Health Insurance

Mine went up 50% over the past 2 years as well. Simple explanation: because they can.   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.



Premiums go up,  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.

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.  In recent years, my co-pay doubled as well.  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.



"I wonder what the explanation is?"



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.

-------------------------------------------------



"Premiums go up,  coverage goes down."



Yup.



"Don't really know if the new health care reform will change things much for us."



I'm looking forward to buying health insurance on the same playing field with Congress & federal employees.  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.

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.