I'm pretty much done with health care. Kaiser 20% YOY rate increase are pricing me out.

[cottonseed]

I've gone through this with these guys every January for the last 3 years. It's an annual 20% increase YOY every year. I've had to up my deductible ever year just to keep up. It's ridiculous.

This is California Kaiser Permanente in the Bay Area and an Individual Account. Wondering if anyone else is getting the same rate increases. Sorry just had to vent.

[wilt the stilt]

1. I used to buy my own insurance also

and that is the way it is. Every year it goes up 20% and it gets to the point that you are paying(my brother just went through this) $12,000 a year and your deductible is $5,000. That is the way they love it. catastrophic insurance priced sky high so there are no claims. Perfect profit picture.

[Lochloosa]

2. 38% this year....I am close to being done myself.

[wilt the stilt]

3. If I didn't have a family

and I had to buy my own I would not buy my own. I would roll the dice.

[uncommon]

5. I am considering it. Right now I am paying $3K per year with a $3K deductible and I just found out

our insurance is "changing" soon. I doubt it's getting better or less expensive, so...

[cottonseed]

10. This is insane. I thought I'd had it with these increases until I start seeing these other stories.

[snappyturtle]

4. I had to give up too...several years ago....20 months and counting

from Medicare. What gripes me is that I paid thousands to health insurance for 37 years and then they priced me out. In an effort to keep the insurance I took a $10 thousand deductible and even after that the pay out was 70/30.

[cottonseed]

9. Wow. Better stay hidden under your bed for the next 20 months.

And good a good pair of shoes :).

[snappyturtle]

14. I plan on it! What else can I do? nt

[Ilsa]

6. YOY = what? Year over year? Sorry, I'm not familiar w/ all acronyms. nt

[cottonseed]

8. Yes. I was referring to Year over Year.

It's ridiculous, but from what I see people are even having it much tougher than me. This type of price inflation is too much. I was talking to the guy at Kaiser however, and he's talking about the HCR plans (the mandated ones) going into affect in 2014. It'll be interesting to see these.

[Ilsa]

7. Maybe this is the way to do away with the insurance companies:

People and companies subscribing to group plans keep telling them "no, it's more than we can pay. We'll just give our employees the money for their medical expenses." I know, I know, it won't work.

[SoCalDem]

13. They are eating the Golden Goose.. soon ..no more eggs

As Boomers hit 65 , they opt out of regular insurance... and as more & more people are unemployed/under-employed or paid shitty wages, they will lose their "customers".. This is may be a last-gasp grab-all-you-can-before-it-collapses scheme.

[Still Blue in PDX]

11. Kaiser . . .

I work for them. They seem to be hiring more and more upper management people who keep cutting the worker bees.

Health care is scary.

[Kaleko]

12. Time to leave the country altogether -

that's what a lot of my US friends are contemplating in earnest these days. That is those who haven't left already during these last 10 ever more fear&loathing-inducing years.

[Fumesucker]

15. No you aren't..

In 2014 you'll be forced to buy private insurance or pay a penalty..

And if you choose to pay the penalty (which you probably won't be able to afford) then you still won't have any health insurance and totally forget health care.