healthcare.gov is an absolute nightmare

[HumblePie]

That's great that you have an employer based plan. However, how much would you have to pay if you were on the individual market?

When I last looked it was cheaper as well compared to healthcare.gov plans. Then again I could opt out of things like maternity coverage and other coverages I wouldn't or couldn't possibly ever use.

 

[feralkid]

When I last looked it was cheaper as well compared to healthcare.gov plans. Then again I could opt out of things like maternity coverage and other coverages I wouldn't or couldn't possibly ever use.

Is that because you're in Texas?

In AZ, even with our Republican controlled legislature, the Marketplace plans are hundreds less for me (independent Contractor).

If I were in a state like Minnesota, I'd pay even less.

I'd love to say "Goodbye BCBS and your criminally overpriced coverage", but they may be offering a plan on the exchange which I may be interested in.



It definitely varies from state to state.

 

[HumblePie]

Is that because you're in Texas?

In AZ, even with our Republican controlled legislature, the Marketplace plans are hundreds less for me (independent Contractor).

If I were in a state like Minnesota, I'd pay even less.

I'd love to say "Goodbye BCBS and your criminally overpriced coverage", but they may be offering a plan on the exchange which I may be interested in.



It definitely varies from state to state.

I checked awhile ago for self coverage plans not to long ago. This was because at my last contracting based job, which was a 6 month job I had before my current one, didn't have any healthcare plan coverage. So I looked around for plans available for my wife and me. I didn't go with anything, but the costs where about $480 for about the same coverage I am getting now (minus the coverage pieces I didn't want at the time like maternity). My current coverage includes maternity though and is a bit cheaper through my employer.

But basically before the current changes with the ACA, I could ala cart my coverages as I wanted and I was getting as good if not better self coverage prices than what is listed on healthcare.gov.

Now I will say that the healthcare.gov dental plans are better than what I currently have. So I may decide to drop my current plan through my employer for dental coverage and get the healthcare.gov dental plan. My current employer though is supposedly re-working all their medical/dental plans though to provide even better plans as right now they are basically what I would call bottom of the rung plan coverages offered by many employers around here.

 

[theeedude]

That's great that you have an employer based plan. However, how much would you have to pay if you were on the individual market?

Exactly. Comparing employer plan, which quotes rates after employer portion, vs individual market rates where you pay the whole thing, it makes no sense. At least get the COBRA rate (what you would pay to keep the plan if you left the company) from your HR before comparing.

 

[HumblePie]

Exactly. Comparing employer plan, which quotes rates after employer portion, vs individual market rates where you pay the whole thing, it makes no sense. At least get the COBRA rate (what you would pay to keep the plan if you left the company) from your HR before comparing.

Because I can look up the current plan rates, which my company is one of the worst in the area for provided plans, and look them up quick enough.

I looked before for self coverage plans/rates previously, as I've done a few government contract positions where my only coverage came if I paid for them myself completely, and they were still better for my needs than the current healthcare.gov offerings.

 

[theeedude]

Because I can look up the current plan rates, which my company is one of the worst in the area for provided plans, and look them up quick enough.

I looked before for self coverage plans/rates previously, as I've done a few government contract positions where my only coverage came if I paid for them myself completely, and they were still better for my needs than the current healthcare.gov offerings.

You are looking at the employer subsidized rates. And you are looking at medically underwritten (cherry picked only for healthy young people, excludes coverage for women's health, as you note) rates.
Both of these are not apples to apples with individual exchanges, which include the full cost that anyone can get regardless of preexisting condition.
Look up COBRA rates from your company, then get back to us.

 

[HumblePie]

You are looking at the employer subsidized rates. And you are looking at medically underwritten (cherry picked only for healthy young people, excludes coverage for women's health, as you note) rates.
Both of these are not apples to apples with individual exchanges, which include the full cost that anyone can get regardless of preexisting condition.
Look up COBRA rates from your company, then get back to us.

And why would a self insured pay rate where I didn't want maternity coverage or other coverages I didn't want not be a good comparison to healthcare.gov plans? That is kind of the point of that whole debacle of letting people keep the plans they liked before if they wanted to promise by Obama.

As for my "employer" subsidized plan, the point I was making is that it's bottom of the barrel. From what I understand it is NOT subsidized at all by my current employer. My employer pays zero into the plan. We just get the rates because my employer signed us all up as a large group under the plan. Thus we get a large group discount for doing so. It's not a huge discount, but it is one. This is why it is a valid comparison, because the "discount' being applied to my current plan is based solely off the fact that all employees are signed up for it. Which is what is suppose to drive the cost down because of forced sharing. Similar to what ACA is trying to do for us all. ACA is suppose to have ALL Americans signing up and thus giving us ALL an even larger group "discount" for the coverages. However, the point is that doesn't seem to be the case for me.

 

[theeedude]

And why would a self insured pay rate where I didn't want maternity coverage or other coverages I didn't want not be a good comparison to healthcare.gov plans? That is kind of the point of that whole debacle of letting people keep the plans they liked before if they wanted to promise by Obama.

As for my "employer" subsidized plan, the point I was making is that it's bottom of the barrel. From what I understand it is NOT subsidized at all by my current employer. My employer pays zero into the plan. We just get the rates because my employer signed us all up as a large group under the plan. Thus we get a large group discount for doing so. It's not a huge discount, but it is one. This is why it is a valid comparison, because the "discount' being applied to my current plan is based solely off the fact that all employees are signed up for it. Which is what is suppose to drive the cost down because of forced sharing. Similar to what ACA is trying to do for us all. ACA is suppose to have ALL Americans signing up and thus giving us ALL an even larger group "discount" for the coverages. However, the point is that doesn't seem to be the case for me.

Yes, ACA brings the features of group plans to people in the individual market. Most Americans are in employer provided group plans, and are happy with them. If you have a beef with group plans, take it up with 80% of Americans who already have them, including yourself. Your employer almost certainly does not pay zero for your group plan. If it does, it's stupid and wasting your money, since health plan contributions are tax deductible to employer but not to employee. So either your employer is clueless or you are. I have my guess, but I'll let you figure out which.

 

[HumblePie]

Yes, ACA brings the features of group plans to people in the individual market. Most Americans are in employer provided group plans, and are happy with them. If you have a beef with group plans, take it up with 80% of Americans who already have them, including yourself. Your employer almost certainly does not pay zero for your group plan. If it does, it's stupid and wasting your money, since health plan contributions are tax deductible to employer but not to employee. So either your employer is clueless or you are. I have my guess, but I'll let you figure out which.

They pay for the plans based upon where you are at in the company. They most certainly do not chip in for everyone, as they provide quite a bit more for those higher up the chain. Actually quite a few companies do this as it's the same write off. Whether they spend X amount spread across everyone or same X amount on a smaller pool of people it is the same tax break.

 

[theeedude]

They pay for the plans based upon where you are at in the company. They most certainly do not chip in for everyone, as they provide quite a bit more for those higher up the chain. Actually quite a few companies do this as it's the same write off. Whether they spend X amount spread across everyone or same X amount on a smaller pool of people it is the same tax break.

You must really be low on the totem pole then, that they don't care about your health.

 

[BoberFett]

I'd love to say "Goodbye BCBS and your criminally overpriced coverage", but they may be offering a plan on the exchange which I may be interested in.

Isn't BCBS a non-profit? I thought profit is why health insurance was so expensive? How could they be criminally overpriced?

 

[theeedude]

Isn't BCBS a non-profit? I thought profit is why health insurance was so expensive? How could they be criminally overpriced?

Anthem BCBS is a for-profit company (aka WellPoint). Rants are better when they are informed.

 

[boomerang]

Not all BCBS licensees are for-profit organizations.

 

[werepossum]

Not all BCBS licensees are for-profit organizations.

Also, some state BCBS's are legally for-profits but not managed to produce a profit simply because the paperwork is exponentially higher on a not-for-profit organization.

 

[HumblePie]

You must really be low on the totem pole then, that they don't care about your health.

Welcome to America!

Where I am, most of the IT jobs around here are contract based. Most companies in the IT field here don't have to compete on healthcare benefits as much as they do on gross pay. Because of the nature of contract work. So guess what happens to how job compensation is structured around here?

Why would a company pay a crap ton for a health benefit plan all the time to IT workers that are typically only around for 6 months or so?

Which reinforces the validity of my comparison.

 

[BikeJunkie]

So either your employer is clueless or you are. I have my guess, but I'll let you figure out which.

You must really be low on the totem pole then, that they don't care about your health.

Rants are better when they are informed.

What is your problem?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

What is your problem?

senseamp suffers from trollitus maximus

 

[Train]

Anthem BCBS is a for-profit company (aka WellPoint). Rants are better when they are informed.

Did he say he was with Anthem? If not, then STFU. You went and grabbed the first for-profit on the BCBS Wikipedia page.

The vast majority of BCBS is non profit. And those that are for profit have pretty meager profit margins.

EDIT: and since he said "here in Arizona".. I checked, Anthem doesn't even cover AZ:

https://www.anthem.com/health-insurance/

 

[BoberFett]

Did he say he was with Anthem? If not, then STFU. You went and grabbed the first for-profit on the BCBS Wikipedia page.

The vast majority of BCBS is non profit. And those that are for profit have pretty meager profit margins.

EDIT: and since he said "here in Arizona".. I checked, Anthem doesn't even cover AZ:

https://www.anthem.com/health-insurance/

Heh, I guess rants ARE better when informed...

 

[werepossum]

Heh, I guess rants ARE better when informed...

LOL Indeed.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

When I last looked it was cheaper as well compared to healthcare.gov plans. Then again I could opt out of things like maternity coverage and other coverages I wouldn't or couldn't possibly ever use.

I just snuck in with a 2013 plan but I'm stuck with the BS extras that I wouldn't have had if I had bought the plan back in September. There isn't a single plan on the exchange (2014 plan) that is even close to the old system. They are all all higher. I posted the details previously but since I was still working out the details of my new business I didn't buy back in Sept and now have a 10K family HSA plan that I can use through 2014. It won't exist past then unless obamacare is dismantled which sucks. An exchange plan like I just purchased is ~$400 higher than I pay now with no increased benefits. It's a F'n joke.
I don't understand how people can support this mass grouping of people. Give me an individual a la carte system(base plus extras) so I can be pooled with similar risk types and chose the types of coverages I want to pay for.

 

[werepossum]

I just snuck in with a 2013 plan but I'm stuck with the BS extras that I wouldn't have had if I had bought the plan back in September. There isn't a single plan on the exchange (2014 plan) that is even close to the old system. They are all all higher. I posted the details previously but since I was still working out the details of my new business I didn't buy back in Sept and now have a 10K family HSA plan that I can use through 2014. It won't exist past then unless obamacare is dismantled which sucks. An exchange plan like I just purchased is ~$400 higher than I pay now with no increased benefits. It's a F'n joke.
I don't understand how people can support this mass grouping of people. Give me an individual a la carte system(base plus extras) so I can be pooled with similar risk types and chose the types of coverages I want to pay for.

But the whole point of Obamacare is that you are too stupid to know what is best for you. Only a properly indoctrinated federal employee can make that sort of decision for you.

I feel for you brother. Mine runs out end of June and there is zero chance of Obamacare being dismantled or fixed by then. Every chance of Democrat politicians making promises to fix it, zero chance of that happening.