Has anyone noticed a significant increase in medical insurance this year?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

 

 

I so, so want to believe this. I am too jaded to think that real reform will come from the congress and senate who have been along for the ride to get us into this mess. Our insurance is crazy, but we make do because we are healthy. My real insurance plan is to stay as healthy as possible, and be very proactive with anything I think might get bad for our family. I don't see this conversation as beating a dead horse, because we as Americans need to be thinking and talking about this issue and not skating along thinking the government is doing the best it can. The previous administration reformed Medicare and now Obamacare is here. As a society we need to keep this issue at the forefront of our policy and hold the government accountable, no matter if they are Republican or Democrat. Our lives depend on it.

 

Actually IMO the previous administration did not reform Medicare. Instead they give a huge windfall to big pharma by stipulating that the government could not negotiate drug prices with said pharma companies. Thus, big pharma dictates drug prices at inflated prices. The previous administration also did not pay for the Part D drug coverage as well by perhaps slightly increasing medicare tax rates.

 

I am glad for the prescription drug coverage since it helped saved my parents, but IMO the previous administration did not do it the right way.

[VeritasMama]

I agree with you (I am also a strong and lifetime Democrat who also sees the President as quite middle of the road), I just know that low wage earners can benefit from a longer stimulus as food and gas price inflation have reduced their standard of living considerably and that does drag on the economy. Payroll taxes are most, and in some cases all, of their federal tax burden.

 

:iagree:

[unsinkable]

I guess Obamacare is starting to take effect. God help us.

 

 

 

I agree, and I don't think those of us still participating are still thinking "dead horse". The way this thread started out, the OP used Obamacare in a derogatory tone and said God help us. Some of us were reacting to that early on.

 

I now think the tone of the discussion has changed for the better. I'm guessing I'm not alone in feeling that way.

 

It's so hard to read tone on the Internet...but the OP has only posted once.

 

I just read the thread to see how many "OMGs! Not this again!" replies there would be. LOL

[QueenCat]

Honestly, I think some folks never really noticed that it went down and are now upset it is "going up." A number of people tend to downplay what benefits them and highlight what does not. I totally agree that it needed to be temporary. The idea/misconception that middle class taxes have gone up because of the expiration is widespread. That said, most of those same folks will very much need and want their SS benefits to exist down the line.

 

Exactly!!!!! Especially the bolded.

[QueenCat]

I don't know how they managed to do it, but our insurance co

put in an exclusion for all foot care for me. (I'm diabetic and have

been having minor toe issues)

 

I'm pretty sure that it is in 2014 that they can no longer not cover you on pre-existing conditions.

[Pammy]

Part of the reason I haven't posted is because my mother in law has been in ICU out of town. I don't have a lot of spare time to visit the chat board and I generally only stay on for a few minutes. I don't think it was beating a dead horse, because I wasn't aware of previous conversations here. I have also read about 400 pages of the Affordable Health Care act, and think I am making an informed decision about whether I think the increases in health insurance are due to that, as well as the cuts that my mom, dad, and mother in law will soon be feeling from Medicare. All of them have terminal illness, but thus far have life sustaining medical care (dialysis, oxygen, Rx drugs). Since they are all over 65, the next time they need hospitalization they may be turned away, since that is outlined in the AHC Act.

 

For my family, we cannot afford an additional $300 per month for health insurance that we rarely use. So, we are having to cut other things from our budget...eating out, entertainment, clothing, etc.

 

That is all I was saying. And who wouldn't want God's help? We could all use it these days!

[Guest inoubliable]

Part of the reason I haven't posted is because my mother in law has been in ICU out of town.

 

Since they are all over 65, the next time they need hospitalization they may be turned away, since that is outlined in the AHC Act.

 

 

 

 

Sorry to hear about your MIL.

 

Where is that outlined in the Act??

[Pammy]

 

Sorry to hear about your MIL.

 

Where is that outlined in the Act??

 

 

 

 

Medicare is for people over the age of 65. I was referring to a few sections, mainly these:

 

 

Sec. 3403. Independent Medicare Advisory Board. Creates an independent, 15-member Medicare Advisory Board tasked with presenting Congress with comprehensive proposals to reduce excess cost growth and improve quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. In years when Medicare costs are projected to be unsustainable, the Board’s proposals will take effect unless Congress passes an alternative measure that achieves the same level of savings. Congress would be allowed to consider an alternative provision on a fast-track basis. The Board would be prohibited from making proposals that ration care, raise taxes or Part B premiums, or change Medicare benefit, eligibility, or cost-sharing standards.

 

 

Sec. 2703. State option to provide health homes for enrollees with chronic conditions. Provide States the option of enrolling Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions into a health home. Health homes would be composed of a team of health professionals and would provide a comprehensive set of medical services, including care coordination

 

 

Medicare Advisory board and health homes for people with chronic conditions.

 

I will have to get back about the specific wording when I have more time.

[Mom0012]

I can not believe this dead horse is still being beaten. Our health insurance costs have gone up every year with less coverage for more years then Obama has been in office.

 

 

All I can think when I see posts like this is "just wait". We've had increases over the years, but NOTHING like what we've experienced in the last couple of years. We lost almost all our insurance options last year and had to "choose" between a high deductible plan ($2,500 deductible per individual, which includes prescriptions so we had to pay hundreds of dollars for things like eye drops and allergy nasal sprays) and a PPO where the rates went up so much that we would have paid more in premium increases than we would have for the $2,500 deductible.

 

I remember bemoaning this fact to a friend and her cheerily stating that she had great insurance and wasn't seeing the changes we were. Well, guess what? This year, she was slammed with a $2,500 high deducible, and then 20% out-of-pocket plan and she's having twins.

 

My husband works for a large, well-known company and they sent out a letter with the new insurance plans this year stating that by XXX date (sorry, I can't remember), it is predicted that people will be paying 60% of their income to insurance premiums. As scary as that sounds, I believe it is true.

[TravelingChris]

Around here, the way doctors are reacting is taking cash payments only, then you have to try to get reimbursement from your insurance company. So far, the psychiatrists, psychologists, and dermatologists have done this. I expect more to do it as Obamacare goes more into affect. We can afford it but it is tough. For example, the visits are over a 100 each and my dd's testing is 2000. If you don't have money, you are stuck going to public health which has many questions on their form about what crime you have been accused of and how long your probation is. I decided I would rather pay than subject my dd to that environment. I didn't think it would be conducive to getting her not to be depressed.

[kewb]

 

All I can think when I see posts like this is "just wait". We've had increases over the years, but NOTHING like what we've experienced in the last couple of years. We lost almost all our insurance options last year and had to "choose" between a high deductible plan ($2,500 deductible per individual, which includes prescriptions so we had to pay hundreds of dollars for things like eye drops and allergy nasal sprays) and a PPO where the rates went up so much that we would have paid more in premium increases than we would have for the $2,500 deductible.

 

I remember bemoaning this fact to a friend and her cheerily stating that she had great insurance and wasn't seeing the changes we were. Well, guess what? This year, she was slammed with a $2,500 high deducible, and then 20% out-of-pocket plan and she's having twins.

 

My husband works for a large, well-known company and they sent out a letter with the new insurance plans this year stating that by XXX date (sorry, I can't remember), it is predicted that people will be paying 60% of their income to insurance premiums. As scary as that sounds, I believe it is true.

 

 

It is still nothing new. When the first Bush was in office the company I worked for gave a choice of remaining with the current health plan with a huge employee contribution increase or switch to an HMO with a smaller employee contribution. Over the decade I spent with the last company I worked with before quitting to homeschool I had to continually make that choice over and over again. Last year dh's company switched to a new healthplan because 97% of the employees were seeing doctors already in the network so they decided to save money by switching to a new plan with the same company with stiff deductibles if you go out of network.

 

I stand by what I originally said. Health insurance has been an issue far longer then the current president. Health inusrance has been an issue since I was a kid. My father ran his own company and he complained about it when I was growing up.

[Mom0012]

It is still nothing new. When the first Bush was in office the company I worked for gave a choice of remaining with the current health plan with a huge employee contribution increase or switch to an HMO with a smaller employee contribution. Over the decade I spent with the last company I worked with before quitting to homeschool I had to continually make that choice over and over again. Last year dh's company switched to a new healthplan because 97% of the employees were seeing doctors already in the network so they decided to save money by switching to a new plan with the same company with stiff deductibles if you go out of network.

 

I stand by what I originally said. Health insurance has been an issue far longer then the current president. Health inusrance has been an issue since I was a kid. My father ran his own company and he complained about it when I was growing up.

 

 

I've been carrying health insurance through my own employment or my husband's for 25 years now and this is new to me. Sure, we've had increases in premium costs, but nothing like what we've seen in the last couple of years. And now we are experiencing dramatic decreases in coverage on top of the significantly higher costs for the first time. Our premiums alone went up over $2400 the last two years and our deductible went from $500 to $2500. That's about $5,000 more that we are paying out-of-pocket over just a 2-year period and my husband's company is forewarning us that this trend will continue.

 

I agree that healthcare has been an issue for longer than the current presidency, but IMO, things have gotten dramatically worse over the last couple of years. I have never been fearful of not being able to afford healthcare coverage until this last year. When I think of the future, I truly wonder if we will have to choose between healthcare and "everything else". I hope I'm wrong.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

 

 

I've been carrying health insurance through my own employment or my husband's for 25 years now and this is new to me. Sure, we've had increases in premium costs, but nothing like what we've seen in the last couple of years. And now we are experiencing dramatic decreases in coverage on top of the significantly higher costs for the first time. Our premiums alone went up over $2400 the last two years and our deductible went from $500 to $2500. That's about $5,000 more that we are paying out-of-pocket over just a 2-year period and my husband's company is forewarning us that this trend will continue.

 

I agree that healthcare has been an issue for longer than the current presidency, but IMO, things have gotten dramatically worse over the last couple of years. I have never been fearful of not being able to afford healthcare coverage until this last year. When I think of the future, I truly wonder if we will have to choose between healthcare and "everything else". I hope I'm wrong.

 

So now that it finally affects you, it has gotten "dramatically" worse. I guess since ours did not change this year, I should be able to say there has been no change.

The reality is that insurance costs have been increasing dramatically over a period of time, but the change has been staggered and has not affected all consumers equally. Unlike typical consumer products, insurance is a very different type of market and the pricing behaviors are different than what we see among something like durable goods. There is also a third party (the employer) in many cases which adds another layer of complexity and consumer behaviors. For example, a dramatic price increase faced by an employee can be caused by a small change in actual insurance cost coupled with an employer reducing benefits costs for its own benefit. Having a little understood Act as the bogeyman to blame certainly helps in that case.

[QueenCat]

Medicare is for people over the age of 65. I was referring to a few sections, mainly these:

 

 

Sec. 3403. Independent Medicare Advisory Board. Creates an independent, 15-member Medicare Advisory Board tasked with presenting Congress with comprehensive proposals to reduce excess cost growth and improve quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. In years when Medicare costs are projected to be unsustainable, the Board’s proposals will take effect unless Congress passes an alternative measure that achieves the same level of savings. Congress would be allowed to consider an alternative provision on a fast-track basis. The Board would be prohibited from making proposals that ration care, raise taxes or Part B premiums, or change Medicare benefit, eligibility, or cost-sharing standards.

 

 

Sec. 2703. State option to provide health homes for enrollees with chronic conditions. Provide States the option of enrolling Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions into a health home. Health homes would be composed of a team of health professionals and would provide a comprehensive set of medical services, including care coordination

 

 

Medicare Advisory board and health homes for people with chronic conditions.

 

I will have to get back about the specific wording when I have more time.

 

None of this indicates your family members won't get the healthcare they need.

[duckabell]

We are in the private market and our insurance was scheduled to go up, but we switched insurance plans and had our effective date start Dec 28th so I think we missed some of the increase. That being said, I know that in non-grandfathered plans some things are required to be covered with no copay, etc., such as birth control, breastfeeding counseling, and some preventative care. From what I understand, if your health insurance plan is grandfathered or your company obtained a waiver then these might not be covered and your premium was probably not that affected.

 

But if your plan was not grandfathered or your company did not have a waiver then it makes sense to me that your premium went up to cover these expenses, even if they're supposed to bend the cost curve down. Also, I've heard that some companies are raising premiums this year to prepare for 2014 when even more things are required to be covered and the cost for them will go up.

 

So I'm curious to know if those whose premiums were not that affected know if they had a grandfathered plan or their company had obtained a waiver for 2013.

[Joker]

Not this year. And thanks to Obamacare my mammogram was covered with no copay last year! Yea!

 

 

 

 

I don't mean to derail the thread but have a question about the mammogram being completely covered. Is that only on routine mammograms when you hit a certain age, or is it for one mammogram per year? How is it supposed to work. I had a mammogram due to a lump and just received a $100 bill on what insurance did not pay. I was planning on calling the insurance company Monday to ask, but thought I'd ask here too. Thanks!

[pdalley]

We have group coverage, but ours went up a great deal. We were prepared for the 2% increase in withholding but not the three pay cuts or such a drastic rise in our insurance premiums. My mammograms have always been 100 percent covered. Not only did our premiums jump but so did our co-pays and deductible. And DH works for a national company.

 

I'm not expecting anything better next year. I'm expecting worse.

[BakersDozen]

For my family, we cannot afford an additional $300 per month for health insurance that we rarely use. So, we are having to cut other things from our budget...eating out, entertainment, clothing, etc.

With all due respect, if one is only facing the need to cut eating out and entertainment (clothing, too, if shopping retail) then it seems a bit strange to say one cannot afford insurance increases. When one has to choose between paying a mortgage (a low one at that) or feeding one's family vs. health insurance, then one can say "cannot afford". If cutting out luxuries is the biggest concern when faced with rising insurance costs, there is a way to go before really feeling the pinch that many Americans are both feeling and fearing - the point where eating out means taking your plate to the back porch, and entertainment means whatever movie you can find on youtube. ;)

[Crimson Wife]

I know that in non-grandfathered plans some things are required to be covered with no copay, etc., such as birth control, breastfeeding counseling, and some preventative care. From what I understand, if your health insurance plan is grandfathered or your company obtained a waiver then these might not be covered and your premium was probably not that affected...

 

So I'm curious to know if those whose premiums were not that affected know if they had a grandfathered plan or their company had obtained a waiver for 2013.

 

 

Those things were already covered with a minimal co-pay so I think the costs of eliminating the co-pays were more than covered by the increase in deductibles & out-of-pocket maximums. Going up $200 per family member on the deductible and $800 per family member on the out-of-pocket max buys a LOT of contraception co-pays, KWIM?

[Mom23Boys]

 

 

I don't mean to derail the thread but have a question about the mammogram being completely covered. Is that only on routine mammograms when you hit a certain age, or is it for one mammogram per year? How is it supposed to work. I had a mammogram due to a lump and just received a $100 bill on what insurance did not pay. I was planning on calling the insurance company Monday to ask, but thought I'd ask here too. Thanks!

 

 

Routine preventive mammograms are covered at 100%. It may start at a certain age?

 

Diagnostic mammograms are covered differently. For me, it falls under my deductible. Since I had already met my deductible for the year, I paid 20%. I had a mammogram and ultrasound last year for a lump. Everything was fine. :)

 

ETA: This is what the paperwork I was given before my mammogram stated. I had to sign a paper saying I realized my mammogram was diagnostic and would not be covered 100%

[Izzy]

Let's see: $2000 penalty for a family (ten of us) vs $5000 to $10000 for insurance...given that in a year we will not qualify for assistance. Penalty sounds like the logical choice.

 

 

Are you saying that $5000 to $10000 is too much to insure a family of 10? Is that per year? I think that's pretty reasonable. That's $42 to $84 per person a month.

[Joker]

Routine preventive mammograms are covered at 100%. It may start at a certain age?

 

Diagnostic mammograms are covered differently. For me, it falls under my deductible. Since I had already met my deductible for the year, I paid 20%. I had a mammogram and ultrasound last year for a lump. Everything was fine. :)

 

 

Thanks. I was thinking the key word was 'routine' even though I have not had one in over 10 years since I'm younger than the recommended age. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't have to have a biopsy a few days later. I'm waiting now to see what my insurance will pay on the claim. They were billed over $5000 for the biopsy. :svengo: I'm a bit nervous waiting to see exactly what my part will be.

 

ETA: One good thing I just found out is that even though my insurance for this year will be more expensive than ever due to deductibles and OOP maximum is that all mammograms are covered 100%. My new policy states that's for routine or diagnostic.

[mamajag]

My insurance went up less than it did any other year. I think it was like $5 a pay period. It wasn't enough for me to remember it. Deductibles and coinsurance stayed the same.

 

I think insurers who are going up are doing it because they will get away with it and have people blame Obamacare instead of insurance companies.

[Wheres Toto]

I don't think this is anything new. I remember sitting in a meeting at one job where they were going over the significant changes in our health plans - they were getting more expensive and covering less. I think it was the first time the only choice I had was an HMO rather than an open enrollment or PPO. I haven't worked in 8 years and that particular job wasn't even my most recent.

[duckabell]

Those things were already covered with a minimal co-pay so I think the costs of eliminating the co-pays were more than covered by the increase in deductibles & out-of-pocket maximums. Going up $200 per family member on the deductible and $800 per family member on the out-of-pocket max buys a LOT of contraception co-pays, KWIM?

 

 

 

http://familiesusa2....efits-Women.pdf

 

Here is a list of things that Obamacare will also cover including contraceptives.

 

 

„ an annual well woman visit,

„ birth control, including oral contraception and IUDs,

„ HIV screening and counseling,

„ sexually transmitted infection counseling,

„ screening for gestational diabetes,

„ breastfeeding consultation and supplies, including breast pumps, and

„ screening and counseling for domestic violence

 

I don't think these things necessarily are the cause for the totality of the premium increases, but I don't think they can be ignored either.

[J9Mommy]

Yes. Health Net for us was going to have a huge jump, so we switched to one of those Blue shielf or Blue Cross ones. I can never remember. It just became active. I didn't like our local HMO group anway, and at least with the new one I was able to get the kids in with the Children's group I wanted-Yay.

[Mom23Boys]

 

 

Thanks. I was thinking the key word was 'routine' even though I have not had one in over 10 years since I'm younger than the recommended age. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't have to have a biopsy a few days later. I'm waiting now to see what my insurance will pay on the claim. They were billed over $5000 for the biopsy. :svengo: I'm a bit nervous waiting to see exactly what my part will be.

 

ETA: One good thing I just found out is that even though my insurance for this year will be more expensive than ever due to deductibles and OOP maximum is that all mammograms are covered 100%. My new policy states that's for routine or diagnostic.

 

You are welcome! I hope you don't have to pay a ton OOP. I hate waiting to see what I owe, it s so stressful! I hope everything is okay medically.

[Mom0012]

So now that it finally affects you, it has gotten "dramatically" worse. I guess since ours did not change this year, I should be able to say there has been no change.

The reality is that insurance costs have been increasing dramatically over a period of time, but the change has been staggered and has not affected all consumers equally. Unlike typical consumer products, insurance is a very different type of market and the pricing behaviors are different than what we see among something like durable goods. There is also a third party (the employer) in many cases which adds another layer of complexity and consumer behaviors. For example, a dramatic price increase faced by an employee can be caused by a small change in actual insurance cost coupled with an employer reducing benefits costs for its own benefit. Having a little understood Act as the bogeyman to blame certainly helps in that case.

 

Well, maybe yours will change next year.

 

And, yes, actually, I am free to answer the original poster's question -- "Has anyone noticed a significant increase in medical insurance this year?" For us, they have increased dramatically! Just as you are free to share that you have not experienced the same.

 

Our costs have steadily increased over the years, but never as much as they have in the last couple of years. Not sure where the hostility is coming from. Do you think you've been paying more than me and now I've gotten what I deserve? Why would you think it finally affects me. We haven't been floating in a bubble of free healthcare here either. We struggle with chronic medical issues in my family and never pay less than $5,000 out of pocket per year after premiums. Now, it's much more all of a sudden and so are the premiums.

[AimeeM]

 

I'm pretty sure that it is in 2014 that they can no longer not cover you on pre-existing conditions.

Is there anything in there, though, that prevents them from increasing rates again, to help cover their costs of insuring those with pre existing conditions?

(sincere question; no snark)

[AimeeM]

OP, not just in the past year. Over the course of the past four or five years, our premiums have doubled, our deductibles doubled, our co-pays have doubled...

[QueenCat]

Is there anything in there, though, that prevents them from increasing rates again, to help cover their costs of insuring those with pre existing conditions?

(sincere question; no snark)

 

 

The only thing I know for sure is that they must pay out a certain percentage of premiums or they have to issue refunds. Not individual premiums but overall premiums. That is already in place as some did receive refunds last year.

[AimeeM]

 

The only thing I know for sure is that they must pay out a certain percentage of premiums or they have to issue refunds. Not individual premiums but overall premiums. That is already in place as some did receive refunds last year.

 

We keep getting a letter in the mail about a refund and something about premiums. My husband's been too busy to look at it. What do these letters mean?

[delaney]

No-we got a refund from our company for taking too much over the allowed percentage in profits(or something like that) co-pays for well visits are gone as well as my annual well-check. So for us we made out better.

[edelweiss]

http://familiesusa2....efits-Women.pdf

 

Here is a list of things that Obamacare will also cover including contraceptives.

 

 

„ an annual well woman visit,

„ birth control, including oral contraception and IUDs,

„ HIV screening and counseling,

„ sexually transmitted infection counseling,

„ screening for gestational diabetes,

„ breastfeeding consultation and supplies, including breast pumps, and

„ screening and counseling for domestic violence

 

I don't think these things necessarily are the cause for the totality of the premium increases, but I don't think they can be ignored either.

 

 

Exactly. If insurance companies are forced to cover these things, of course they have to raise their rates. I've heard some people get excited that these things are now being covered by all insurance policies due to Obamacare, but then they are surprised when their policies increase in cost? I guess I just don't understand the surprise. The additional costs have to be covered somehow.

[Crimson Wife]

Here is a list of things that Obamacare will also cover including contraceptives.

 

 

„ an annual well woman visit,

„ birth control, including oral contraception and IUDs,

„ HIV screening and counseling,

„ sexually transmitted infection counseling,

„ screening for gestational diabetes,

„ breastfeeding consultation and supplies, including breast pumps, and

„ screening and counseling for domestic violence

 

I don't think these things necessarily are the cause for the totality of the premium increases, but I don't think they can be ignored either.

 

Under our family's policy, annual physicals including gyn check-ups were already covered at 100%. Gestational diabetes screening and HIV testing for pregnant moms were covered within the normal pre-natal care, so a 10% cost-share for the first OB visit, then no cost-share after that (assuming that the yearly deductible had been met). The hospital offered free lactation consultation then a drop-in support group a couple times per week with a lactation nurse. So the only thing that changed under Obamacare for the policy was getting rid of the minimal co-pays for contraception.

[AimeeM]

 

Under our family's policy, annual physicals including gyn check-ups were already covered at 100%. Gestational diabetes screening and HIV testing for pregnant moms were covered within the normal pre-natal care, so a 10% cost-share for the first OB visit, then no cost-share after that (assuming that the yearly deductible had been met). The hospital offered free lactation consultation then a drop-in support group a couple times per week with a lactation nurse. So the only thing that changed under Obamacare for the policy was getting rid of the minimal co-pays for contraception.

 

Similar here. Well, before our company moved to Humana. When we were with BCBS, most of these things were already covered after deductibles had been met - but the cost still rose yearly over the course of several years.

[CupOCoffee]

Yes, mine went up drastically! My workplace changed they way that they put in their contribution, and I "lost" $150 a month towards health insurance. Supposedly, my company still pays 40%, but I have no idea if that's really true. Premiums did go up some, as well as co-pay; but they've gone up every year that I've worked there (24). The BIG hit of the $150 a month is what is hurting us. I am not stupid, I realize that I do still have a good health plan, but I am nervous about the future.

 

We *are* a family where eventually it may just come down to buying food, or paying for health insurance. All "extras" are already gone from our budget: no cell plan, no cable or satellite TV (not even netflix), no eating out, no outside entertainment, bare bones groceries, no vacations, the cheapest clothes we can find when we need them, FREE homeschooling materials. There's nothing left to cut!

 

We have chronic illnesses, so not having insurance is not an option. We have regular specialist visits and between the two of us we are on 12 prescription medicines! Plus, DH is on an infusion treatment every 6 weeks. So, yeah, not having insurance will never be an option for us.

 

Can I blame it on Obamacare? I have no idea, but it still hurts.

[VeritasMama]

Are you saying that $5000 to $10000 is too much to insure a family of 10? Is that per year? I think that's pretty reasonable. That's $42 to $84 per person a month.

 

The median income in America is $50,000. $10,000 is a pretty high percentage of that, especially when you are feeding and clothing 10 people.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

http://familiesusa2....efits-Women.pdf

 

Here is a list of things that Obamacare will also cover including contraceptives.

 

 

„ an annual well woman visit,

„ birth control, including oral contraception and IUDs,

„ HIV screening and counseling,

„ sexually transmitted infection counseling,

„ screening for gestational diabetes,

„ breastfeeding consultation and supplies, including breast pumps, and

„ screening and counseling for domestic violence

 

I don't think these things necessarily are the cause for the totality of the premium increases, but I don't think they can be ignored either.

 

Obamacare also got rid of lifetime caps on benefits which is critical for those with severe chronic illnesses or catastrophic illnesses since many of these people max out their lifetime benefits leaving them uncovered.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

http://familiesusa2....efits-Women.pdf

 

Here is a list of things that Obamacare will also cover including contraceptives.

 

 

„ an annual well woman visit,

„ birth control, including oral contraception and IUDs,

„ HIV screening and counseling,

„ sexually transmitted infection counseling,

„ screening for gestational diabetes,

„ breastfeeding consultation and supplies, including breast pumps, and

„ screening and counseling for domestic violence

 

I don't think these things necessarily are the cause for the totality of the premium increases, but I don't think they can be ignored either.

 

Obamacare also got rid of lifetime caps on benefits which is critical for those with severe chronic illnesses or catastrophic illnesses since many of these people max out their lifetime benefits leaving them uncovered.

[Izzy]

 

 

The median income in America is $50,000. $10,000 is a pretty high percentage of that, especially when you are feeding and clothing 10 people.

 

 

A family of 10 making $50,000 would be well below poverty level and would qualify for Medicaid and Foodstamps and other help.