Employer Health Premiums Slow for Second Year: Kaiser

By | August 22, 2013

  • August 22, 2013 at 1:40 pm
    Sarah says:
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    That is funny ours went up 34% in May!

  • August 22, 2013 at 1:54 pm
    Captain Planet says:
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    Wow, sounds like someone at your company isn’t the right steward of your health benefits. We saw flat last year and early indications this year are much of the same. No change in coverage or deductible, either. And, they added vision to the plan last year to boot.

    • August 22, 2013 at 2:22 pm
      Sarah says:
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      What planet are you on captain! I guess you and IJ do not read the other many stories of companies cancelling their coverage or moving employees to part time or the double digit rate increases all over the country.

      • August 22, 2013 at 2:37 pm
        Agent says:
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        After all Sarah, Kaiser is based in Menlo Park, Ca. I wonder what selective statistics they are using. My insureds are not getting 4% increases. Most are averaging 20-30% on their renewals and we scramble to give options for higher deductibles, more plain vanilla plans so they can afford it. Even with those options, the premiums are far more than a 4% increase. This article is another liberal talking point that has no basis in fact.

      • August 22, 2013 at 3:16 pm
        Captain Planet says:
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        From our HR for our 2013 benefits:

        2013 Benefit Information

        While the average health care cost for 2013 are trending around 7.5%, ___ is pleased that we will be keeping 2013 rates for the medical plan the same and adding additional tier categories to better define plan participants. We will be offering five “2013 ___ Annual Benefits” webinars to explain upcoming changes.

        Some of the key points to be covered in the webinar meetings include:
        Short Term Disability will be paid by the Company for all eligible employees
        New Voluntary benefits for Accident and Critical Illness will be offered
        New Vision Insurance will be offered
        New Health Advocate – helps navigate through the Health Care System
        New spousal requirement for the base plan only
        Plans will have four tiers (Base, High Deductible and Dental)
        o Employee
        o Employee + Dependents
        o Employee + Spouse
        o Family
        New smoking surcharge of 20% of premium on all medical tiers and plans
        Access to CIGNA Quit Smoking Today Program- on-line or telephonic coaching and support
        Pharmacy coverage is moving from Cigna to CVS Caremark
        ___ will increase Company contribution to employees Health Savings Account if you are enrolled in the HDHP
        Medical Flexible Spending accounts will have a $2,500 maximum (IRS Guideline)
        Dental Plan – small increase in premiums for the first time since 2009

        Make it a priority to attend one of the upcoming webinars! More detailed information on the benefits and dates and times for the webinars will be communicated in the near future.

        Feel free to contact me with any questions.

        • August 22, 2013 at 8:13 pm
          sarah says:
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          You must work for government, no one who owns a small business, less than 50 employees is seeing their rates rise less than 15%.

      • August 22, 2013 at 4:50 pm
        Libby says:
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        Maybe his group has a healthier mix of people than yours. Or you need a new health insurance advocate.

        • August 26, 2013 at 6:10 pm
          bob says:
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          Could be.

          Our rates didn’t go up 15% or more. Whether or not the law causes rates to go up we will see when it is in affect.

  • August 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm
    Bill says:
  • August 22, 2013 at 8:10 pm
    Carmen says:
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    the Obamazombies will believe anything! This is as obviously false as the movie story in Benghazi! At least make the story a little more plausible.

  • August 23, 2013 at 9:41 am
    Agent says:
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    Carmen, didn’t you know that Obamacare is the best thing since sliced bread? Just ask Libby & Planet if you don’t believe it. Of course, they are employees and not business owners and it hasn’t affected them personally yet. We see the reality with our customers, the bulletins from markets on the rate increases and poor Planet and Libby keep on sipping that Koolaid.

  • August 23, 2013 at 10:44 am
    tiger says:
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    Total propaganda. Old man Kaiser was consulted heavily on ACA and is a good friend (not an acquaintance but a FRIEND) of Barack Obama’s. They are doing everything they can to make it appear that things will go great with Obamacare-those of us in the real world know better.

  • August 26, 2013 at 8:44 am
    Sarahs says:
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    Government will subsidize your health insurance where you pay nothing if you do not have a job, Government will pay you more than if you are working. Now do you know why our unemployment rate is so high for younger non-workers. Why get a job when you can have Obama and your Momma take care of you?

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/08/21/study-in-most-states-welfare-pays-more-than-minimum-wage-job/

  • August 26, 2013 at 8:59 am
    Captain Planet says:
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    A Fox News source reference – hilarious! Yeah, I’ll believe that. And, most people I know aren’t happy with minimum wage. It’s a nice headline, but is based on a false premise that people are content with making minimum wage. Give me a break!

  • August 26, 2013 at 9:55 am
    Sarah says:
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    It is a Cato Institute study based on facts. You saying propaganda does not make it so. These are facts and not opinions. Captain you are right most people are not happy with minimum wage, that is why they are unearning $15. an hour sitting on their A*s. That is exactly the point of the study. Libtards are lazy, feel entitled to a living without working and feel above working for a living.

    • August 27, 2013 at 3:10 pm
      Captain Planet says:
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      You mean, the Cato Institute that was founded and is run by the Koch bros. The right-wing think tank Cato Institute. “Facts” – uhh, riiiiiggggghhhhhht.

  • August 26, 2013 at 10:29 am
    Captain Planet says:
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    Iowa voted for President Obama. Iowa has one of the lowest unemployment percentages in the nation. Hardly lazy. I’m registered Independent but did vote for President Obama in each of the past 2 elections. So, I have voted liberal. I perform several jobs. Again, hardly lazy. But, keep painting with your broad brush, Sarah. It seems you usually do.

    http://money.cnn.com/interactive/economy/state-unemployment-rates/

    • August 26, 2013 at 5:28 pm
      bob says:
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      Pot meet kettle.

      Remind me your comments about republicans in the past and the affect of religious zealots.

      Moving on:

      Stop faking the independent shindig. Even if you registered as such you are not an independent. You are clearly radical left based on your comments regarding Reagan supposedly ruining the nation, voting Obama, and supporting a single payer system.

      Those are not moderate ideals.

      Just say you are a liberal and leave it at that rather than the back story.

      I could list things that I was on board with in regards to Obama and have. You have never listed a conservative ideal you are on board with.

      Let’s list:

      Opt out automatic 401k plan enrollment. (Obama plan)
      Embryonic stem cell research (Obama Plan)
      HPV vaccine funding, and integration plans (pushed by liberals, shunned by republicans)
      Single payer OPTION not system. (obvious moderate platform)
      Medicare voucher / AND Medicare. (Showing moderate, just like Romney)

      What are your conservative leanings that you keep claiming you have which make you a moderate?

      I’m quite frankly sick of you posing as a moderate, especially seeing as you countered a Fox article with a CNN article. For the last time: Fox is reliable. Cnn is reliable. NEITHER lies. They use different methodology, and it is clear that in some cases CNN’s is better and some cases Fox’s is better. The only reason you are against Fox in some neat turn around back to my premise of you clearly painting with a broad brush as you accuse Sarah: You have painted with a large brush regarding an entire station’s information. This is beyond insanity, unless it is the National Inquirer. Now get your head on straight and quit being a pompous liar.

      • August 27, 2013 at 7:29 am
        jw says:
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        Why are you equating “independent” with “moderate”?

        You said, “Stop faking the independent shindig.”

        Further into your dissertation you said, “Those are not moderate ideals.”

  • August 26, 2013 at 3:25 pm
    Buckeye says:
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    Keep in mind, as well, that the article makes a quick reference to plans becoming less comprehensive. This is certainly not a negative since it could be argued that the shift from major medical plans, which were prevalent 30-40 years ago (yes, my mom and dad purchased major medical from Goodyear and actually had to budget from our doctor visits, which were out of pocket costs), could be a driver of an overall increase of medical costs. I just went to a high deductible, HSA plan and really like. My premium is noticeably lower than the traditional plan, but my potential out of pocket is, of course, higher. Again, I view this as a positive, but looking at premium alone would lead one to believe that I saw a significant decline in my premium.

    As with many statistics, especially those connected to a political issue such as the 2010 health care law, there is much more than meets the eye. Liars figure and figures lie, possibly?



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