One of my friends told me last night: I have a story for your health care blog. He went on to explain that this is why it's obvious the health care system is going to collapse under its own weight.
See, he and his wife have a nanny, and they actually pay the right taxes on her and provide her with health care. She's a single woman in her 40s and they got her coverage through Blue Shield, an individual plan. They also got a low deductible plan, because they wanted her to not feel constrained from going and getting the right kind of preventative and maintenance care done.
Her monthly premium has gone up as follows:
2004-$250
2005-$280
2006-$340
Without her having any major medical problems.
Those are just massive increases. What other industry raises prices like that? Except, perhaps the oil industry ;)
Now I told my buddy to check out other plans, because my own premiums are not as high as that, and I too have a low deductible individual plan. My rates rose from $255 to $281 a month this year, with a $250 deductible and dental coverage.
He may well do that, but his larger point is well taken.
There are some, including readers and commenters on this site, who think health care should just be everyone's individual responsibility. Pay as you go. etc. etc. But with prices like this, and unchecked price raises, that kind of individual health care pretty much qualifies as a luxury item. And that's not good for our society. Hey, and I'm not just talking as a bleeding heart liberal who simply cares about the health and welfare of the less well-off and their children. I'm talking as someone who doesn't want to witness some public health disaster spurred by a populace that can't afford to prevent it!
My buddy believes that the system won't change until it starts falling apart even for the wealthy. And he thinks we're heading in that direction swiftly!
Comments