I assume you are being sarcastic.

Please tell me the name of one person that says that no reform of healthcare/health insurance is needed. They don't have to be famous, just give me a name.

I thought so. If you are going to use the "straw man" tactic to make your point, be prepared to be called upon to explain "who."

 

Welcome to what small business has been doing for the last couple years. Like it or not, high-deductible health plans & HSAs are the wave of the future because they have lower premiums (for both employers & employees) and actually do serve to lower health care costs. HSAs also have tax benefits for employees.

Because you pay out of pocket up to the deductible with a HDHP, people think twice about going to the doctor for minor stuff that they normally wouldn't think twice about under a copay PPO. When one needs to have a procedure done, they shop around and (likely) take their business to the lowest-cost option. This creates competition between healthcare providers (MD offices, hospitals, etc) which lowers the overall cost of care.

Once you hit the deductible, you're done with out-of-pocket expenses for the rest of the calendar year.

HDHPs are a fair deal if you have very little or a lot of medical expenses, but really suck if you're in between (like many folks tend to be).

Just so you know how you stack up, my company (100 employees) only offers a HDHP with a 2500 individual/5000 family deductible...but they also contribute $50/mo to each employee's HSA.

 

Wow, sounds like a great deal..... I know a guy that almost switched to an HSA last year. About a week after enrollment closed he found out his wife was pregnant. Wouldn't that have been a b****. And according to someone above, they are not done once you hit your deductible, you still have to pay 20%. No thanks.

 

I missed that in the original post.

That little caveat sucks.

 

Yes it does.

Now I can pay to "non-rev" to a ski resort, and then when I hurt myself, I can pay for the E.R. admission and the MRI out of pocket.

Or I could stay home and look for another job.

 

I work for a company that made $750 million dollars last quarter, with an $80 Billion dollar order backlog, and we are getting a similar thing for 2010.

Not quite as bad. The deductible is $600, and after that we pay 15% up to a yearly out of pocket max of $1,500 (after the deductible is paid). Still crappy IMO.

This is not just a Skywest issue. This is happening everywhere. Health care needs reform. I don't know the best answer, but at this point, I am willing to try just about anything!

 

I don't think people should have to think twice about going to a doctor. You never know when that something you think is minor might be something major.

 

Indeed, if people pass up routine exams then small and cheap problems can quickly turn into big and expensive. One of the biggest problems with our current health care system is un-insured waiting until its dire and then run into the ER. They obviously can't pay the extravagant ER bills and so it falls on the tax payer.

 

Exactly! It's akin to skipping out on routine car maintenance and before you know it you need you a new engine. I noticed something was slightly wrong with my car a while back but I didn't have the money to get it looked at, now it's gotten to the point where I can't even drive it. Once I bring it into the shop it'll probably be twice as expensive as it would've been. (and I still dont have funds to get it fixed, but that's a diff story.)
Having to think twice about going to the doc due to high cost of insurance is NEVER a good thing. It's not like maintaining your health is a waste, or a luxury or some stupid thing. It's not like people constantly visit doctors for minor stuff for fun and to waste their time, in fact don't most people avoid docs and put that kind of stuff off? That's how they dont detect cancers, etc. until it's too late.

 

Fellow SkyWestr's......look at the bright side; at least our financial reward checks will increase a few dollars.....LOL! (Note sarcasm)

This new program is about the worst I’ve ever seen an employer offer. I’m so thankful that my wife’s company has awesome Health Insurance.