My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

Most of you in here have heard me rail against what I call "gimmick politics" or "gimmick policies". They are politics/policies that you know won't work, won't ever do what's claimed, and in the end, will only make a bad situation worse. They are the proverbial perfume on a pig. One the the biggest pieces of gimmick legislation, was none other than RomneyCare. When it was first passed I said it was a gimmick, and low and behold (ding, ding, ding) I was right. Mind you, ObamaCare is modelled after Romney's "reform".

To make and already long post short, I'll get to the point. I just recieved our companies contract renewal from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Hold on, let me get the vasoline ready... Currently we pay $564 for an indivdual plan, $1,087 for a 2 party, and $1,683 for a family plan. These are our 2010 rates, that we currently pay. The new rates on the renewal form are $743 for the indivdual plan, $1,433 for a 2-party, and $2,229 for the family plan. WTF? http://www.patriotsplanet.com/BB/ima...es/suicide.gif

I thought Romneycare (Obamacare), was supposed to make things cheaper? Apparently not. Those plans just increased 32%, 32%, and 33% respectively. Every employee with an individual plan costs $8,916 per year. Every employee that has a wife costs $17,196 a year. Anyone with a wife and kids costs $26,748 a year!!!! http://www.prosportsdaily.com/forums...lies/faint.gif

How can a person, or a business, afford this? Can we officially call the "reform" an epic fail? Oh, and please tell me again why I shouldn't be upset when I find out that $35 million went to pay for the medical costs of some criminal illegal alien invaders? Or why I shouldn't have an issue with 69% of the MassHealth Unlimited recipients being illegal criminal aliens? :mad: Gimmick politics, and gimmick policies, don't work.

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

BC/BS are notoriously greedy and opportunistic....

Don't they have to go before a Public Utilities Commission in Mass to justify a rate increase????

This article says they agreed to less than what they gave you..

Blue Cross Of Massachusetts Agrees To Reduce Dramatic Rate Increases

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

All I can go by is what the renewal contract shows. I'd venture to guess the mention of "base plan" has something to do with it. Either that or the fact that I'm a business client might matter. I should call and find out. These increases are going to cost me tens of thousands of dollars this coming year. It's outrageous.

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

I agree, but BC/BC is notoriously greedy and opportunistic..

Do not understand how they can only grant a small increase, but then charge you that much more????

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

The GOal of government interference in private insurance is to deatroy the system to pave the way for a 1 payer system.

This is the reason of the mandates. Any intelligent person knew this would happen

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

Proof positive that the "thought police" are doing a very good job amongst the lemmings...

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

I am sure Blue Cross is just as guilty as Cigna, Tufts and United Health care, ect.

The Health Care increases this year are out of control.

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

The high health care cost increases were inevitable and this was apparent to the rational observer. These government plans put no downward pressure on prices, but rather substantial upward pressure. Years and years ago, when living in Canada, I read a controversial Canadian mockup that demonstrated that Canadians paid more in taxes for their "free" health care than the majority of Americans paid in insurance premiums. I'd be curious to see this revisited, but I am pretty sure now that Americans spend far more money for health care than the equivalent Canadian taxes and get less and less for it.

I don't usually get on board with right-wing conspiracy theories, but if ever someone wanted to try and justify a one-payer system, the current health care policies and their future course provide that justification. Americans are being priced out of insurance, now with the aid of government policy. It's asinine.

Btw, my premiums went up a paltry 34%, and I have never used/needed the damned insurance for anything but annual checkups. :rolleyes:

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

RW, I know you're being sarcastic but only a moron would think prices would be lowered. Costs went up for extras like having to cover pre-existing conditions (which invalidates it as insurance, btw, insurance is for BEFORE something happens), allowing adult kids to stay on policies until age 26, etc, and nothing was done to lower the cost per unit of health care. It's not possible for the consumer's prices to not go up.

Re: My Massachusetts insurance rate increases. Thank you gimmick policies!
 

Should clarify, all health insurance companies are notoriously greedy...