Smart Bombs: Welcome to our nightmare
After learning that health care costs for current and retired state workers would rise next year, Greg Devereux, executive director of the Washington Federation of State Employees, said: “This today is an absolute travesty.”
So what’s the proper description for what has happened to the health care costs for private-sector workers whose taxes cover state benefits? State workers pay 12 percent of the costs. A Towers Perrin study of 20 large employers found that workers pay on average about twice that. And as The Spokesman-Review’s Rich Roesler reported:
“Even with the increases, however, premiums for state employees will remain relatively low compared to what many private employers offer. Individuals in the most popular ‘Uniform Medical Plan,’ for example, pay just $26 a month. That will rise to $41. For full family coverage, the premiums will rise from $82 a month to $123.”
Bring on this travesty. I could use the relief.
Paying a premium. Washington state’s largest private health care insurer, Regence BlueShield, recently announced a 17 percent average increase in premiums for individual policyholders. It’s the third consecutive year of double-digit increases. The previous two were even larger. Already this year, Group Health Cooperative raised average premiums 13 percent, LifeWise hiked them 17.6 percent and Premera Blue Cross, 6.1 percent, according to the Seattle Times.
As always, those increases sprint past average inflation and trample salary gains. The reason for the increases? Runaway health care costs.
I dunno, maybe we ought to undertake national health care reform to do something about that.
Isn’t it rich? The Spokesman-Review’s Rich Roesler will be leaving soon to take a job with the state. I’m not nosy enough to ask about his new salary, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy the lower health care costs. In any event, we’ll miss his solid reporting on state government.
Political devolution. Harry Truman: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Sarah Palin: If you can’t stand the heat, take the book deal.
Losing it. Apparently, some people equate losing keys, glasses, the remote or whatever with stupidity. How else to explain this question: “Where did you last put it?”
I’m tempted to reply: “Oh, I refuse to look there.”