Quarterly Profits Release Rally Against Aetna

Gosh I remember two years ago (0.00 / 0)

our insurance carrier at my job was Aetna (CIGNA was last year) and its ridiculous w/ all the co-pays and god knows what else!  

Our insurance now is under Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield but the weird thing is that while I don't have to pay a co-pay at the office, I have a deductible which I have to pay out (depending on what, but also for prescriptions) but am reimbursed as long I submit the paperwork from the insurance to a third party carrier......its a pain in the ass but at least I get my money back!  

"Waiting....waiting on the world to change"  --John Mayer

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by: tigergrrl74 @ Sun Feb 10, 2008 at 21:10:48 PM UTC

Lucky you! (4.00 / 1)

I have a 3,000 dollar deductible with Connecticare that I will never see again with the exception of their obnoxious commercials.

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by: snorwich @ Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 01:45:44 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ouchie! (0.00 / 0)

Understand this....my monthly prescription
med costs me $60.79 out of pocket but I have
to fax the paperwork to the 3rd party provider
so I can get reimbursed....but I feel like its
a merry-go-round because while I get reimbursed,
all too soon its time to pay for the med again...ack!

"Waiting....waiting on the world to change"  --John Mayer

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by: tigergrrl74 @ Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:49:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

it depends on the kind of coverage from Anthem (4.00 / 1)

I self pay (I'm self employed) and I have a copay

at least they write individual policies in CT... Aetna doesn't and Oxford stopped writing them about three years ago (I was unceremoniously DROPPED by them when they stopped). Anthem and United Healthcare are my only alternatives.  

.Adding Another Dimension of Vituperation Toxicity to Blogging since 1999!.

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by: nolopro @ Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 15:04:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

True, we are self employed as well and face (4.00 / 2)

the same limited, costly choices; however there is already Universal Healthcare in America today.  You just have to pay for it.  In the future, if Americans who cannot afford to pay for coverage are included within the plans we pay for, the offset will come from us and companies that pay part/while their employee's also pay a portion but the overall cost will increase.

As long as we look at healthcare insurance as a "for profit" benefit, then no one but the corporations will be "healthy".  Aetna, BC/BS, United Healthcare won't let their bottom line profit/ shareholder/CEO salary be affected negatively.  You may see cost somewhat lower, but soon the rates (to use the insurance word, "experience") will raise and "affordability" will become an issue.  

Have you received a raise lately?  When I did work for a local company that assisted in sharing the cost for employee health coverage, I received no raises over a 5 year period before they laid me off.  So if the cost of health care goes up, and you get no raise...

"Universal Healthcare" It is a sugar-coated talking-point aimed at making a vain attempt to placate those of us who are losing our health coverage or trying to pay for it ourselves or paying a larger share of the employee sponsored group benefit.  And of course "Universal Healthcare" offers something that uninsured American's need, coverage, but at what cost and who will end up footing the bill?  

The only real fair answer is a single payer health plan for all, that may allow for "special" additional coverage if employers wanted to offer them or individuals chose to purchase, but one (think Medicare) payer to handle the collection of premiums, and the disbursement of payments on claims.  A single payer health plan that, with buying power, can negotiate (poor Medicare can't-its now not legal) popular RX's to a more reasonable cost, while still paying a fair price to big pharma for other rx's used.  

A "self-insured" plan for ALL American's funded by the people, of the people, and for the people (please do not exclude any corporation as not being a "people" as we know that corporations have been given the same rights as individuals....therefore they too must contribute to the single payer plan.)  No profit involved.  Just administration/computers and recordkeeping.  Oversight, of course, it's always needed as there is no perfect system, but leave the profit to insurance on the material things of the world, not peoples health.

It was our own moral failure and not any accident of chance, that while preserving the appearance of the Republic we lost its reality. - Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BC)

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by: CTpeon @ Mon Feb 11, 2008 at 22:27:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I believe that Anthem has diff. plans (0.00 / 0)

and where I work, our CEO/President and those
folks in HR check diff. plans out each year to
see which one(s) could offer us employees the
best value.  I've been at the agency that I work
for for 10 years now and I swear I've switched
insurance companies for med and/or dental nearly
every year!  It's bananas!!

"Waiting....waiting on the world to change"  --John Mayer

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by: tigergrrl74 @ Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 05:51:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]