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Insurers warn of overhaul-induced sticker shock

Samhain

Samhain

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Insurers warn of overhaul-induced sticker shock

The nation's big health insurers say they expect premiums — or the cost for insurance coverage — to rise from 20 to 100 percent for millions of people due to changes that will occur when key provisions of the Affordable Care Act roll out in January 2014.

Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna Inc., one of the nation's largest insurers, calls the price hikes "premium rate shock."

"We've done all the math, we've shared it with all the regulators, we've shared it with all the people in Washington that need to see it, and I think it's a big concern," Bertolini said during the company's annual meeting with investors in December.
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I think a more accurate headline would be a "shock to some".
 
why would it be a shock? ****ty private health insurance routinely rises by that much, at least in my neck of the woods.

the health care industry is going to price itself out of the market. there is absolutely no reason that it should cost this much, other than the fact that it's an essential service with inelastic demand being delivered by three layers of for-profit entities.

regardless, it's not working, the cracks are turning into canyons, and the PPACA is too much of a compromise to work. real solutions are going to be even less popular with those who decry the PPACA, but i think pretty soon even their histrionics won't be able to hide the idiotic inefficiency of the American health care system.
 
Yep. Reducing the factors allowed, for premium rate setting variation, to age and smoking, while adding ever more "no out of pocket cost" services, can have no other outcome than raising the basic premium cost of a policy. PPACA is basically a create a crisis law, intended to force the public to demand more gov't help in controlling costs (forced up by the gov't), getting us to agree to the real goal of UHC (socialized medicine run by the gov't). What PPACA put in place was a new gov't power to force both most employers and most individuals to contribute to third party players ("private" insurance companies); the next step will be adding a public "option" allowing the gov't to establish baseline premium rates that will either kill the "private" insurance industry or make them even richer.
 
I think we ought to just pay for the healthcare, instead of ensuring yet more insurnace company profits. On my way to work each day I pass anthem insurance building. There aer miliions and millions of dollars worth of building, lots of execs and a helipad out back. All that would pay for a helluva a lot of tonsilectomies. What this counrty really needs is a real UHC system.
 
Everything is going as planned. Obama care will cause insurance premiums to rise at an unacceptable level and obama will step in like Mighty Mouse to save the day with obama care part 2, single payer.
 
I recently helped a lady from church sort through her husband's final medical bills. The billed charges were in the hood of $150K; Medicare paid about $14K and the estate has to pay about $2500. Now, what would the world look like if hospitals/doctors just billed $16.5K instead of $150K since that is what they get in the end anyway?

Obamacare is nothing but another subsidy to an industry that runs a price setting billing racket to punish those who do not want to play the game--and Obamacare is just an extension of that.
 
Helix said:
why would it be a shock? ****ty private health
insurance routinely rises by that much, at least in my neck of the woods.

the health care industry is going to price itself out of the market. there is absolutely no reason that it should cost this much, other than the fact that it's an essential service with inelastic demand being delivered by three layers of for-profit entities.

regardless, it's not working, the cracks are turning into canyons, and the PPACA is too much of a compromise to work. real solutions are going to be even less popular with those who decry the PPACA, but i think pretty soon even their histrionics won't be able to hide the idiotic inefficiency of the American health care system.
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They're going to price them selves out of their own market ?

Helix its rationale like yours thats got us in the current mess we're in.

You blame the insurers for hospitals priceshifting because illegal aliens use emeegency rooms for a free dr appointment.

Yoy blame insurers for Obama's destructive healthcare law that imposed new mandates on who they should cover. ( the last time the govt enforced mandates on large private entities it caused the sub-prime collapse )

You blame insurers for Americans increasingly growing fat asses and the numerous health problems that are associated with that burden the rest of us with higher cost.

The prerequisite short sightedness that comes with being a liberal is getting really old.


Obama Care is and was always meant to be a tax, a way to redistribute from the middle class to the verry poor, because THATS who's going to be paying new "tax"/penalty.

In 2018 a 40% tax on "Cadillac" health plans goes through that will force people off of their employers ins.
 
Health insurance premiums have been going up by double digits for years now. The ACA does nothing to address the issue of costs, actually exacerbates the costs in fact, so they will continue to go up. The only difference is that the myopic among us have something to blame for unaffordable health care.
 
Fenton said:
They're going to price them selves out of their own market ?
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it's happening for more and more people every year. the PPACA does little about this other than to spur the creation of a bunch of safe auto-type plans that meet minimum requirements, but don't do much else.


Fenton said:
Helix its rationale like yours thats got us in the current mess we're in.
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no, it's the general refusal to accept that an essential service with inelastic demand might not be most efficiently delivered by three levels of for profit companies.

Fenton said:
You blame the insurers for hospitals priceshifting because illegal aliens use emeegency rooms for a free dr appointment.
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it's broader than that. it's everyone who doesn't have insurance and can't get on medicaid.

Fenton said:
Yoy blame insurers for Obama's destructive healthcare law that imposed new mandates on who they should cover. ( the last time the govt enforced mandates on large private entities it caused the sub-prime collapse )

You blame insurers for Americans increasingly growing fat asses and the numerous health problems that are associated with that burden the rest of us with higher cost.
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no, i don't, but i find them to be piss poor, inefficient gatekeepers to nearly every level of essential care.

Fenton said:
The prerequisite short sightedness that comes with being a liberal is getting really old.
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this isn't a teamsport. our system isn't working, it's expensive and inefficient, it stifles both business and employment, and the PPACA doesn't fix it. it can only be fixed by completely redesigning the system.


Fenton said:
Obama Care is and was always meant to be a tax, a way to redistribute from the middle class to the verry poor, because THATS who's going to be paying new "tax"/penalty.
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that's exactly who is already paying the penalty through higher premiums.

Fenton said:
In 2018 a 40% tax on "Cadillac" health plans goes through that will force people off of their employers ins.
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an employer is not a health care provider. the sooner we get away from that failed idea, the better.
 
It's to be expected, and it's a final "crowding out" method to ensure that every American be on the exchange option unless you're a public sector employee. Private sector employers that offer insurance will be a thing of the past, even F-500 companies. Everyone will be in the state exchange pool. Everyone.
 
Who knew providing free birth control to the promiscuous would be so expensive? Obama promised everything could be free and costs would go down, so what's the issue? :confused:
 
sawyerloggingon said:
Everything is going as planned. Obama care will cause insurance premiums to rise at an unacceptable level and obama will step in like Mighty Mouse to save the day with obama care part 2, single payer.
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Or, in two or four years, there will be sufficient Republicans in the House and Senate to repeal Obamacare, if the courts haven't already stripped it of meaningful effect beforehand.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
Everything is going as planned. Obama care will cause insurance premiums to rise at an unacceptable level and obama will step in like Mighty Mouse to save the day with obama care part 2, single payer.
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I don't doubt you're absolutely correct. At which point some of us will start counting the days until the end of our lives because I will NOT take Government money for my healthcare.
 
Oh, I missed that, when did Obama say that?
CanadaJohn said:
Who knew providing free birth control to the promiscuous would be so expensive? Obama promised everything could be free and costs would go down, so what's the issue? :confused:
Click to expand...
 
Fenton said:
They're going to price them selves out of their own market ?

Helix its rationale like yours thats got us in the current mess we're in.

You blame the insurers for hospitals priceshifting because illegal aliens use emeegency rooms for a free dr appointment.

Yoy blame insurers for Obama's destructive healthcare law that imposed new mandates on who they should cover. ( the last time the govt enforced mandates on large private entities it caused the sub-prime collapse )

You blame insurers for Americans increasingly growing fat asses and the numerous health problems that are associated with that burden the rest of us with higher cost.

The prerequisite short sightedness that comes with being a liberal is getting really old.


Obama Care is and was always meant to be a tax, a way to redistribute from the middle class to the verry poor, because THATS who's going to be paying new "tax"/penalty.

In 2018 a 40% tax on "Cadillac" health plans goes through that will force people off of their employers ins.
Click to expand...

But.... corporations are all evil! Making money is evil! Rich people are evil!
 
BUT OBAMA PROMISED! THAT INSURANCE RATES WOULD GO DOWN! So this CAN'T be true.

Oh, BTW, coverage for pre-existing conditions also has been cancelled.
 
Gipper said:
It's to be expected, and it's a final "crowding out" method to ensure that every American be on the exchange option unless you're a public sector employee. Private sector employers that offer insurance will be a thing of the past, even F-500 companies. Everyone will be in the state exchange pool. Everyone.
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Everyone except those of us who won't take Government healthcare. They can send me the card and tell me I'm covered. That doesn't mean I ever have to use it.
 
Tigger said:
Everyone except those of us who won't take Government healthcare. They can send me the card and tell me I'm covered. That doesn't mean I ever have to use it.
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Why would you not take something that you pay for? Thats like buying a gallon of milk then throwing it in the trash because you don't like cows. That logic is kind of twisted.
 
Snake Oil said:
Why would you not take something that you pay for? Thats like buying a gallon of milk then throwing it in the trash because you don't like cows. That logic is kind of twisted.
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Just because I pay for something doesn't mean I should take it. Ever hear of the crime called "Accepting Stolen Property". THAT is what I believe Government healthcare is.... Stolen Property. Stolen from the other people who pay for it as well; since my taxes are not going to cover my entire costs. More importantly it's a matter of Principles over Practicality. The US Government has no legal or Constitutional mandate to involve themselves in the heathcare industry.
 
mak2 said:
I think we ought to just pay for the healthcare, instead of ensuring yet more insurnace company profits. On my way to work each day I pass anthem insurance building. There aer miliions and millions of dollars worth of building, lots of execs and a helipad out back. All that would pay for a helluva a lot of tonsilectomies. What this counrty really needs is a real UHC system.
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Yeah, then the guys with the helipads and million dollar buildings will be Government employees... SUCCESS!
 
No, they wont. Governemnt employees do not profit from the programs they handle. Simply not a true statement.
jmotivator said:
Yeah, then the guys with the helipads and million dollar buildings will be Government employees... SUCCESS!
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mak2 said:
No, they wont. Governemnt employees do not profit from the programs they handle. Simply not a true statement.
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They work for free? And the Department heads don't fly private jets? Huh...
 
No, they get paid a regular paycheck. I dont know any that fly on private jets. You must be thinking about politicians. I cant help you with those guys.
jmotivator said:
They work for free? And the Department heads don't fly private jets? Huh...
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mak2 said:
No, they get paid a regular paycheck. I dont know any that fly on private jets. You must be thinking about politicians. I cant help you with those guys.
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Ah, I see now that your world view depends on you ignoring that politicians are the functional head of government and enjoy the same perks as any CEO. Obama's golf schedule puts the average CEO to shame.
 
Helix said:
it's
happening for more and more people every year. the PPACA does little about this other than to spur the creation of a bunch of safe auto-type plans that meet minimum requirements, but don't do much else.




no, it's the general refusal to accept that an essential service with inelastic demand might not be most efficiently delivered by three levels of for profit companies.



it's broader than that. it's everyone who doesn't have insurance and can't get on medicaid.



no, i don't, but i find them to be piss poor, inefficient gatekeepers to nearly every level of essential care.



this isn't a teamsport. our system isn't working, it's expensive and inefficient, it stifles both business and employment, and the PPACA doesn't fix it. it can only be fixed by completely redesigning the system.




that's exactly who is already paying the penalty through higher premiums.



an employer is not a health care provider. the sooner we get away from that failed idea, the better.
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The employer has been a healthcare provider through offering insurance plans as a part of compensation for decades. Because they buy in bulk essentially they have access to better plans at cheaper rates.

If employers are NOT providers who is ?

And I'm not going to "get use" to a plan that will not work and will not be implemented.
 
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