Visitor Comments
If Health Care is Unaffordable, What About Taxes, Food, and Housing?
More affordable health insurance can be found if you take the time to look. My three kids are on a policy with their Dad (self-employed). The premium is less than $500 per month with a $2000 deductible/$8000 max out of pocket which we reached this year. It's not easy to come up with that cash but is doable with monthly payments. Furthermore, dental is a one time $300 annual payment to be part of a dental co-op. I pay $5 per office visit with an additional $20-30 per cleaning which includes preventative treatment like sealants, flouride and xrays. So for $480 per year all three kids get good, basic dental care twice each year. Above that, I have to budget. As for orthodontics, my kids all have had or do have braces for which I have no insurance -- again I worked out a monthly plan and staggered their treatment. Consumer have to do their homework.
- posted by Amy Oliver
- December 5, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
- Permalink
The Consumer Expenditure Survey does not include pretax wages that are spent on health insurance. If employers did not provide health insurance, then one would expect that wages would increase by roughly the amount spent on benefits. Even today, people often bargin for higher wages when thinking about a job with an employer who does not offer benefits.
I think you are overly pessimestic about health insurance costs. Even as messed up as the insurance markets are, in one moderately lightly regulated state ehealthinsurance.com shows that the price of family coverage for two 47 year old parents 2 older teenagers starts at $238.20 a month in the individual market. $7,500 deductible. Kaiser is $327.50.
For younger people, those who are likely to be working lower wage construction or as a $8 an hour aide with two kids 8 and 7, UnitedHealthCare offers a policy for $153.85 a month.
All states offer a guaranteed issued policy for those who are uninsurable. Generally subsidies to lower the premiums are available for those with lower incomes.
I think you are overly pessimestic about health insurance costs. Even as messed up as the insurance markets are, in one moderately lightly regulated state ehealthinsurance.com shows that the price of family coverage for two 47 year old parents 2 older teenagers starts at $238.20 a month in the individual market. $7,500 deductible. Kaiser is $327.50.
For younger people, those who are likely to be working lower wage construction or as a $8 an hour aide with two kids 8 and 7, UnitedHealthCare offers a policy for $153.85 a month.
All states offer a guaranteed issued policy for those who are uninsurable. Generally subsidies to lower the premiums are available for those with lower incomes.
- posted by Linda Gorman
- December 2, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
- Permalink
Misleading information. From Linda's source data (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cesan.nr0.htm) we see that the is average family makes $60,533 per year and spends $2766 (4.6%) on health care. Using Linda's 5.7% brings this to $3450. Where can you buy family health insurance for $288 per month? Only from an employer subsidized plan of course.
I am self employed and pay $701 per month for a $3600 deductible HSA with a $5k annual max out of pocket. Dental coverage would add $136 per month, but is too expensive.
At $701 per month, the cost of health insurance is 13.9% of this average family's income, but the cost of insurance coverage is constant regardless of income. The $16/hr construction worker with an $8/hr nurse's aid wife makes $50k per year, too much to qualify for Medicaid. They will pay $8.4k, 16.8% of their income, but only if they are never sick.
If they meet their deductible they pay $12k, 22.9%. If they hit the out of pocket maximum, they spend $13.4k, 26.8% of their income on health care. Or they do not marry so the wife and kids can go on Medicaid and dad relies on the ER.
Clearly this family does not worry about the orthodontist bill sending them to the poor house as Linda mentions. They are already there, and their children will never see an orthodontist.
What do you call a Republican leaning libertarian who has lost his job with benefits?
I am self employed and pay $701 per month for a $3600 deductible HSA with a $5k annual max out of pocket. Dental coverage would add $136 per month, but is too expensive.
At $701 per month, the cost of health insurance is 13.9% of this average family's income, but the cost of insurance coverage is constant regardless of income. The $16/hr construction worker with an $8/hr nurse's aid wife makes $50k per year, too much to qualify for Medicaid. They will pay $8.4k, 16.8% of their income, but only if they are never sick.
If they meet their deductible they pay $12k, 22.9%. If they hit the out of pocket maximum, they spend $13.4k, 26.8% of their income on health care. Or they do not marry so the wife and kids can go on Medicaid and dad relies on the ER.
Clearly this family does not worry about the orthodontist bill sending them to the poor house as Linda mentions. They are already there, and their children will never see an orthodontist.
What do you call a Republican leaning libertarian who has lost his job with benefits?
- posted by Wes Melander
- December 1, 2007 @ 8:22 am
- Permalink
Interesting information. The problem is that Americans have been told for generations that someone else is supposed to pay for health care. As we both know, only when individuals have the opportunity and responsibility to weigh health care against other goods will people realize what they are getting their money's worth.
- posted by Paul Gessing
- November 29, 2007 @ 11:12 pm
- Permalink
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