Health Care Premium increases

[DJW]

My company received a letter regarding our health care rate increases for next year.....

...holy crap!!! If this is a reflection of what other employers are going to be getting...look out! No wonder employers have been stocking up on cash.

The letter says that I need to inform my employees that the rate increases are due to 3 reasons: Normal increases, new coverages reguired by the health care bill, and a drop in a state subsidy which was provided to some companies for small group mental coverage.

Get a load of these increases...

Individual 34%-39%
Employee and Spouse 46%-51%
Employee and Children 30%-35%
Family 36%-41%

Now, understand, this was already for the crappiest coverage I could possibly afford. Our annual family deductible is $5,000! A family policy is just shy of $1,000 a month already!

I have no choice but to pass these costs on to my customers. My employees can't afford them, and my company can't afford them.

But believe me, I know that my customers can't afford it either, not to mention that they will be getting the hit with the same kinds of rate increase (or more) as I'm getting. Where are they going to get the money? Companies that I depend on for services will be in the same boat, they will have to increase their costs to me to offset their increased expenses.

This will either destroy some companies or it will force them to drop coverage to be able to compete.

And where does the 50% rate increase come from? Inflation? Are we supposed to inflate the money supply to make up the difference?

Hang on to your shorts folks, this may well be headed on to your company or your employer.

[NHFree1]

My wife's employer had a crappy coverage plan too and they had a rate increase just over 30%. Fortunately she's on my insurance which didn't have a rate increase but all of the copays increased. We're all in the same boat....the democraps clearly know what's best for us and our country.......

[YorkHogRider]

Just stop paying for health insurance and sign up for the government's FREE health care insurance. Since its FREE you don't have to pay for it and you can use all that extra money to improve your business. It sure is nice of the government to use their own money to provide FREE health insurance to us.

[YankeeBob]

I just canceled my $1500/mo health insurance. I can't afford it anymore. Fukkem. They can have my house if I get hurt. I'm ready to ride the system.

[ponderopa]

Wife's coverage goes up in October (I'm on it since being laid off)...Went up significantly last year. Get ready to wait in line for less! More patients, fewer doctors. It's time to fight for politicians and govt. employees to live with our choices (exception for wounded vets).

[blkfalc4]

It's what the American public wanted....or at least according to the mind reading Obama....who kept saying that even when polls said otherwise.


And you wonder why the insurance companies were all for this BS.

nuff said

[acbacb]

Welcome to Obamacare. More $$ with less coverage and less choice. We had to pass it to see what was in it (thanks Pelosi). I just love socialized medicine. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Waffen]

My families just went up about 30% in June, added about $350 per month. In addition they dropped the vision and dental and if I want it back I need to pay an additional $84 per month.

I may need to come out of semi retirement and get a full time job, if I can find one.


W

[Fred1369]

don't forget, we now pay taxes on the employer contribution as a benefit.

[DJW]

Originally Posted by YorkHogRider

Just stop paying for health insurance and sign up for the government's FREE health care insurance. Since its FREE you don't have to pay for it and you can use all that extra money to improve your business. It sure is nice of the government to use their own money to provide FREE health insurance to us.

If only it were that simple. Unfortunatley that only applies to people who don't work. My employees are going to be REQUIRED to have insurance, or pay a fine...in the form of a lien on their income tax return.

Now, the fine may be cheaper, for now, but there is no free-health care for people who work and pay taxes.

[DJW]

Originally Posted by Fred1369

don't forget, we now pay taxes on the employer contribution as a benefit.

If I understand this correctly, and I may not, starting in 2012 I have to issue a 1099 for the value of their beneift.

If that's true, then they don't just pay taxes on it, they pay both their own plus their employer's share of the social security (FICA) on the value.

This is some f'd up sheit. I really don't know what to do....and I'm not in as bad of a situtation as a lot of other people are going to be.

I also heard, and this may not be true too, that other types of insurance will be boosted up in 2011 by the underwriters to cover the expected losses from the health care leglislation. The underwriters are going to stock pile cash now to cover the anticipated losses in 2013 and 2014. You wouldn't believe what my company pays in insurance already . ANY increase is devastating.

Is this the plan? To destroy small business? If so, it might just work.

[YankeeBob]

Originally Posted by DJW

Is this the plan? To destroy small business? If so, it might just work.

I'm about ready to fold up shop and get a government job.

[garyad]

Make yourself heard with your vote this fall. We need to clean house at all levels. We still have 2 more years of Obama but his days are numbered too.

[HarleyComforts]

Originally Posted by YankeeBob

I'm about ready to fold up shop and get a government job.

I think what we (assuming you're self employed)should immediately take out group health Ins. through your company, then when Obamacare comes out cancel the insurance and take the penalty from OB which is 8% (I heard) and take the Gov plan which will be much cheaper.

It won't be good, but cheaper...I have a 10k deductable, and still it's my largest monthly expense.

[Scabbydoo]

Democrat/Republican/Independent or whatever they want to call themselves, no matter how much they rail and wail how terrible the other sides plan is and how good theirs is, I can guarantee you'll never see any of them sign up for any program they force on us no matter which completely incompetent "side of the aisle" is responsible.

537 'federal employees' that have the best our money can buy could give a sh!t less about us. They care about one thing and one thing only, getting reelected and will say/do anything to accomplish that goal.