Health Insurance

**IA_Chiefs_fan** · 11-24-2004, 06:24 PM

I've always been fortunate to have health insurance through my employer. They are now talking about raising our wages and dropping the health insurance plan. My wife and I would definitely be looking for another plan and possibly my two children(5&7). Does anyone have any recommendations for a reasonably priced, yet decent health insurance?
Any help would be appreciated because this is a new one for me! Thanks

PastorMikH · 11-24-2004, 10:54 PM

No.

We have blue cross/shield here in OK. (2 adults mid 30s with no health problems and 3 healthy kids) Costs us $275 a month for $15 co-pay and a $5,000 deductible. However, we've had 3-4 trips to the doctor since starting it in June and so far they have found a technicality to get out of paying their share of the Dr visit every time. We are in the process of looking around again ourselves since they aren't wanting to pay their share (which is really irritating since they've gotten a little over 2 grand out of us so far in premiums).

If you have any voice at all to your employer about this, beg and plead for them to keep the insurance. As you get older your premiums WILL go up regardless of how healthy you are. Also, with your employer providing insurance as opposed to you getting a raise then buying it yourself, you are saving $ on income tax and social security/FICA taxes because your income is less. You income goes up with the raise, so will your taxes.

Brando · 11-24-2004, 11:07 PM

I don't know if your wife works. If not you might see if she can pick up a part time gig at a drug store or a hospital that comes with decent insurance. Stay as far away from BCBS as possible. I worked for BCBS of KC for three months. After that I couldn't stomach how bad they screwed people. The only way to get low rates is to select the high deductible. Then you end up paying for everything short of major surgery.

Hoover · 11-24-2004, 11:08 PM

I go through Farm bureau Blue Cross Blue Shield

No Problems, I have $1500 deductable $15 co-pay

It costs me $127 a month, my wife cost $245

We are mid 20's non smokers

dtebbe · 11-24-2004, 11:21 PM

My wife, son and I are on a Fortis single-deductable family plan, with a HSA (Health Savings Account, formery MSA Medical Savings Account). Our family deductable is 3500 (maximum family out of pocket is 3500 per year) and then insurance pays 100%. We can contribute 80% of our deductable each year into our HSA tax free, and then use the HSA dollars for any medical expenses (including ones that don't apply to the deductable). Any unused HSA money rolls over each year, and earns about 5% interest. We pay $242/month for family coverage. Blue cross wanted almost $400/month for a copay plan. We are both mid 30's non-smokers. What we do is condribute about $200/month to the HSA, and hopefully in 2 years we'll have about $5k in there for a medical rainy day. Once you get your deductable amount in your HSA it is easy to maintain, and then you can take advantage of the good rates with the high deducatable (assuming you are healthy). Best of all you get the HMO negotiaged rate when you go to doctors, so things end up being cheaper that cash rates. The big test comes for me in January, I am having hernia surgury. So my HSA savings is out the window at that point.

At age 65 the HSA savings can be treated like a IRA and used for anything you like and taxed at your then current rate when you withdraw. So an HSA is really like an IRA that you can use for medical expenses until you retire. Then you can use it for anything.

Be prepared to go thru serious underwriting if you do an individual policy. They really check out your medical history, take blood, urine, and height/weight.

DT

go bo · 11-24-2004, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PastorMikH

No.

We have blue cross/shield here in OK. (2 adults mid 30s with no health problems and 3 healthy kids) Costs us $275 a month for $15 co-pay and a $5,000 deductible. However, we've had 3-4 trips to the doctor since starting it in June and so far they have found a technicality to get out of paying their share of the Dr visit every time. We are in the process of looking around again ourselves since they aren't wanting to pay their share (which is really irritating since they've gotten a little over 2 grand out of us so far in premiums).

If you have any voice at all to your employer about this, beg and plead for them to keep the insurance. As you get older your premiums WILL go up regardless of how healthy you are. Also, with your employer providing insurance as opposed to you getting a raise then buying it yourself, you are saving $ on income tax and social security/FICA taxes because your income is less. You income goes up with the raise, so will your taxes.

good points...

another thing to consider is that when you get individual health insurance policies, there are exclusions for pre-existing conditions and if your health gets bad (and expensive) they may decide to not renew your policy...

group insurance through your employer does not have these draw-backs...

dtebbe · 11-24-2004, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by go bo

good points...

another thing to consider is that when you get individual health insurance policies, there are exclusions for pre-existing conditions and if your health gets bad (and expensive) they may decide to not renew your policy...

group insurance through your employer does not have these draw-backs...

True on the pre-existing conditions, put those are spelled out before you sign on. You can't be cancelled or singled out for a rate increase on an individual plan, once you are on. That is why the up-front underwriting is so thourogh. They can raise your rates based on age, but all the companies I checked into specifically said you can't be singled out for rate incrase or cancellation on an individual policy.

DT

cheeeefs · 11-25-2004, 12:32 AM

I live in Canada eh. Good health insurance up here eh.

teedubya · 11-25-2004, 10:17 AM

Man, Blue Cross Blue Shield sucks ass... every time my wife had to go to the doctor pertaining to the miscarriage we were charged 40-50... this is WITH my paying $250 a month for the shit.

Then she had to have a DNC which removes the unborn baby remants... scheduled appt... went in at 8am... sat in waiting room for 1 hour... got in there... gave her anestheisia [sp] did the procedure in 5 minutes with a little vaccuum tube deal...

Doctor sent us a bill for $736 bucks... Hospital sent us a bill for $8700. Insurance paid 75%...

unreal. we just got the bill yesterday, so Im still fuming. WHY THE **** DO I PAY FOR THIS SHIT, IF IM STILL GONNA GET OWNED?

go bo · 11-25-2004, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ali Chi3fs

Man, Blue Cross Blue Shield sucks ass... every time my wife had to go to the doctor pertaining to the miscarriage we were charged 40-50... this is WITH my paying $250 a month for the shit.

Then she had to have a DNC which removes the unborn baby remants... scheduled appt... went in at 8am... sat in waiting room for 1 hour... got in there... gave her anestheisia [sp] did the procedure in 5 minutes with a little vaccuum tube deal...

Doctor sent us a bill for $736 bucks... Hospital sent us a bill for $8700. Insurance paid 75%...

unreal. we just got the bill yesterday, so Im still fuming. WHY THE **** DO I PAY FOR THIS SHIT, IF IM STILL GONNA GET OWNED?

do you have "traditional" health insurance?

we've got blue cross of california's ppo (through my wife's work), and we haven't had any problems at all with payment...

and the amount of the hospital/doctor bills is capped by the ppo's contract with them...

my wife switched jobs just so that we could get into this particular ppo plan...

we pay $146 every two weeks for the two of us...

11-24-2004, 06:24 PM
IA_Chiefs_fan Supporter Join Date: Jun 2002 Casino cash: $2269714	Health Insurance I've always been fortunate to have health insurance through my employer. They are now talking about raising our wages and dropping the health insurance plan. My wife and I would definitely be looking for another plan and possibly my two children(5&7). Does anyone have any recommendations for a reasonably priced, yet decent health insurance? Any help would be appreciated because this is a new one for me! Thanks
Posts: 2,033

11-24-2004, 10:54 PM	#2
PastorMikH Will KC ever be better? Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Land of Red Dirt & Necks Casino cash: $9925087	No. We have blue cross/shield here in OK. (2 adults mid 30s with no health problems and 3 healthy kids) Costs us $275 a month for $15 co-pay and a $5,000 deductible. However, we've had 3-4 trips to the doctor since starting it in June and so far they have found a technicality to get out of paying their share of the Dr visit every time. We are in the process of looking around again ourselves since they aren't wanting to pay their share (which is really irritating since they've gotten a little over 2 grand out of us so far in premiums). If you have any voice at all to your employer about this, beg and plead for them to keep the insurance. As you get older your premiums WILL go up regardless of how healthy you are. Also, with your employer providing insurance as opposed to you getting a raise then buying it yourself, you are saving $ on income tax and social security/FICA taxes because your income is less. You income goes up with the raise, so will your taxes. __________________
Posts: 20,454

11-24-2004, 11:07 PM	#3
Brando Swiss Family GRobinson Join Date: Sep 2004 Casino cash: $8064036	I don't know if your wife works. If not you might see if she can pick up a part time gig at a drug store or a hospital that comes with decent insurance. Stay as far away from BCBS as possible. I worked for BCBS of KC for three months. After that I couldn't stomach how bad they screwed people. The only way to get low rates is to select the high deductible. Then you end up paying for everything short of major surgery.
Posts: 2,858

11-24-2004, 11:08 PM	#4
Hoover Rufus Dawes Jr. Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $1528179	I go through Farm bureau Blue Cross Blue Shield No Problems, I have $1500 deductable $15 co-pay It costs me $127 a month, my wife cost $245 We are mid 20's non smokers
Posts: 17,375

11-24-2004, 11:21 PM	#5
dtebbe 3M TA3 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: SoFlo Casino cash: $9993039	My wife, son and I are on a Fortis single-deductable family plan, with a HSA (Health Savings Account, formery MSA Medical Savings Account). Our family deductable is 3500 (maximum family out of pocket is 3500 per year) and then insurance pays 100%. We can contribute 80% of our deductable each year into our HSA tax free, and then use the HSA dollars for any medical expenses (including ones that don't apply to the deductable). Any unused HSA money rolls over each year, and earns about 5% interest. We pay $242/month for family coverage. Blue cross wanted almost $400/month for a copay plan. We are both mid 30's non-smokers. What we do is condribute about $200/month to the HSA, and hopefully in 2 years we'll have about $5k in there for a medical rainy day. Once you get your deductable amount in your HSA it is easy to maintain, and then you can take advantage of the good rates with the high deducatable (assuming you are healthy). Best of all you get the HMO negotiaged rate when you go to doctors, so things end up being cheaper that cash rates. The big test comes for me in January, I am having hernia surgury. So my HSA savings is out the window at that point. At age 65 the HSA savings can be treated like a IRA and used for anything you like and taxed at your then current rate when you withdraw. So an HSA is really like an IRA that you can use for medical expenses until you retire. Then you can use it for anything. Be prepared to go thru serious underwriting if you do an individual policy. They really check out your medical history, take blood, urine, and height/weight. DT
Posts: 4,305

11-25-2004, 12:32 AM	#8
cheeeefs Aishwarya Rai Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Baltimore Casino cash: $10004900	I live in Canada eh. Good health insurance up here eh. __________________ "Yeah, I could do it. We both know you wouldn't stop me. Let's think about the logic. You create man, man suffers enormous amounts of pain, man dies. They say you rested on the seventh day, well maybe you should have spent that day on compassion."
Posts: 3,028

11-25-2004, 10:17 AM	#9
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $9480002	Man, Blue Cross Blue Shield sucks ass... every time my wife had to go to the doctor pertaining to the miscarriage we were charged 40-50... this is WITH my paying $250 a month for the shit. Then she had to have a DNC which removes the unborn baby remants... scheduled appt... went in at 8am... sat in waiting room for 1 hour... got in there... gave her anestheisia [sp] did the procedure in 5 minutes with a little vaccuum tube deal... Doctor sent us a bill for $736 bucks... Hospital sent us a bill for $8700. Insurance paid 75%... unreal. we just got the bill yesterday, so Im still fuming. WHY THE **** DO I PAY FOR THIS SHIT, IF IM STILL GONNA GET OWNED?
Posts: 36,652