Health care bubble

[Markor]

Recently got my annual 15% increase in health care premium. ~15% increase each year for 5 years running. Recession be damned for that industry. Yes I'm a year older, but in the same bracket.

Seems Obama has already bent over on health care reform, instead letting the industry lower prices (yeah right).

How much longer can it go on? Will the typical worker really spend 50+% of their income on premiums? When any treatment still means you have to pay megabucks of uncovered charges?

I read about older folk paying $1500/month premiums. I don't think I could bring myself to do that, let alone the $4K/month in today's dollars it could easily be if I get to that age. I might let nature take me earlier instead, if it comes to that, and use the savings to enjoy life more fully until then.

Will it really have to come down to mobs wielding pitchforks before gov't finally helps the citizenry instead of the health care lobbyists?

[Markor]

Sorry, forgot the [rant] tags on that one!

[Alan]

I might want infinite-deductable insurance just to get the insurance negotiated rates.

[mukoh]

Same here. $350 a month. The employees at are sapping $3400 a month.
My friends employees are taking off $4000+ every month in health care costs. Its like hiring older then 30+ makes no sense any more, cheaper to hire younger.

[Markor]

If the oligopoly is allowed to continue unabated, we can expect to see baseball player-like salaries for doctors. The same exponential escalation of charges would happen (and did, in California) if we had unregulated utilities. Supposedly the US spends double per capita what any other country spends on health care. In ten years it could be 4X.