How much is your insurance going up?
#24
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Birmingham Alabama
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What is insurance? It's great being poor with low paying jobs. I've had insurance maybe 3 years out of the last 10. The only times I've needed it was when I didn't have it. Last time I had it about 2 years ago, it went up to about $200/month, which for around here is pretty high. You would think working in the medical field would give you some kind of discount, or a better plan, but we had some of the worst insurance available from United. Co-pays were ridiculous, maximums/deductables were terrible, prescriptions sucked. In the long run, I think I would have come out cheaper by not having it. When I had it, my out of pocket for surgery was something like $4,000, which seems pretty high, but I guess compared to the several hundred thousand the hospital charged the insurance company, it was cheap. I also compared how certain things were actually cheaper without insurance than with. Also, they raise the cost of certain procedures when you do have insurance to drain them of any penny, which I guess ultimately raises everyones premiums.
#26
Mine through my employer went from $70 a month to $76 a month, deductibles doubled, and the employer is supposedly contributing a larger percentage. With everyone's rates going up, and fines for people without insurance, I'm so confused as to how this program is actually costing the government money.
#28
Mine through my employer went from $70 a month to $76 a month, deductibles doubled, and the employer is supposedly contributing a larger percentage. With everyone's rates going up, and fines for people without insurance, I'm so confused as to how this program is actually costing the government money.
It's just like on your home or your car, more coverage costs more money. Throw in subsidies for people who make up to 4x the Federal poverty limit and I believe (I'm sure Joe or Brain will correct me) you end up subsidizing the plans for approx. 55% of the country.
#29
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: atlanta-ish
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My health insurance is $58 a month.
Annual Deductible $3,250
Annual Out-of-pocket Maximum $5,250
pay for everything up to the deductible then the insurance steps in for 100% of costs. I am a 23 year old male so this fits my current needs. (i.e. keeps me from going bankrupt in the event of a major health problem other than cancer.)
Not sure how this stacks up to others in a comparable situation.
Annual Deductible $3,250
Annual Out-of-pocket Maximum $5,250
pay for everything up to the deductible then the insurance steps in for 100% of costs. I am a 23 year old male so this fits my current needs. (i.e. keeps me from going bankrupt in the event of a major health problem other than cancer.)
Not sure how this stacks up to others in a comparable situation.
#32
What is insurance? It's great being poor with low paying jobs. I've had insurance maybe 3 years out of the last 10. The only times I've needed it was when I didn't have it. Last time I had it about 2 years ago, it went up to about $200/month, which for around here is pretty high. You would think working in the medical field would give you some kind of discount, or a better plan, but we had some of the worst insurance available from United. Co-pays were ridiculous, maximums/deductables were terrible, prescriptions sucked. In the long run, I think I would have come out cheaper by not having it. When I had it, my out of pocket for surgery was something like $4,000, which seems pretty high, but I guess compared to the several hundred thousand the hospital charged the insurance company, it was cheap. I also compared how certain things were actually cheaper without insurance than with. Also, they raise the cost of certain procedures when you do have insurance to drain them of any penny, which I guess ultimately raises everyones premiums.
#34
Well hospitals at least charge ridiculous prices for everything to make up for the cost they have to eat when they give emergency care to someone without insurance (who then files for bankruptcy because if you don't have insurance chances are you can't pay for your $300k emergency surgery).
#36
Next year the deductible/OPL will double, but I will pay ~$20 per paycheck for me and my wife's insurance.
The low-deductible plans are fairly expensive in OK, I'm assuming because we are about the fattest state in the nation.
*insertobesityisgenetichomosexualityisachoice.meme *
#37
Well hospitals at least charge ridiculous prices for everything to make up for the cost they have to eat when they give emergency care to someone without insurance (who then files for bankruptcy because if you don't have insurance chances are you can't pay for your $300k emergency surgery).
And the joneses of buying a new CAT scan machine every 6 months because the latest and greatest came out.
And the fancy bamboo floors and aquariums.
And advertisements that aren't really allowed in any other country but the good old u s of a.
And the need to perpetuate the old Craigslist selling idea when bargaining with insurance companies concerning their contracted rates/payments. (I want $500 for this, i think i'll ask $1500 and let them whittle me down to $600.)
Which also brings me to one glaring thing wrong about the previous post that i had mentioned.
Providers CANNOT, i repeat CANNOT charge different prices to people who do have insurance, than they do to people who don't have insurance. This is a breach of their provider contract with insurance, and it shows that their true billed charges that they present to insurance during contract negotiations are total bullshit. (They are, so... whatever.)
Bear in mind that i specifically said "charge."
"Here's $20, **** you."
#40
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Central Florida
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I just went back and checked my figgers to be accurate. For health insurance only (not dental or vision) on myself only (my wife makes her own chedda and has her own health plan):
2010 -> 2011: My monthly premiums went up 7% vs prior year
2011 -> 2012: My monthly premiums went up 6% vs prior year
2012 -> 2013: My monthly premiums went down 27% vs prior year*
My employer's share actually increased 18%, 6%, and 7% respectively.
* In 2013, I switched from an HMO style plan with a Flexible Spending Account to a High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account.
The most I paid (2012) was about $75/month.
I really wonder if it is the difference between working for a company that (A) looks out for its people and (B) has thousands of employees and (C) has management that knows how to handle finances and negotiate benefits.
I just did the maths and my employer has been paying between 80% - 90% of the health insurance tab. Note to self: remember to give management a high five.