Cit Pat | Sticker shock in Year Two of buying health insurance the Obamacare way

JACKSON, MI – It is tempting to denounce the President of the United States right now, but he's not responsible for every disappointment that comes my way.

As one of 19 million Americans covered by private health insurance we buy ourselves, I noted a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey that found prices rose just 3 percent in 2014 for family insurance coverage supplied in the workplace a job benefit. This was called positive news that "continues a recent trend of modest increases."

"Boy oh boy!" I said. "I could sure enjoy a little taste of that trend!"

Hope was shattered Nov. 15, when Year Two began for buying health insurance through the government "marketplace."

"Thanks a lot, Obama!" I howled at the new prices.

To buy the same Blue Care Network coverage for the same three people in 2015, my family's cost will jump 17 percent in January.

Our price rose 8 percent this year, even though we cut the number of family members covered from four to three. That's a 26-percent increase over two years for covering 25 percent fewer people.

Where's our positive modest increase, Kaiser Family?

Closer reading of the foundation's report reveals the 3-percent increase is something of a sham. Survey-takers also found deductibles, the money patients must pay before insurance benefits kick in, keep rising. The average deductible is up 47 percent since 2009. Employers are switching to worse insurance and still paying 3 percent more.

Unlike a large corporation, I cannot switch to cheaper insurance because I already purchase the worst coverage allowed by law. Our family deductible is so high people gasp in disbelief.

Local experts say some insurers selling health coverage in the Jackson area actually cut prices for 2015. I assume that's true for some companies in the middle of the pack on pricing, but the bottom-end cost paid by our family went up sharply.

Blaming Obamacare is tempting, but health insurance prices rose every year, and often obscenely, before Obamacare was invented. That's why it was invented.

Maybe health insurance would be just as expensive today if John McCain was finishing his second term as president. All I know is Obamacare has done nothing to drive down high prices paid by my family, and things can easily get worse.

My insurance guy in Jackson warned in 2012 that I should expect annual price increases of 12 to 20 percent to maintain similar coverage from year to year, which is crushing. So far he's right on the money.

Instead of blaming Obama, insurance companies, doctors, or fat people who smoke, we must find some shred of national unity to fix this for real.

At least the government's web site usually works this year. One step at a time, I guess.

To read the original article at The Jackson Cit Pat, please click here.