The State of Insurance

Health care and health insurance is somthing that's been on my mind alot lately.  I'm amazed at the roadblocks that this country has allowed to be erected that prevent average people like me from being able to have affordable health care.

My family is fairly healthy, we don't go running to the doctor for every cough, sneeze or stubbed toe.  We know how to take care of the common ailments and use the doctors and hospitals for that higher level when needed.  We are, though, getting into the habit of seeing the doctor annually for prevntative care.  Yet for what amounts to probably something on the order of $1,000.00 of services a year (given the obscene costs of health care) I have $11,500.00 a year being deducted from my pay to cover the premiums.

I've never before really given a thought to the costs.  But lately I've sat down and actually looked at the numbers.  To cover my family of 3, I am faced with monthly premiums in excess of $1200.00.  Now the company I work for kicks in a portion of that, but it amounts to less than 30%.  I am stuck paying almost $500 per paycheck into the premium pot.

No wonder insurance companies are fighting any kind of health care system reform.  Getting an 11:1 payoff on a large portion of your clients is a very lucrative place to be.

What's worse is the fact that I am not allowed to go to any doctor I want to either.  It has to be an "approved" doctor, or they refuse to pay, and getting any kind of "out of network" coverage is near impossible, unless you settle for insane deductibles. I've seen as high as $10,000.00 deductibles on these plans, basically making me pay $20,000.00 a year before I can get the insurance company to kick in.  This concept of needing to be "in-network" is especially onerous for people like myself who are not traditional employees.  I work for a company who's offices are half the state away from where I live.  I am a full time, remote employee.  The company uses a benefits provider who is local to their area, and who sells for regional health insurance companies.  Finding in-network doctors this far away is difficult or down right impossible.  So now I pay the premiums, but unless I want to drive 2-3 hours to see a doctor, I'm still stuck paying the bills.

I found out that my insurance company is also over-hauling their plan structure mid-year as well.  Which will push the premiums up another $250.00 a month.  Making my annual contribution $14,500.00 (not including what my employer kicks in, that makes it closer to $20,000.00 a year).  I could buy a decent car for the money that is getting sucked into the gaping maw of  my insurance provider.

The more I think about this situation , the more outraged I am. 

Ladies and gentlemen, affordable health care should not be a privilige, it should be a right.