Paying the Price: How Health Insurance Premiums Are Eating Up Middle-Class Incomes

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The rapid rise in health insurance premiums has severely strained U.S. families and employers in recent years. This analysis of federal data finds that if premiums for employer-sponsored insurance grow in each state at the projected national rate of increase, then the average premium for family coverage would rise from $12,298 (the 2008 average) to $23,842 by 2020--a 94 percent increase. However, if health system reforms were able to slow premium growth by 1 percentage point in all states, by 2020 employers and families together would save $2,571 per premium for family coverage, compared with projected trends. If growth could be slowed by 1.5 percentage points--a target recently agreed to by a major industry coalition--yearly savings would equal $3,759.
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Data-Briefs/2009/Aug/Paying-the-Price-How-Health-Insurance-Premiums-Are-Eating-Up-Middle-Class-Incomes.aspx

IOW your family would have an extra 300 dollars per month in 2020....

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Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

What about those of us who have affordable plans through our employers? My costs have not risen for the last four years. My taxes have. The price of postage has. Legislative salaries have. We are going to treat millions more patients and the cost is going to be less. Behold the very first efficient government program :deadhorse.

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What about those of us who have affordable plans through our employers? My costs have not risen for the last four years.

Maybe not, but your employer's costs have and will continue to until something serious is done about healthcare, and, eventually, your employer is going to either a) pass on more of the premium cost to you as a paycheck deduction (of course, the entire cost of the premium is basically income you've earned but never see, because it's taken "off the top" and handed over to the insurance company), b) switch to a cheaper, crummier health plan, or c) drop employee insurance coverage all together.

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Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

Actually, with all of the horse manure flying around, I did some checking. Yes, employer-paid premiums did rise, by a whopping 26.83 on my BC/BS plan since 2005. Rises in my state, local, and federal taxation (even with the Bush tax "cuts") far outpaced any increases in my health plan.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

I'm not worried about dying if I can't afford $0.45 for a letter to be picked up at my house and in less than a week delivered anywhere in the United States.

But if my employer decides to eliminate health insurance how many won't be able to afford the $13,000.00 a year now? (some expect it to nearly double over the next decade without reform).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574376450845822712.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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you mean like Obama care?

b) switch to a cheaper, crummier health plan, or c) drop employee insurance coverage all together.
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costs rise do to continued mandates from the state and federal governments. the only way for the government ot contain costs is through rationing. Can't wait to hear nurses complain when their families health care gets rationed.

I'm not worried about dying if I can't afford $0.45 for a letter to be picked up at my house and in less than a week delivered anywhere in the United States.

But if my employer decides to eliminate health insurance how many won't be able to afford the $13,000.00 a year now? (some expect it to nearly double over the next decade without reform).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574376450845822712.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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And fedex/ups only deliver profitable portions of the package delivery system....Does anyone really care about a penny postage increase?

Increases in taxes paid from year to year are usually a reflection of increased income.....

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Re: Paying the Price: How Health Insurance Premiums Are Eating Up Middle-Class Income "What about those of us who have affordable plans through our employers? My costs have not risen for the last four years."

When you get ill and call your insurance company, and you get the message "you're not covered for that...pre-existing...experimental treatment" you keep holding on to your precious affordable employer plan that didn't increase it's cost in accordance with inflation.

After killing yourself working for years on end, and then decide to retire, that's when you'll see your plan skyrocket in cost. You won't then be able to afford it and they won't get stuck with another retiree and their future claims. Ahhhh the irony.

Insurance is a BUSINESS -they are in it to make $$$$.

Lest you forget

-every time yo buy a car, you are paying for the welders insurance.

-every time someone pays for health care, they are paying OUR insurance

-every time we pay our property taxes, we are paying City Halls insurance

We already have a perverse-twilight zone social-exclusive health care system,

lets make it a perverse-twilight zone socially-inclusive health care system.

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All this conspiracy theories about insurance companies not paying claims and ready to drop everybody is just that a load of liberal scare mongering. No one forces you to take and pay for health insurance. If you don't like it then don't get it. The same goes for the evil drug companies that are demonized on here till someone's kids or grandma needs medicine and then the whining stops.

Re: Paying the Price: How Health Insurance Premiums Are Eating Up Middle-Class Income "What about those of us who have affordable plans through our employers? My costs have not risen for the last four years."

When you get ill and call your insurance company, and you get the message "you're not covered for that...pre-existing...experimental treatment" you keep holding on to your precious affordable employer plan that didn't increase it's cost in accordance with inflation.

After killing yourself working for years on end, and then decide to retire, that's when you'll see your plan skyrocket in cost. You won't then be able to afford it and they won't get stuck with another retiree and their future claims. Ahhhh the irony.

Insurance is a BUSINESS -they are in it to make $$$$.

Lest you forget

-every time yo buy a car, you are paying for the welders insurance.

-every time someone pays for health care, they are paying OUR insurance

-every time we pay our property taxes, we are paying City Halls insurance

We already have a perverse-twilight zone social-exclusive health care system,

lets make it a perverse-twilight zone socially-inclusive health care system.

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"a load of liberal scare mongering"

Nothing as far fetched as death panels wouldn't you say?

"No one forces you to take and pay for health insurance"

Is there another option, oh say maybe a public option? Or let me guess, you don't like that so no one else should.

"same goes for the evil drug companies that are demonized on here"

Why don't you mind paying more for medicine than any other country?

"till someone's kids or grandma needs medicine and then the whining stops."

Because that's when the fight with your insurance company begins.

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yawn, what flavor of the left wing koolaid do you drink the most?

"a load of liberal scare mongering"

Nothing as far fetched as death panels wouldn't you say?

"No one forces you to take and pay for health insurance"

Is there another option, oh say maybe a public option? Or let me guess, you don't like that so no one else should.

"same goes for the evil drug companies that are demonized on here"

Why don't you mind paying more for medicine than any other country?

"till someone's kids or grandma needs medicine and then the whining stops."

Because that's when the fight with your insurance company begins.

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