Health Insurance

B

Bob Warfield

New member
I just got a letter from Blue Cross/Blue Shield congratulating me on my upcoming 50th. birthday. In the same letter they let me know my major medical will be going up another $100.00 + per month. The major med. is the only health ins. I have and had to go with a $5,000.00 deductable over the last couple of years to afford it. I'm almost to the point of saying the hell with it and hope for the best! What are other small business owners doing?
Thanks,
Bob Warfield
Restoration Specialties
 
Hi Bob,
Going broke paying health insurance is what I'm doing. Had my family on an HMO, they raised us to $672 per month (myself, husband, and 2 kids, all healthy, but we do smoke). Changed to a PPO, been paying 300/month for 20/80 with a 5000 deductible, but provider visits are $40. Problem is, they've only paid one claim in 11 mos. Supposed to cover annual physicals, lab work, etc. Now I'm getting collection notices from the lab and dr office, and I got a letter from the ins. co saying they're raising us $100/month to be able to "continue to provide the quality we deserve." What crap. If you find a better way, let me know!

Karen
 
insurance is the number one reason that their are so meny part time lowballer's.
This type of thing is what could make the PWNA a big deal.
The bigger the insurance pool, the better price.
Have you looked into a small buissness assc. in your area?
Their are other type's of contractor's in your shoe's.
Health care is not run by doctor's, it's run by insurance co's. Which in turn are dictated by laywer's.
This country is sue happy. Only way to fix this is to put a CAP on lawsuit's. Not to mention cap's on profit margin's on insurance co's. $2,000 per year for basic liab. on my box truck
$1800 for buissness ins.
$65 per week for health ins[just me]
$250 per week in income tax's
$800 per month in property tax
6% sale's tax
my bank pay's .25% for my money to stay in their safe.
That would still be OK if their was any money to put into the bank.
All this and i have to deal with a ton of $75 house wash home depot wanna bee's. Painter's who dabble in deck's and "why pay $35 a truck to wash them when I [employee of said co] will wash them for $20 each.
Very discourgering sometime's.
 
Ron, I dont even think the agents and brokers are making any money. You need to be THE Insurance Company!
 
The main advantage of living in Canada is that we have Universal Health care. Is it perfect? He** no. Does it work well? Yes it does for the vast majority of Canadians.

My dad had a heart attack(perfectly fine now), received a angiogram and angioplasty plus 10 days total in hospital and never saw a bill. An associate of mine had a heart valve replaced plus three weeks in hospital (OK too) and no bill. My daughter was born and my wife got three days in hospital (under legislation) with no bill. Emergency room visits are covered as are regular Doctor's visits. I like it it is good :) YES, we do pay for it with our taxes but I never see the money so never miss it.

Now automobile insurance is another story... a recent news item in Toronto has cabbies there paying $4,300 annual insurance with an increase to $8,000+ next year without a claim, with $13,000. Often young drivers pay more per month for their insurance than their vehicle. This is a direct result of Ontario adopting a No-Fault US style payment system along with no limits on rehabilitation. They off loaded the costs of that to the insurance companies instead of keeping it in the health care system.

This is a common problem across the country. The reasons cited are the fact that car repair costs are increasing 10% annually (OK I can live with that) but the real reason is that 95% of insurers do not make money from underwriting but fro investing the money and they have had a bad run of investing lately so they are recouping.

Provincial governments will fall as a result of skyrocketing premiums they allow. The average in Ontario without a claim or ticket is 30+%.


Guess you win some and you lose some?
:(
 
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Michael,
I really envy our friends in the Great White North for your health care system. Wish we could do the same. Maybe we wouldn't see so many doctors living lifestyles we can only dream of.
As far as the insurance companies trying to recoupe on their lost investments, I have/had a pretty substantial amount of money invested in mutual funds. I lost a big percentage of it as a result of 9/11. It's slowly coming back but unlike the insurance companies, I can't see charging my customers extra for something not their fault.
I sleep very well every night but I guess if I were CEO of an insurance company I could always buy a good nights sleep.
Thanks,
Bob Warfield
 
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