<p>The averages dont help notrichenough. He is fixated on North Carolina for some reason. </p>
<p>There are also some areas where rates are dropping. </p>
<p>My premiums are going up 13 percent in 2015. Part of it is aging. Anthem underpriced their plans. Now the top three insurers have similar prices where I live. </p>
<p>We are paying over $30,000 this year in health care costs. ( My wife needs cataract surgery). My friends on medicare are paying a fraction of what we are paying. </p>
<p>My 80 year old folks pay a fraction of what we pay in health care costs. </p>
<p>All of us just need to āhang onā. Until your rates come out on health insurance, no need to āborrow troubleā although it probably would be good to start thinking about how one would re-juggle the budget accordingly. Add to the sure things - death, taxes, and insurance companies keeping afloat and profitable.</p>
<p>Getting a little more job prospect activity going. Thankfully not desperate for the money and have a pretty strong set of marketable skills/education. Just is a little tough re-entering job market after long gap.</p>
<p>We held onto a company plan for 2 years when DH retired from a previous employer. Premiums were more than our mortgage. But it was a fabulous plan at the time: $250 deductible 90/10 coverage for in network, 80/20 for OON. One of those 2 years DH broke his leg/ankle and had 2 surgeries. Insurance paid for itself in spades. The other year, we paid through the nose and had little use of it. </p>
Iām not fixated on anything, itās just an article.</p>
<p>I donāt see why averages arenāt helpful. It provides a picture of the system as a whole, and how well costs are being contained, which was one of the main points of ACA.</p>
<p>" well costs are being contained, which was one of the main points of ACA."
-Unfortunately ever so true. The main reasons for the costs to go up has been a longer life expectancy. Just think about how to make sure that costs are downā¦got itā¦that worries me the most, makes us think āoutside the boxā lots and lots, by the
āoutside the boxā , I mean outside of the USA where the best healthcare system is not going to be some peopleās option at allā¦not in a picture for themā¦and those are the ones that needs it the mostā¦</p>
<p>So I checked with my sister and she pays $95/month instead of $600/month she would have to pay. She has preexisting condition. She said 90% received subsidies if income is lower than $46K. She has BlueShield PPO. She uses the insurance to see the doctors now and she pays $15 copay. So that is very reasonable. I mean my husband and I pay more than $300/month plus we pay $35 for copay. </p>
<p>I think mine went up $7 either a paycheck or a month.
One thing I think I will miss when I retire is the contribution to 401K. Just heard on the news that next year 2015, the limit goes up to $18,000 and $6,000 for over 50 catch-up contribution. Yay, I have one more year to take advantage of this tax avoidance.</p>
<p>My company just eliminated our 401k matching because of financial reasons. In order to do that though, we had to stop making any personal contributions, because you canāt legally make a change like that during the year.</p>
<p>We pay 2600 per year and $15 for non - specialist visits, $25 for a specialist, a three tier prescription medication cost = 15, 25, 50 for three month supplies and a $50 deductible for ER and surgery. This is a combined medical and dental plan.</p>