What's your current health insurance situation?

[Rain Man]

Just curious. We can reference this as a historical document if the new changes come through.

Let's talk about three groups: you, your spouse (if you have one), and your dependents (if you have any).

[loochy]

Me: Pretty good Aetna through my work. It ends up costing about $15 a week for just me. Also, the company contributes to a fund that can be used to offset the deductables. I think the cap on that fund is $2000 or so. So, if I don't go to the doctor often, I rarely have to pay anything.

I have no kids or spouse.

In college I paid for my own insurance and it wasn't too bad. It was about $100 a month for Humana One. That's not too bad in my view.

[jAZ]

Coverage through my wife's employer includes me and my son.

[NewChief]

About $400 a month for me and the kids (plus we pay another $60 a month for a TEFRA medicaid type waiver for one of my sons with special needs. It covers EVERYTHING though).

My wife pays about $120 a month for hers.

[milkman]

My insurance plan should be called the "Bankruptcy Plan", cause I'm going to go broke paying the monthly premiums.

[seclark]

mine's paid for by my employer, bargained through my contract.
coverage is ok, but very expensive. at one time, i could take the $ they pay for it, get the same type coverage a lot cheaper. however, now that i'm almost 50, and with pre-existing conditions i don't think i could anymore.

sec
edit to say approx $1200 per month

[KCChiefsMan]

mine is called "You will be dead if you get cancer" plan.

[Bugeater]

We have a family plan through my wife's job. Every year the rates and the deductibles go up, and the coverages go down. We're essentially throwing close to $500/mo into a big black hole. What really gets me is that even though we only have one child, we pay the same rate as we would if we had 10 kids.

[JohninGpt]

Retired military, my insurance rocks.

[MichaelH]

I am covered under my employer's plan. My wife and 2 kids are covered under her employer's plan.

[wild1]

I purchase a high deductible policy to insure against catastrophic events, but in practice pay for virtually all expenses out of pocket.

[Bob Dole]

Single. BCBS of Texas + vision for roughly $65/month. ($350 annual decuctible. $50 deductible for prescription drugs.)

$45 for a specalist office visit. For other covered charges from network doctors, hospitals and labs, you pay your plan-year deductible, then the 350 plan pays 80% and you pay 20%, up to your out-of-pocket maximum. After you reach your out-of-pocket maximum, the plan pays 100% of remaining covered charges (except office visit and drug copayments) from network providers for the rest of the plan year. If you use an out-of-network provider, your deductible is doubled, and you and the plan each pay 50% of the charges after the deductible is met. After you reach your out-of-pocket maximum, which is double the network maximum, the plan pays 100% of remaining covered charges (except drug copayments) for the rest of the plan year. You pay an additional hospital deductible if you are hospitalized in a facility that is not a member of the BlueChoice or BlueCard network.

Drug copay:

$10 for generic,
$25 for brand-name formulary and
$50 for brand-name nonformulary drugs.

If you mail order drugs you get 90 days for 2 copayments.

[Stewie]

Insurance through work. We have several different options depending on need. Next year the company is dropping the "Catastrophic Plan" (lowest premium) and also doing away with the "Medical Opt-Out" option. That was available to someone who was covered by another plan and they were reimbursed the money the company saved by not carrying them on our insurance.

We're also seeing a $5 copay increase and an increase in premiums. The increase in the employee portion of premiums is offset if we do a health assessment. All in all, good insurance. We are a large company, so I'm sure we garner some leverage on rates.

[NewChief]

About $400 a month for me and the kids (plus we pay another $60 a month for a TEFRA medicaid type waiver for one of my sons with special needs. It covers EVERYTHING though).

My wife pays about $120 a month for hers.

And I'll add that we about went bankrupt with our special needs son prior to finally getting him on TEFRA.

[Iowanian]

HSA through wife's work, high deductible.

[The Rick]

County government employee here. Our insurance is very good (the benefits here make up for the lower salaries).

I currently pay about $135/month for our whole family. Our deductible is $150/individual and $450/family. After deductibles are met, we pay 10% of all costs until we reach our maximum out-of-pocket which is $600/individual and $1200/family.

We pretty much screwed over the insurance company (and Uncle Sam) last year when we had a baby in January, and another baby in December. :p

[Dave Lane]

Retired military, my insurance rocks.

So socialized healthcare is working for you :thumb:

[Dave Lane]

Oh and I'm going naked :)

[Rain Man]

My suspicion is that there will be more "other" answers than I'd like, because I probably don't have some of the options that are out there.

My wife and I get coverage fully paid through our employer.

[JohninGpt]

So socialized healthcare is working for you :thumb:
I have Tricare
I go to a doctor of my choice and hospitals of my choice. My premium for a family of four is $468 per year and my copays are dirt cheap. I don't know if it's socialized, but it works for me.

I am 90% DAV, but I avoid going to the VA for treatment. They suck. That is more like what I would consider socialized medicine.

[Bugeater]

That poll gave me a headache, I think I need to go to the Doctor.

[Donger]

So socialized healthcare is working for you :thumb:

Considering that his employer was the military, I don't see how. I'll gladly pay the insurance costs of our military.

Some other goober who chooses an HDTV and broadband instead of buying insurance? No, I'd rather not pay for him.

[Slainte]

I have Tricare

Here as well.

Single, no dependants. $58 a quarter. No copays. Free meds.

Health care Crisis? *What* health care crisis?

[Sure-Oz]

Right now i pay nothing and my employer pays all, but starting january i have to decide if i want to pay $28/mo for the exact same coverage i have or $60 for premium which is $15 copays and higher percent covered since i have been going to the dr's and hospital more lately im wondering if i should. Since this will be the first time we have to cover some for ourselves due to the economy i assume. This is still a great deal from my company.

[Alton deFlat]

I pay about $24 per month, and employer pays the rest. I've only used it once in 8+ years, that was for a doctor's visit.

[cdcox]

Insurance through work that currently covers me, my wife and daughter. I pay $200 a month for this, my employer pays the rest.

Primary care physician $25
Specialist (no referral needed) $30
ER $75
Prescriptions $5/$25/$75

No dental coverage at all, unless it is the result of an accident or something life threatening.

Even with this kind of insurance, my family easily runs through $5K or more of out of pocket expenses, in addition to the cost of the policy. I can afford it, but it puts a good crimp on other things we'd like to do.

I can cover my daughter for another 4 or 5 years through my work plan, and then she will be on her own. It's very unlikely she would be able to land a job in that time frame that would offer the kind of health care she has now.

[Jilly]

I am not covered and my spouse is not covered. This is a recent dev't. My spouse is unemployed due to hiring freezes of the school districts. I am "self employed" as the gov't defines it and my church does not pay my insurance. Before the baby, I paid about $250 a month for myself, with a $3500 deductible and it covered only 80% after that deductible, this was through the denomination's healthcare plan. We pay out of pocket for our child, $210 a month. Since he is unemployed and I make a pastor's salary, we had to choose between our insurance, the hospital bills before the deductible, have a roof over our heads and paying the rest of our bills. I am not a freeloader, my husband is not either....we simply cannot afford $500 of insurance in our current budget.

[raybec 4]

I am fortunate enough to have a job that picks up most of the tab my wife is too. The kids are both on my plan

[LTL]

I pay about 380 a month for my wife and 2 kids. I just pay for the copays and that's it, my insurance picks up the rest on everything.

[jiveturkey]

Self employed and I run the insurance through the company. I pay $144/month for myself. I don't remember the plan details because I only use it for the annual physical.

[bkkcoh]

I pay nothing for medical, dental and vision for me, my wife and 2 of my kids.

[wild1]

Considering that his employer was the military, I don't see how. I'll gladly pay the insurance costs of our military.

Some other goober who chooses an HDTV and broadband instead of buying insurance? No, I'd rather not pay for him.

:clap::clap::clap::clap:

[Demonpenz]

I am self employed picking up gigs as a guitarist/entertainer, i can't afford it and HDTV and broadband. So I screwed until obama comes through

[penguinz]

600 a month for family of 4. :(

[GloryDayz]

Full family coverage through my employer, but my wife also has coverage through her employer (for just her), so she's double-covered. Total out of pocket for all the coverage per month is $440.

[TrebMaxx]

There should of been an option "None - My Employer provides Health Insurance but I decline it."

I have insurance through my employer now, but I remember when I was fresh out of school with my first few jobs I declined the HI benefits provided. I just wanted to pocket the few extra bucks myself. I think sometimes young people feel somewhat invincible and are willing to take the gamble on HI.

[Chief Faithful]

I have coverage, but the deductable is sooo high that it only applys to catastrophic coverage. Thus, for general health and maintenance it is all out of pocket.

[ottawa_chiefs_fan]

i am Canadian...EOS

[bevischief]

HSA through my work, high deductible.

[DumbHillbillies]

Nill

[Saulbadguy]

I'm part of the 2.7% of the board who is insured by divider spaces in poll questions.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I screwed up. My spouse's employer pays over half of her coverage, but I put that mine did. Sorry.

[Simply Red]

I voted Part one: (you)

just to be a brat.

[patteeu]

Coverage through my wife's employer includes me and my son.

Same, except replace "son" with "two daughters".

[patteeu]

My suspicion is that there will be more "other" answers than I'd like, because I probably don't have some of the options that are out there.

My wife and I get coverage fully paid through our employer.

Wow, you guys have a great employer! All employers ought to be forced to do that for their employees, don't you think? :p

[Nzoner]

Self employed with the mrs and we have a group plan of 2 but pay $1350 a month because she has RA.We were paying $1650 a month but had to raise the deductible to get the payment down so we could manage,unfortunately 1 year passed and it just hiked again and according to our agent with in 3 years it'll be back to where it was before but the deductible will be higher.

It pisses me off to no end that we're a couple trying to run a business and be respectable,hard working citizens and yet my little brother who was formerly working as a nurse in the GA prison system tells me about some low life focking loser who murdered someone is getting the same medicine as my wife for RA furnished by the state. :mad:

[Norman Einstein]

So socialized healthcare is working for you :thumb:

Last I heard retired military health insurance was earned, not given free. In this case you might be wrong.

[Norman Einstein]

I have Tricare
I go to a doctor of my choice and hospitals of my choice. My premium for a family of four is $468 per year and my copays are dirt cheap. I don't know if it's socialized, but it works for me.

I am 90% DAV, but I avoid going to the VA for treatment. They suck. That is more like what I would consider socialized medicine.

I don't think Dave Lane understands your position. I have some friends with the same coverage, they said they can't wait until they retire so they are double covered by Medicare and Tricare.

Oh, Happy Veterans Day Sir, I appreciate all you did for my continued freedom.

[Pink Paradise 2010]

i have none... sucks... but i have none

[ClevelandBronco]

HSA. High deductible, but good coverage in an expensive emergency.

[MahiMike]

HSA through wife's work, high deductible.

HSA is the way to go. My new employer doesn't have one. I was shocked at how much insurance is here. Anyone that says we don't need to revamp the system is delusional.

[Rain Man]

Does an HSA mean that you're paying it all yourself, or does the employer pay some? I vaguely know what it is, but no detail.

[KCUnited]

Does an HSA mean that you're paying it all yourself, or does the employer pay some? I vaguely know what it is, but no detail.
My employer will contribute $500 if the employee contributes $100, that's annually for individuals. $1000 for $200 contributed for families. I keep enough in my HSA to cover my high ded.

[Rain Man]

Ah, thanks. I wondered how that worked.

[bevischief]

I pay nothing for medical, dental and vision for me, my wife and 2 of my kids.

Where do you work and does your companies have any openings?:D

[bevischief]

Self employed with the mrs and we have a group plan of 2 but pay $1350 a month because she has RA.We were paying $1650 a month but had to raise the deductible to get the payment down so we could manage,unfortunately 1 year passed and it just hiked again and according to our agent with in 3 years it'll be back to where it was before but the deductible will be higher.

It pisses me off to no end that we're a couple trying to run a business and be respectable,hard working citizens and yet my little brother who was formerly working as a nurse in the GA prison system tells me about some low life focking loser who murdered someone is getting the same medicine as my wife for RA furnished by the state. :mad:

That sucks but know the feeling my wife has 3 pre existing conditions, I have had to turn down jobs because of this...
:cuss:

[bevischief]

Does an HSA mean that you're paying it all yourself, or does the employer pay some? I vaguely know what it is, but no detail.

Depends on your carrier, your monthly costs are lower but you have a set amount before the the health insurance kicks in, but you get the insurance discounted price, example pay more a month in premiums or pay more out of pocket before insurance kicks in, depends on how healthy you or family is... Also drug costs are included in this as well.

[vailpass]

Retired military, my insurance rocks.

You earned it.

[CanadianChief]

[QUOTE=I pay nothing for medical, dental and vision for me, my wife and 2 of my kids.[/QUOTE]

As do I

[luv]

My employer pays for half.

[RJ]

Self employed with the mrs and we have a group plan of 2 but pay $1350 a month because she has RA.We were paying $1650 a month but had to raise the deductible to get the payment down so we could manage,unfortunately 1 year passed and it just hiked again and according to our agent with in 3 years it'll be back to where it was before but the deductible will be higher.

It pisses me off to no end that we're a couple trying to run a business and be respectable,hard working citizens and yet my little brother who was formerly working as a nurse in the GA prison system tells me about some low life focking loser who murdered someone is getting the same medicine as my wife for RA furnished by the state. :mad:



I know others in similar positions and I don't know how they do it. How can health insurance cost more than a house payment? That's just crazy.

I'm not one to look to the government for help, but changes need to be made. And FWIW, if I have to pay a little more each year in taxes to help out people who have more expensive medical issues or just don't have the money for insurance, I am ok with that. Call me a radical liberal latte sipping tree hugger if you will......

[RJ]

As do I


But I believe that the average Canadian life expectancy is 37 years. and a little lower for men. Is that correct?

How old are you, by the way?

[JohninGpt]

You earned it.

Thank you. These beni's are incentive for staying for the long haul.

[Hammock Parties]

I don't need health insurance. The Lord will provide.

[SLAG]

My Employer Covers 100% for me, my spouse and Dependants - I have copays etc.. but none gets taken out of my check for insurance

[NY CHIEF]

I have coverage, but the deductable is sooo high that it only applys to catastrophic coverage. Thus, for general health and maintenance it is all out of pocket.

Ditto here:cuss:

[Bweb]

HSA through wife's work, high deductible.

THIS and I hope we can keep it! No premiums but the deductible is $4500 per year. We put $300 a month into a HSA, when I have 2 full years of deductibles built up in the HSA, we start skiping the monthly payments to ourselves. :D

[Cannibal]

I don't need health insurance. The Lord will provide.

ROFL

[The Franchise]

My wife is in the Air Force.....so her and her daughter are covered....as well as me.

I also have insurance through my work and it covers my wife and I. So I guess you can say that we're double covered right now.

[CanadianChief]

But I believe that the average Canadian life expectancy is 37 years. and a little lower for men. Is that correct?

How old are you, by the way?

Holy Shit...now I know why the doctor wanted to give me that prostate exam when I was 12!

I'm 31 by the way. Time is running out. Guess I'll never see the Chiefs in another playoff game.

[BWillie]

I pay about $37 a month for a $2500 deductible. But even if I reach my deductible, I have to pay 20% of my expenses until I reach my out of pocket cost of like $4,000 or something. I have an HSA though that I self insure myself and my company puts in about $500 a year. I have about $2,000 in there currently.

I really don't think that is that bad too. The HSA accrues interest every year and carries over. In like 5 years, if nothing bad happens. I'll have more than enough to cover most if not all of my out of pocket expenses.

[RJ]

I pay about $37 a month for a $2500 deductible. But even if I reach my deductible, I have to pay 20% of my expenses until I reach my out of pocket cost of like $4,000 or something. I have an HSA though that I self insure myself and my company puts in about $500 a year. I have about $2,000 in there currently.

I really don't think that is that bad too. The HSA accrues interest every year and carries over. In like 5 years, if nothing bad happens. I'll have more than enough to cover most if not all of my out of pocket expenses.



That's probably a good plan for a single guy your age.

[dtebbe]

I pay $425/month for a plan with a $5600 family deductible. 100% coverage after we meet the deductible. It is a HSA eligible plan and I max out the HSA each year. It's legalized extortion, and it's not going to get any better with this smoke & mirror BS that they are trying to push thru. This is for family coverage 2 adults +1 child.

DT

[dtebbe]

I don't need health insurance. The Lord will provide.

I have a relative that has taken this approach with birth control.... 3 kids later the lord is falling a little short :D

DT

[HC_Chief]

My coverage is obscenely good. It is a perk for the job. 100% coverage for family, $0 out of pocket, $0 copay, HUGE provider network.

Includes vision and dental (dental = $1500 coverage /per person per year)

[dtebbe]

Does an HSA mean that you're paying it all yourself, or does the employer pay some? I vaguely know what it is, but no detail.

HSA= Health Savings Account

Basically a tax-deferred medical savings account, either employer or employee can contribute to the account. You must have a HSA-eligible high-deductable health plan in order to have an HSA account. They work together.

The concept is that you get a lower premium on the high-deductible plan and you then put the savings into the HSA until you have your deductible covered. Basically there is financial reward for you being healthy in that your HSA continues to grow and is your money. All routine visits, medicines, anything health related can be paid for with the HSA (right down to Tums) with tax-free money.

It's a good deal for self-employed folks. The only way we can afford insurance, and a way to put pack a little $$$ tax free too.

DT

[HC_Chief]

I pay $425/month for a plan with a $5600 family deductible. 100% coverage after we meet the deductible. It is a HSA eligible plan and I max out the HSA each year. It's legalized extortion, and it's not going to get any better with this smoke & mirror BS that they are trying to push thru. This is for family coverage 2 adults +1 child.

DT

That is really high for an HSA. I paid much less for mine, but my deuctible was $7000. If you keep your HSA up, it should cover any deductible, and you will find paying cash for doctor visits is less $ than paying high monthly coverage costs (aggregated annually). I found my coverage (prior to the coverage I have now through my employer) through ehealthinsurance.com

[Stewie]

Man, there are some scary premiums being paid for mediocre coverage.

[Demonpenz]

My family and I have always been about each other, we not be rich but we really stick together, even if we don't have health insurance we always seem to get through it. The hospitals never NEVER just turn us away. We always seem to get by even without insurance, we can open credit cards, bill empty lots, etc, we never are rich, but we always have a roof over our heads (thank god). There are some good day cares around the YMCA that are cheap for the winter, and the pool is a good place to take your kids when you have to work 4 or 5 hours at the gas station to get some booze money

[HemiEd]

My employer pays most of it, as it has risen astronomically the last few years, especially in our group. She used to pay it all, but it just got to high.

It is a small group of 5 employees and spouses, on the program and each has a major health issue.
One has lupus, I had heart work, etc. etc.
The gross cost for me and my spouse on the program is just a little over $36k per year, plus we have very high deductibles and copays.