Anybody who thinks health care costs aren't a problem has somebody else picking up the tab for their premiums. I've got an individual self-employed plan from Kaiser Permanente, and when I first got it in roughly 1999 I paid $140/month; as of this January it's $343/month. Worse, the co-pay for prescription drugs was quietly doubled two months ago, so a 90-day supply went from $30 to $60. That was a helluva surprise when I got my credit card bill (if you want mail order pills, traditionally the way to get a 50% discount from the walk-in price, you have to pay by credit card).
Other than the pills, I'm a great customer for Kaiser. I have an appointment twice a year and the doctor spends 15 minutes with me each time. I don't put much wear and tear on their facilities or his time there. That means they're relying on patients like me to cover the costs of the people who are really sick.
Posted by Linkmeister at March 25, 2009 11:34 AM | TrackBackOn behalf of my husband, thank you. We've been Kaiser members since 1970. In 1976, he had a heart attack which lead to cardiac bypass surgery 6 months later. No charge, just our regular monthly premiums. The meds are still cost less than outside. Since 76, he's been followed by a cardiologist who orders some specialized tests every couple of years. About a year and a half ago, he had an early morning incident which led to having a stent inserted. They have some great GPs and some talented specialists. All in all, we've been very pleased with Kaiser. If all HMOs were this good, the country would be in a lot better shape.
But I still want to see this country go to a single payer system. Actually, I want everyone to have the same health care that Congress does. If it's good enough for them, it's sure good enough for the rest of us.
Posted by: Illanoy Gal at March 25, 2009 04:56 PMWhen I was employed by companies rather than by myself and had a group plan with Kaiser I liked them a lot better than I do now. It's just a money thing with me, though; the care is fine.
Posted by: Linkmeister at March 25, 2009 05:01 PM[highhorse]
You're subsidizing them now. But when the longterm effects of that evil addiction to cancer sticks kick in, then someone else will be paying your bills.
[/highhorse]
When I was in grad school, my chairman once snarked that it would be more cost-effective to cease smoking-eradication programs. That way, the smokers would pay their FICA and Medicare taxes, but die before they started receiving the old-age benefits. ...No more Social Security or Medicare shortfalls!
Posted by: N in Seattle at March 26, 2009 01:52 PM