i started into insurance at 17. insurance premiums were around $70.00 per employee. 10 years later, we cringe on calling clients at renewal to tell them their premium is around $370.00 per employee. i don’t know where that doubled stuff comes from, but its certainly WAY more than doubled! employees are not staying at companies because the company doesn’t want to pay these prices…and neither do they!
…and i wondered why my husband calls all insurance companies “rip offs”?
When the rates when up 40% last year, my husband said, we will go without, I will just shoot myself in the head if I get cancer. He was serious.
Health insurance is a luxury any more.
My uncle waited until he was near death, excruciating agonizing pain, with stomach cancer, to go into the hospital, never to come out, as he could not afford health insurance.
Maybe someone can develop a legal suicide pill for the mortally ill who cannot afford health care.
I think they are that way due to the $$ Doctors charge. Example – I needed to “consult” a specialist – neurosurgeon. For 1/2 hour waiting in the waiting room, another 20 minutes or so in the exam room & a whole 3 minutes with the doctor just to find out that surguery wasn’t needed, and nothing was really wrong…..ready – $265.00!!!
Inflation is happening across the board & the country is on the cusp of a recession. I’m just waiting for the next shoe to drop….
Insurance should not be used as maintenance. That is why I have added a $1,000 annual deductible per employee. Maintenance should be borne by the doctor, hospital or patient. My group health insurance premium has only increased 2.3% since I implemented the program 3 years ago.
you seem to forget that even an HSA has gone up around 40% over two years which requires a minimum deductible of $1200.00. i would like to know where rick is because we haven’t seen anything under 10% adding an extremely young employee!
I’m in PA and the carrier is Blue Cross. Our agency derives approx 25% of its revenue from employee benefits and Blue Cross is just one of many companies we represent.
LIKE MOST LARGE CORPORATIONS, LARGE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE PROBABLY MISMANAGED AND DO NOT WATCH THEIR UNNECESSARY EXPENSES ( LIKE EXECUTIVE SALARIES, BENEFITS, AND GOLDEN PARACHUTES). THAT IS ONE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS MUST CHARGE INSURED PATIENTS MORE THAN NECESSARY BECAUSE IN THIS COUNTRY WE HAVE A LOT OF “FREEBIE” PATIENTS WHO ARE NOT INSURED AND DON’T PAY EITHER. THIS “COST SHIFTING” WILL ONLY CEASE IF WE ELIMINATE REQUIRING THE PROVIDERS TO TREAT THE “FREEBIE” PATIENTS.
NOT REALLY—THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WAS THE $47 MILLION GOLDEN PARACHUTE TO EX-CEO MARTY SULLIVAN, WHO WAS ONLY WITH AIG FOR JUST A FEW YEARS. CAN’T BLAME MARTY—I WOULD’VE TAKEN THAT DEAL IF OFFERED ME, BUT THE BOARD SHOULD BE BARBECUED!
I moved to US in year 2000 and started to sell health insurance in 2001. I have seen some interesting things. People are willing to spend $30 or more on their nail or meals, but thinks it is too much to pay doctors. When I was a foreign student in Singapore, I paid $50 for a doctor visit, and then I paid $30 after I became a permanent resident. I like its system that everybody has responsibility and pays his/her share. It also has community clinics charging lower doctor visit ranging $10 to $20 with a big waiting room and high-end clinics charging $100 or more with a comfort office, you are the only patient when you arrive on time. No free medical.
i started into insurance at 17. insurance premiums were around $70.00 per employee. 10 years later, we cringe on calling clients at renewal to tell them their premium is around $370.00 per employee. i don’t know where that doubled stuff comes from, but its certainly WAY more than doubled! employees are not staying at companies because the company doesn’t want to pay these prices…and neither do they!
…and i wondered why my husband calls all insurance companies “rip offs”?
When the rates when up 40% last year, my husband said, we will go without, I will just shoot myself in the head if I get cancer. He was serious.
Health insurance is a luxury any more.
My uncle waited until he was near death, excruciating agonizing pain, with stomach cancer, to go into the hospital, never to come out, as he could not afford health insurance.
Maybe someone can develop a legal suicide pill for the mortally ill who cannot afford health care.
I agree – the premiums are HUGE.
I think they are that way due to the $$ Doctors charge. Example – I needed to “consult” a specialist – neurosurgeon. For 1/2 hour waiting in the waiting room, another 20 minutes or so in the exam room & a whole 3 minutes with the doctor just to find out that surguery wasn’t needed, and nothing was really wrong…..ready – $265.00!!!
Inflation is happening across the board & the country is on the cusp of a recession. I’m just waiting for the next shoe to drop….
Insurance should not be used as maintenance. That is why I have added a $1,000 annual deductible per employee. Maintenance should be borne by the doctor, hospital or patient. My group health insurance premium has only increased 2.3% since I implemented the program 3 years ago.
you seem to forget that even an HSA has gone up around 40% over two years which requires a minimum deductible of $1200.00. i would like to know where rick is because we haven’t seen anything under 10% adding an extremely young employee!
I’m in PA and the carrier is Blue Cross. Our agency derives approx 25% of its revenue from employee benefits and Blue Cross is just one of many companies we represent.
LIKE MOST LARGE CORPORATIONS, LARGE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE PROBABLY MISMANAGED AND DO NOT WATCH THEIR UNNECESSARY EXPENSES ( LIKE EXECUTIVE SALARIES, BENEFITS, AND GOLDEN PARACHUTES). THAT IS ONE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS MUST CHARGE INSURED PATIENTS MORE THAN NECESSARY BECAUSE IN THIS COUNTRY WE HAVE A LOT OF “FREEBIE” PATIENTS WHO ARE NOT INSURED AND DON’T PAY EITHER. THIS “COST SHIFTING” WILL ONLY CEASE IF WE ELIMINATE REQUIRING THE PROVIDERS TO TREAT THE “FREEBIE” PATIENTS.
hmmmm – you must be speaking of the maryland NON-PROFIT company that just paid millions to an old exec
NOT REALLY—THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WAS THE $47 MILLION GOLDEN PARACHUTE TO EX-CEO MARTY SULLIVAN, WHO WAS ONLY WITH AIG FOR JUST A FEW YEARS. CAN’T BLAME MARTY—I WOULD’VE TAKEN THAT DEAL IF OFFERED ME, BUT THE BOARD SHOULD BE BARBECUED!
I moved to US in year 2000 and started to sell health insurance in 2001. I have seen some interesting things. People are willing to spend $30 or more on their nail or meals, but thinks it is too much to pay doctors. When I was a foreign student in Singapore, I paid $50 for a doctor visit, and then I paid $30 after I became a permanent resident. I like its system that everybody has responsibility and pays his/her share. It also has community clinics charging lower doctor visit ranging $10 to $20 with a big waiting room and high-end clinics charging $100 or more with a comfort office, you are the only patient when you arrive on time. No free medical.