Your medical coverage

[rh71]

Through work, I've been on an HMO for quite a few years and they're getting rid of it for next year because only a small % of us were on it. I'm used to paying $116/mo. (just myself) and getting everything covered 100% at a primary care, urgent care, or specialist except for a small co-pay.

Now I have to wrap my head around paying $40/mo and 25% for those services, on top of a deductible (until $1500). On the positive side, I can do an HSA account with $800 free to start. Is this what you guys do - pay like $100+ to see a doc each time maybe once or twice a year when you have to? It just seems like I'd avoid seeing a doc because I'd be proactively paying for it. The old way, while I realize I'm paying more overall, just felt like it's using my insurance I'm paying for anyway. Just wondering if this is more common.

 

[highland145]

State, age, extra family...

 

[BoomerD]

Damn, I pay more than either of those for Medicare...which only pays 80% of covered charges and $0 for prescriptions.
My wife's O'Bummercare policy is about $160/mo after the subsidy...and it has a $2500 deductible and high co-pays.
Kwitcherbitchin.

 

[RockinZ28]

That sounds awesome.

It's over $844/mo for the cheapest plan available for me + spouse complete with $5500 deductibles before insurance pays a cent.

 

[Kaido]

That sounds awesome.

It's over $844/mo for the cheapest plan available for me + spouse complete with $5500 deductibles before insurance pays a cent.

Yeah, plus I just learned my rates are going up another 10%. Feels like I work more for healthcare than for the mortgage

 

[RockinZ28]

Yeah, plus I just learned my rates are going up another 10%. Feels like I work more for healthcare than for the mortgage

No doubt. Insurance premiums alone in WI for us was more than our mortgage payment in 2016, plus the $6.3k deductibles if you even had to use it. Brand new 4 bedroom home with 2% property tax was cheaper than horrible health insurance that increases 10-20% every year. This shit can't be sustainable.

Surprisingly insurance is significantly less for us in CA at least.

 

[TallBill]

Currently under tricare so I don't pay anything for medical. Pay certain dental costs for the wife.

 

[stargazr]

I have insurance through work (BCBS). I pay half, which is a lot - $380/mo. $5000 annual deductible. I seem to get a break on prescriptions, and certain checkups are free. Other than that it sucks. Last year I payed about the same for my own plan through Humana, but they left the state, like many others. That was a shitty plan also.

 

[Brainonska511]

This past year I had a Cigna PPO with a $1300 deductible and a $400 health reimbursement account that ran me $130/mo through work. This year, that plan vanishes and the deductible goes up a little, so they offer an HSA with it, which they'll fund with $250.

I found I don't really use the plan, so this year, I'm going for the HDHP with a $2500 deductible. I'll open my own HSA and save at least $1000 on premiums. I'm not too worried about the coverage under the HDHP, as it uses the Anthem network and I'll still get the negotiated rates (even if I have to pay it until my deductible).

It also helps that I'm young and my yearly healthcare expenses are very low.

 

[highland145]

This past year I had a Cigna PPO with a $1300 deductible and a $400 health reimbursement account that ran me $130/mo through work. This year, that plan vanishes and the deductible goes up a little, so they offer an HSA with it, which they'll fund with $250.

I found I don't really use the plan, so this year, I'm going for the HDHP with a $2500 deductible. I'll open my own HSA and save at least $1000 on premiums. I'm not too worried about the coverage under the HDHP, as it uses the Anthem network and I'll still get the negotiated rates (even if I have to pay it until my deductible).

It also helps that I'm young and my yearly healthcare expenses are very low.

Per your other question, TD Bank had my HSA when I had one.

 

[soulcougher73]

My wife is on her own health plan from her work, but mine is $75/m (wellness rates) or $95/m (non-wellness rates). We have a wellness program if you see a health coach once a year and other corporate crap lol. That is a $1500 deductible and $3100 out of pocket maximum. Office visits are Deductible +15% it says...whatever that means. Gereric drugs are free. Also have vision ($7/m) and dental ($21/m) through work also.

Edit: Forgot to add this is a HSA plan. I also put $100/m into that savings account also.

 

[child of wonder]

Premium $0 for family coverage, HDHP with a $4,500 deductible and $6,000 Out of Pocket Max. Company pre-fills a HSA with $4,500 for me every year.

 

[rh71]

So it's true - most of you actually have to pay "out of pocket" per office visit on top of your premiums. Do those run between $100-$200 each time?

No wonder people would rather not go unless they're deathly ill.

 

[deadlyapp]

So it's true - most of you actually have to pay "out of pocket" per office visit on top of your premiums. Do those run between $100-$200 each time?

No wonder people would rather not go unless they're deathly ill.

Almost every plan has free preventative health screenings once a year. I pay nothing for this. If I want extra blood work done or something else, then I pay some discounted percentage of this.

I have a HDHP through BCBSTX, pay around $80/mo in California.

 

[rh71]

^ well preventive is not when you have a cough that won't go away. I will need it for that like twice a year.

What do you guys use preventive for other than like a blood screening & overall assessment once a year? EDIT> flu shot also.

 

[Exterous]

My plan increased $10 to $310/mo for myself and my wife.
$0 deductible
$25 copay for office visits\urgent care
$0 copay for emergency room
No cost for inpatient services or outpatient surgery
$2500 individual\$5000 family out of pocket max per year
Prescriptions are $5/$15/$25

 

[Homerboy]

Don't worry everyone -- the insurance companies are still making record profits off you!

 

[DietDrThunder]

Premium $0 for family coverage, HDHP with a $4,500 deductible and $6,000 Out of Pocket Max. Company pre-fills a HSA with $4,500 for me every year.

I want to work for your company. Last year my Aetna PPO health coverage for my wife and I cost me $4,500 a year with a $3,000 deductible ($4,500 out of network), 100% paid after deductible was met. Immunizations, preventative screenings (colonoscopy, mammograms), etc. were covered 100%. This year the company switched us to a BCBS HDHP which will now cost my wife and I $6,400 in premiums, $3,000 deductible (out of network deductible $6,000) then the 80/20 split takes effect with an out of pocket max of $8,000 per year after deductible (out of network $12,000 max per year after deductible). The plan my company signed us up for doesn't cover anything but one wellness check (physical). So basically I have to pay $9,400 a year before the insurance pays anything. So much for a HDHP saving me money. What is even worse is that my wife and I live a healthy lifestyle, have never smoked or used tobacco products, don't drink, don't take any medications, are rarely if ever sick, have never had any health issues, and have never had any type of surgery.

The company also tried to screw us on life insurance bought through the company. My life insurance premiums went from $2,000 a year to $5,600 a year. I just signed up for the same coverage I had with my company for $1,700 a year through Amica, so I'm dropping my company policy.

Not that I ever had to use it, but short term disability last year paid 100% of your salary for up to 26 weeks, then long term disability kicked in at 60% of your salary. Now Short term disability pays 60% of your salary for 8 weeks, then long term disability kicks in at 50% of your salary.

Vision has become more costly a $250 premium with a $20 deductible for screenings and limits you to a maximum expenditure for glasses at $140 (specifically limits Costco and Sam's Club to $80), contacts limits are $120 (specifically limits Costco and Sam's Club to $60). I won't be taking vision coverage because I can pay less on my own.

The same with dental coverage with a $250 premium with a $20 deductible per checkup. Not worth the money so I will not be taking the coverage.

The company also instigated a limit to the number of vacation hours you can now bank to 400 hours. If you aren't below 400 hours by the end of the year you lose your vacation hours that are over 400. So much for saving vacation for a rainy day like covering short term sick or disability.

Last but not least, my company got rid of sick leave. We had up to two weeks of sick leave with a doctor's note to cover you in case you got the flue, broke a leg, or something. We now have 5 days of paid time off instead. Anything over the 5 days you now have to take vacation. Texas Instruments went to 5 days of paid time off instead of sick leave when I worked for them in the late 1990's. What happened was everyone treated these 5 days like vacation. Then towards the end of the year when people ran out of paid time off and vacation, they came to work sick and infected everyone else. I literally had to wear a surgical mask at work the last quarter of the year just to keep myself from getting sick.

All this from a major US defense contractor with record breaking profits for the past 10 years.

 

[purbeast0]

I pay $0 out of pocket for myself and my family and we're on CareFirst BlueChoice HMO. It's a $3k deductible but my company puts in like $1500/yr in there. I have to pay full price for prescriptions until we hit the deductible, and I have asthma so my Advair costs me like $360 out of my HSA every time I buy one. I buy one like once every 3 months probably though so it's not that big of a deal.

 

[Kaido]

No doubt. Insurance premiums alone in WI for us was more than our mortgage payment in 2016, plus the $6.3k deductibles if you even had to use it. Brand new 4 bedroom home with 2% property tax was cheaper than horrible health insurance that increases 10-20% every year. This shit can't be sustainable.

Surprisingly insurance is significantly less for us in CA at least.

I almost clicked the Like button but that is an Unlike

 

[child of wonder]

I want to work for your company. Last year my Aetna PPO health coverage for my wife and I cost me $4,500 a year with a $3,000 deductible ($4,500 out of network), 100% paid after deductible was met. Immunizations, preventative screenings (colonoscopy, mammograms), etc. were covered 100%. This year the company switched us to a BCBS HDHP which will now cost my wife and I $6,400 in premiums, $3,000 deductible (out of network deductible $6,000) then the 80/20 split takes effect with an out of pocket max of $8,000 per year after deductible (out of network $12,000 max per year after deductible). The plan my company signed us up for doesn't cover anything but one wellness check (physical). So basically I have to pay $9,400 a year before the insurance pays anything. So much for a HDHP saving me money. What is even worse is that my wife and I live a healthy lifestyle, have never smoked or used tobacco products, don't drink, don't take any medications, are rarely if ever sick, have never had any health issues, and have never had any type of surgery.

The company also tried to screw us on life insurance bought through the company. My life insurance premiums went from $2,000 a year to $5,600 a year. I just signed up for the same coverage I had with my company for $1,700 a year through Amica, so I'm dropping my company policy.

Not that I ever had to use it, but short term disability last year paid 100% of your salary for up to 26 weeks, then long term disability kicked in at 60% of your salary. Now Short term disability pays 60% of your salary for 8 weeks, then long term disability kicks in at 50% of your salary.

Vision has become more costly a $250 premium with a $20 deductible for screenings and limits you to a maximum expenditure for glasses at $140 (specifically limits Costco and Sam's Club to $80), contacts limits are $120 (specifically limits Costco and Sam's Club to $60). I won't be taking vision coverage because I can pay less on my own.

The same with dental coverage with a $250 premium with a $20 deductible per checkup. Not worth the money so I will not be taking the coverage.

The company also instigated a limit to the number of vacation hours you can now bank to 400 hours. If you aren't below 400 hours by the end of the year you lose your vacation hours that are over 400. So much for saving vacation for a rainy day like covering short term sick or disability.

Last but not least, my company got rid of sick leave. We had up to two weeks of sick leave with a doctor's note to cover you in case you got the flue, broke a leg, or something. We now have 5 days of paid time off instead. Anything over the 5 days you now have to take vacation. Texas Instruments went to 5 days of paid time off instead of sick leave when I worked for them in the late 1990's. What happened was everyone treated these 5 days like vacation. Then towards the end of the year when people ran out of paid time off and vacation, they came to work sick and infected everyone else. I literally had to wear a surgical mask at work the last quarter of the year just to keep myself from getting sick.

All this from a major US defense contractor with record breaking profits for the past 10 years.

Time to find a different job.

 

[snoopy7548]

Premiums are $101.56 bi-weekly. $250 in-network deductible, $1250 max out of pocket. Everything is covered 100% after $20 co-pay (obviously waived for certain things like immunizations and physicals). Emergency room visit is $50 co-pay (waived if admitted). Not bad.

Dental sucks. Premiums are something like $30-40/month and only knock like $50 off of fillings. Dental always sucks, though. I've thought about dropping it, but the insurance companies always negotiate a lower price, so you are really saving more than what they actually cover. I keep great care of my teeth but sometimes things are inevitable; I had to have a root canal because of bone deterioration in one of my molars, not caused by hygiene, and I think I ended paying a total of ~$2.5k (root canal, crown lengthening, temporary filling, crown).

Cepak, 400 hours? Do you mean 40? I think that's common, at least where I work it's the same. Max tier is 18 days of PTO accrued over the course of the year and you can only carry over 40 hours.

 

[Slew Foot]

 

[highland145]

Good thing thumper cut off those illegal payments.

 

[Herr Kutz]

Premiums going up 27.4%. Deductible for single (but eligible) dude is $4000 per year in network, with a $6400 out of pocket max. Employer contributes $0 to HSA; all contributions are up to the employee.