[TriLUG] OT: NC insurance options

Steve Litt slitt at troubleshooters.com
Thu Mar 29 22:13:10 EDT 2012


On Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:45:34 -0400
Brian Phelps <brphelps at ieee.org> wrote:

> We switched to BCBS and it _was_ better than UHC for a while until the
> Obama healthcare passed.  Then deductibles more than doubled and
> coverage shrunk while premiums went up over 15%.  Just stating the
> facts here.  Read into politics what you will.
> 
> Basically we were buying in a large group in a kind of co-op and that
> apparently dissapeared when the new Obama legislation passed.  Don't
> know why this became "illegal" but here we are with shitty coverage
> and higher premiums and deductables.
> 
> If anyone does have an alternative for us small businesses please
> chime in!

You're lucky to have double deductibles and 15% higher premiums. A lot
of people would kill to have your access to insurance. In Florida BCBS
is nothing more than a ripoff gift card that won't pay even a major
operation. I have a feeling that your medical guys are ripping you off
when you were on UHC. They're under contract with UHC to charge a
certain amount and nothing more.

If the opponents of the new Obama legislation don't succeed in
repealing it or getting it declared unconstitutional, then on 1/1/2014
you'll have numerous choices insurance, and your son's breathing problem
won't even count as a preexisting condition. If they DO scuttle the new
Obama legislation then theoretically your large group co-op should put
their old policy back in place. That is, unless they were simply
making an excuse and blaming it on Obamacare. 

Keep in mind that MOST insurance vendors are raising their premiums 15%
EVERY year. And the last couple years they've blamed it on Obamacare,
but it's been going on since the 1980's. Most insurance vendors are
raising their deductibles regularly, I'd say probably $10.00 per year.
And lately they've blamed it on Obamacare.

Please do a little more research before concluding your large group
coop's price increases had anything to do with Obamacare, which, if it
survives will give you lots of choices with no preexisting conditions on
1/1/2014.

By the way, I'm paying $2650/month for a $5K deductible for a family
with some preexisting conditions, and I'm lucky to have that access to
insurance. So I wouldn't feel too bad if I were you.

SteveT



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