Listicle: How Alaska healthcare costs compare with other states

1. Before Health Insurance, Health Care was not expensive. Now with Health Care Insurance I pay extremely more for my 20% than I ever paid when I paid whole 100% of the bill. Insurance is just another form of Socialism. We are living in a Communist/Fascist/Nazi system and most people don’t even recognize it for that. You put a frog in a pan of cold water and turn the fire on and the frog just sits there until it is too late. Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris

2. From these statistics it can be understood why the Medicaid program costs the State so much and why it threatens to consume an increasing proportion of the budget. And it doesn’t help that our Medicaid reimbursement rates are very high. Another reality is that if a large number of people receive essentially free medical services, those same folks will use A LOT of those services. See all the fancy new medical buildings around town? They exist because of the large revenue streams for medical expenses.

   • I’m not the only one noticing the sector of new construction. The valley is booming and all predominantly medical or dental. It seems the medical community are also allowing themselves to become slaves to the socialist medical system.

     • The medical folks are simply responding to the demand. The problem arises when the State, through Medicaid in particular, wants to hand out more money for these services. If you have not noticed, people will spend LOTS of money to preserve their health — and it is even more when someone else is paying. The potential demand for health services is insatiable. IMO, we need to some kind of a cap on what we will appropriate for Medicaid and call it good. At the rate we are going, the program will bankrupt the state.

3. I wonder, are these figures the cost of insurance, the cost of procedures or a combination of the two.

   Because if you have, say Aetna, the insurance co negotiates rates and if you use a preffered provider your not responsible for more than that rate.

   And rates seem to vary dramatically. If you pay cash for service sometimes its alot less. But if you have insurance they gouge the insurance company a much higher price.

4. Only because of Insurance, can the Medical Association charge the exorbitant fees they charge. Just look at the original total Fee. The Medical Associations jacks up the bill to an astronomical amount, knowing full well the insurance companies will only pay so much. It is just a game to make We The People slaves to the system. Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris

   • Agree.

5. We now pay $2100 per month in premiums for our health insurance. It’s a good thing we don’t have a mortgage. There is little choice in Alaska and since Obamacare was instituted we have seen our premiums go up more than 50% and healthcare care costs climb substantially.

   • Well, at least Obama promised that you could keep your doctor and your insurance if you wanted to.

6. We pay $360 a month. Our son pays $8 a month in Florida.

7. Greg, can you elaborate please, how is it you pay only $360 a month? and is your son on Obamacare? Is his low premium because of a subsidy? Please help us out here Greg. Most folks are paying waay more!

   • Sure. The district pays for some of ours. The state of Florida pays for most of my sons.

8. Medicaid expansion wouldn’t cost a penny. Didn’t you see the video of that rather ignorant judge making that claim during the lawsuit filed by the legislature against the Walker unilateral acceptance of Medicaid expansion? Part of Medicaid expense for double coverage. Many Medicaid recipients are already covered under other plans, particularly the Indian Health Service. The state picking up the bill saves the IHS tons of money, but it does provide better service to the rural residents. Nowhere else in the country can people live hundreds of miles from a road and medical care, and be flown in for their medical appointments, especially those with chronic medical conditions requiring frequent visits to hospitals or clinics. That fact is a large part of the total healthcare expenditure in Alaska.

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