While Obamacare premiums rise, employer-based health plans shift to higher deductibles

San Jose Mercury ^ | October 23, 2016 | Tracy Seipel

[semimojo]

Sure, insurance companies will recover costs where they can, but the trend of employers shifting more costs to employees was well established before the ACA.

The fact is costs have risen more slowly over the last 5 years. Not necessarily due to the ACA, of course.

[GailA]

[El Laton Caliente]

My company insurance... the premium has more than doubled and the deductible went from $200 ten years ago to $3,000 per person. And I’m still paying a tax on it.

[Ladysforest]

We pay over $400. per month for our premium. And that is double what we used to pay. We don’t even have kids on the policy.

Having a FIVE THOUSAND dollar ded seems to negate the reason to have insurance at all, except for catastrophic. I feel for you. My aunt has the same problem - due to the local exodus of IBM, the company that took over and absorbed the old long time IBMers collapsed the IBM insurance plans AND retirement plans.

The only way we get to see an actual Dr. is to wait about six months. That was my point. Our “Cadillac” insurance isn’t what it used to be! Now it’s more like a beat up old rusted out Cadillac - but we are very fortunate. For now.

The newer hires don’t get the same insurance, which causes resentment, but they did know that going in.

The future looks grim.

[kearnyirish2]

At my job health insurance cost increases have certainly outpaced salary increases.

As more Dem footsoldiers are impacted by this (government workers - especially teachers) then it will change.

[semimojo]

At my job health insurance cost increases have certainly outpaced salary increases.

No doubt about that, and it's been that way for a long time.

Employers historically absorbed a lot of that difference but are now passing more and more of it along to employees - largely through higher deductibles.

I think one of the biggest impacts of the ACA long term could be the end of employer-provided health insurance. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it will be very disruptive.

[kearnyirish2]

True, but the employers themselves are paying more for their plans.

The end of employer-based insurance would be horrible for a couple of reasons: Those plans aren’t as bad as ObamaCare (which employees would be forced into), and a big incentive to work is removed. Oddly enough, one of Pelosi’s points was completely off the mark: “People shouldn’t be tied to jobs for health insurance.”

We are now tied even more tightly to those jobs to avoid ObamaCare...