"My wife and I just got our updates from Kaiser telling us what our 2014 rates will be. Her monthly has been $168 this year, mine $150. We have a high deductible. We are generally healthy people who don't go to the doctor often. I barely ever go. The insurance is in case of a major catastrophe.

Well, now, because of Obamacare, my wife's rate is gong to $302 per month and mine is jumping to $284.

I am canceling insurance for us and I am not paying any fucking penalty. What the hell kind of reform is this?

Oh, ok, if we qualify, we can get some government assistance. Great. So now I have to jump through another hoop to just chisel some of this off. And we don't qualify, anyway, so what's the point?

I never felt too good about how this was passed and what it entailed, but I figured if it saved Americans money, I could go along with it.

I don't know what to think now. This appears, in my experience, to not be a reform for the people.

What am I missing?

I realize I will probably get screamed at for posting this, but I can't imagine I am the only Californian who just received a rate increase from Kaiser based on these new laws.
"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/30/1242660/-Obamacare-will-double-my-monthly-premium
Attachments:

WingNut Wrote:

> I never felt too good about how this was passed
> and what it entailed, but I figured if it saved
> Americans money, I could go along with it.
>
> I don't know what to think now. This appears, in
> my experience, to not be a reform for the people.

I'm somewhat amazed, but less so every day, at the idiocy of people who think that there is some sort of magical math that will make all of us pay less for something if we give it away (or subsidize it) to everyone.

Now, some of Kaiser's biggest customers are complaining that the company is no longer a bargain and, even worse, standing in the way of controlling healthcare costs. Critics say the company is so entrenched in the workplace that it refuses to negotiate rates or to fully explain why its premiums keep rising.

Kaiser rejects the criticism and says it remains a great value for employers and patients, offering superior care at rates that are often 10% below its rivals. It considers the mounting backlash a direct attack on the way it does business.

Employer frustration has flared up in recent weeks as officials in the city of Los Angeles, San Francisco and at the California Public Employees' Retirement System bristled at Kaiser's latest rate hikes.

At CalPERS, the nation's third-largest healthcare buyer, Kaiser's premiums have shot up 65% since 2007. In comparison, Blue Shield of California's HMO rates have risen 50% and premiums for an Anthem Blue Cross preferred-provider plan have increased 43% for the same period.

For the city of Los Angeles, Kaiser's premiums for a family have increased 34% in the last five years to $1,306 a month. Anthem Blue Cross charges the city 10% less, or $1,176 a month, for a family PPO plan.

"We are held hostage to Kaiser," said Miguel Santana, the city's top budget official and administrative officer. Like many workers, Santana is a satisfied customer himself, and three of his children were delivered at Kaiser hospitals.

But as an employer, he said that "Kaiser takes us for granted, and the frustrating thing is they are not willing to have a discussion about their increases."

Many of Kaiser's critics are rallying around state Senate legislation, SB 746, that would require the company to disclose more details on how it calculates rates and spends money. Some powerful interests are supporting the bill, including AARP, big labor unions and the Safeway grocery chain, while other health insurers and business groups have joined Kaiser in opposition.

Kaiser is different from most insurers because it runs 37 hospitals across the country, owns hundreds of medical clinics and has 17,000 doctors on salary. It collects an upfront premium from customers to cover all of their care and has an incentive to keep patients healthy as opposed to the conventional fee-for-service model that can produce wasteful spending.

Enrollment surges

The company sprang up during the Great Depression to treat laborers for five cents a day, a forerunner of the modern-day HMO. Enrollment boomed after World War II as Kaiser became the union plan for longshoremen, store clerks

My PPO through Aetna went down 8% and has some great new options available. We, at our work, looked at Kaiser and they were the worst by far in terms of rates going up.

Although ACA is not perfect, most who complain are doing so for their own personal agenda or just too lazy to research a little.

Thanks E6FJD, I will be sure to read all your past and future posts.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

Attachments:

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks E6FJD, I will be sure to read all your past
> and future posts.


I am just stating a fact about my works insurance plan premium decrease. I would say a large majority of people fit what I said above - hate Obama, so trash the ACA.

Some are going to get fucked, but not in the numbers the right would like to portray. I am not on either side, just a realist.

They did drop the ball on the web-site.

Thanks E6FJD, but President Dickbag told America everything would be the same or better.

Nice false anecdote, OP. Do you canvas the neighborhoods for Cucinutella too?

Dingnut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice false anecdote, OP. Do you canvas the
> neighborhoods for Cucinutella too?

Nope, not a fan of Cooch.

Not an anecdote, it was what we were told.

My CareFirst seems to be getting cancelled come 2014 too. We were told if we liked our healthcare plan we could keep it.

Looks like middle class Americans will get jacked to pay for the stupid votes of idealistic leftist maggots yet again.

Carefirst? Why do you have such shitty insurance? Do you inspect Dons Johns for a living?

E6FJD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My PPO through Aetna went down 8% and has some
> great new options available. We, at our work,
> looked at Kaiser and they were the worst by far in
> terms of rates going up.
>
> Although ACA is not perfect, most who complain are
> doing so for their own personal agenda or just too
> lazy to research a little.


BS

Daddy is a healthy man.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks E6FJD, but President Dickbag told America
> everything would be the same or better.


it is going to be for the majority of people

just keep jumping to conclusions 2 weeks into the largest change to the american landscape for decades, it serves your agenda well

well done mr. sheep

tTyhJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WingNut Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks E6FJD, but President Dickbag told
> America
> > everything would be the same or better.
>
>
> it is going to be for the majority of people
>
> just keep jumping to conclusions 2 weeks into the
> largest change to the american landscape for
> decades, it serves your agenda well
>
> well done mr. sheep


No objective source believes that Lambchop.

It will be more expensive for most. It will be subsidized for some. The primary reason that it will be more expensive for most is that they are the ones paying for those subsidies. In addition to expanded minimum coverage requirements, generally higher deductibles and co-pays with the exchange plans, and overall healthcare cost increases which it doesn't really help with.

E6FJD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My PPO through Aetna went down 8% and has some
> great new options available. We, at our work,
> looked at Kaiser and they were the worst by far in
> terms of rates going up.
>
> Although ACA is not perfect, most who complain are
> doing so for their own personal agenda or just too
> lazy to research a little.


Just received the documentation from my health insurance company.

I was very surprised to read that not only will my health insurance be free after January 1 but they will be sending me a $300 check monthly, in perpetuity.

Thankfully, no one read the bill before it was passed.

trogdor! Wrote:

> I'm somewhat amazed, but less so every day, at the
> idiocy of people who think that there is some sort
> of magical math that will make all of us pay less
> for something if we give it away (or subsidize it)
> to everyone.


In more magic math news, The Miami Herald says if we pay everyone at least a $50,000 a year salary, we'll all save $3.8 billion in taxes!

We should do that!! What could be the downside??

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/15/3691189/report-burger-king-workers-collecting.html

If you voted for Obama you get what you deserve.

OPM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you voted for Obama you get what you deserve.

True, my rates went down while benefits increased with less restrictions.

Check Aetna for yourself, our company had all but 1 employee benefit greatly.

I do not vote, but am loving the $80 a month premium reduction + less restrictions.