WaPo: Many Employers to Raise Cost of Health Benefits, Survey Finds

Many Employers to Raise Cost of Health Benefits, Survey Finds

By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 16, 2009


Though Americans who already have medical coverage may be wary of change, a new survey indicates that they may be hard-pressed to escape it -- even in the absence of health-care reform.

As businesses contend with rising costs, many workers face an erosion of health benefits next year, according to an annual survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

Forty percent of employers surveyed said they are likely to increase the amount their workers pay out of pocket for doctor visits. Almost as many said they are likely to raise annual deductibles and the amount workers pay for prescription drugs.

Nine percent said they plan to tighten eligibility for health benefits; 8 percent said they plan to drop coverage entirely. Forty-one percent of employers said they are "somewhat" or "very" likely to increase the amount employees pay in premiums -- though that would not necessarily mean employees would pay a higher percentage of the premiums. Employers could simply be passing along the same share of the overall increase that they are doing this year.

The authors of the study said the findings underscore the need for federal action to rein in costs. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/15/AR2009091501175.html?nav=hcmodule

to get the same coverages as this year. You can bet I will end up paying something more somewhere.

:kick:

When I get a "raise" it makes my benefits PACKAGE sound good,
but when I look at my take-home pay, it's depressing. I have
to explain to my family -- who wonders why it's taken me so
long to get out of debt and why I got there in the first place --
that although I "technically" make a decent wage, it doesn't
all go to me -- a HUGE chunk goes to Anthem Blue Cross, year
after year ...

Exactly.

to go to the doctor, but can't afford their prescriptions.

And, we have to ask the doctor to wait, ask the insurance company how much the doctor agreed to get from them, pay the doctor(if we don't wait we have to try and get money back from the doctor -- yeah, right ;-o), write the insurance company, get insurance check, up to 1000 dollars.

Then the company takes care of the next 1000 dollars,

Then the insurance company takes care of the rest.

That lowers the single-person to 200/month, so, result I call 400/month = 4800/year since my time is not reimbursed.

With sSingle-payer I could just walk in, walk out, and not worry about the costs or the checks at all.