Friday, August 27, 2010

Glimpses of Failed Hope and Change

I have noticed over the past few months that there are a lot of out-of-state license tags around here. Michigan seems especially prevelant, but I am seeing more and more Ohio, Illinois, and Florida. I started wondering if people are coming here because Texas has a better economy?

My mother-in-law, brother, and brother-in-law are all looking for work. My mother-in-law started her search when the ministry she worked for had to shut down. My brother lost his job as the low man on the totem poll during cut-backs at a job he had only started a few months previously. My brother-in-law lost his job due to cut backs about a year ago. He found a job in a different state and moved. Now they tell him his job will likely be cut in September. So the search begins again.

There was a meeting yesterday at my husbands work to explain the new Obamacare mandated health insurance that we will have. While our premiums changed by only $6/month, our deductible is going up to $9000/year/family. And here I thought that the silly law was supposed to make health care better for people and less expensive.

So how is all that hope and change working out for you?

5 comments:

Karen said...

$9000 a year! Oh, my word! I suppose it will be useful to you if someone needs a surgery...

Frances Clements said...

Karen,
Nice to hear from you. I guess I should clarify. Well and sick visits are still $15 each. It is the surgery or hospital stuff that has the $9000/year and that is for the whole family not per person. Though still outrageous.

OneMom said...

$9000 is a lot ... how much of an increase is that for you? I am grateful to have insurance, as we only had minimal catastrophic for several years.

Seems like economic news remains gloomy for much of our country.

(new URL for my blog)

Frances Clements said...

Kerry,

It is good to hear from you. I think it used to be a teired system with a maximum of $6000. I don't really remember, but for a lot of families at my husband's work it was a very big deal.

OneMom said...

Hi Frances - wow, that is a big increase. For many people they'll have years without every reaching that kind of deductible and won't realize whatever benefits their insurance might give them.