Health Reform: Let's Lower—Not Raise—Young Adults' Premiums

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Hahah, My laptop crashed when I was browsing health.usnews.com last time I was here. And for the past 2 months I have been looking for this weblog, so thankful I located it once again! :D

Winstrol 2 mg of AL 1:16PM December 19, 2011

winsome answers i like it

ethercuch of AL 1:02PM January 05, 2010

What I would love to see is that health plans were more consumer choice oriented than "employer" oriented. AS an example - if as a small business I put funds into a health savings account for you - then you go out and shop which coverage is right for you - just like your 401k plan... you make choices yourself. Now instead of the VP of HR from "big company" selecting Aetna, BCBS, etc. you as a consumer get to choose. And guess what - it's now a more price sensitive market since individual consumers are shopping for the best deal...

Most health insurance companies have raised premiums 20% this year (2009) - guess what - that's easy to do when you are dealing directly with the business... want a bunch of pissed off consumers? then raise premiums 20% - everyone would switch... Healthcare is becoming a huge problem in America - people need to wake up. The current plan doesn't do much to help out...

Nowell

FacetoFace Health

http://www.facetofacehealth.com

Nowell of CO 2:26PM November 17, 2009

My elder daughter is covered at work. My younger daughter is not. At age 25, she pays about $3K per year for insurance. Why does she not get the $600 per year policy or go without insurance? Because if she were to become extremely ill or were to be involved in a serious accident, she knows that my wife and I would spend every penny we have on her healthcare. In other words, her lack of insurance or underinsurance could cause our bankruptcy.

I am really thankful that we have raised a child who understands such consequences.

LDC of MN 2:38PM August 27, 2009

My 28 yr. old healthy, single daughter was quoted around $200/mo. from Anthem until she asked about maternity coverage, which jumped the price to over $700/mo. That was with a $5000/yr. deductible. That's over eight grand a year, approximately 25% of her annual salary. That is completely unacceptable.

Peg of NH 2:18PM August 27, 2009

I see multiple comments in here that center on people paying rates based on individual factors like weight, smoking, etc. Basically the line of thought seems to be "If you engage in certain behaviors that increase your risk, you should pay more for it based on the cost of that demographic."

Interesting thought. It will be truly hilarious when they impose 3X higher rates on gay males because they can be statistically proven to be much more likely to get HIV and require extremely expensive treatments.

Hmm, smoker tax, fat tax, queer tax, drinker tax, this is gonna be a hoot!

Jeff of MD 2:04PM August 27, 2009

I'm actually rather surprised at how well informed most Americans are about the horrendous quality of the current government sponsored healthcare programs. I imagine the president and his goons must be as well. They underestimated Americans, as most of the world does, and thought they would pull a fast one. What is most saddening is how they don't even seem to care about bankrupting the nation and all that seems to matter is staying in office. How self centered and selfish is that? I hope the health care bill dies with Ted Kennedy.

cris of FL 8:35AM August 27, 2009

Majority of Americans do Not want government-controlled (public option). Conservatives had the best health reform idea so far:

create more competition in health insurance industry by opening

up interestate commerce. Reform the current system; government screws up everything it touches., just recently,sending stimulus money to convicted felons who are in jail; sending stimulus money to union employees to "talk" to

other union members who were layed off., etc.

paul of OH 9:44PM August 26, 2009

Government-manipulated health care is bankrupting this country. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are drowning in tens of trillions of dollars worth of unfunded liabilities and red ink, yet the response from Congress is to propose more 1,000+ page bills that will move our health care system perilously close to other nations' statist care.

You know as well as I that this unfair plan is doomed to be a fiscal nightmare comparable to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and that Congress-created HMOs are notorious for denying care to control spiraling costs.

Our nation has seen enough big government schemes, especially in medicine. President Obama is right about one thing: it's time to take action.

It's time to let the free market work.

Aaron Nichols of MI 9:14PM August 26, 2009

eeee

ed of MO 9:04PM August 26, 2009

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Heart to Heart

Bernadine Healy, M.D., U.S.News & World Report's health editor and author of the magazine's On Health column, is the former head of the National Institutes of Health, the American Red Cross, and the College of Medicine and Public Health at Ohio State University. A cardiologist and author of two books, she spent more than 25 years practicing medicine. In this blog, she covers matters close to her heart, including cardiovascular disease and other important aspects of personal health and health policy.

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