Health Care Premiums Jump 11.2 Percent; Fourth Consecutive Year of Double-Digit Increases

ABCnews ^ | Sept. 9, 2004 | AP

[Thrusher]

Health care costs continued to surge this year as family premiums in employer-sponsored plans jumped 11.2 percent, the fourth year of double-digit growth, according to a new study. The cumulative effect of rising health care costs is taking a toll on workers: There are at least 5 million fewer jobs providing health insurance in 2004 than there were in 2001, according to the survey of 3,017 companies by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

--- snip ---

"Health insurance is becoming unaffordable, especially for small employers. We should expect the ranks of uninsured to grow as small employers can't afford health insurance," said Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Altman noted that the hike in health premiums outpaced both the 2.2 percent growth in wages and 2.3 percent growth in inflation by five times. "There is a great sense that there is just no answer to this problem," Altman added.

[Thrusher]

I like the way there is absolutely no analysis or investigation in this article as to what is causing the soaring health care costs in the U.S. The message seems to be: health care costs are skyrocketing, everyone will soon be uninsured for health care, and there is nothing anyone can do about it (or: run screaming to your local Democratic presidential candidate and beg for HillaryCare).

[nuconvert]

The health insurance companies aren't going broke.

[PeterPrinciple]

premiums in employer-sponsored plans

Maybe this is the problem, my NON employer sponsered plan did not increase last year!

[EggsAckley]

I have a Medical Savings Account which jumped from $256 per month to $306 per month. Of course, some of that jump probably involves my age increase since I started the plan.

[Heff]

Simple solution: TORT REFORM!

[China Clipper]

Biggest reason for higher insurance premiums.....

Legal expenses and ridiculous awards extracted by these kind of lawyers are the reason-do NOT let these people get control of our heath care, please. I for one do NOT want socialized medicine. Is it just me?

[Sacajaweau]

One of the solutions, yes. Let's see the books and look where the money is going. Let's look at the Pharmeceutical books, too. And then let's look at the people.

Why is EVERYONE on a pill of some kind? I remember the stats on the post menopause pill. The end game was, that after taking the pill for 20 years, you would live 8 days longer. AND THEN, to make matters worse, they took the pills off the market as being countereffective. Amazing!! How many pills have been taken off the market? WHICH MEANS: People have been duped!!

[dfwgator]

Thanks to lawyers like John Edwards.

[xrp]

Damn trial lawyers driving up insurance costs for the health care industry forcing them to pass the costs onto their customers.

[NeoCaveman]

Gee I guess this Bush's fault. (/sarcasm)

[Steve_Seattle]

Everyone blames the cost of insurance, but that's only one component, and it doesn't come close to explaining the huge increases in health care costs. My daughter recently went in for a couple of diagnostic tests and was asked to wear a monitor for 24 hours. The cost? $1,200 dollars. Eight years ago another daughter had a minor leg fracture in an auto accident. The cost to remove the cast? $700.

[Steve_Seattle]

To complete my thought, I bet the cost of malpractice insurance didn't amount to even 5 percent of my daughter's $1,200 bill for a couple of tests.

[Trust but Verify]

Please tell me more about your plan. In FReepmail, if you prefer. I've been trying to push this in my office and don't have enough of the specifics to do it justice.

[rintense]

Thank you John Edwards.

[moonman]

I am a male age 54 and have a small group HMO policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield FL. I pay $752.00 per month. If my wife was on the plan, it would cost $1,431.00 per month. A group plan means that no current or prior medical conditions apply. I would love if my premiums had increased only 11% a year. Five years ago I was paying $540.00 a month for BOTH my wife and I.

[EggsAckley]

Check out "Medical Savings Insurance." 1-888-696-9663. You might be surprised.

[Preachin']

America is beginning to understand that people like John Edwards are the problem in this issue.

I think this will be a major campaign theme from this point on.

[1Old Pro]

We need medical tort reform.

[Codeflier]

You are probably wrong about this. My father is an Emergency Physician and the malpractice premiums the hospital pays for each doctor are about 45% of what the doctors make.

[AmericanChef]

When people have employer-paid plans, folks go to the doctor for every sniffle and hangnail. Kids get a cold? Off to the doctor for antibiotics!

Puh-leez.