Less expensive than ever!

[goodcookie]

what online course are you speaking of? I built up a collection of 350,000 travel points in 2020. Now in 2021 starting to use them. And don't want to waste any of them.

 

[Surewhitey]

+1

Got our new tax appraisal this week, 15% increase.

2019-2021 have been the same every year... Sshh, don't let it out.

 

[PointBreeze]

As a female, I've had good luck sticking to Jockey brand microfiber undies, although I've recently become aware of how microfiber sheds into the waterways. That aside, I usually get 5+ years out of a pair by washing on cold and drying on a rack. If you get on their mailing list you'll receive discount coupons.

I’ve had very good luck with the Jockey all cotton underwear. Pricey, but comfortable and last a long time.

 

[Surewhitey]

Friend of mine showed me in the Galveston Paper where the CAD (county appraisal district ) have appraised at over 30% some area's.... the paper article was written by a CAD appraiser and explained that in Texas 55% of property taxes are from school taxes and that due to fed regulations schools in Tx are required to teach all kids..no matter where they came from... and for some reason there seem to be a huge influx of students coming into Tx and they get counted via head count... the article said each student cost $12,200/yr to teach and the state of Tx has to make up the cost somehow... so property taxes will go up in the very near future...

my insurance company told me that if the stock market is up... insurance cost will hold... if the stock market drops they will make it up with premium increases.... so it sounds like they just take the premium money and put it into investments... if they do good...we are OK... if not then we pay...

Yep on the insurance companies. They invest the premiums. We just got our renewal for the house and no changes, even after a roof claim in early 2020...

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

I can actually see the homes of a couple of my neighbors now.... Wasn't that way when I move out here from the big city.

Everyone always wants to be the last ones to "move out there." Including your new neighbors, who will in turn be complaining in a few years.

 

[Car-Guy]

Everyone always wants to be the last ones to "move out there." Including your new neighbors, who will in turn be complaining in a few years.

I'm glad I moved "out here" when I did.... Unfortunately I can see the days coming when I'll need to move back closer towards more civilization (or services)....

 

[Time2]

Per my initial post, I stated that our healthcare costs became less expensive with the ACA. Overall, Investopedia says that, with factoring in subsidies, there's some evidence that personal healthcare outlays overall may have gone down slightly in 2014. In years prior to the ACA healthcare outlays had been increasing 10% a year.

However, a seventy-five percent would be unusual based on most health care costs studies surrounding the ACA, unless you had a plan with skimpy coverage or significant caps prior to the ACA. Did your coverage become more comprehensive or annual / lifetime caps increase? Did you premiums decrease with the 2021 ACA legislation?

Source: Did Obamacare Make Premiums Go Up? (investopedia.com)

My BCBS policy had been rising 7 to 8% previous to the ACA regulations.
My odyssey starts in 2009, I got notice my family of 4 policy with a $2,500 deductible was rising to $9,900. I shopped around and found my best relief was to raise the deductible to $10,000, and fund an HSA. My premium dropped to $4,512, saving me $5,388. I put that into the HSA. I had 7 and 8 % increases the next two years. In 2012 the ACA Regs took effect and I had a 19.4% increase, Another 21% increase in 2013 and a 18.8% increase in 2014. (sorry it was only a 72% increase not 75%)

The policy had a $10,000 deductible and OOP. I was very happy with it, I never went over $4,500 and that year was an oddity, my son had wisdom teeth removed. After the 2nd year I had funded my $10,000 deductible with premium savings put in my HSA. I never used any of my HSA and we are up to about $70K now.
Nothing really changed in the caps, I think Mammograms and colonoscopy's became free or at least partially covered but not part of the deductible. Coverage is great once I'm over $10,000, many said that's a big hump, but it keeps my nest egg safe. If two people get sick on many ACA plans, their OOP will be higher than mine.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

My BCBS policy had been rising 7 to 8% previous to the ACA regulations.
My odyssey starts in 2009, I got notice my family of 4 policy with a $2,500 deductible was rising to $9,900. I shopped around and found my best relief was to raise the deductible to $10,000, and fund an HSA. My premium dropped to $4,512, saving me $5,388. I put that into the HSA. I had 7 and 8 % increases the next two years. In 2012 the ACA Regs took effect and I had a 19.4% increase, Another 21% increase in 2013 and a 18.8% increase in 2014. (sorry it was only a 72% increase not 75%)

The policy had a $10,000 deductible and OOP. I was very happy with it, I never went over $4,500 and that year was an oddity, my son had wisdom teeth removed. After the 2nd year I had funded my $10,000 deductible with premium savings put in my HSA. I never used any of my HSA and we are up to about $70K now.
Nothing really changed in the caps, I think Mammograms and colonoscopy's became free or at least partially covered but not part of the deductible. Coverage is great once I'm over $10,000, many said that's a big hump, but it keeps my nest egg safe. If two people get sick on many ACA plans, their OOP will be higher than mine.

Of course YMMV, but since 2014 when ACA plans on exchanges first became available, our COBRA conversion policy premiums, with high deductibles, dropped by ~$2K a month. We had a $50K total cost medical year before 2104, with just one expensive surgery. Last year our premiums were $0 with tax credits. Overall, according to a Health Affairs analysis, the ACA has slowed down the U.S. health care cost growth.

 

[Vinnygret]

Over the Air TV, Ok it's not any more FREE than before, but now it's HD quality. !!

I use ObiHai for my second phone with a google number, so it's totally FREE and can make free calls in USA and to Canada as well.

Wait, what? Not free? We have an antenna on the roof and we don't pay for TV. I have (only) one TV on cable, but am thinking of getting rid of that since I have a fire stick and may add some subscriptions. But whatever comes in over the antenna is 100% free, unless you mean the commercials. But the cable channels have commercials, too.

 

[Montecfo]

Overall, according to a Health Affairs analysis, the ACA has slowed down the U.S. health care cost growth.

Yes, high deductibles tend to limit usage far better than lower ones. But they also shift cost to the insured.

 

[Sunset]

Wait, what? Not free? We have an antenna on the roof and we don't pay for TV. I have (only) one TV on cable, but am thinking of getting rid of that since I have a fire stick and may add some subscriptions. But whatever comes in over the antenna is 100% free, unless you mean the commercials. But the cable channels have commercials, too.

Perhaps I worded it strangely:
"it's not any more FREE than before,"

Meaning it's as FREE as it was before, but not more FREE.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Yes, high deductibles tend to limit usage far better than lower ones. But they also shift cost to the insured.

The article in the link cited many ACA factors contributing to the slowing of health care costs, but I didn't see the high deductibles being one of the factors listed.

 

[athena53]

The article in the link cited many ACA factors contributing to the slowing of health care costs, but I didn't see the high deductibles being one of the factors listed.

I can see it working both ways. People may put off getting care and then even more expensive problems develop. The costs blow through the out-of-pocket max and now the insurer is on the hook. I know a breast cancer survivor on ACA who doesn't get periodic tests because of the costs.

 

[USGrant1962]

My BCBS health ins. went up 75% in the first 3 yrs after the ACA regulations went into effect.

Maryland has been kind of crazy. Average premiums over doubled in 4 years from 2014 to 2018 (+115% if I did the math correctly). Then MD created a reinsurance program when the Trump Administration started approving reinsurance waivers (to create a separate pool of money for high-dollar claims). Premiums declined in 2019, 2020, and 2021, but are still about 50% higher than 2014.

This site is great for ACA history by state: https://www.healthinsurance.org/health-insurance-marketplaces/maryland/

I looked at PA and it was also up 115% through 2018, but its reinsurance program has caused only very minor reductions since then - so still doubled.

Cheaper than ever - not.