Health Care Co-Sharing: The New Goalpost

A heads up to our elected officials as public sector contracts come up for renewal or must be reopened: twenty percent no longer cuts it.

A new national report shows U.S. residents enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans will cover an average of 41 percent of their families’ health care costs this year, the largest share to date, with increased premium contributions rising by 14.7 percent from 2008.
The report, the fifth annual Milliman Medical Index, measures average annual medical spending for a typical American family of four covered by an employer-sponsored preferred provider organization (PPO) plan – the most common type nationally and in Rhode Island.

[Source: Providence Business News, May 22, 2009]
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michael
15 years ago

Healthcare is a catastrophy. I take people who live two blocks from the hospital in my rescue so they can have their flu-like symptoms looked at by an ER doctor who orders thousands of dollars of tests to cover his hide should the vomiting actually be caused by a tumor or somethinq equally malovent, the tests are done, the hospital bills medicare, the state pays the bill, the deficit grows and the patient returns home with some Malox that he could have bought at CVS.
Repeat hundreds of times a day, more or less.
And that is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
But let’s focus on increasing co-pays to public sector unions. It’s easier.

Todd
Todd
15 years ago

People need to start focusing on how to fix the broken system as Michael mentioned. Also, the part-time politicans in this state need to give up their practically free family health benefits. Taxpayers spend over 1.2 million dollars per year to provide members of the General Assembly family health benefits.
In Warwick, local taxpayers spend approximately $130,000 per year to give the part-time city council health benefits. That is in addition to the $10,000 annual salary and lifetime pension and health benefits they receive after only 6 years. But the full-time public sector employees that pick-up your garbage, collect your taxes, maintain local ball fields and answer your 911 calls are the problem. Yeah, that’s it. Please.

kathy
kathy
15 years ago

The East Providence School Committee gave up their health, dental, and life insurance last year. It would be nice to see the rest of the state follow suit.

JohnD
John
15 years ago

The Woonsocket City Council and School Committee gave up health benefits in the early 1990’s.

Patrick
Patrick
15 years ago

As people pay more for insurance, they’re going to be even more apt to use it. If you’re paying a crapload of money for something, you’re going to want to get your money’s worth. That’s going to drive even more people to the hospitals and doctors’ offices. Further needing to increase the cost of healthcare and insurance. Until one day when insurance costs 100%, aka, no coverage. Maybe at that point, the whole system will break down and be started all over.

Jeff
Jeff
15 years ago

I think there is a critical problem with this post. Ms. Chartier is indicating that a 20 percent copay is no longer enough; and is backing that up with the article stating that employees will pay 41 percent of thier families costs. When you copay 20 percent and then add in all of the other costs (doctor, er, scrip copays and whatever else the study is including in the 41 number), then the number probably comes up closer to the 41 percent, in which case the 20 percent premium copay is probably not far off the average. We can debate copay amounts, employee benefits, etc,etc, all day, but lets make sure we are comparing like items.

Jeff
Jeff
15 years ago

I think there is a critical problem with this post. Ms. Chartier is indicating that a 20 percent copay is no longer enough; and is backing that up with the article stating that employees will pay 41 percent of thier families costs. When you copay 20 percent and then add in all of the other costs (doctor, er, scrip copays and whatever else the study is including in the 41 number), then the number probably comes up closer to the 41 percent, in which case the 20 percent premium copay is probably not far off the average. We can debate copay amounts, employee benefits, etc,etc, all day, but lets make sure we are comparing like items.

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