So you are a typical...

[usta in Portland]

family of four paying (or your employer is paying) about $13,500/yr for health insurance. The Obama Administration is going to keep a lid on those premiums as follows:

The new rules will mandate that insurers post explanations of premium increases exceeding 10% on their websites and submit them to state and federal regulators, who will also post them, starting later this year.

Meaning, from my odd point of view, they just gave these companies carte blanche to raise premiums unchallenged by 9.99% every year. With inflation running at 2%-3% and with compounding this gain starts adding up pretty fast. Not too far down the line and $20,000/yr will be the norm:hmm::hmm::hmm:

 

[mx5rush]

My company is self insured and sets up it's own plans, with United healthcare 'managing'.

One year when we were getting a huge increase in our premium, we had townhall meetings with folks from headquarters who tried to maintain the 'this is actually a very competitive plan!' company mantra. When one of the fellow 'managment' guys asked the HR/Benefits rep...

"Why am I constantly told how important to the team I am, but I'm managing people right out there (pointing out the window towards the railyard outside) who have benefits that make mine look pathetic?"

The HR/Benefits representative said "Because management isn't a protected status."

The room was dead quiet. Ironically it was filled with mostly dispatchers like myself. The previous year the company had fought off a unionization effort for our 'craft' by rolling out a 'previously planned' accelerated compensation program for the younger dispatchers...

Since the company apparently sucessfully argued that they honestly had planned the big raises for newhires before the union effort started, they were allowed to increase pay to the newer people during 'labratory conditions' of the union vote!:hmm: