Rates Rising in 2016

I hope I didn't scare you with that title! Of course we are not the ones raising rates. It is your health insurance company...again.

If you take the time to read the brief AP article my wife kindly cut out of yesterday's Time Tribune, (which can also be accessed here...  http://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/article22995792.html) you will notice that all but one health insurance company in KY are requesting that the Insurance Commissioner's Office allow them to raise their premium prices in 2016. I hope this news has not caught any of our Shoppe Talk readers unawares.

There are a multitude of reasons, a multitude of people and a multitude of organizations that have varying degrees of responsibility for this situation. I could elaborate at length on my opinion as to who and what is to blame and why, (and maybe some slow clinic day I will) but for now let me point out a silver lining to this cloudy news.

Have you heard of The Doc Shoppe?

As a Direct Primary Care facility, The Doc Shoppe offers low-cost, understandable and transparent pricing of our services. We do not contract with any insurance companies or government agencies to collect money for what we do. This saves us a ton (namely 3 extra people) of money, time and aggravation. And then we get to pass on the majority of those savings (and time) to you, our members. Plus we negotiate on your behalf to get cut-rate prices for ancillary services which saves you (and usually your insurance company, too) a ton more money.

So while health insurance premium rates rise across this great Commonwealth of KY, you can be glad that you live in the Knox-Laurel-Whitley tri-county area and have access to fixed primary health care prices at The Doc Shoppe. (No one else in KY has this deal yet.) You have the luxury to get that high deductible, low premium, healthcare plan and combine it with a Doc Shoppe membership. For even better savings, check to see if you qualify for a Christian healthcare cost sharing ministry program and combine that with a Doc Shoppe membership.

Now go out there and enjoy this beautiful weekend weather! The temperature is rising, too!