Health Insurance Rant

Have to get this off my chest somewhere. I used to provide a group plan for a few others who were working for me at the time, but Obamacare put an end to that by destroying the market that was serving us fine. So the last 3 years I have been on my own.

Year one, I found an off exchange plan -- more expensive and a crappier network than I had been on, but an established provider, and out of my options, it provided services (an actual network with actual doctors and hospitals -- albeit scaled back from the network I used to have) balanced with the cost. I was OK with it. That lasted a year before they decided they wanted nothing to do with the individual marketplace because they were bleeding money due to the Obamacare hoops. And they grabbed their ball and walked off the court, even with individual plans off the exchange.

Year two, similar story. Found a somewhat plan similar to the prior year with another company. Somewhat crappier network of providers, but not as bad as the plans on the Obamacare exchange that I compared it to. It felt like my only reasonable option. And it worked until they bolted the market in my area because they were getting killed, and told me I was on my own yet again.

This year, I had to take a step down to a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. ... Much shittier plan that I had even had, and of course more expensive. So now I am getting less. ... and paying way more. But fine. I was dealing OK. Until I got a letter 2 months ago, telling me that they are no longer offering the plan. They have other plans I can consider. ... but at a 50 percent increase in premiums from what I was paying.

So now, I am probably relegated to the dregs left selling health insurance around here, unless I want to be paying obscene premiums for provider networks that are only slightly better. I am now going to have shitty insurance that costs two or three times as much as what I was paying as recently as 5 years ago for a much better plan at the time.

So I called one of the potential companies I need to look at last week. I had researched what they have available, understood the plan, etc. But their website gives no info about the premiums. So I called and asked what the premiums were. ... and the person wouldn't (or couldn't) tell me. I needed to set up an appointment with someone else. I was a bit incredulous. What other business would you call them up, and say, "I am possibly interested in purchasing your service. How much does it cost?" . ... and the answer you get: "I can't tell you that. You need to make an appointment and someone will call you in several days to answer that." So I set up the appointment. ... was supposed to get a phone call. And nobody called. So I just had to call again, and again, "I will get a call within 48 hours." All this to get an answer for the question, "What is the premium for this plan that you sell?"

It's frustrating.

 

With even higher consumer debt levels than the U.S.



A housing bubble (due to all of that debt and leverage) that puts the US's bubble to shame:




And importantly, a debt to GDP ratio that far exceeds to the U.S. ... as the country has run up more and more debt paying for the socialized program that doesn't really allocate health care all that efficiently (and doesn't get paid for -- just more debt).

I don't want to trade in the mess based on a fantasy that has been foisted on me, for your mess based on a fantasy.

I'd prefer an actual market without it being fucked up by meddlers who have made it inefficient, ridiculously costly and something that stifles innovation.