Obamacare Guarantees Higher Health Insurance Premiums -- $3,000+ Higher

Forbes ^ | 1/7/13 | Sally Pipes

[Nachum]

President Obama will deliver a second inaugural address later this month. He’ll no doubt reflect on what he’s done during his first four years in office — and on his signature healthcare law in particular.

Let’s reflect with him. During his first campaign for the presidency in 2008, the president promised that his health reform plan would “bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family” by the end of his first term.

Well, that first term is just about up. And health insurance isn’t any cheaper. In fact, it’s more expensive. Premiums have increased by an average of $3,065. And they’re about to go up even more, as Obamacare takes effect during the president’s second term.

At the end of 2012, Mark Bertolini, the CEO of Aetna, the third-largest health insurer in the country, warned that many consumers would face “premium rate shock” with the advent of Obamacare’s major insurance regulations in 2014. He predicted that unsubsidized premiums would rise 20 to 50 percent, on average.

[TnGOP]

BTW, not all of the increase was due to Obamacare. Our Union participated in this screwing big time. In an effort to cut costs, the Postal Service agreed to continue funding the union plans at the same rate. Union insurance plans are basic catastrophic health plans with high deductables.

The insurance plans offered by the USPS (HMO, PPO, POS, FFS) will be funded at lower rates, decreasing every year through 2015. That was the reason for the September increase last year, and we’ll have another increase on 9/13 and 9/14. Thank you APWU! (Don’t get me started on the Union. They are on my shit list right behind Barry, Harry, and Nancy.)

[momto6]

I guess I should be thankful, our premiums are being reduced by $4200. The downside is my husband is losing his job Feb 1st.

[savedbygrace]

I think you mean it’s a 125% increase ($140 to $315 is a $175 increase, which is 125% of $140.)

That’s bad enough, but it’s not 225%.

[caiberry]

Health care costs in this country have spiraled so far out of control they are absurd. This Kaiser Family Foundation has found an increase in premiums for family health insurance occurred. However, the boost was moderate compared to recent years, as double-digit price increases has been the norm for a while. Currently all over the news. If you are indeed, having a spouse and children it could really get expensive 'cause of course part from having to get a bigger place, one also has to feed them and get insurance for them in case they get sick.