Buying Health Insurance - Infuriating

[electronman1729]

Long story short.

My wife lost her job, she had both of us covered with health insurance through her employer which was a good plan.
I work as a contractor through my company so I don't get any benefits.

I looked at plans online and my god this is infuriating. The cheapest plans is more than what were paying through her employer and the plans for sale don't even cover you for anything.

How is it that people believe that government will take care of health care when it just royally screw you.

[Irving]

The cheapest we found is Obamacare for around $450 a month for three people. Next is the CHM for $450 a month for the best coverage. I think currently we're with Cigna for $710 a month for three people.

Since your wife lost her job, you can get temporary coverage which is mostly the same as a full plan. We had temp coverage for 11 months and including having Aflac it was only $250ish a month. Temp will get you the coverage that you need and time to wade through all that BS.

[electronman1729]

The cheapest we found is Obamacare for around $450 a month for three people. Next is the CHM for $450 a month for the best coverage. I think currently we're with Cigna for $710 a month for three people.

Since your wife lost her job, you can get temporary coverage which is mostly the same as a full plan. We had temp coverage for 11 months and including having Aflac it was only $250ish a month. Temp will get you the coverage that you need and time to wade through all that BS.

Unfortunately the cobra rate was horrendous. It was over $1000 a month.
There is nothing like wasting your money down the drain.

[Irving]

I wasn't talking about Cobra when I mentioned a temp plan. My wife is the one who got to handle all that stuff, so I can't be more helpful right now.

[CS1983]

Check out Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) which Irving mentioned. It's what we have. Maxes at 450/month per family. 150/month per person, so if just you and the wife would be 300. That's the Gold plan, which is the highest.

Make sure to opt in to the brother's keeper plan for catastrophic.

It's what my wife and son have. I don't qualify cus I dip, and that ain't Christian ( don't tell Pope St. Pius X, who was a habitual user of snuff lol).

if you decide to go with them, let me know so we can get referral credit. Will split the referral with you.

http://www.chministries.org/

[Irving]

Did I already ask you if CHM covers dental as well?

[Irving]

My wife wanted to go without insurance like foxtrot said, or keep the temp insurance and take the penalty every year. Would have saved us thousands of dollars every year.

[kidicarus13]

Would have saved us thousands of dollars every year. ...unless...

The reason why most of us have insurance.

[Irving]

...unless...

The reason why most of us have insurance.

Well, I believe the only issue was that pre-existing (none of us have) and long term disease was not covered. I felt that in the event of one of use coming down with multi-year treatment cancer, we'd just pony up for a policy that is approved by the US gov at that point, since companies can no longer deny you for pre-existing. I'm under the impression that the temp insurance was adequate for what we wanted, but didn't pass the minimum threshold for what the government requires before they declare that you aren't insured and fine you.

The reason we didn't go that route was because my parents were throwing a fit about it.

[Great-Kazoo]

Stop paying your policy now. IF one gets seriously sick you can sign up on line that day or two. The worst that happens if you don't have ins is the irs penalizes you next year.

Figure out monthly payment Plus deductible. If you believe you're going to spend more than that, keep it. if not, don't.

yes it's shitty advice but really if you can't afford it, you can't afford it.


Your spouse should apply separately, it's what mine did. She's stuck with kaiser and pays $125 mth. They base it off what you think you'll make. if the spouse doesn't believe she'll have an income great. If she does once again, they'll get you next year.
SO. decide what's best for you and run with it.

You could get a catastrophic policy. Well that C&P'd well, didn't it

http://connectforhealthco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CYA-plan-fact-sheet_FINAL.pdf



Catastrophic (CYA) Health Plans in Colorado Fact Sheet
What is a CYA (catastrophic) health plan?
o
A catastrophic health plan (also known as a Colorado Young Adult or
“CYA” plan) is generally for individuals between the ages of 18 and 29.
CYA plans typically have a high deductible and lower premium, and
are designed to protect you in a high-
cost emerge
ncy.
o
While
CYA
Plan
s are
generally for individuals between the ages of 18
and 29, it is also available
to certain older individuals who qualify for an
exemption based on a hardship
or
because coverage is unaffordable
based on expected annual household
incom
e. For
individuals age 30
or above who have received an exemption certificate number
(exemption code)
, the CYA plan provides a low
er monthly premium
.
o
It is important to know that advance premium tax credits and cost
-
sharing reductions
can not
be used with CYA Plans to reduce costs.

[CS1983]

Did I already ask you if CHM covers dental as well?

They do not, but they do have some recommendations:

http://www.chministries.org/dentalvision.aspx

[Irving]

Thanks.

[Jamnanc]

Dental insurance sucks even if you have it. Try a preventive maintenance plan with a local dentist. My dental is like 80/20 if you need anything more than a filling. Just don't forget to SAVE what you don't spend on the plan for a major bill.

[Irving]

Well, I'm doing a pretty good job building up my HSA. An HSA can pay for dental stuff I believe.

[Great-Kazoo]

Dental insurance sucks even if you have it. Try a preventive maintenance plan with a local dentist. My dental is like 80/20 if you need anything more than a filling. Just don't forget to SAVE what you don't spend on the plan for a major bill.



DELTA DENTAL.
The wife researched all dental plans / Coverage available. I asked my medicare / Plan B rep who also offers dental plans. He told me nothing beats Delta for the cost. Granted every plan covers nothing you would really need if serious dental work was needed.

[Madeinhb]

It gets worse. Cafeteria plans [aka health insurance from your employer] cannot be canceled outside of enrollment periods, even when they jack up the rates sky high. Further, their enrollment period (the insurance company) can be any arbitrary date in the year, it doesn't match the "exchange" enrollment period.... and they can neglect to tell you when this period is. So you can get locked into one arbitrary plan - can't even change plans within the same insurance company - while they crank prices and modify everything under your feet. If paying insurance through an employer, you literally have your hand forced to continue payments once you begin - hell or high water, statutorily you cannot cancel, period until you are fired or you manage to catch their arbitrary two week period. Can't buy food? Too fucking bad. Zero methods around this to cancel an employer health insurance plan outside of say divorcing or killing one of your family members - or getting fired.
weeks notice.

Not really true or insurances fault. The Open Enrollment period is not arbitrary. It is set when the employer signs the contract. If the employer signs up in May, then open enrollment is every May typically. It's also your employers responsibility to tell you when and give you the new info and rates that the employer agreed to.

[Irving]

Not really true or insurances fault. The Open Enrollment period is not arbitrary. It is set when the employer signs the contract. If the employer signs up in May, then open enrollment is every May typically. It's also your employers responsibility to tell you when and give you the new info and rates that the employer agreed to.

The last company I worked at the open enrollment was the same time every year, regardless of who started when.

[Madeinhb]

The last company I worked at the open enrollment was the same time every year, regardless of who started when.

Yup. It's based on the yearly contract between employer and insurance company. Employees start date doesn't matter.

[Skip]

I feel your pain OP.

We are paying a lot, almost as much as our mortgage, for a pretty crappy plan that according to our insurance guy we are lucky to have because I am self employed and insurers are pulling out of the small biz/employer market.

I have close friends (two bread winners) where one of them is pretty much working for insurance and retirement. She nets nothing that comes home.

Every time I think about healthcare I get angry. I don't understand why people have allowed Dems to doublespeak "affordable" and defend this Obamacare mess. I have yet to know a single person in real life that has benefited. Most people on the internet who claim to have benefited don't understand how insurance works (copays, deductibles, etc).

[TFOGGER]

Affordable Care Act my ass...my wife's position evaporated in June 2015. We now have coverage with a 500% higher deductible and 1000% higher annual out of pocket, for a mere 425% increase in premium (total, omitting the chunk hre employer used to kick in, so an apples to apple comparison). In reality, we went from about $110/month for both of us to $880 a month. That's $28 more than our mortgage.[Rant2]

I have friend with a son that's a hemophiliac. She's the one person I can think of that has benefitted from this fustercluck.

[thedave1164]

obungocare was designed to fail, the ins companies signed on to it because there were back room deals cut that insured the policies would be bought up from them by the gov when ACA failed and single payer was ushered in.

We have already seen bailouts, remains to be seen what else happens, hopefully repeal, but neither side really wants to lose all the control the ACA affords.

[mackbamf]

I'm self employed and there are five of us in my family. There were essentially three plans to choose from here in Arizona. The cheapest option was $1,400 per month and the plan coverage and deductibles were absolutely shitty. Beyond frustrating.

[BushMasterBoy]

Just another way to imprison us. That is what O'care is.

[electronman1729]

I feel your pain OP.

We are paying a lot, almost as much as our mortgage, for a pretty crappy plan that according to our insurance guy we are lucky to have because I am self employed and insurers are pulling out of the small biz/employer market.

I have close friends (two bread winners) where one of them is pretty much working for insurance and retirement. She nets nothing that comes home.

Every time I think about healthcare I get angry. I don't understand why people have allowed Dems to doublespeak "affordable" and defend this Obamacare mess. I have yet to know a single person in real life that has benefited. Most people on the internet who claim to have benefited don't understand how insurance works (copays, deductibles, etc).

Yeah!

There is nothing affordable with these plans at all! I found some plans for $400 a month with a $5000+ deducible! I dont understand how these exchanges are affordable for anyone. I guess if you were really sick, but you would still have to pay $10,0000 out of your own pocket for the insurance to kick in which make no logical sense to me.

[Irving]

Ours is over $700 a month with a $10,000 deductible.

[electronman1729]

Ours is over $700 a month with a $10,000 deductible.

Wow that is a lot of money!

Is that for a family or just you and your spouse?

[Irving]

Me, wife, and kid.

[CS1983]

Electroman, what you looking for exactly?

Something to check the Obamacare block? something to assist you if you have sniffles? something to take take of actual problems that a self-pay doctor visit+generic meds (under deductible cost in total) cannot handle? Something to ...

CHM does not cover dental and vision, and incidents if it is under the deductible amount. Incident related medications are eligible for sharing under the Gold plan.

http://www.chministries.org/prescriptions.aspx

CHM Gold plan is $150 per person/month w/ a $450 cap per family. Husband and wife would be $300. H/W and child would be $450. H/W/C/C/C/C/C/C/C/C would be $450, etc.

I highly recommend the Brother's Keeper add-on (its cost is negligible).

From their site:



Gold program
$150 per unit, per month

Please see the CHM Guidelines for more information.

The Gold program provides members with the ministry’s most extensive financial support.

At the Gold level, you have a $500 personal responsibility per unit, per year. Total bills incurred per medical incident must exceed $500. Obtaining discounts on your bills may reduce or eliminate your $500 personal responsibility amount. You can receive assistance up to $125,000 per illness.

Example: You receive treatment early in the year for a gallbladder problem. Your bills total $7,500. CHM shares the total amount less your personal responsibility ($7,000). In the middle of the same year you have some blood tests done (for an unrelated illness) that cost $400. CHM does not share these bills because the total cost of the incident is less than $500. At the end of the year, you break your arm and the treatment amounts to $2,500. CHM shares the entire amount of $2,500 because you have already paid your $500 personal responsibility in the beginning of the year.

Gold plus Brother’s Keeper

If you join at the Gold level and also join Brother’s Keeper, you will have unlimited financial assistance available to you for all eligible medical bills (after your personal responsibility is met).

http://www.chministries.org/programs.aspx

When my job mailed me the "benefits" package for medical, I read through it and LAUGHED because CHM was so much better.

Also, they have a "Prayer page" where non-covered incidents can be submitted and other members can contribute toward those things.
https://www.chministries.org/downloads/newsletters/CHMMay2014.pdf
(see page 7 sidebar, 8 and 9 full)

Last year they received so many add-on donations they were able to cover non-eligible incidents in total.

Again, if you decide to go with CHM, let me know and I'll split the referral award w/ you (this goes for everyone).

[Rumline]

The problem with not doing a plan through your employer is you can't deduct insurance premiums from your taxable income (assuming you or your spouse are eligible for a plan through an employer).

[Skip]

Ours is over $700 a month with a $10,000 deductible.

Many of my friends are the same boat with a high deductible (as are we). What I've discovered talking to them over drinks is that a significant health event would still mean bankruptcy (or at minimum be financially devastating to them) because they don't have the funds for the deductible.

Add that to, if someone got seriously sick and couldn't work (ran out of sick time/FMLA), they couldn't pay the premiums and would lose the crappy plan entirely.

Remember in 2008 when Dems said the Republican plan was "don't get sick?" Yeah, even worse now.

We decided to save up our individual deductible as part of planning for this BS (took us a while). So my wife/kid can afford to get sick now. But I can't.

And this is what I mean about people not understanding insurance...

Show me the person who benefits with an exchange subsidy but has $6,500 to pay a ObamaBronze deductible? You can't. You can show me a person with a preexisting who benefited but prices are creeping to the point even that advantage is being wiped out. So what people have is a piece of paper but not insurance.

[Rumline]

Many of my friends are the same boat with a high deductible (as are we). What I've discovered talking to them over drinks is that a significant health event would still mean bankruptcy (or at minimum be financially devastating to them) because they don't have the funds for the deductible.
Not just the deductible, but the out-of-pocket maximum. Even after you meet the deductible, a lot of plans still require 10-20% coinsurance until you hit the out-of-pocket maximum.

ETA: if you have a high-deductible health plan, you really need to also have a Health Savings Account (HSA) and be maxing it out, or at least making solid contributions.

[Shooter45]

I used to pay $50 a month for international health care for work and another $5 for dental. I now pay $350 a month and skipped on dental as that is another $100 a month. Of course if I was unemployed and on food stamps I'd get it all for free...

[brutal]

I used to pay $50 a month for international health care for work and another $5 for dental. I now pay $350 a month and skipped on dental as that is another $100 a month. Of course if I was unemployed and on food stamps I'd get it all from y'all...

FIFY.

[electronman1729]

Three more days and we are off Obama care!

[Fmedges]

My problem is peanuts compared to you guys, but it still burns my ass. My wife and I are covered by the VA 100%. I have to carry insurance through my work for myself and my son however since they don't offer child only plans anymore so essentially 50% of the insurance I pay for is going into the toilet. Also fun fact I learned. If you re covered by the VA, but have private health insurance they bill your health insurance and whatever they don't cover the VA just eats it. Sounds shady.

[Mazin]

Try messing with Medicare, Medicaid and SS sometime.

[CS1983]

My problem is peanuts compared to you guys, but it still burns my ass. My wife and I are covered by the VA 100%. I have to carry insurance through my work for myself and my son however since they don't offer child only plans anymore so essentially 50% of the insurance I pay for is going into the toilet. Also fun fact I learned. If you re covered by the VA, but have private health insurance they bill your health insurance and whatever they don't cover the VA just eats it. Sounds shady.

Should look into CHM (http://www.chministries.org/) for the kids. I'd be surprised if it didn't save you money, if your current plan for them is typical. Why do you have insurance for you if you are 100% through VA?

[Fmedges]

Should look into CHM (http://www.chministries.org/) for the kids. I'd be surprised if it didn't save you money, if your current plan for them is typical. Why do you have insurance for you if you are 100% through VA?

Because through my work and also anywhere that I looked would not insure my son only. I had to be on the plan.

[CS1983]

Because through my work and also anywhere that I looked would not insure my son only. I had to be on the plan.

Check out CHM.

[Zundfolge]

Another recommendation of CHM here.

[Fmedges]

if you are 100%, you children will get ChampVA (obviously you have to fill out the application, etc). You will not be on ChampVA, just the kids. I know for fact because that is what we have.

https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/dependents/champva/champva_apply.asp


To be eligible for CHAMPVA, you cannot be eligible for TRICARE, and you must be in one of these categories:



The spouse or child of a Veteran who has been rated permanently and totally disabled for a service-connected disability by a VA regional office.
The surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who died from a VA-rated service-connected disability.
The surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who was at the time death rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability.
The surviving spouse or child of a military member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct (in most of these cases, these family members are eligible for TRICARE, not CHAMPVA).

An eligible CHAMPVA sponsor may be entitled to receive medical care through the VA health care system based on their own Veteran status. If the eligible CHAMPVA sponsor is the spouse of another eligible CHAMPVA sponsor, both may now be eligible for CHAMPVA benefits. In each instance where the eligible spouse requires medical attention, they may choose the VA health care system or coverage under CHAMPVA for their health care needs.

Oh neither of us are 100%, but if you are over 30% everything is covered excluding meds and anyone 50% or over is covered for everything including meds. I will look into CHM.

[Cman]

I use Liberty health share, another christian organization, and pay $199 with $500 deductible. It's worth looking into, sorry I don't know how much kids or wife are.

[Rumline]

My employer's plans suck but I've been sticking with it because of being able to pay the premiums with pre-tax money. Well and the HSA. If the new tax plan gets rid of that then I will be jumping on CHM or similar ASAP.

[TFOGGER]

So I got this in email this morning... Affordable Care act, my hairy white ass...[Rant1]

72419

Our deductible and out of pocket numbers are already off the charts(something like 1250/2500 and 6500/13000 for individual/family). Fuck insurance companies, fuck the US government and their meddling, fuck big pharma, and fuck the IRS for enforcing this shit. There was a time in MY lifetime that reasonable medical care was NOT going to cost more than 80% of my take home pay every fucking month. Politicians can go fuck themselves with barrel cacti soaked in battery acid and herpebolasyphilaids....

[CS1983]

Have you looked into a health share?

[BushMasterBoy]

It makes you want to retire to a banana republic. A friend of mine went to Mexico and got sick 15 years ago. A doctor came to the hotel room and treated him. The bill was $12.

[Rumline]

So I got this in email this morning... Affordable Care act, my hairy white ass...[Rant1]
Hey man you gotta check your white privilege. Somebody has to pay for all these poor dreamers and Syrian refugees. Just because you were born here and raised right and made good life choices and have a job doesn't mean you should have anything more than anybody else.

But seriously that increase is unbelievable. I hope you're able to find something that works better for your family.

[kidicarus13]

Just because you were born here and raised right and made good life choices and have a job doesn't mean you should have anything more than anybody else.



Ain't that the truth?

[Fmedges]

I watched a documentary about people going to Thailand for surgeries and it was the exact opposite of what I thought it would be. All the facilities were phenomenal and all the docs all went to medical school in the USA. Some guy had heart surgury for less than a quarter of the cost. I'm tired of the focus on the scam that is insurance and won't talk about costs. If it wasn't $3,000 for an MRI maybe we all wouldn't need insurance.

[Bailey Guns]

Holy crap! Some of these stories are frightening and I know I couldn't afford what some of you guys are paying.

I feel pretty lucky. I pay about $125 month for BCBS just for me with $800 deductible. No increase for 2018. Preventative care is free.

Wife is on a high deductible plan at work. She doesn't pay any premium and the "High Deductible" is only $2000. And the hospital pays the first $1000 of that. After the deductible it pays exactly like the regular plan except she doesn't pay monthly premiums. The premiums for the regular plan are over $1000 a year so the HD plan is the better option for her. For someone with a family it doesn't work out as well as the PPO plan.

[Madeinhb]

I work for Kaiser. Mine is basically free. Perks of job.