Today I got the renewal letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield. As they have done every year, I expected that there would be somewhat of an increase in my premium and the deductible. Last year the increase was in the range of 8% and the deductible increased by $100. I was expecting around the same increase.
They did not fail to disappoint. My premium increased by a whopping 10% and the deductible by another $200. I was upset, but only slightly.
What really got me though was the letter that accompanied the rate increase.
The costs of heath care and prescription drugs continue to rise.
Costs of most things are going down, except of course the service they provide.
Covered individuals are using more services
Oh right, it must be entirely our fault. The poor struggling company is doing all it can, despite us greedy consumers who take and take.
We promise we are doing all we can to manage costs
Sure they are, manage costs for themselves, by kicking off the sick from their rolls. But of course despite their "cost management" I'm not holding my breath expecting the savings to be passed on to me.
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