a flow-chart showing what is being spent on what currently and why...you can make your own judgements as to who is to blame. Personally I think our government pussied out when they were debating big changes to healthcare....I would have loved to have seen a single-payer system put in place...but guess who owns congress...the lobbyists. The top two lobbying groups who spend the most every year are Big Pharma and the Insurance racket. People will always come second to profits so long as the American people allow out of control lobbying groups to swing their dicks around. Nuff said.
just me
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You two have basically summed up two of the biggest problems I am looking at. I do not seek to blame anyone, only get people more involved with finding a solution that works. I am not bashing Obama, though I do not care for him or his administration. Someone, at the end of the day, is responsible for all this. That would be you and me.
this is only temporary
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Hi Just Me, I used to have to pay for individual plan (for my family, not subsidized by company or government) and it was crazy expensive even before the new plans and laws. We recently changed to a high-deductible plan, and have been able to save money on premiums that way (kids are older and somewhat less inclined toward frequent childhood illnesses, we stashed away money for the high deductible, I know this won't work for everybody, etc. etc. etc.)
No, it is not fun and I haven't even come close to sorting out all the laws and options that are about to hit us. ): Bleah.
£0
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Easier if one could only forecast.
My husband and I are getting buried from health insurance premiums. In our situation the medical bills without insurance would bankrupt us. We don't have a choice, we have to pay them. Our kids are having issues with their companies health insurance also. Its a real mess. We're just trying to hang on right now, but we're having to cut back on other things to pay these premiums. The future is looking a little scary as far as healthcare 
Skarekrow
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I feel healthcare will get a whole lot worse before it gets better unfortunately.
I can just hope that someday (in my lifetime) people will get fed up with paying the ridiculous amounts of money into their own healthcare (and getting jack shit) and collectively as a country we will take a step back from it being a money making regime, and we will put our own health first. Everyone, (unless you are independently wealthy) is just one bad accident away from being bankrupt by medical bills...how sad is that? When are people going to stop having the “me first” attitude, or the “I’m not paying for them” attitude and realize we are closer than we think we are in our heads?! I’m tired of the so-called Christians (not all-inclusive, don’t bite my head off) who claim to follow that teaching and yet don’t want any of their taxes to help the poor....don’t want their taxes to fund medical insurance for all....not only that but actually hate people for being poor! Really? Wow.
I’m not saying there are no lazy people in this country...because lord knows there are...but to make the “poor” synonymous with “lazy” is disgusting and wrong.
Not only that but then people start throwing the word “socialism” around as if we are in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis....public school is a socialized program...the postal service is a socialized program (which would be solvent if not for the fact that they must save for pensions 80 years in advance)...your highways and roads were built on social programs. Unfortunately this country is obsessed with an “everyone for themselves and the rest can fuck off” attitude. Capitalism as run amok and has won a silent revolution overthrowing our own government. Those elected in office now - were elected by money. The decisions in congress - are decided by money.
And as I said above the two biggest lobbyist organizations are the Pharmaceutical companies and the Insurance companies...so it’s no wonder that we don’t have healthcare for all at a normal (worldwide standard) rate. And they will not give up their huge money making, life-destroying scheme until we force them out kicking and screaming.
End of rant.
I can just hope that someday (in my lifetime) people will get fed up with paying the ridiculous amounts of money into their own healthcare (and getting jack shit) and collectively as a country we will take a step back from it being a money making regime, and we will put our own health first. Everyone, (unless you are independently wealthy) is just one bad accident away from being bankrupt by medical bills...how sad is that? When are people going to stop having the “me first” attitude, or the “I’m not paying for them” attitude and realize we are closer than we think we are in our heads?! I’m tired of the so-called Christians (not all-inclusive, don’t bite my head off) who claim to follow that teaching and yet don’t want any of their taxes to help the poor....don’t want their taxes to fund medical insurance for all....not only that but actually hate people for being poor! Really? Wow.
I’m not saying there are no lazy people in this country...because lord knows there are...but to make the “poor” synonymous with “lazy” is disgusting and wrong.
Not only that but then people start throwing the word “socialism” around as if we are in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis....public school is a socialized program...the postal service is a socialized program (which would be solvent if not for the fact that they must save for pensions 80 years in advance)...your highways and roads were built on social programs. Unfortunately this country is obsessed with an “everyone for themselves and the rest can fuck off” attitude. Capitalism as run amok and has won a silent revolution overthrowing our own government. Those elected in office now - were elected by money. The decisions in congress - are decided by money.
And as I said above the two biggest lobbyist organizations are the Pharmaceutical companies and the Insurance companies...so it’s no wonder that we don’t have healthcare for all at a normal (worldwide standard) rate. And they will not give up their huge money making, life-destroying scheme until we force them out kicking and screaming.
End of rant.
just me
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Work out every day, eat well, stay calm, and you still are one surgery away from bankruptcy. Some people are prone to be overweight, and they hate it and can do little about it. Stamp their medical records as "OBESE" and what have you accomplished? Not everyone can go to a gym. Not everyone is healthy enough to run in the park. Blaming people for their health is not always fair. ......................................I remember in grade school how different people were picked on by others while everyone else watched. Lot of those kids cannot help it. Go home and tell the wife that cut up celery, onions, potatoes, carrots, and ground venison in the sink you don't want any more. There are times it is just better to eat something and eat less the next AM.............................................People need an insurance card, if for nothing but major medical with a high deductible. Every year the rates jump(not like this month) and your rates will still be higher if you choose a higher deductible again and again. When you hit sixty you get literally hammered. I've been thinking of making a sign to put out front saying, WILL WORK FOR INSURANCE. How ridiculous does that really sound right now?