Buying Health Insurance - Infuriating

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:

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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).

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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/downloa...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).

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).

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Originally Posted by Irving

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by Skip

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.

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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.

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...

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Originally Posted by 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 from y'all...

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FIFY.

Three more days and we are off Obama care!

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.

Try messing with Medicare, Medicaid and SS sometime.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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?