Your thoughts?
OK - I am going to rant a bit,........I apologize.
I am also on the least expensive bronze. I buy my own health insurance. I am still working and get no subsidy. I just received a letter from Blue Cross that the amount will increase by 22 percent to a higher rate next year. It did something similar last year.
Why? What is causing this increase? I go to the doctor a couple times a year and do get some pills, but my use of the health care system is minimal? I truly do not understand this stuff. I will have my 62nd birthday next year. I've been told that healthcare will be going back to the annual cost increases of 15-25 percent per year that it had prior to Obamacare. (Obamacare is basically dead now with the financial plug being pulled) Do I have to plan for a big pot of money to pay this premium?
OK - Maybe it is just me. If I pay out money for something, I expect something in return. I have the big deductible. I get very little for my money. The payment is only good for one month. It's not like I'm paying into the future or anything. It's enough for a house payment or a good car payment.
Where does that money go? If it was a government run program, I'd figure it was going to help sick people. That soothes my mind somewhat. However, with an insurance company, I just figure somebody is ripping me off. There seems to be little regulation on these guys or forces to lower the price. Despite the rhetoric we hear, there is no real competition.
I talk to people who have been sick and they say it is really bad to get the money from the insurance companies. Then I hear that the health care is better in almost every other country for less money, medicine is way cheaper and their services actually help keep you from getting sick by preventive medicine plans. This thing takes about 15-20 percent of the nation's GNP and makes our businesses less competitive due to high health care costs.
You pay a fine if you exercise your free market right not to buy the stuff.
The politicians are bought and sold by the health care companies. They promised to make it better, but just kept coming up with plans to make it worse. Glad - They didn't succeed.
I mean - This is a basic thing. Seems like it ought to be some sort of right that sick people get treated.
Here's the part that may disturb some of you. I wouldn't mind so much paying this same amount as a tax if I knew it really went to help sick people. I figure the finances would be open on a government program and any cheating would be caught by audits. With private insurance, what would be considered cheating is perfectly legal. (By cheating I mean reaching into the piggy bank.)
Question - Like the originator of this post, are there viable options? I could join the Peace Corps for a few years. They do give their volunteers health service. This would get me closer to Medicare.
