Health insurance WOES - $611.80 per month

Mojoed

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2004
4,473
1
81
Ok this is just getting INSANE. Just recieved a memo stating our Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance rates will rise from $570 per month to $611.80 per month for an individual plan. Granted it is a good plan to have ($5 doctor's visits, etc) but still this seems absolutely NUTS to me.

This insurance is provided from my employer, which just happens to be my dad. Being a small business with ~25 employees we've simply cannot assist employees in paying for health insurance. Family members do have insurance paid for by the company however, although I choose to pay my own way. I don't want to financially stress my dad's business more than it already is.

My questions are as follows.

1) Does $611.80 per month sound reasonable to you guys? Seems to me we're all getting porked.

2) How much do you pay for health insurance and how much is subsidized by your place of employment?

3) Do rates vary depending on how much employees are costing the insurance company? i.e. Two companies of similar size with identical health plans getting different quotes.

It just pisses me off to work so hard and see this much cash pissed away every month. I don't consider myself wealthy at ALL, yet I personally know people making roughly the same who are on Mass Health (very good state coverage) and paying $10-15 month. No that is not a typo. Health care in America just seems so fvcked up to me. :disgust:
 

Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
32,234
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www.theshoppinqueen.com
Originally posted by: Mojoed
Ok this is just getting INSANE. Just recieved a memo stating our Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance rates will rise from $570 per month to $611.80 per month for an individual plan. Granted it is a good plan to have ($5 doctor's visits, etc) but still this seems absolutely NUTS to me.

This insurance is provided from my employer, which just happens to be my dad. Being a small business with ~25 employees we've simply cannot assist employees in paying for health insurance. Family members do have insurance paid for by the company however, although I choose to pay my own way. I don't want to financially stress my dad's business more than it already is.

My questions are as follows.

1) Does $611.80 per month sound reasonable to you guys? Seems to me we're all getting porked.

2) How much do you pay for health insurance and how much is subsidized by your place of employment?

3) Do rates vary depending on how much employees are costing the insurance company? i.e. Two companies of similar size with identical health plans getting different quotes.

It just pisses me off to work so hard and see this much cash pissed away every month. I don't consider myself wealthy at ALL, yet I personally know people making roughly the same who are on Mass Health (very good state coverage) and paying $10-15 month. No that is not a typo. Health care in America just seems so fvcked up to me. :disgust:

I use Neighborhood Health Plan (the same insurance given to those on welfare for free) it costs me close to $500 a month for 2 people. I'm also in MA.
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,102
462
136
Without looking at my pay voucher I'd say $250/mo for 2 people?
 

Otaking

Diamond Member
Mar 13, 2000
5,219
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0
Can your business join like Administaff or something? You get better rates that way. :confused:
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
my share for my whole family (2 adults, 2 kids) is less than that, like 1/3 of that
company pays 90% of mine and 75% of my family, something like that.
 

Mojoed

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2004
4,473
1
81
Originally posted by: RossMAN
Without looking at my pay voucher I'd say $250/mo for 2 people?

Now that sounds reasonable. Is that the total cost, or does your company match?
 

Mojoed

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2004
4,473
1
81
Originally posted by: Otaking
Can your business join like Administaff or something? You get better rates that way. :confused:

I will look into Adminstaff... I never heard of it. This is exactly what I need, ideas! ;)
 

Mojoed

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2004
4,473
1
81
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
$0

Canada pwnz j00

- M4H

It would not be wise to start this. ;)

Please correct me if I'm wrong here! From what I've heard, Canadian health care pays the price in a different way. Supposedly it's real low quality. At this point I don't even care what the quality is, my wallet feels pw3nd. :(
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
Sounds like your company needs to switch to a less deluxe plan.

$5 doctor visits sound nice, but $50 copay doctor visits might save $25-50 a month per employee.
 

jjzelinski

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2004
3,750
0
0
Originally posted by: Mojoed
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
$0

Canada pwnz j00

- M4H

It would not be wise to start this. ;)

Please correct me if I'm wrong here! From what I've heard, Canadian health care pays the price in a different way. Supposedly it's real low quality. At this point I don't even care what the quality is, my wallet feels pw3nd. :(


They seem pretty healthy to me, and afterall that's the whole point. Right?
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Originally posted by: Mojoed
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
$0

Canada pwnz j00

- M4H

It would not be wise to start this. ;)

Please correct me if I'm wrong here! From what I've heard, Canadian health care pays the price in a different way. Supposedly it's real low quality. At this point I don't even care what the quality is, my wallet feels pw3nd. :(

It's not 'real low quality'. It's not even low quality. We have the exact same technology as in any US hospital... and our MDs are trained similarly... we even have a braindrain problem where physicians are getting their educaiton in Canada, then bailing to the US for the big bucks.

A hospital in Canada looks similar to a hospital in the US. I doubt you're going to be able to tell the difference. True, people with money in the US, would be able to buy access to treatment quicker than they would be able to get it in Canada, where your income doesn't matter... but treatments are based on the urgency of it and your place in line.

There are some delays and shortages of equipment in some hospitals... but that's different than NO equipment. And the delay isn't as long as some people like to make it out to be. Supposedly my local hospital has a shortage of MRI scanners, but my dad was booked for one the next day.
 

Mojoed

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2004
4,473
1
81
Originally posted by: jjzelinski
Originally posted by: Mojoed
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
$0

Canada pwnz j00

- M4H

It would not be wise to start this. ;)

Please correct me if I'm wrong here! From what I've heard, Canadian health care pays the price in a different way. Supposedly it's real low quality. At this point I don't even care what the quality is, my wallet feels pw3nd. :(


They seem pretty healthy to me, and afterall that's the whole point. Right?

Yea I guess so. I'm pretty fed up with spending nearly $8000 annually on health insurance. Maybe I'll move to Canada or something. ;)
 

NascarFool

Golden Member
Feb 29, 2000
1,001
0
71
Kaiser was soaking me for $770 a month. Their service sucked too. I now have BC/BS and we pay $0 for it because it is part of my wifes benefits at work (Director of Nursing at a nursing home).
 

Hacana

Member
Dec 5, 2001
89
2
71
I just recently started up Individual Health Insurance for myself through Regence Blueshield and it's costs me $106 monthly.