Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I notice there is a dip each year around August/September.

Is that because health expenses are lower then, or is that when premiums get jacked up for the next year?

All the companies I've ever worked for have done their open enrollment and insurance plan changes at the start of the new year.

But it's a weird data set, now that you mention it. The cruxes of each line seem to happen definitively at months 3, 6, and 9, as if this chart is based on quarterly earnings reports but for some reason doesn't get to include the fourth quarter report in December each year. Missing data aside, this would mean that the September number is probably the amount spent in the months of June, July, and August combined.

I can see a few possible contributing factors for why summer would have lower costs. One, people don't want to screw up their vacation time with anything elective. Two, road accidents are down since all the ice and snow are gone. Three, people are holding off to see how the annual deductible/out-of-pocket numbers are looking towards the end of the year. Late Fall is the time to hurry up and squeeze in any elective procedures they've been waffling on, before everything rolls back to zero in January.

[Lamplighter]

Two, road accidents are down since all the ice and snow are gone.

Aren't MVA's (including medical) managed by the car insurance,
not via the personal health care insurance ?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Only for the other guy, not for you unless you have optional coverage.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Aren't MVA's (including medical) managed by the car insurance,
not via the personal health care insurance ?

In most cases medical damages incurred via a MVA are paid in this order:
1)Auto PIP (Personal Injury coverage). Most people, in fact the VAST MAJORITY of people only have $5,000 of PIP coverage.
Personal injury protection is coverage for medical and other expenses, such as wage loss and funeral expenses, which result from an auto accident.

2)Once that is used up (typically the transport TO the hospital is in the several thousand dollar range) it goes to the individuals personal health insurance coverage.

3) After that it goes to the individual them self.

For example, lets say a young man is driving a car and swerves off the road hitting a tree. He suffers traumatic injuries at the scene and is transported to the hospital where he stays for a month. After which he is transferred to a rehabilitation facility and stays for another four months.
Total Bill: $2,000,000
Auto insurance paid ......................$5,000
Personal medical insurance paid.....$1,800,000
Father is responsible for ...............$195,000

Yup.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

But it's a weird data set, now that you mention it. The cruxes of each line seem to happen definitively at months 3, 6, and 9, as if this chart is based on quarterly earnings reports but for some reason doesn't get to include the fourth quarter report in December each year. Missing data aside, this would mean that the September number is probably the amount spent in the months of June, July, and August combined.

Indeed it is.

Well, it does say "Nine most recently reported quarters"

1st, 2nd and 3rd of 2007, 1st, 2nd and 3rd of 2008 and 1st, 2nd and 3rd of 2009.

Exactly what happened to the fourth quarter of each year remains a mystery.

That is quite weird.