Healthcare Hullabaloo: Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

I wish that I could enjoy the holiday – unfortunately, I’m feeling nauseous.

It’s not from the turkey, the sweet potatoes, or the pumpkin pie. It’s from my constant re-reading of the latest government report regarding health insurance.

Along with the announcement about the Government’s new Health Insurance Carrier regulations came some startling statistics – that some small groups were paying their carrier twice the amount in premiums that they were getting back in the form of medical; benefits.

I always knew that those of us in small groups were getting ripped off – and we now we have some concrete numbers to rally around. I’m a cynic, to be sure, but even in my most cynical moments, I never realized just how bad we were getting butt-raped. We’re talking John Holmes sans lubrication.

But wait – it’s even worse than it appears.

The Government statistics did not factor in other costs that can be attributed to the health insurance industry. Things like greatly increased overhead in medical offices that the patients end up paying for. Then there is all of the unnecessary testing that the carriers require that we also end up paying for. Let’s not forget the general inflation in medical and pharmaceutical costs that can be attributed to the health insurance system.

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read my blog from the beginning and refresh your memory.

So this translates to AT LEAST a 50% tariff that we are paying for health care that can be attributed, directly and indirectly, to the health insurance industry.

For my family, this translates to around $10,000 a year in hard currency. If you are lucky enough to have your health benefits paid by your employer, your costs are going to be somewhat less, but will probably come out to around $6,000.00 a year , whether you realize it or not. I am not talking about what you are paying for health care – I am talking about what EXTRA you are paying to feed the health insurance industry.

I don’t know about you, but I won’t be able to ride a bicycle for a very long time.

Ten grand a year the sole purpose of feeding corporate greed.

I feel like a real Turkey – don’t you? So I guess that this makes it our special day.

So, to all my fellow turkeys I say “Gobble, gobble”. Which, ironically, also happens to be the motto of your health insurance carrier.