Health Care

buzzard0627

Hi All,

At my job, our insurance rates are going up by about 20%. Several of us are of the opinion that the broker we use is screwing us annually. We are a small company (about 30 people in California), and yet, my fiancée can get health care significantly cheaper on her own (for a very comparable plan, if not even a bit better) than we can get as a group. I pointed this out and was told that small businesses have no power - they cater to the large companies and individuals. I personally think this is a line of crap and wanted to get some other opinions.

Thanks.

bowen

It is, there are a load of insurance companies that provide healthcare to small businesses. Even the large scale ones like BCBS and MVP do so.

Deebaser

The broker isn't screwing you. In california they allow carriers to set renewal prices on all groups based in part on utilization over the previous year.

If your fiancé is able to get a plan for significantly cheaper, the only thing that means is that he or she is healthier and younger than some of the people in your company.

buzzard0627

Well, I know the utilization isn't the issue as ours is supposedly in the lowest utilization bracket.

Overall, we are a fairly young company, with the average age being in our late 20s. The difference is like $150/month - which is part of the reason why a few of us think something is up.

witch_ie

You could always try going to another broker and getting a quote if you think it's the broker that's causing the high cost. Also, there may be significant differences between your fiancee's individual plan and your employer plan that are not immediately obvious.