From $400 to $600 to now over $800

[SHRED]

My wife and I have a Blue Shield Silver plan under Covered California health insurance (Obamacare).We've had this plan exclusively.

Our income hasn't changed in any amount to speak of.
The rates in my title represent 2015, 2016, and now what they are asking for 2017.

These premium hikes are not sustainable. We found a Bronze level plan we are now forced to get which covers less and is a far more limiting HMO in the $200 per month range. We aren't happy having to go there at all as it upends our current doctors and facilities we're currently seeing.

Fortunately we are in pretty good health but these rates are ridiculous in how they have increased.

...

[TXCritter]

1. That's why we need single payer

You can't build a sustainable health care system on top of a for-profit insurance industry that interferes with your health care.

[SHRED]

5. Truth!

[madokie]

2. My worry is when

are they going to start making us old disabled Vets pay more.

I'll say it again, Everyone in America should have health care as good or better than what us veterans have. Its not perfect by any means but it sure beats the hell out of what many non veterans have.

I'll vote and fight for this day to get here until my dying breath. That you all can count on. Peace

Its not right that anyone in this country/world should have to worry with healthcare. Simple as that.

[SHRED]

8. My son in-law is retired Navy

He is in his early 40's. Family of five.

They pay a supplemental allowing them to go outside to doctors and care facilities.

They pay in the $500 range for the ENTIRE YEAR!

[TransitJohn]

16. Early 40's and retired?!

I'm 45 and don't even have my undergrad student loans paid off.
Good for him.

[SHRED]

17. He still works

Needs to.
He joined the Navy at 18 and put in 20 years. Retirement at that age doesn't cover it all.

[femmocrat]

3. Ours has gone up every year too.

We have our insurance through our state retirement system. Our income does not change because of SS and pensions. I think they are soaking the seniors to kill us off early. (I'm kidding. Mostly.)

[Ohioblue22]

4. Gold toilets are expensive

[dembotoz]

6. this has been going on for like the last 20 years now

every year costs have gone up and less is covered

the health insurance fights during the clinton years were not done in a vacuum ya know

the gop needs to blame obama care the same way hitler needed the jews

[wordpix]

9. repug Congress has determined that neglect of ACA works as well as repeal

My story: a BlueXBlueShield company kicked me off their rolls when I was diagnosed with St. 4 cancer and the timing was "suspicious" to say the least. This was a month before O-care was implemented.

Fortunately, Ocare came in and was good to me and saved me from financial ruin. If not for the ACA, I would have had to pay out of pocket for major treatments like my surgery, priced at $200K alone with the inflated absurd fantasy prices of the health care industry.

It's no wonder Ocare has fallen into unworkable status under a repuke congress that has tried to repeal the ACA 50+ times in order to help their rich friends in the pharma/insurance industry. The R Congress has figured out that "benign neglect" works just as well as repeal to make their 1% friends even richer.

I am now "no evidence of disease"for 3 yrs. due to medical treatments but also, I eat mostly vegan, filter and de-gas my tap water, eat 100% organic + get lots of exercise. Suggest everyone get on this kind of health kick or you will go broke on health care costs with a major health crisis.

The lower priced plans pay for very little if you get really sick and are diagnosed with a serious chronic disease.

[SHRED]

10. Congrats on your recovery!!

Diet, exercise, and cannabis oil concentrate have helped many also beat cancer.

[wordpix]

12. Thank you and yes, I do the cannabis oil, too

I make my own from the MMJ weed I can buy free.

And the leftover oily weed works in recipes, too.

This stuff is great for my severe neuropathy in my feet and legs from the chemo. Helps my guitar playing, too

[SHRED]

13. Did you use "traditional" medicine?

Chemo or radiation or...?

[wordpix]

18. yes I had a big operation and chemo @ $40K/round "provider charge"

This for drugs used for decades, nothing new or life saving but kills cancer cells.

Doc asked if I wanted to be in a trial post-chemo for a new drug trial I qualified for. I told him no, I am doing MMJ and a strict healthy diet/exercise. He said, "Good!"

Check out the info on MMJ and cancer here. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq#section/all

Unfortunately, the results showing MJ works to prevent metastasis and tumor growth is based only on animal studies due to MJ's Sched. 1 federal classification that prevents any MJ trials for humans.

[Ilsa]

21. I'm glad you are still with us and fighting for

Your health, your healthcare, and making things better. Good luck and blessings to you.

My family would have lost its healthcare coverage for pre-existing conditions with a job change if it hadn't been for the ACA.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

11. So the silver plan that is over $700 now...

...that covers only my wife is also ridiculous? I thought so. Eight years ago I had a better plan which covered my wife and I and both of my adult children for under $1400/month. There was no deductible and the copays were half. Three years ago it was up to $2200. I can't afford coverage any more. My wife has to keep hers to cover chemotherapy.

IIRC there's a regulation somewhere that restricts health insurance company profits to something between 15 and 20 percent. I kind of resent the government giving permission for some folks to profit from my wife's cancer treatment.

Health insurance companies need to be operated only as non-profits. Better yet boot them all and have the government take over.

[SHRED]

20. I hear ya

They were non-profit prior to the mid 1970's I read.

[displacedtexan]

14. BCBS is raising rates in many states, even after getting caught hiding money

and losing their tax-free status. We have Kaiser here in NoCal, and we absolutely love it.

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/payer-issues/25-things-to-know-about-blue-cross-blue-shield.html

[Glassunion]

22. I'm currently at $1,660 a year not including my HSA

contributions.

For my income level it works out ok. Come November it will go up another $8 a week bringing me up to over $2k a year.

As someone with a pre-existing condition, this is the cheapest I've had insurance in about 10 years.

[SHRED]

23. We pay about 13% of our AGI right now

Adjusted Gross Income.

$7800 per year not counting what we really net in income which is lower than the AGI after taxes so it's actually higher than 13% if you count what we take home.

Oh yeah...and I'm not adding in copays and other fees we pay.