My annual health insurance premium increase announcement arrived today; another +29%, on top of +24%, on top of the +18%. For those that appreciate the power of compounding, that’s a +89% premium increase in a short three years. That’s the price I pay for being healthy. Are you frigging kidding me?
I’m calling bullshit on the Affordability Act.
Unfortunately, I’m one of those idiots that don’t smoke, exercise, eat fairly healthy and don’t spend much time at the doctor. From what I gather, I’m the perfect candidate for increased premiums to subsidize the entire health care system.
Five years ago I had a comprehensive health plan, they call them Cadillac plans, but the premium rose to an astronomical amount. So, three years ago I opted for a simple Hospital and Surgical plan, I guess they call that a Pinto plan. It started out affordable, but three years and +89% later, we’re right back to ridiculous. Each year I call my provider, Blue Cross of Florida, and inquire about another plan that may reduce my coverage and premium. Their response, “sorry, you’re already on the lowest plan available with the least coverage. High health care costs coupled with you being another year older (albeit healthy), justifies our increase”.
I thought this whole infusion of new premium cash was designed to lower my premiums? I inquired about the upcoming health exchanges, but Blue Cross Florida indicated that since I’m not grandfathered on my plan, my old plan may not even be available, and new plans will probably be priced higher (with more benefits).
What a cluster!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not looking for more benefits, I’m looking for lower premiums on the coverage I already have.
Oh wait, I forgot I have an incentive to make less money to receive some sort of rebate on health care. Oh, great. The American dream used to be about trying to improve your financial position, not trying to figure out a way to make less to save on health care costs. Crazy stuff, man.
Don’t misunderstand. I have tons of empathy for those truly squeezed by poor health. Yet, I also have friends that feel it’s their constitutional right to gain weight, smoke and lay on the couch all day. And when they get sick, my health care premium gets wacked to pay for their care. I love you guys all day long, but whatever happened to accountability. Not to mention all the waste, fraud and crazy health care accounting.
Come October, we’ll see how this whole health exchange deal pans out. In the meantime, I’m stuck paying my premium increase, and I’m guessing, will probably be calling bulls&*t on the Affordable Health Care Act.