How much do you pay for health insurance in MA?

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by seamusnh

My family plan is $1400 per month. My employer pays 80% and I pay 20% ($281 per month).

Same here, $1400. Except if you are self-employed, you get to pay the whole amount.

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by theh

$77 may not be much to you, but for low-income families and individuals who have nothing left at the end of the month, any amount of money is going to be a financial burden. Mandatory health insurance would be a step in the right direction if only everyone could afford it. Massachusetts tried and failed at resolving this issue.

You don't have to tell me about low income. I WAS low income. Those with low enough incomes can get health insurance from the state, which, frankly is what I did when I was low low low income. Otherwise, it came right out of the paycheck. Just because it isn't coming out of people's paychecks directly doesn't mean it costs more money. $77 per month is not an outrageous sum of money for a person that does not qualify for free health insurance.

I understand your point that its a lot of money if you never go to the doctor. I've been there. In the last three years, I've been once (see hurt back above). Yet I pay for the insurance. (Way more than $77, as I said before).

health insurance is about protection, just like car insurance. Protection in case something happens to you. Yes, it is costly for those of us that don't use it frequently. I agree. I for one am not getting my money's worth, that is for sure.

quote=theh;7099006]Car accidents have been brought up multiple times in this discussion...Health insurance doesn't normally cover auto-related incidents. That's what car insurance is for, and that's a major reason why car insurance is mandatory in Massachusetts. The debate on whether or not it should be mandatory is a different issue.[/quote]

Ok, forget hit by a car. The other day my brother slipped on the ice. Two years ago my mother fell down the stairs and broke two ribs. Last winter I hurt my back stacking firewood. My cousin's brother in law fell down (I don't know how) and broke his foot. Forget health insurance, he is now out of a job. My father had triple bypass surgery 4 years ago. Hell, I had two kids. There are things that come up and things that happen that you do not expect. See examples 1-4. When these things happen to people, if they could not afford the $77 per month how will they pay a $2,000-$4,000 hospital bill?

[Ann in Oriental]

Would a single mother,(1 child )earning around $1,000 a month be considered low income? How much for insurance?

[theh]

Originally Posted by Ann in Oriental

Would a single mother,(1 child )earning around $1,000 a month be considered low income? How much for insurance?

Definitely, and probably no more than $39/month if you go through the state. I'm not sure if it costs more if you also need your child covered.

Homepage with info: Commonwealth Connector > Home

[ocean925]

I pay about $194 a month. I'm with Commonwealth Choice, which is not the same as Commonwealth Care. It's not subsidized. I have a plan with Blue Cross, the 'young adults' plan that will expire when I turn 26. But I think it's an excellent rate. Whether I'm comfortably able to fork over the fee each month is another story, but it's my choice as someone who is attempting to stake out a freelance/self-employed career. There are sacrifices and I make sure that I can pay my bills. Otherwise it's time to move back home with the 'rents and figure out another game plan.

It doesn't cover many of the things I need, but it covers plenty of the essentials. I was paying like $100 when I was working and my employer was covering only about 60% of the premium for equally crappy insurance. So to pay an extra hundred dollars and to be making almost the same amount of money without the sucky job, I'll take it!