There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

In article
,
terry wrote:

There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, $13,000.

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

"The average employer-sponsored premium for a family of four costs close
to $13,000 a year, and the employee foots about 30 percent of this cost."

--x--x--x--x--

Based on personal observation, government employees of almost any type
have excellent health insurance policies paid by the employer, with
funds graciously provided by my taxes. Those policies cover vision and
dental as well as regular insurance, and include the employee's family.

Private companies often cover only 50% of the cost of the premium, and
if the employee wants insurance for the rug rats or the spouse, the
entire premium comes from his or her own pocket.

terry wrote:
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?
Hi,
Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.

In article ,
Tony Hwang wrote:

Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.
You pay. It is just that your premium is hidden in the taxes.

--
Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought
of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.
Jimmy Buffett

"terry" wrote in message
...
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

I live in North Carolina. The company I work for lets you retire before 62
if you have worked over 30 years for them. They used to pay part of the
insurance and it would cost a man and his wife around $ 300 or less per
year. They quit doing that and the average cost for the same coverage is
around $ 1000 per month or $ 12,000 per year. You can get some high
deductiable insurance that only starts paying out after you pay around $
3000 for medical bills or more for around $ 300 a month.

In article , Smitty Two wrote:

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, $13,000.

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

"The average employer-sponsored premium for a family of four costs close
to $13,000 a year, and the employee foots about 30 percent of this cost."

--x--x--x--x--

Based on personal observation, government employees of almost any type
have excellent health insurance policies paid by the employer, with
funds graciously provided by my taxes. Those policies cover vision and
dental as well as regular insurance, and include the employee's family.

Private companies often cover only 50% of the cost of the premium, and
if the employee wants insurance for the rug rats or the spouse, the
entire premium comes from his or her own pocket.

The entire premium is coming out of the individual's pocket anyway, even in
employer-sponsored plans. Every dollar the employer spends on purchasing
health insurance is a dollar that is unavailable for spending on salaries or
wages.

It is likewise a convenient fiction that the employer pays half of the FICA
premium. Nope. The employee pays all of it -- half in direct payroll
deduction, and half in the form of a reduced salary.

In article , Tony Hwang wrote:

Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything.

Absolute nonsense. Did you think health care was free, that the doctors and
nurses work gratis and all the medicine and equipment and facilities just
magically appear at no cost to anyone?

No premium payment.

"No premium" is not the same as "no payment". You're paying for it.

You figure out how.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
Tony Hwang wrote:

Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.
You pay. It is just that your premium is hidden in the taxes.

Hmmm,
Our tax rate is lowest in Canada and no sales tax here as well.
Why then your tax does not cover those who don't/can't have coverage?
When we go down there I notice more over weight folks and the portion of
meal they eat at restaurants!!!! Wife and me, one order is enough to
fill us up. Ultimately health is individual responsibility. We just came
back from week end alpine trek reaching up to ~7000 feet in the rockies.
Our ages are closer to 70 now. I retired in '96 from Honeywell. Wife
from hospital operating room in '92. One of my kid is MD. She takes care
of us here half year, then she goes away for volunteer service the other
half. October this year she is going to East Timor to work at TB clinic
there run by Aussie nuns and American doctor. About 5000 suffer from TB
over there due to climate.

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

In article
, Smitty
Two wrote:

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, $13,000.

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

"The average employer-sponsored premium for a family of four costs close
to $13,000 a year, and the employee foots about 30 percent of this cost."

--x--x--x--x--

Based on personal observation, government employees of almost any type
have excellent health insurance policies paid by the employer, with
funds graciously provided by my taxes. Those policies cover vision and
dental as well as regular insurance, and include the employee's family.

Private companies often cover only 50% of the cost of the premium, and
if the employee wants insurance for the rug rats or the spouse, the
entire premium comes from his or her own pocket.

The entire premium is coming out of the individual's pocket anyway, even in
employer-sponsored plans. Every dollar the employer spends on purchasing
health insurance is a dollar that is unavailable for spending on salaries or
wages.

It is likewise a convenient fiction that the employer pays half of the FICA
premium. Nope. The employee pays all of it -- half in direct payroll
deduction, and half in the form of a reduced salary.

Well, if we're segueing into "convenient fictions," here's another one:
Governments have to pay high salaries and provide luxury-class benefits
in order to attract qualified workers away from private industry. In
truth, the pay and benefit scales are often double what industry pays
for comparable skill sets. The city, county, and state here are all
going broke, and it's due in large measure to absolutely obscene wages.

On Aug 28, 7:25*am, terry wrote:
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

When you are sick you cant get it, or you might pay 10,000 a year for
1 person and co pay alot of it. Insurance companies are in business
for profit , not to pay claims. 62% of the 1.5 million US bankruptcies
are medicaly related and any imigrant can walk into Cook County
hospital knowing its free for them.

Tony Hwang wrote:
terry wrote:
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?
Hi,
Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.

Do they have "death lists" for granny and gramps? ) What the poor,
ignorant Americans don't realize is that granny and gramps, when they go
to the nursing home, get great care - well, sort of - until Medicare or
their own money runs out. Then they go to the "hopeless" list,
entertained with Bingo games, unidentifiable food, and not much prospect
of rehabilitation. Rehab meaning to increase their function to the max.
possible for their medical condition - like walking to the dining room,
not back to running marathons. The PR is fantastic - granny gets hosed
down at least twice a week in a multi-stall shower room, gets her face
washed and lipstick slathered on daily, and kept in diapers if she isn't
up to running to the toilet without assistance. This is quite fine with
those Americans who favor corporate profit and began voting like
corporate board members when they bought their first share of stock.
Granny is out of the f------ way and her estate might turn a few bucks
when she is gone.


Most dumb *******s don't know that if GOOD CARE was rendered, granny
might be able to walk around living quarters, use a toilet, not suffer
from untreated conditions that might require "risky" treatment or
surgery. Load her with pills every time a new side effect comes along,
give her some magical antidepressants and cholesterol drugs so she will
think she is "happy" and actually receiving treatment that is best for
her. There are hours and hours and hours of paperwork done by nurses,
physicians, pharmacists, dieticians, activity directors, physical
therapists, all making treatment plans that are garbage, and then
writing volumes about how the "plan" ain't working.

When I last worked in a nursing home, I remember a plate of food being
served - cold - that had three unidentifiable items on it. It looked
like samples of stool for some poor human with a rare disease of the GI
system. Family Values? Christian Coalition? Compassionate
Conservatives? What insufferable, hypocritical b.s.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
Tony Hwang wrote:

Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.
You pay. It is just that your premium is hidden in the taxes.

In the US, the cost is "hidden" in everything purchased or paid for in
tax dollars. Wonder what would happen to small business if Workers Comp
suddenly disappeared, and just plain one-for-all universal coverage
replaced it? Is it possible highly profitable businesses, small or
large, would pay more than those less profitable? No more ambulance
chasers or insurance adjustors....ohmygosh, watch out for the horrible
"bureaucrats" from the gov.; they might shoot you rather than video-tape
you, with your bad back, up on the roof throwing bundles of shingles
around )

Ralph Mowery wrote:
"terry" wrote in message
...
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

I live in North Carolina. The company I work for lets you retire before 62
if you have worked over 30 years for them. They used to pay part of the
insurance and it would cost a man and his wife around $ 300 or less per
year. They quit doing that and the average cost for the same coverage is
around $ 1000 per month or $ 12,000 per year. You can get some high
deductiable insurance that only starts paying out after you pay around $
3000 for medical bills or more for around $ 300 a month.


3k is not at all bad for a deductible. In the early days of working in
employee benefits, folks screamed bloody murder when the ded. went from
$75 to $100 for FREE, EMPLOYER-PROVIDED INSURANCE COVERAGE. Probably
the same morons who thought Reagan's plan for using temp. workers was
going to work miracles for the economy.

On Aug 28, 8:25*am, terry wrote:
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

I'm self employed and my health insurance just for me $500 a month now
and goes up every year. That's with no drug or dental coverage, $1k
deductible per year and I pay 20% of everything else until I pay
another $1k out of pocket a year.

I hope Obama does something but I am skeptical about the huge bill(s)
that are going through congress. I would rather they just do something
about the run-away costs for insurance, drugs and health care. The way
my insurance costs are rising, there is no way I will be able to
afford to pay those costs for 9 more years when I reach 65.

David

In article , Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

In article
, Smitty
Two wrote:

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, $13,000.

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

"The average employer-sponsored premium for a family of four costs close
to $13,000 a year, and the employee foots about 30 percent of this cost."

--x--x--x--x--

Based on personal observation, government employees of almost any type
have excellent health insurance policies paid by the employer, with
funds graciously provided by my taxes. Those policies cover vision and
dental as well as regular insurance, and include the employee's family.

Private companies often cover only 50% of the cost of the premium, and
if the employee wants insurance for the rug rats or the spouse, the
entire premium comes from his or her own pocket.

The entire premium is coming out of the individual's pocket anyway, even in
employer-sponsored plans. Every dollar the employer spends on purchasing
health insurance is a dollar that is unavailable for spending on salaries or
wages.

It is likewise a convenient fiction that the employer pays half of the FICA
premium. Nope. The employee pays all of it -- half in direct payroll
deduction, and half in the form of a reduced salary.

Well, if we're segueing into "convenient fictions," here's another one:
Governments have to pay high salaries and provide luxury-class benefits
in order to attract qualified workers away from private industry.

Well, they have to do *something*.

In
truth, the pay and benefit scales are often double what industry pays
for comparable skill sets.

Maybe in your state; not in mine, and, I suspect, not in most.

And that's not even remotely close to true in the Federal civil service,
*especially* in management positions. The salary of a cabinet secretary is
something like $160K -- try finding a CEO who will work for that.

For scientists and engineers, Federal salaries are significantly lower than
corresponding private-sector salaries. The principal attractions of Federal
employment are stability, benefits, and the fact that the Federal civil
service in general, and Defense in particular, hand much more responsibility
to capable people at a much younger age than they'd ever see in the private
sector -- it's good for your career.

The city, county, and state here are all
going broke, and it's due in large measure to absolutely obscene wages.

That's because you live in the People's Republic of Kalifornia. Don't make the
mistake of supposing that the rest of the nation has the same insane public
policies. Most state legislatures are wiser than yours.

On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:03:28 GMT, Doug Miller wrote:

Maybe in your state; not in mine, and, I suspect, not in most.

And that's not even remotely close to true in the Federal civil service,
*especially* in management positions. The salary of a cabinet secretary is
something like $160K -- try finding a CEO who will work for that.

That's assuming they don't steer federal work to their companies.
BushCo's croniies got stinking rich doing exactly that.

clipped

That's because you live in the People's Republic of Kalifornia. Don't make the
mistake of supposing that the rest of the nation has the same insane public
policies. Most state legislatures are wiser than yours.

Horida has borrowed 600k to continue paying unemployment. From the
federal government.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

A friend of mine is a building contractor.
His monthly Blue Cross family plan for his wife, himself, and 3 children
is $1,250 per month.

For me, working for a large business the PPO plan for a family of 3 is
$150 per month, but I have to spend close to $10k
in annual family medical bills before it starts covering anything. Until
I hit the magic number the cost of treatment is reduced if I use in
network doctors. FWIW the dental plan has a $2k annual cap. You can run
thru that in one sitting.

Tony Hwang wrote:
terry wrote:
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at
all? And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?
Hi,
Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.

Well Alberta is a Province that is rich with oil and gas revenues. That is
why they have no health care surcharges nor sales tax.

In Ontario, it is a different story. In addition to part of our Federal and
Provincial Income Taxes covering health care, every employer has to pay a
head tax, sometimes called a payroll tax to cover health care plus every
wage earner has to pay a surcharge on their Provinical income tax to the
amount of about $550.00 per year. The only people who get free health care
are the unemployed, retired, welfare cases and ill people who do not earn
any wages. Doing it this way evens the cost over everyone. This is only for
basic health and hospital care. Drugs, dental and other costs are paid by
suplimental insurance or out of our pockets.

The salary of a cabinet secretary is
something like $160K -- try finding a CEO who will work for that.

They might work for a $160K salary, but the CEO compensation package
will include all sorts of perks that go way beyond that paltry amount.

In article , AZ Nomad wrote:
On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:03:28 GMT, Doug Miller wrote:

Maybe in your state; not in mine, and, I suspect, not in most.

And that's not even remotely close to true in the Federal civil service,
*especially* in management positions. The salary of a cabinet secretary is
something like $160K -- try finding a CEO who will work for that.

That's assuming they don't steer federal work to their companies.
BushCo's croniies got stinking rich doing exactly that.

Fine. Prove that in court, and throw their butts in jail.

In article ,
Steve Stone wrote:

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

A friend of mine is a building contractor.
His monthly Blue Cross family plan for his wife, himself, and 3 children
is $1,250 per month.

For me, working for a large business the PPO plan for a family of 3 is
$150 per month, but I have to spend close to $10k

Is that total premium or just what you pay? The OP was discussing
total premium, you and employer parts.

--
Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought
of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.
Jimmy Buffett

In article s.com,
"EXT" wrote:

Tony Hwang wrote:

Well Alberta is a Province that is rich with oil and gas revenues. That is
why they have no health care surcharges nor sales tax.

They also tend to pay the lowest per capita for health outlay of all
of the prov.



--
Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought
of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.
Jimmy Buffett

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

In a

That's assuming they don't steer federal work to their companies.
BushCo's croniies got stinking rich doing exactly that.

Fine. Prove that in court, and throw their butts in jail.

Time honored tradition. I can, with little problem, trace cronies
steering federal work to cronies from Eisenhower forward. Heck that is
the basic concept behind the earmarks. See what happens when you get
things done in a bipartisan manner?

--
Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought
of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.
Jimmy Buffett

AZ Nomad wrote:
On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:03:28 GMT, Doug Miller
wrote:

Maybe in your state; not in mine, and, I suspect, not in most.

And that's not even remotely close to true in the Federal civil
service, *especially* in management positions. The salary of a
cabinet secretary is something like $160K -- try finding a CEO who
will work for that.

That's assuming they don't steer federal work to their companies.
BushCo's croniies got stinking rich doing exactly that.

One of Clinton's cabinet members got caught doing the same thing, if memory
serves he arranged for AT&T (which had won a huge contract to upgrade the
Saudi Arabian phone system) to send work to a company he owned. Several of
Clinton's cabinet members had either worked for the industries they were
then put in charge of (like an energy sec. who had worked for a utility
company) or had lobbied for those industries. There were also notable
changes in policy during the Clinton administration which coincidentally
came at the same time as large contributions from certain corporations to
the campaign funds of the Democratic Party and prominent Democrats.
Corruption and politicians are often found together, and it really doesn't
matter which party is in power, they all get their snouts into the trough
soon enough.

AZ Nomad wrote:
On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:03:28 GMT, Doug Miller
wrote:

Maybe in your state; not in mine, and, I suspect, not in most.

And that's not even remotely close to true in the Federal civil
service, *especially* in management positions. The salary of a
cabinet secretary is something like $160K -- try finding a CEO who
will work for that.

That's assuming they don't steer federal work to their companies.
BushCo's croniies got stinking rich doing exactly that.

It would be awfully stupid to steer business to one's adversaries. Jeeze!

Tony Hwang wrote:
terry wrote:
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?
Hi,
Where I am up here in Alberta Canuck land, we don't pay anything. No
premium payment. Our system is not perfect but everyone is taken care
of. I understand U.S. spends more than us per capita on health care.
And many are left out? That is something I don't understand.
To me health care is service for the public, not profit generating
business.

If it works for you, keep doing it.

In the United States, we don't want to die early from heart failure or
cancer and we don't want to wait eleven months for an abortion.

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Stone wrote:

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?
Is that total premium or just what you pay? The OP was discussing
total premium, you and employer parts.

--

What some do not know is that the very large companies do not really pay any
insurance. They pay the insurance companies to handle the billing, but they
are the ones actually paying the claims.
That means you are really giving the company some money back. It would be
just as easy for the company to pay for all the medical insurance and cut
the wages.
It just does not make the dumb employee feel like the company is treating
him badly.

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
m...

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Stone wrote:

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?
Is that total premium or just what you pay? The OP was discussing
total premium, you and employer parts.

--

What some do not know is that the very large companies do not really pay
any insurance. They pay the insurance companies to handle the billing,
but they are the ones actually paying the claims.
That means you are really giving the company some money back. It would
be just as easy for the company to pay for all the medical insurance and
cut the wages.
It just does not make the dumb employee feel like the company is treating
him badly.

a lot of smaller companies self-insure too. it's much more cost efficient to
do so. of course, those companies that they pay management fees to have a
strong incentive to hold down costs by limiting certain things (new fangled
drugs not on a approved list, new types of operations, etc).

Kurt Ullman wrote:

For me, working for a large business the PPO plan for a family of 3 is
$150 per month, but I have to spend close to $10k

Is that total premium or just what you pay? The OP was discussing
total premium, you and employer parts.


Employer pays equivalent of $7k, plus my $1.8k annual.
Employer has 120,000 employees in USA.
Employer is "self insured", meaning they pay to have multiple insurance
companies manage claims,
but claim payments come out of the employer pocket, not the insurance
company pocket.

On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:25:03 -0700 (PDT), terry
wrote:

There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?


I have not seen a doctor in a few years except for free prostate
cancer screenings, don't take any prescriptions, and no health/dental
insurance. My cost is currently zero, but my concern is what the
government's health care will charge me.

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

Maybe in your state; not in mine, and, I suspect, not in most.

So your county doesn't hire "Lego engineers" at $40k to teach kids the
principles of engineering by building with Legos? (No I am not making
this up)

In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

In the United States, we don't want to die early from heart failure or
cancer

Really? Then why do we live on McDonalds and Cheetohs? A woman I know,
lifelong smoker, got lung cancer three years ago. Vowed to fight it and
win. Did the whole chemo thing, and was in remission for 16 months. Now
it's back.

Through the whole thing, she never stopped smoking. Americans want to
die early, that's for damn sure.

On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:10:55 -0400, Phisherman
wrote:

On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:25:03 -0700 (PDT), terry
wrote:

There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?


I have not seen a doctor in a few years except for free prostate
cancer screenings, don't take any prescriptions, and no health/dental
insurance. My cost is currently zero, but my concern is what the
government's health care will charge me.
I have been waiting to see where this subject would go. It is
outrageous that our insurance industry handles our health so they can
all have big yachts and big houses and big bank accounts.
I was paying over 13,000 per year when my wife was dying of cancer 5
and 6 years ago. On top of that we got bills from all sorts of
hospitals etc. Some has to be done and soon or the average person
will be having to pay double that for basic coverage. I am on social
security now and my deduction for med and pharmacy is about 80 bucks a
mo.
I will be 67 in Nov. and my daughter will be 19. I would rather have
my wife back including the charges from hospitals but can't arrange
it. Alas it would have been even better if she could have been
healty, continued on with her nursing career and lived past the 51st
year. Been gone now 5 years this nov 28.

"terry" wrote in message
...
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

Early 60's, self-employed. For self and wife pay $19,000 per year in HMO
membership fees + $20/$30 co-pay per MD visit, $15 for 30 day supply of
generic Rx, much more for brand name, no charge for lab work, x-rays, most
diagnostic stuff.

Only bright spot is that being self-employed, the HMO premiums are tax
deductible. But before you rant, remember that self-employed people pay
DOUBLE the rate that employees do for social security tax.

Big bucks overall but I sure as shootin' don't want the government involved
in it!!!

In article ,
Steve Stone wrote:


but claim payments come out of the employer pocket, not the insurance
company pocket.

That depends a little on how the plan is set-up. Many companies may
re-insure or essentially lay off part of the risk to another company.
Think of it as the company's version of a deductible.

--
Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought
of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.
Jimmy Buffett

"terry" wrote in message
...
There's been so much debate here and on other forums about Universal
US health care (pro and con) that one gets curious about how much it
NOW costs, say, the average US family, to have 'Health Insurance'.

We guess that the cost is either fully paid by the subscriber?
Or in other cases, partly by the subscriber and partly by their
employer?
Then there are others, we gather who have no health insurance at all?
And we understand there is something called Medicaid?

Insurance cost numbers a) As little as 'a few hundred' b) Over
$12,000, per year have been mentioned?.

But what is a 'typical' (or average) USA cost?

My family health insurance varies every couple of years when whatever
current company I have drops the group, then we sign up with another.
Currently mine costs $17,280 for family of five, no dental

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"HeyBub" wrote:

In the United States, we don't want to die early from heart failure
or cancer

Really? Then why do we live on McDonalds and Cheetohs? A woman I know,
lifelong smoker, got lung cancer three years ago. Vowed to fight it
and win. Did the whole chemo thing, and was in remission for 16
months. Now it's back.

Through the whole thing, she never stopped smoking. Americans want to
die early, that's for damn sure.

Well, not wanting to die doesn't preclude wanting other things...

Fact is, once cancer or heart disease IS diagnosed, Americans live longer
than Canadians.

As an aside, we're living longer and we're getting fatter. I wonder if
there's a connection...

wrote:


3k is not at all bad for a deductible. In the early days of working
in employee benefits, folks screamed bloody murder when the ded. went
from $75 to $100 for FREE, EMPLOYER-PROVIDED INSURANCE COVERAGE. Probably
the same morons who thought Reagan's plan for using temp.
workers was going to work miracles for the economy.

The presidency is a temporary job.

In m,
HeyBub spewed forth:
wrote:


3k is not at all bad for a deductible. In the early days of working
in employee benefits, folks screamed bloody murder when the ded. went
from $75 to $100 for FREE, EMPLOYER-PROVIDED INSURANCE COVERAGE.
Probably the same morons who thought Reagan's plan for using temp.
workers was going to work miracles for the economy.

The presidency is a temporary job.

but the bennies are foreverg