Are you paying a lot for health care and see it skyrocketing if something

[babylonsister]

isn't done?

I don't know, but would like to.


I know there are people on DU w/o any health care. How about people who have it but are concerned?

Thanks.

[mth44sc]

1. Mine went up again this year

Whats more I happen to know that they are about the business of spliting heathcare into tiers. Ya buy what you can afford. Meaning in short - we all work together - but those that can afford better health care get it and those that can't - don't

edited for spelling errors.

[babylonsister]

2. Thanks. Interesting that no one else has been affected. nt

[SleeplessInAlabama]

3. This one's been affected. nt

[babylonsister]

8. Meaning you? So share, or don't. nt

[kevinbgoode]

4. I have only been working at this position ONE year. . .

and the premiums have already gone up.

I can remember, back in the late 70's..early 80's...when I had health insurance through employment with a $100 deductible...period. Nearly anything and everything else was generally covered, though I had no major issues.


Today, I have a $300 deductible with so many different rules for co-pays and partial pays that I still can't figure out how much a simple operation will cost me. It is not only an outrage of money/cost, but the multiple statements/permissions you have to get when you have ANYTHING done.

[cynatnite]

5. We do have limited insurance and husband is also on Worker's Comp...

for his injury.

We're both vets, too. We're covered just fine. One kid is covered by our insurance and the other is not.

Right now, we both worry about keeping our insurance with Worker's Comp only paying a fraction of his normal wages. Eventually, we won't have the money to keep it if his injury keeps him out longer than we anticipate.

Despite what we have, medical costs are still a big concern. It took us over three years to pay the medical bills on our oldest daughter when she had appendiciitis. Bill collectors dogged our every step on that mess.

We're very concerned.

[babylonsister]

12. Thanks for sharing. nt

[proud patriot]

6. Yes.

I see it completely Bankrupting America if we don't do something

[glinda]

7. We were paying 1250/mo until husband went on Medicare but then they

quoted 340/mo for me then when I got he actual bill it went up to 360 and then the next month went to 383/mo. We take it out of my husband's retirement money. We actually do not have that even in our budget. If and when something may happen, we will most likely have to short sell our home and move. If we are lucky to sell at all.
My health care sucks. Blue Cross Blue Shit.

Every month pretty much one of our utility or car Insurance or house payment goes up. Exactly where they think two people, one of which cannot work due to health issues, get the money to pay for anything. Our charge card went crazy this last two months for Vet bills. And since I have no children, my pets are my children.

I hate this Country right now.

[babylonsister]

10. Thanks for sharing, and I'm sorry. You are another reason why

something needs to happen.

I wonder. Did you have the same concerns prior to Obama being in office, or are you hoping for something better now?

It's going to happen. I hope. :hug:

[glinda]

27. Yes. Same concerns as soon as I knew husband was to take a buyout early retirement.

Concerns when I found out that our Dental did not cover what I needed. I was hoping just hoping that Obama could help us. We cannot wait one more year.
I fear going to our mailbox everyday for fear something else has risen in cost on any of our bills.
It is distressing hearing also only "families or employees or uninsured" as people like us seem to be drowning. We are the next group to go under. And we are many of the ones who pay so many of the taxes, take the hits with little to no refunds or tax breaks. Really makes me depressed.
People think that just because a person is in their 50-80's that their house is paid off or that they are comfortable and secure. Not the case for many many people in our age group who pay out of pocket for their own insurance.

[jannyk]

9. Are you talking Health Care or Health Insurance?

I have so called 'Health Insurance' which now costs $500 per month. To get any Health Care, I first have to front $5000 (deductable) per year and then 20% of the rest, plus the cost of any medications. Needless to say, I have not had any 'Health Care' in nearly 10 years!

[babylonsister]

11. Do you get yearly physicals? Are any meds covered? nt

[jannyk]

14. No and Nope! Absolutely no preventative

care is covered. We pick up meds and self medicate when we go down to Baja.

Like the poster above, I remember the days (1980's) of great employer paid coverage. Husband worked in Silicon Valley and everything was covered, including Dental and Optical. We had regular annual physicals, pap smears, mammograms, an IUD then a Vasectomy, I had PID and an Ovarian Cyst and spent 4 days in hospital, all cost us nothing or next to nothing out of pocket. There was also an outstanding 'Wellness' program. We got Crowns, Root Canals and hubby had Gum Surgery, I got Contact Lenses. For close on 20 years medical insurance wasn't a problem and medical care was easy. The premium at the time was about $300 pm for both of us (and included my stepdaughter). We did not fear ill health in those glory days!

[abumbyanyothername]

13. Mine (single) is > $500/month

but I am out of work, and have enough money to go one more month.

After that, creative refinance, sell the house . . . . ?? IDK.

I have a heart arrythmia so I'm sure not insurable if I let it lapse.

[progressivebydesign]

15. I had to buy private insurance, and it went up AGAIN last month!

I am now paying too much for a catastrophic policy that is pretty much useless, but makes me feel better to know I have SOMETHING.

[jannyk]

16. That's the only reason we have any too....

...we consider it catastrophic insurance - it bears no relation whatever to 'Health Care'. And we fear that if we do get sick, or need to make a claim, we will be canceled!

[rwheeler31]

17. We keep getting bounced around by employers.

It always costs more to keep your doctor.

[LunaSea]

18. This graph says it all for me

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8569902

[abumbyanyothername]

19. Gee

What happened in 1980? And, for that matter, 2000?

No wonder the health care industry hates us.

[babylonsister]

22. Hates us? They love us-look at the profits. nt

[abumbyanyothername]

23. Us as in the Dems

Under Reagan and then again under Bushy the healthcare machine started gobbling up more and more of the pie.

[babylonsister]

24. The rethugs, who never did a thing to try to improve health care, are no longer

in charge. Thankfully.

[cap]

20. we are paying $1700/month for BCBS for husband and myself

my husband is a diabetic now in remission thanks to bariatric surgery. We had to stay on BCBS when COBRA ran out since his diabetes is a pre-existing condition.

I have a neurological problem now that I am trying to sort out. I am finding out that a number of treatments aren't covered. Many of the really good providers in neuropsych, Occupational Therapists, etc are refusing to accept any insurance. They will provide codes and let us file. You can imagine it is hard to keep to a treatment schedule.

Worried about skyrocketing is not the word for it. We are riding on that rocket today. I can see the Earth below. On a really good day, I can see Russia from my rocket. :)

[babylonsister]

21. Holy mackeral. So the current plan,

with no pre-existing conditions or recissions being out, would benefit you obviously.

I know, there is no current plan, but the prospect of one must have you a bit enthused.

:hug: to you both!

[buzzycrumbhunger]

25. Mine is useless

I always considered it as a safety net for that ONE catastrophic accident (not an illness, which could drag out too long). I pay a fourth of my income for insurance, was totally unable to opt out because no other plan would have me (forget that I have no medical issues, a BMI above 30 apparently makes me suspect). My out-of-pocket doubled, as well, meaning I get to shell out $6000 a year before insurance starts paying for anything (that's another fourth of my income, MOL), and coverage tops out at $80,000/yr. Considering that my son was recently hospitalized for a foot infection recently for three days and was billed $120,000, that pretty much tells me I am fucked no matter what.

I am sick that I didn't just stick that money into a savings account every two weeks because at least then I'd have something to show for it. This is a game you simply can't win because the house is making up the rules as they go along.

Twenty-five years ago when I had my first kid, my premiums were about $20/wk and everything BC didn't cover, my employer did. EVERYTHING. To add insult to injury, I think I barely make twice what I did back then, because my field is one where wages are plummeting (not only are Indians glad to transcribe your medical records for the equivalent of about $4/week, but we're supposed to gladly compete against those wages and be "thankful" we have jobs at all).

My son, BTW, lost a leg back in high school and not only can't get ins. to cover him and provide a new prosthesis, but SSI has also denied him--repeatedly--claiming he's NOT disabled and doesn't qualify, and voc. rehab has also failed to help because they can only fund so many a year and the waiting list is miles long. He doesn't want a fucking handout because he can earn enough to live on otherwise. He just needs help getting a fucking leg because he doesn't have 10K lying around to pay for one. This is especially hard to stomach because the guy has never once complained about his loss and is loathe to consider himself handicapped.

I fail to understand how there's anything worth salvaging in the current system.

[global1]

26. I Have My Own Business And Therefore Have To Buy My Own Insurance......

I am 60 y/o and am paying $1938.04 every 2 months for a policy that has a $3000 deductible. So before I get penny one out of the insurance companies - I'm in to them for close to $15,000 and that is only for me - as I don't have a wife and kids.

I afraid to see a Doctor for regular checkups - for fear that when I really do need to use my insurance that they will claim a pre-existing condition and not cover me.

Last year I received to increases within two months of each other. One was because their costs increased and the other was because I hit 60y/o. I'm waiting now to see if I get an increase because my 61st birthday is around the corner.

The sad part of all this is - I'm a health professional and I should know better.


ON EDIT: After I posted this I recommended this thread. I was surprised to see that it only had one recommendation. Threads like this - that point out the plight us common folk have with healthcare - should make it to the greatest forum and all of us that have situations regarding healthcare and health insurance should post our situation here.

I was criticized last week because I said something to the effect that perhaps someone in the White House could pass on a message to the President. I guess I'm naive enough to believe that - perhaps - just perhaps - someone in the White House follows DU to get the pulse of the people that support them. As such - a thread like this would/could - in my opinion - be very helpful to them.

So Kick & Recommend.