Blue Cross Raises Premiums, Blames Obama

[louis-t]

I've been with BCBS of MI for 6 years. Every 2 years, they raise my premium by $12 a month. Right on cue this year, they raised my fee again $12 but blamed "the new health care law" for the increase. They actually wrote me a letter blaming the new law for the increase. I promise you, they would have raised it anyway.

[redirish28]

1. If it was me I would have wrote back and demanded to know the reason

why the increase happened every 2 years BEFORE the new health care law? Was it ESP on their part. Better yet call them and demand a reason. see how fast they hang up or do the classic "huh---huh".

[Denninmi]

2. Well, I got the same letter. But, it was actually a pleasant surprise.

I pay my own Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan premiums, since I work for an attorney in private practice who doesn't provide health insurance.

Last year, I was one of the individual coverage policyholders who got hit with the 36% rate increase -- ouch. So, I had to up my deductible and copay a lot just to afford it.

So, when I got the letter a couple of weeks ago that said my rates were going up due to the healthcare reform law, I was really concerned. Of course, these letters NEVER say by how much.

When the new bill came on Saturday, it was only $7 a month increase.

For that $7 a month, I am now entitled to an annual physical and certain other preventative care benefits that are paid 100% and are BEFORE any deductible and co-pay, so they won't cost me anything out of pocket.

Which is actually a real bargain, because last year, my annual physical cost me over $400 between the office visit, the charge for the exam, and the labs, none of which was covered in any way because I had not met the deductible for the year.

At least, I hope this is what all of this means. There were all kinds of conditions listed about this -- you know, like if you wear avocado green socks to the physical, it's covered, but if you wear fire engine red ones, it's not -- I think they make up stupid little rules to try to trip people up. I would have to really research this and verify with my doctor's office that everything is covered and that they won't try to provide or bill for any of the non-covered excluded services in the same visit, which allows BCBSM to deny the ENTIRE thing.

[louis-t]

4. EXACTLY. And they can't cancel you for getting sick.

And they can't put a cap on your benefits. And they can't call everything that happens to you a "pre-existing condition".

[HopeHoops]

3. CIGNA did the same fucking thing. They raised our rates by a shitload and are fucking me on meds.

[glinda]

5. Our electric company blamed Government for rate rises also.

[NorthCarolina]

6. BCBS of NC raised ours by more than that. We had no choice but to let our policies lapse

this go-round as is just became financially unmanageable. In retrospect I suppose we can be thankful that the mandate has been declared unconstitutional. Would hate to be considered criminals on top of everything else.