Alaska News

Nice words don't soothe pain of this 'rate adjustment'

I got mugged the other day. Well, OK, maybe not literally. The mugger is Premera Blue Cross of Alaska. The mugging was their latest "rate adjustment." You know, we don't like to use the nasty word "increase."

Some of the other nice words Mr. Jeffery Roe, vice president, used were "we are committed to serving you," and "peace of mind is our mission, not a slogan."

Trust me, I am not experiencing peace of mind right now.

I am, in fact, terrified. I am terrified of rate increases that I cannot afford. I feel like they are holding a gun to my head and saying "keep paying us whatever we want or drop coverage and risk losing your home and everything you've worked for."

This is the part of the health care discussion where those who have employer-paid plans glaze over and move on to the next story.

Our country has created a system of the haves and have-nots. Actually it's a three-tier system: 1. those lucky enough to have their insurance costs paid by someone else; 2. those who carry no insurance and have no assets to risk; and 3. those of us in the middle who buy our own policies with high deductibles, pay for all our medical care, and have homes or other assets at risk if we drop coverage.

The "haves" have no idea what services actually cost. They don't comparison shop. They don't force insurers and providers into basic competitive pricing. Would you take your car to a mechanic and not ask what it will cost? Of course not.

ADVERTISEMENT

I have been self-employed most of my life and have paid Blue Cross' premiums for more years than I want to think about. Now at 58 years old, when I might actually need medical care some day, I'm considering dropping it. Isn't that exactly what they want me to do? They've collected my money through all my young, healthy years and now would just love it if I dropped my coverage.

Let me be clear about what costs I am actually talking about. Currently I pay $327 and my partner pays $277 for a total of $604 a month. We each have $2,500 deductibles.

On May 1 our total will go to $774 a month. That's $9,288 a year, plus $5,000 worth of deductibles, which means we end up paying out of pocket for all our doctor visits. And there is no guarantee of that price. Mr. Jeffery Roe, vice president, might send me another letter next week, or next month, or next year and talk about another "rate adjustment" or more "peace of mind."

And did I mention that I was 58? Lord help me when I turn 60. Can you just imagine how excited Blue Cross will be about what they will charge me then?

We are the only industrialized nation that doesn't have universal health care. We have a chance now to elect people to national office who will move the country in that direction. In Alaska we could use our resource wealth to create a health care system for all Alaskans. Even if we do, it will take time.

I honestly don't know what to do in the meantime.

Connie Faipeas lives in Anchorage.

By CONNIE FAIPEAS

ADVERTISEMENT