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Healthcare 2010 |
A note to my clients about
In the past two years, our healthcare insurance premiums have risen by more than 60 percent. My wife and I are both self-employed, so we joined a Massachusetts-based, small business association through which we purchase our insurance at “reduced” rates. We don’t have a bells-and-whistles plan that offers complete freedom of choice. In truth, we could never afford it. As members of an HMO, we have a good solid plan, with various deductibles and co-payments. Though we live only 20 miles from Boston, when a family member required surgery a few years ago, we were unable to “shop” for a surgeon outside of our suburban Boston community. And we are dependent on our primary physician’s referrals to seek additional help when needed.
We consider ourselves fortunate to have this plan. We never wonder whether we “need” to seek medical advice or services. We have the freedom to follow up on any issue that might arise. Now, we will have to consider a less expensive plan that offers fewer provisions.
According to the U.S Census Bureau, $27,590 was the median American income in 2009.* The annual premium for our current insurance plan, should we choose to keep it, will total $28,560 in 2010. Obviously, this is beyond absurd. When I listen to the healthcare debate, I can’t help but wonder how anyone can argue that the system needs tweaking rather than wholesale overhaul. Capitalism may result in increasingly better and cheaper hand-held electronic devices, but I can’t think of an example of its having led to more affordable and accessible healthcare without substantial government regulation. Insurance companies are making record profits — this fact is undisputed. How can anyone, regardless of one’s political leanings, think this system is working?
For the past many years, we have endured annual premium increases of 10–25% per year for this same HMO plan. Until now, these cost increases were not reflected in your invoices. I swallowed the cost because so many of you serve the public good and are already stretching budgets to make ends meet. As a result, I continue to work more and earn less each year. Now, I fear I will have to charge you — my wonderful, loyal clients — in order to make MY ends meet.
I will be adding a line item on my invoices to recover some of the cost of these absurd increases. For now, I’ll be adding 4 percent. Frankly, I could have hidden these increases in my bills, but I think it is important to identify this insanity so that we are all reminded of it.
Let’s all work toward a day when every American — and everyone on the planet — has access to good healthcare.
* www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/guidance/SMI75FY09.pdf |