March for health care!

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by polishmafia

I have to agree with Andrew. That article shows that people are spending less on home phones, but a huge increase in cell phones. Well, duh, thats cause everyone is moving away from having a land line.

I work for a healthcare company, and I can say that the cost of healthcare has been going up extremely fast over the years, even before the ACA was even put into place.

Wish the article writer would have had a special spaceship that travels across various multiverses and could tell us:
This is what the current costs of healthcare are.
Here is what would have happened had the ACA Never existed with real facts and figures.
Oh, and heres what would have been accomplished had the conservatives stopped trying to repeal it and actually did work... hey look we populated another planet, global warming was fixed, and unemployment is at 0%.

[Kracka]

So...who here is going to be paying the fine on their taxes this year?

[A//// Guy]

Because obese.

[tpunx99GSX]

BTW, another year, with no health insurance premium increases at my company, which makes now 9 years i believe. (same or better coverage).

[Kracka]

That is nice of your company to eat the increases; I've seen some doing this, and some not.

[Murlo26]

My company for the first time ever passed along the increases last year and this year they are doing more.

Last year it was like 15/paycheck (30/mo), this year costs have risen another 8% and they are giving us a new option or to basically pay double the last year costs from our paycheck (now 15/week, well 14.78).

This year we have the opportunity to do a HSA and a high deductible plan. For a single person the most I pay is $2600 out of pocket a year and can deposit tax free from my paycheck to a HSA at my bank to pay for these costs. It seems like a good option and I might do it because its only $1.25 a week in stead of 14.78. Then I will take the savings and put them into a HSA and probably more as you can do up to 3350 a year into the account. So I could just put the 2600 a year into that account and call it good.

No idea what I am doing yet.

The reality is this though, people are getting free health care who weren't before and the rest of us are footing the bill. The goverment thought a bunch of young people who don't have any costs would balance the old and their high costs which didn't happen because they don't want to sign up so they pay the fee.

So Tom, just because your company choose to eat it, which they will just give you less pay raise, less bonus etc as the money comes from somewhere, doesn't mean obama care isn't fucking the rest of us because it is.

It boils down to more distribution of wealth, plain and simple.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by Murlo26

My company for the first time ever passed along the increases last year and this year they are doing more.

Last year it was like 15/paycheck (30/mo), this year costs have risen another 8% and they are giving us a new option or to basically pay double the last year costs from our paycheck (now 15/week, well 14.78).

This year we have the opportunity to do a HSA and a high deductible plan. For a single person the most I pay is $2600 out of pocket a year and can deposit tax free from my paycheck to a HSA at my bank to pay for these costs. It seems like a good option and I might do it because its only $1.25 a week in stead of 14.78. Then I will take the savings and put them into a HSA and probably more as you can do up to 3350 a year into the account. So I could just put the 2600 a year into that account and call it good.

No idea what I am doing yet.

The reality is this though, people are getting free health care who weren't before and the rest of us are footing the bill. The goverment thought a bunch of young people who don't have any costs would balance the old and their high costs which didn't happen because they don't want to sign up so they pay the fee.

So Tom, just because your company choose to eat it, which they will just give you less pay raise, less bonus etc as the money comes from somewhere, doesn't mean obama care isn't fucking the rest of us because it is.

It boils down to more distribution of wealth, plain and simple.

This is a completely moot point. Because Regardless of whether the ACA Went into effect. Premiums were already increasing at a DRAMATIC rate. It likely would have been more without the ACA Provisions.
Im just sick and tired of everyone blaming the ACA for their rate increases when the rates were already increasing prior to even talks about the ACA. You cant sit there and act like your health insurance stayed the same over the 10-15 years before the ACA was voted on because it didnt. The biggest complaint prior to the ACA was that health costs were increasing to the point it was bankrupting people. Is the new system perfect... NO, Can it be IMPROVED, yes. Are the dickhead republicans trying to IMPROVE it, NO. If they spent as much time trying to improve the damn thing than they were trying to repeal it, we would have a much better outcome for the people. But instead they are so butthurt about the fact that the Dems actually got through a piece of legislation that actually does something that they cant let it go. Its complete bullshit.

[AwdGSX13]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

This is a completely moot point. Because Regardless of whether the ACA Went into effect. Premiums were already increasing at a DRAMATIC rate. It likely would have been more without the ACA Provisions.
Im just sick and tired of everyone blaming the ACA for their rate increases when the rates were already increasing prior to even talks about the ACA. You cant sit there and act like your health insurance stayed the same over the 10-15 years before the ACA was voted on because it didnt. The biggest complaint prior to the ACA was that health costs were increasing to the point it was bankrupting people. Is the new system perfect... NO, Can it be IMPROVED, yes. Are the dickhead republicans trying to IMPROVE it, NO. If they spent as much time trying to improve the damn thing than they were trying to repeal it, we would have a much better outcome for the people. But instead they are so butthurt about the fact that the Dems actually got through a piece of legislation that actually does something that they cant let it go. Its complete bullshit.

My healthcare costs went down actually the year prior. Those dickhead republicans lol...

[asshanson]

It will be interesting to see the employer contribution to my health insurance on my W2 for 2013 vs 2014. My cost is going up $2/mo (4%) for 2015 with identical coverage.

[Goat Blower]

There's nothing to improve. If you wanted to improve something, you'd do it to the old system. To completely dismantle that and replace it with something that costs more and provides less, is not an improvement. That's why you don't see Republicans jumping on the bandwagon for this. This is simply the same power grab the dems have been trying to do for decades, they finally succeeded and we're all left footing the bill, or I should say us middle class folks are footing the bill.

I'm glad your premiums haven't increased, you're truly a 1%'r now.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by Goat Blower

There's nothing to improve. If you wanted to improve something, you'd do it to the old system. To completely dismantle that and replace it with something that costs more and provides less, is not an improvement. That's why you don't see Republicans jumping on the bandwagon for this. This is simply the same power grab the dems have been trying to do for decades, they finally succeeded and we're all left footing the bill, or I should say us middle class folks are footing the bill.

I'm glad your premiums haven't increased, you're truly a 1%'r now.

So theres nothing of any good with it eh?
- Patients Bill of Rights (protecting people from being dropped due to pre existing condition)
- Cost Free Preventative services
- No Lifetime dollar limits
- allowing kids to stay on their parents plans till 26
- the 85% rule of making insurance companies use at least 85% of premiums be spent on improving health care services and quality.
- Eliminating annual limits on coverage
and there is so much more that everyone agrees are good things. The problems are more in the process than the benefits. But this could be improved over time.
It was not a complete dismantle of the system. The old players are still there and got taken care of real good. A better system would have been going to single payer, which a lot of us wanted. Take the rate hike on taxes (you probably would have saved money anyways) and give everyone the same insurance.

[JET]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

- Cost Free Preventative services

There is liberal BS if I have ever heard it. No price yes, no cost - no freaking way.

Damn Pete, stuck him in a SMALL box!

[1ViciousGSX]

Originally Posted by Goat Blower

There's nothing to improve. If you wanted to improve something, you'd do it to the old system. To completely dismantle that and replace it with something that costs more and provides less, is not an improvement. That's why you don't see Republicans jumping on the bandwagon for this. This is simply the same power grab the dems have been trying to do for decades, they finally succeeded and we're all left footing the bill, or I should say us middle class folks are footing the bill.

I'm glad your premiums haven't increased, you're truly a 1%'r now.

Agreed

[Murlo26]

What has improved exactly?

Yes, premiums have always gone up, not arguing that, but not at this rate. And who complained they couldn't afford it? I am guessing people that were unemployed or had employers that didn't provide it.

I am giving you a real world example. My company pays our own health care costs, last year it was 3.2 million in cost for claims and administration costs.

For the last 50+ years they have always absorbed the increases because they were consistent and not absurd and they could plan for it. We had to switch our network to health partners two years ago as the increase was 50% to renew ours at our other network, 50%!!!

Our costs still went up but just not nearly as bad. But it was bad enough that now we the employees have to pay out of pocket for the business to survive.

So again, how is this plan better? Because now poor people/free loaders get insurance? Again, I am happy you don't have to pay out of pocket (directly) but you are the minority across American because guess what, companies/corporations don't want to eat this whole cost alone.

And seriously, people have free health care or subsidized health care now, so where do you think that money is coming from? it doesn't just materialize...well maybe through our "quantitative easing" (LAWL), but we are all paying for the people that now have health care who couldn't afford it before.

Again, this is just more redistribution of wealth and more policies that further destroy the middle class. Soon it will be just poor and rich and no middle class if it isn't that way already, hard not to be when 50% of the population doesn't do shit.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by Murlo26

What has improved exactly?

Yes, premiums have always gone up, not arguing that, but not at this rate. And who complained they couldn't afford it? I am guessing people that were unemployed or had employers that didn't provide it.

I am giving you a real world example. My company pays our own health care costs, last year it was 3.2 million in cost for claims and administration costs.

For the last 50+ years they have always absorbed the increases because they were consistent and not absurd and they could plan for it. We had to switch our network to health partners two years ago as the increase was 50% to renew ours at our other network, 50%!!!

Our costs still went up but just not nearly as bad. But it was bad enough that now we the employees have to pay out of pocket for the business to survive.

So again, how is this plan better? Because now poor people/free loaders get insurance? Again, I am happy you don't have to pay out of pocket (directly) but you are the minority across American because guess what, companies/corporations don't want to eat this whole cost alone.

And seriously, people have free health care or subsidized health care now, so where do you think that money is coming from? it doesn't just materialize...well maybe through our "quantitative easing" (LAWL), but we are all paying for the people that now have health care who couldn't afford it before.

Again, this is just more redistribution of wealth and more policies that further destroy the middle class. Soon it will be just poor and rich and no middle class if it isn't that way already, hard not to be when 50% of the population doesn't do shit.

Do you even know how rates are created? They are created by the insurance companies in a rate model that is directly attributed to the health of your companies workforce. (I worked at an insurance company and know exactly how this is calculated). If you have a startup that has 20 employees that sit in cubes and are all within the ages of 24-32, that rarely go to the doctor and are healthy individuals. you will get a MUCH lower rate than the same company with 20 employees that are in their 40s to 50s, have health issues etc. All of this is taken into account when the group rate is calculated, which is why rates are not calculated on a case by case basis, but on an averaged group basis, so that a 25 year old will have the same rate as a 60 year old at the same company.

[polishmafia]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

(I worked at an insurance company and know exactly how this is calculated)

"exactly"

Yup.

You worked for a healthcare company for ONE FULL DAY and then quit.

[Kracka]

Originally Posted by polishmafia

"exactly"

Yup.

You worked for a healthcare company for ONE FULL DAY and then quit.

I worked there for 13 months...I guess that makes me expert level?

[Goat Blower]

Originally Posted by Kracka

I worked there for 13 months...I guess that makes me expert level?

Or about 259 days more than Tom the expert.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by polishmafia

"exactly"

Yup.

You worked for a healthcare company for ONE FULL DAY and then quit.

Two years with SeeChange Health, Working with the software used to calculate the rates, as well has all of the websites, backend databases and server infrastructure.

[Murlo26]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

Do you even know how rates are created? They are created by the insurance companies in a rate model that is directly attributed to the health of your companies workforce. (I worked at an insurance company and know exactly how this is calculated). If you have a startup that has 20 employees that sit in cubes and are all within the ages of 24-32, that rarely go to the doctor and are healthy individuals. you will get a MUCH lower rate than the same company with 20 employees that are in their 40s to 50s, have health issues etc. All of this is taken into account when the group rate is calculated, which is why rates are not calculated on a case by case basis, but on an averaged group basis, so that a 25 year old will have the same rate as a 60 year old at the same company.

Yes I understand this.

Are you not listening to this though, my company which is 300 people or so I think, said flat out because of the ACA we were forced to switch providers due to the providers increasing rates so much.

I guess I don't see how that isn't completely black/white.

Our rates jumped 50% in one year because of the ACA. I understand rates always go up and again, my company for 50+ years covered those increases but it was so much recently due to the ACA that they chose to pass on some of that burden to us instead of reducing our coverage so we can get the same awesome health care as keeping your employees healthy is worth it.