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You have me confused here. Are you saying that (A) you think your insurance policy was a better one from a pure financial standpoint that having a higher deductible, or are you saying that (B) it was better from an emotional standpoint, even if it was more costly in the long run?
If you are saying (A), what are you assuming the alternate plan is or was, in terms of deductible and premiums? Again, I highly doubt that the insurance company is not setting out to profit in the long run. The $127,000 figure you quote is only relevant if you're comparing it to having NO insurance at all, which obviously would have been bad! But if you're comparing it to a $5,000 deductible, it's not $1,000 versus $127,000. Rather, it's $1,000 vs. $5,000. And how many months of the difference in premiums does it take to equal that difference of $4,000?
If you are saying (B), my response is, why would you have such an emotional reaction in the first place? Perhaps if you weren't expecting as much, it wouldn't bother you. All of us have some expectations and our emotional experiences are often based more on how we do relative to what we're expecting. If your parents and you had always had a higher deductible, it probably wouldn't bother you so much, in which case the "emotional" argument is considerably weakened.
A 5k individual deductible plan for six people purchased individually isn't that cheap.
I'm looking at $568/month, only $132 cheaper than what I was paying at the time with my "regular" policy.
Yeah, when I'm 30 it'll be even more expensive, as I won't qualify for the catastrophic plan. I expect to be as or more healthy at 30 than I am now, thanks to my increasing fitness levels and a continually improving healthy diet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoonose
I think it's great that you're in healthy physical and financial positions. But a deductible of $6K is rather high for most people already. I'm not an insurance actuary, but it may be that to convert that to say a $2K deductible, the premiums might only minimally budge downward. Just a thought. Because with our AZ plan last year the Platinum with a low deductible was minimally more expensive than the high deductible Bronze. It almost made no sense.
Yeah, the small price differential makes me think they're subsidizing the higher-level plans with the lower-level ones. Fishy stuff.
Yeah, when I'm 30 it'll be even more expensive, as I won't qualify for the catastrophic plan. I expect to be as or more healthy at 30 than I am now, thanks to my increasing fitness levels and a continually improving healthy diet.
Yeah, the small price differential makes me think they're subsidizing the higher-level plans with the lower-level ones. Fishy stuff.
oh i know what you expect. i was 24 not long ago also. i told a coworker a few years ago about all the health changes that seemingly happen after youe 25th birthday. he laughed and responded similarly to how you did. he's 30 now, and he's telling coworkers the same thing i told him not many years ago about their 25th birthdays....
i don't know it is about turning 25, but that's the year i saw the health changes starting to kick in, looking back. and i'm a fit individual with a healthy diet.
My feeling is that socialized national healthcare usually comes with a 50% income tax on all of your earnings. We don't have that high of taxes for most people in this country. if you are in the highest federal bracket and highest brackets in California or Massachusetts, you DO pay 50% of your earnings to income taxes, but probably could care less what health insurance costs, and may not even need it.
For ALL OF THE REST OF US, this is a major, major problem. High deductibles for healthy people may never be met, so they are always paying, PLUS paying for the monthly bill, JUST IN CASE OF CATASTROPHE. It's a high price to pay, over someone's life.
I am in favor of higher tax rates, and let's stop this game of shifting the burden.
Watch Out: Insurers are cutting the "discount" they have traditionally offered for provider services, usually if you utilize a in-network provider.
I've been seeing a doctor for a chronic condition. My insurer had provided a 47% discount. In July, it changed to a 16% discount. Bottom line: I pay more each visit.
These high deductible plans are actually discouraging people from getting the medical care they need.
i'm 32. this year i went for my PCP health and physical. i also need to go to a dermotologist (which most people, especially a 24 year old, overlook as basic preventative treatment), a urologist, and a cardiologist. i'll likely be told by the urologist that i have no issue, and i was told by the cardiologist i have no issue. but once you hit 30 and actually wise up and start going to the specialists periodically that you should be going to, even if you're a "healthy individual", those high deductible plans are atrocious.
have kids? even more atrocious.
What do you mean basic preventive care? Just don't overdo staying in the sun and you'll be fine.
Watch Out: Insurers are cutting the "discount" they have traditionally offered for provider services, usually if you utilize a in-network provider.
I've been seeing a doctor for a chronic condition. My insurer had provided a 47% discount. In July, it changed to a 16% discount. Bottom line: I pay more each visit.
These high deductible plans are actually discouraging people from getting the medical care they need.
They are designed to dissuade people from consuming health care unnecessarily. The problem is that they can also dissuade people from seeking necessary care.
Maybe I'm preaching to the choir, but we really need a "Consumer's Bill of Rights" when it comes to healthcare in this country.
Why should the government mandate services offered by a private company? You're basically asking for socialized medicine.
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