sigh This just in - we are looking at a minimum 25% increase in our insurance cost. My employer currently pays the lion's share of the cost of insurance, but things haven't been going too well lately, so...if they change nothing and pass the increase on to the employees, I'll have an extra $75 taken out per paycheck. That's just for me, I suppose it might be double that for my spouse, we don't know yet.

Props to my employer for actually taking the time to ask us what we would like to do! (Not that they are obligated to follow the majority rule.) We just got a survey with a few questions, they have a little committee who's spreading the word on this up-coming headache. One option is changing to Cigna Health Care, apparently they really want the business and if we switch to them, there will be only a very slight increase. Of course you know in a year or so they'll jack up the prices. One of the GLOMs (Gorgeous Ladies of Marketing) thinks that a year may be enough time for things to turn around for the company and then maybe they can absorb more of the cost. I think that's overly optimistic, I mean things may improve but the increase will likely be too much for them to bear.

With my "pre-existing condition", (nicer euphemism than "sugar problem"), insurance is a hassle to begin with, and this year has already brought some price increases in my pharmaceutical needs. I don't know what the answer is, government health care could turn into a giant mess, I mean look at our nice shiny new "Homeland Security" office. Why are the drugs and doctors' services so damn high in the first place?