2018 Health Insurance Increases

[.455_Hunter]

My company is self-insured (employee owned) and we use BCBS to administer the plans. The rates and coverage are pretty good, especially since all of the participants are current employees and their families. If I feel BCBS unfairly denies a claim, I can just squeal to our HR director or COO and get resolution. For FY18, our friends benefits pool (including health care costs) was underrun by $2M.

[CS1983]

My wife and kids are on CHM as well. $300/mo for all 4 ($150 wife and the kids are considered one "unit"). That's the "gold" level. We are also part of the "brother's keeper" program, which is for catastrophic. It's quarterly and based on participation numbers. I think last quarter was $50? $500 copay per incident, and if you get enough self-pay discounts they often waive that.

Prescriptions could be an issue, if one needs a bunch of them.

Also, they have a lifestyle clause, so no tobacco users. I'm covered under the VA *spits*, so the tobacco thing isn't a problem. I've been out since 2009 and haven't used them once for anything not related to the med retirement. I just suffer lol. Actually haven't been to them since... mid 2010? I should probably look into that as it's my understanding we can now see other providers.

Anyway, if you are interested in CHM, Grant or myself can provide you some info and personal experiences if you want to go that route. I think there are a few more on here too.

[Fentonite]

I hear you. I got three stitches back in February. It wasn't an emergency, and I didn't want to go but thought it might be a big deal since it was on my hand. I called around to the clinics at grocery stores and they all said they'd just send me to the emergency room. I went and it ended up costing me over f'ing $6,000!

One of my life coaches pointed out that I could have flown first class to Panama gotten the stitches and flown back for less. Health "insurance" in this country is completely fucked and has been for a long time. Now I'm angry about that all over again.

That sucks on many levels. I am the guy who sews people up in the ER (among other things). Depending on my patient load on that particular day, I would have probably been paid around $40 to see/examine you, evaluate the injury, order xrays, interpret them, manage your care, repair your wound, and arrange appropriate aftercare (not to mention, personally and likely solely absorb any possible liability if something goes wrong). That is about what I earn (before taxes) for each laceration, heart attack, stroke, assault, psych, pneumonia, overdose, fracture, anaphylaxis, abdominal pain, head injury, flu, etc, etc, etc, that I see every day. And you get a bill for 6 grand; ridiculous. Granted, the nurses, techs, radiologists, registration clerks, etc all need to be paid, but I expect most of your cost was a facility fee, going to the hospital. And sure, there is a real cost to having world-class equipment on hand and available for any emergency (MRI, CT, every imaginable specialist paid to be on-call, cath lab, OR, etc) that is absorbed by those using the ER, but I suspect most of your $6,000 was billed to cover the vast number of folk who come to the ER and do not pay. Like our current insurance system, it is just another way we are all subsidizing those who do not pay their share. And believe me, the guy (or gal) taking care of you is not getting rich doing it. The mega-companies that hire us?, that is another story.

[MrPrena]

I hear you. I got three stitches back in February. It wasn't an emergency, and I didn't want to go but thought it might be a big deal since it was on my hand. I called around to the clinics at grocery stores and they all said they'd just send me to the emergency room. I went and it ended up costing me over f'ing $6,000!

One of my life coaches pointed out that I could have flown
first class to Panama gotten the stitches and flown back for less. Health "insurance" in this country is completely fucked and has been for a long time. Now I'm angry about that all over again.Now I'm angry about that all over again.

This. ^
I actually know 2 who did similar.
One was my own mother 10 years ago.
She saved 12k on cost of surgery. MD did fellowship at Johns.
Facility was top notch ge and siemens stuff.

In major cities, they sell medical vacation packages and it is pretty popular.

The country she got a surgery at, they are far more advanced in stem cell than us. They are about 3 years behind -mab's.

[GilpinGuy]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. We got notice last night that our premiums aren't going up this year. I don't remember a year they haven't gone up at least a little.

[Irving]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. We got notice last night that our premiums aren't going up this year. I don't remember a year they haven't gone up at least a little.

I was listening to something talking about how premiums aren't going up this year, and some are even going down. They cited something about prices having gone up so much already that they can't go up anymore. That sounded ridiculous, so it might have been within the framework of a law or something. Either way, it was clearly a piece trying to make things sound Rosey.

Fentonite: When the lady came to get my insurance info, I laughingly told her, "As long as it's under ten thousand dollars." She said, "Oh, I'm almost SURE that it will be." I was like, "Ummmm, I was just joking."

I assumed it would be at least $2,000 just because it was ER related, but was floored when that bill came in. All I could think about was how I needed some nurse on the side to bandage me up like super heroes have. I would have paid someone $500 cash in a heart beat if I had suspected.

[hollohas]

I'm pissed about this too. It's going to get to the point where people give up and we go full Commie. I really don't see another solution.

And ^this was the specific purpose of the ACA. It purposefully made costs go through the roof so people would accept full commie single payer in the future.

[hollohas]

Colorado also has some of the highest rates in the nation. Notice how they are building an ER on every corner? Well, those ER's don't have any patients so they all have been forced to raise the costs of service to keep the doors open.

[MarkCO]

We have been with CHM for several years now. We have had a few injuries with the boys and it worked out great. It is saving us a HUGE chunk of change, very happy with it.

[CS1983]

We have been with CHM for several years now. We have had a few injuries with the boys and it worked out great. It is saving us a HUGE chunk of change, very happy with it.

Every time i see company "benefits" emails w/ rates, I don't know whether to laugh at the company or cry for my co-workers. CHM is definitely a good way to go if one is accepted.