Health Insurance

Mine went up 50% over the past 2 years as well. Simple explanation: because they can.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'm not sure what ever happened to the concept of antitrust. When was the last time you heard the word collusion? At least oil companies have a rigged futures market to blame their ten cents a gallon overnight increases on. Notice how they all do it exactly the same time and amount....they're just being competitive.<br />
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Premiums go up,&nbsp; coverage goes down. Don't really know if the new health care reform will change things much for us. Wife and I had dubious event this year when monthly health insurance premium for the two of us surpassed our mortgage payment. Huge profits for insurance companies and hospitals. <br type="_moz" />

<span style="font-size: larger;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">I have to buy my own health insurance as well, and, If I remember correctly, my premium only went up a few percentage points as of last year...but my Rx drug deductible went up 275% in one year.&nbsp; In recent years, my co-pay doubled as well.&nbsp; Since I've been purchasing health insurance (for almost two decades now), my premiums have gone up by over 300%, and I wouldn't even guess as to how much my deductibles have gone up over that same time-frame.</span></span><br />
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&quot;I wonder what the explanation is?&quot;<br />
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<span style="font-size: larger;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">They are locking in higher rates now (people like us that buy on the individual market get screwed the most) before the new health care reform rules go into effect.</span></span><br />
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&quot;Premiums go up,&nbsp; coverage goes down.&quot;<br />
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<span style="font-size: larger;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Yup.</span></span><br />
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&quot;Don't really know if the new health care reform will change things much for us.&quot;<br />
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<span style="font-size: larger;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">I'm looking forward to buying health insurance on the same playing field with Congress &amp; federal employees.&nbsp; The private plans that they get access to right now under the FEHBP are great on coverage, and they have lower rates than what I pay right now.</span></span><br />
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I will point out that our current premium level was set almost a year ago; long before it was clear that health care reform would even stand a chance of progressing in congress.<br type="_moz" />