Broker keeps blaming the ACA, but wait a minute, didn't they impose 20-30 percent price hikes pretty much every year?
Since becoming the office manager for our small office 3 years ago, I have the responsibility of figuring out how to find a policy that our boss can actually afford. The assignment has yielded glimpses into the smoke & mirrors game that = American health care + gambler middlemen that dictate how much we have to pay them...
The layers of hands in the pie are ridiculous. Supposedly we're buying it through a business association, but first we must use independent companies/brokers to provide quotes. They all seem to claim they quote off the same list/info as the others, but each wants to see your old bill and the other guy's quote before you get to see anything about what they'll charge (hmmm, are they compensated based on how much they get us to pay?).
Once accepted, we'll pay the association for membership, make the health insurance payment out to some completely different company (not the broker), and then mail it in care of yet another company. All of these paper shufflers standing between us and the doctors have an interest in keeping everything status quo - and sucking more earnings, savings and profits from our middle class and small business...
Total of 11 are covered in our office, plus the boss and his spouse = 13; two employees reimburse the company to have their spouses on the policy = 15; and one of those also has her two kids on the plan. No one is being treated for cancer or any other terrible malady.
Cost for 2014 was $56,000 - 2015 renewal quote is $69,000+ and then add another $10,000+ because in February three people are 'aging up into another band' = $1,000+ per month March-December.
Here in WA state, we do have wahealthplanfinder.com, which was handy to see that the 2015 quote was high for some employees, lower for others. So the price tag is essentially the same (notwithstanding that some might qualify for subsidies). NOTE that if you click the 'Small Business' button on the site, you get a call from a broker.
Nagging concern for me is that 'the marketplace' and subsidies require we all shop individually - no more 'association' or 'group' of employees. So if one of our people IS hit with something terrible, they are forever screwed with sky high rates, correct?
How much more conducive to JOB CREATION would it be if this hyper-expensive mess were not DUMPED ON SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS?? And if our boss decides he can't provide the benefit any longer (he's not required to with fewer than 50 employees), how much of our household income will be GONE to the gamblers??
Here's to praying that this state uses their successful sliding-scale Basic Health program to structure SINGLE PAYER for EVERYONE that wants it...