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Looks like these are the rates. Seems like the rates are more friendly for family plans (they cover a portion of the family component, most private does not) and towards the lower % coverages.
Example: single coverage 90/10 cost is split almost evenly with the employee paying $345 and the employer paying $335. The family plan maintains the split with $1000 paid by each party.
This is an opposing example to the one you showed. So yeah, it does vary. I do question the wisdom of going with a low cost 75/25 family plan though. If any of your family members suffer a medical emergency, you're going to be on the hook for a lot more. Hence the reason why the premiums on the 90/10 plan are a lot higher.
Looks like these are the rates. Seems like the rates are more friendly for family plans (they cover a portion of the family component, most private does not) and towards the lower % coverages.
Example: single coverage 90/10 cost is split almost evenly with the employee paying $345 and the employer paying $335. The family plan maintains the split with $1000 paid by each party.
This is an opposing example to the one you showed. So yeah, it does vary. I do question the wisdom of going with a low cost 75/25 family plan though. If any of your family members suffer a medical emergency, you're going to be on the hook for a lot more. Hence the reason why the premiums on the 90/10 plan are a lot higher.
There is a ceiling on the deductible every year. For 75/25 plan the cap is $5,000/person. Each visit like ER or impatient is $300 maximum. But the deductible does not apply to primary office visits or specialists.
There is an agreement made two years ago that the employer would pay 60% premium of the 80/20 plan. So for 90/10 plan the employee has to contribute up to 51% premium.
[url] I do question the wisdom of going with a low cost 75/25 family plan though. If any of your family members suffer a medical emergency, you're going to be on the hook for a lot more. Hence the reason why the premiums on the 90/10 plan are a lot higher.
I believe the 75/25 plans are a new offering this year - mainly because the plans at HMSA were getting so expensive they were losing business to Kaiser and 75/25 was a way to stop the bleeding.
Their is certainly appeal in the pricing of a 75/25 - but yes, if you get sick, you can really get hit hard with very high out of pocket expenses. Stay healthy and you save a lot of money.
There is a ceiling on the deductible every year. For 75/25 plan the cap is $5,000/person. Each visit like ER or impatient is $300 maximum. But the deductible does not apply to primary office visits or specialists.
There is an agreement made two years ago that the employer would pay 60% premium of the 80/20 plan. So for 90/10 plan the employee has to contribute up to 51% premium.
Actually the best deal is in the retiree's plan.
that explains the escalating cost difference between the plans and why 75/25 pays little.
Walmart is not pricing items the same price as on the mainland because they have to pay for shipping. The groceries are much higher in the Hawaii Walmarts.
Sure it does if your plan provides for it - my HMSA plan provides for airfare, meals, and lodging for myself and a companion (in cases where I need the companion to help with care) if it is pre-authorized by HMSA. It isn't a benefit I'll ever use as I live on Oahu - but it is clearly spelled out. Sounds like your employer has a less expensive plan. I'm also fairly sure the Quest/Medicaid plans also pay for lodging and meals.
I'd love to hear an example on a car where the MSRP sticker price differs from the mainland - whether you are down the street from the factory or 2,500 miles away, everyone pays the same destination fee on a new car.
I have hmsa and I am going to have a surgery. My hmsa doesn't pay for any travel expenses.
I have hmsa and I am going to have a surgery. My hmsa doesn't pay for any travel expenses.
They definitely don't pay if it's elective or available without traveling - however, I'm fairly sure even the worst HMSA plans pay for airfare for emergency surgery - or necessary and approved medical visits that can't be done on your home island.
Walmart is not pricing items the same price as on the mainland because they have to pay for shipping. The groceries are much higher in the Hawaii Walmarts.
you can pretty much tell that hawaii is way more expensive simply from watching fast food commercials on tv. It'll be like "foot long subway sandwiches for only 4 dollars" or "get this awesome pizza deal for only $8". And in fine print it excludes HI and AK. And when you get to the store, the deal is $7 for the foot long sandwich and the pizza deal is $15. lol
you can pretty much tell that hawaii is way more expensive simply from watching fast food commercials on tv. It'll be like "foot long subway sandwiches for only 4 dollars" or "get this awesome pizza deal for only $8". And in fine print it excludes HI and AK. And when you get to the store, the deal is $7 for the foot long sandwich and the pizza deal is $15. lol
That's funny. We are the asterisk state.
But truey, just live here for 6 months and all the nuances as to why we are expensive are seen.
It's not just one big thing that you can step back and point at saying, "See that! There is why we are the most expensive!!"
We aren't the most expensive on every single thing, but sh** adds up.
We found Walmart is not cheap in Hawaii, like it can be in other states. I recall that milk was between $7 to $9 a gallon and eggs were about $5 a dozen at the Walmarts in Hawaii.
Was at Costco Iwilei yesterday... $6.35/5 dozen eggs. Or $1.27/dozen. If you shop at Costco (at least on Oahu) the food prices seem to be maybe 10-15% higher on average when compared to those prices at Costcos in California... at least for the basket of goods I typically buy. Of course some items are a bit pricier (gallon of milk is $4.50 here vs $3-ish in Cali, etc) but I don't nor do I believe most people drink so much milk or eat so much cereal that it makes an even marginal impact on their overall spending budgets.
Looking at the big picture, Americans only spend 6.4% of their total income on food (lowest in the world). Canada, for example, spends 9.1% of their income on food. Only 8 countries in total spend less than 10% of their income on food. People living in the Philippines drop 41.9% of their hard-earned money just to eat
Considering how downright awful our food security is here on Oahu (we import almost everything we eat) and how far food needs to travel to get to our stores, I'm surprised food prices overall are not much higher.
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