How much do you pay for health insurance in MA? (home, subsidized)

[AandD]

Originally Posted by Georgi

The point is that even with a health insurance you still have to pay pay a lot of money if you need medical treatment. So why to pay 70-100 bucks a month and get nothing while you can pay 0 and still get nothing. It doesn't make sense. In order to have full coverage insurance you have to pay $ 400 - 500 a month just for an individual which is nor affordable for the huge majory of people.

Because at 100 a month you most likely have catastrophic coverage, meaning that you have protection against huge bills in the event of an accident or other health event that places you in the hospital for an extended time.

I'm not familiar with the Mass plan, because I have employer sponsored insurance here in TX and will be insured thru my employer in MA. But I think it's irresponsible to not have some sort of basic coverage for major health events.

Honestly, a large percentage of the population doesn't need much more than that, unless you have some sort of chronic disease or are aged/infirm. I know I go to the doctor 1-2x per year. There's no way I use as much insurance as my employer pays for.

[Georgi]

No, at $100 I won't have any protection against huge bills in the event of an accident or other health event. The huge bills will still come even if I am insured. And why in MA health insurance is mandatory? Isn't it my right to choose where to go and cure myself and have treatment (if needed)? I might want to go to doctor to Japan, Brasil or Greenland.

[Leilani Vasquez]

I pay almost $800 for a family plan through my employer. Although if I were just to have insurance for myself it wouldn't even be half that. I only make $50k a year.

[AandD]

Originally Posted by Leilani Vasquez

I pay almost $800 for a family plan through my employer. Although if I were just to have insurance for myself it wouldn't even be half that. I only make $50k a year.

For our family we pay $400/month thru hubby's employer. Of course, my insurance spends well over $50K per year on our kids each year, so I don't complain.

[westender]

Georgi, even the cheapest health insurance covers the most extreme cases (the catastrophe coverage people are talking about). Like other types of insurance, health insurance starts with the unlikely but devastating risks and, as premium prices increase, covers more and more typical risks.

There may be a $1000 deductible (or more) with your coverage, but check out what the maximum yearly insured out-of-pocket is. It's probably less than $10,000. If you were in a car accident, your health costs might easily exceed $100,000. So your $100/ month premium would be an insurance against a personal loss of the difference, $90,000. Day-to-day medical costs, like pharmaceuticals or checkups, might not be included. However, your insurance also "buys" into a group-pricing mechanism that you wouldn't get if you were an individual, fee-for-service consumer.

If you have no assets, and are "judgement proof" then you might have a valid reason to go without. But if you have any assets at all, some kind of health insurance is advisable.

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by theh

I pay $77 a month through Commonwealth Care. They claim I'm supposed to be able to afford that. Being that I get paid barely enough to pay basic living expenses and my student loan, I disagree. The mandatory health insurance thing would be a great idea if affordable health insurance existed. I wish we had real universal health care instead.

Originally Posted by Georgi

That is exactly my point: You pay $77 a month for nothing. You pay $77 only to satisfy your commonwealth law, only to be a good citizen and not violate the law. But if something happens with you and you need to go to hospital you'll have to pay a huge amount of money, because that basic insurance of $77 a month does cover almost nothing.

How much do you two want to pay for health insurance? $20 per month? I mean, come on. $77 is not that bad and neither is $100.

We pay $1100 for family plan through DH's employer.

Do either one of you have cars? Pay car insurance? Just curious because that is also required in mass and for most people can run at least $500, more likely $800 or more.

Most people somehow manage to pay their car insurance, but probably use their auto insurance much less than their health insurance.

Originally Posted by Georgi

The point is that even with a health insurance you still have to pay pay a lot of money if you need medical treatment. So why to pay 70-100 bucks a month and get nothing while you can pay 0 and still get nothing. It doesn't make sense. In order to have full coverage insurance you have to pay $ 400 - 500 a month just for an individual which is nor affordable for the huge majory of people.

Because just because you still have to pay a lot doesn't mean a lot wasn't paid on your behalf.

If you think you have to pay a lot w/health insurance, try to pay double or triple "a lot" w/out it.

Originally Posted by Georgi

No, at $100 I won't have any protection against huge bills in the event of an accident or other health event. The huge bills will still come even if I am insured. And why in MA health insurance is mandatory? Isn't it my right to choose where to go and cure myself and have treatment (if needed)? I might want to go to doctor to Japan, Brasil or Greenland.

Not when you get run over by a car and are taken to the hospital. They pretty much have to treat you right then and there. No time to get a visa, my friend. And if you can't afford $100 how the heck do you think you are going to get to Japan?

And who do you think is going to pay for Universal Healthcare, anyway? We all are. including you.

Aye, Aye, Aye. My God. Enough of people complaining about how expensive health insurance is when they are paying $25 a week.

I know people paying rent a center $25 a week for their tv for God's sake! (well not people, just one actually, but still she's not the only one out there who is)

[Braunwyn]

Before my job I was paying 250/mo for catastrophic. It had a hospitalization 10,000/yr deductible! There were some perks as far as unemployment coverage while sick etc, but still, it was over the top. I got it for 2 reasons. One, because I had to. 2, a friend of mine found a lump in her breast. She was offered removal of the lump for free (indigent status or whatever). She didn't qualify for chemo. It all turned out ok but in reality, she could have died because she didn't have insurance, so I said, screw it. It was just too risky for me. Of course, I was in my 30's when I made the decision. Younger folk have less to worry about and their payments/types of insurance should reflect their age. Now I pay around 100/mo for me and my husband via my job.

[theh]

Originally Posted by mommytotwo

How much do you two want to pay for health insurance? $20 per month? I mean, come on. $77 is not that bad and neither is $100.

$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.

Not when you get run over by a car and are taken to the hospital. They pretty much have to treat you right then and there.

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.

And who do you think is going to pay for Universal Healthcare, anyway? We all are. including you.

Aren't we all paying for health insurance anyway? Sure, the government would have to raise taxes, but the higher taxes each month for each individual would be a hell of a lot less than what everyone's paying for health insurance.

[seamusnh]

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

[smarty]

I love this thread...

Only if ... they allow us to die without trying to save us would dramatically reduce the cost...

Only if... we stop paying for Viagra at $10/pill... the drug company may focus more on real medicine.

Only if... we walk to work instead of driving XXX miles... will we reduce obesity and cost of health care.

Just imagine if you have cancer, heart attack or chronic disease and they allow you to die (or help kill you free of charge)... It'll save $$$$$$$$$$.... If you don't want to die.... then, you can decide if you want to pay (for medicine or surgery) to live... what a concept!