I understand where your frustration comes from. We had BCBS in California before moving the company to Omaha and recently switched to an Health Savings Account. I am much happier now with what we offer our employees. We cover every employees premium and contribute $1,700 a year to their HSA account in hopes that they would have free health care. I agree with you that health insurance is very important and I do think that health care reform is important. I just wish that our elected officials would make the changes that are important to the individual like yourself. Someone that’s working hard and trying to provide for their family. I’m all for health care reform but I’m not for freebies or handouts. I hope at the very least they make it so there can be competition nationwide and not limited to just states. That way you can truly shop around and become much more empowered. Good luck Matt.

Tim

I actually don’t believe any profit should come from basic medical coverage. To me that is what has led to corruption and issues we are facing. When a persons basic health needs are turned into a commodity all that is looked at is bottom line.

Now BCBS is a non-profit, but lets face it they are still part of the problem. They constantly deny coverage and raise premiums to levels that average individuals can not afford ( employed or self-employed ) Most of the time you don’t get a choice on who to sign up with, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or its tied to an employer.

Other insurance companies are for profit and they are even worse. When companies like United Health Care (NYSE: UNH) are publicly traded companies, our health becomes a liability to investors. Investors are in the game for one reason only to make a profit ( not their fault just a fact. ) For profit insurance companies increase their profits when denying coverage, dropping coverage and avoiding payouts when people who have paid into the system need it the most. See the difference between Matt running a business is when someone agrees to pay him a fair price (set by the market ) he gives them something in return worth of equal value and is contractually bound by that. There is no free market in Insurance when 75% of a states market is controlled by the two largest companies.

On a personal note, I have been denied far more times by my insurance when I needed it the most, yet I continue to pay in and I am stuck with my for profit insurer because BCBS denied me coverage. So they are making 100% profit from my payments. How is it lame to be upset for a company making profit when they don’t live up to their end of the bargin.

From the Washington Post. “The United States is the only developed country that lets insurance companies profit from basic health coverage.”

Not saying others have it completely right, but if we are the only ones and our health is low on the scale for quality, maybe the idea of capitalism should not apply to a person right to be healthy.

Thanks for your comments. I don’t believe that the price of health insurance should be so high that people can no longer afford it. That’s my main gripe. And without a proper explanation of why my premium jumped so high I’m left to assume it’s because of profit.

My goal when I talk with Mr. Martin tomorrow is to get an honest explanation as to why I saw the increase that I did. I would then like to discuss solutions and see what can be done to fix the overall problem. There are so many people struggling and I sincerely believe it doesn’t have to be this way. Nebraska has the potential to be the model for the rest of the country on how to fix this problem. But it’s going to take all of us to come to the table and discuss this in a civil way. I applaud Mr. Martin for taking me up on my offer to discuss this. I have hope that this will begin a dialogue that leads to real solutions.

Thanks for your comments. Why do I “feel” it’s pure-profit? Well, because insurance companies are in business to make a profit. I know medical costs have gone up, and that’s the big reason why the insurance companies are raising their rates, but they’re still making a profit. They also failed to give me a good answer as to why they chose to raise my rate that much, so I’m left to assume it’s their motivation for profit. How many companies do you know would get away with that kind of increase and not have their customers rise up in protest? Sorry that my “feelings” aren’t good enough of an argument for you. But I “feel” very upset that I have been priced out of health insurance by a company that exists to make a profit. I guess my “feelings” won’t matter much until everyone is in the same boat as me.

To put it in simple terms that you might understand, here’s my experience: My premium was hiked by 46%. I can’t afford it anymore. I’m now forced to go on state aid to make sure my children are cared for. I want more than anything to pay for them myself. But I can’t. I feel taken advantage of. I feel like I can’t do anything to fix this. That’s my experience.

Feel free to let me know what your experience is. Is your health insurance subsidized by your employer? (I saw where you work from your IP address. I hear they have really great benefits. You guys do great work.) If they don’t, well, how do you find affordable insurance? I’d love to hear about your experience.