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I'm looking at a very similar plan here in Oregon and the cost for just me is $341/month. That's IF they take me. I'm betting what you got quoted is either a worthless company OR it's per person.
It was not per person, it was for all four - I'm positive of that.
It may be a worthless company - I've never heard of them. The comparable plans from Aetna weren't much more, however.
As a lot of you may know (it's been mentioned a few times in here), I'm self employed and we currently have no health insurance. The last time I priced it was about a year ago, when we started our business. The plans I was looking at then were all over the map, as we weren't sure how fast the business would take off and how much money we'd have to spend on insurance.
With all the talk about health insurance these days, and with all the threads going here discussing the "health care crisis" we are or aren't experiencing and the alleged outrageous cost of plans for those whose employers aren't bearing the brunt, I decided to take another look at the options available and their cost.
What I found was that as long as you're not wanting every single nickle and dime covered, the plans are actually pretty affordable. You do, of course, have to look at the details and really understand what it is you're signing up for, but then, shouldn't you always do that when you're entering into a contract? I would think that would be particularly important when dealing with something as significant as your health. I say this because a big part of the argument for some form of government run health care is that the insurance companies try to weasel out of providing care, and often the care in question isn't covered by the plan. Most people don't read what they sign...
Here's the basics of the plan that best fits our situation. We may or may not purchase this plan in the next month or two - I need to do some more shopping around. The comparison tool I used this afternoon was eHealthInsurance.com. The quote is for two adult smokers and two teenage boys.
Office Visits: $35, 2 per year per person
Specialists: $35, 2 per year per person
Coinsurance: 20% after deductible
Annual Deductible: $5,000, $2,500 per person, two persons max
Rx: Generic: $15 copay, no brand name coverage
Annual out of pocket limit: $3,000 per person + deductible
Lifetime Maximum: $3,000,000 per person
Out of network coverage: Yes
Out of country coverage: Yes, emergency only
Primary Care Physician Required: No
Specialist Referral Required: No
OB/GYN: Basics are 20% coinsurance after deductible
Emergency Room: 20% coinsurance after deductible, $500 copay if not admitted
Lab/X-ray: 20% coinsurance after deductible if performed within 2 weeks of surgery
Outpatient Surgery, Hospitalization: 20% coinsurance after deductible
Maternity: Not covered
Cost: $306.94 / month
There are some things in the list I'd like to see tweaked, but it's really not that bad of a deal. It's certainly not indicative of a "crisis." Would it be a free ride if there was a major accident or illness? No. Would it bankrupt us? No. There's enough coverage there to ensure that we'd get the care we need, and we'd just have to tighten our belts for a while.
I do agree that some things could be done to reduce the cost of health care, but I am, and always have been, convinced that there is no "health care crisis" in this country. Despite all the propaganda being thrown about these days, I still haven't seen anything that even comes close to convincing me that the Federal government should get involved. It's not their job, plain and simple, and if they're going to be sticking their hands into an industry that represents as much as 1/6 of our economy, they're going to have to provide a heck of a lot of proof that it's absolutely necessary. If the states want to experiment with some sort of UHC or mandatory coverage ideas, such as Massachusetts has, more power to 'em. I'm all about states' rights, and they have the right to do stuff like that. The Feds don't. It's not their place, and they absolutely should not get involved.
Every single family I know easily pays $1200-1400/month for coverage for a family of 4-5, if they are not covered by their employer. NOBODY pays the low rates you've quoted here. Nobody. If you decide to purchase this plan, I'd strongly counsel you to run it by a lawyer first.
Lucky, lucky you. I wouldn't be able to have a policy like that. Two doctor's visits per year? Two specialist's visits per year? No brand name drug coverage? Even if I weren't excluded due to several pre-existing conditions, this policy would cover me for less than a month.
Read his post..he went shopping for insurance for himself..not you.
You need to do your own shopping to find the right plan for you.
Comment on HIS plan, not how his plan won't fit your needs.
This plan isn't even a Volkswagen; it's a tricycle.
No, having no coverage at all would be the tricycle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
There are a number of drugs for which there is no generic equivalent. Your doctor may be able to find something "comparable", but it might not be the drug of choice for your condition. Lab work isn't too expensive (usually), but X-rays such as MRIs, CAT scans, etc, can get up there.
I thought we covered most of this already.
Anyway, I know that some of the tests can be pricey. That's why I said that the chosen plan was a compromise. I know that most on your side of the debate don't like that word - particularly those who are in the health care industry - but there it is. I'm willing to pay more for certain things in order to keep health care in the hands of private, profit driven, businesses.
It's that profit motive that keeps the innovations coming, and I want them to keep coming.
My experience was very similar to yours. At 62.5 I was laid off and lost my health insurance. I got a $2500 deductible BC/BS policy for $248/month as an individual. I take blood pressure and cholesterol meds but otherwise am in good health (non smoker). Continued to carry this policy until 65 when I got a medicare supplement and part D. The cost for this is almost identical to what I paid pre 65 to BC/BS.
Your cost is for one person. He is quoting about $300 for a family of four.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MovingForward
Every single family I know easily pays $1200-1400/month for coverage for a family of 4-5, if they are not covered by their employer. NOBODY pays the low rates you've quoted here. Nobody. If you decide to purchase this plan, I'd strongly counsel you to run it by a lawyer first.
Read his post..he went shopping for insurance for himself..not you.
You need to do your own shopping to find the right plan for you.
Comment on HIS plan, not how his plan won't fit your needs.
So you say now. Given that you obviously have no idea how much a doctor's visit will cost, it's easy to brush them off as insignificant. The bill for my last doctor's visit, on July 6th, came to $1,424.12.
For an office call? You need to find a new doctor...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill61
Naive and uninformed.
No need to be rude, and for the record, you're incorrect. I have had these things done in my life, you know, and I've seen the bills. I know what a chest X-ray costs, and what a cholesterol test costs. Basic tests for basic health care - those are my primary concerns right now.
As our business grows and we're making more, we can upgrade to a better plan. As it stands, we've been in business for only a year. We've been operating in the black for six months - we got there MUCH sooner than most new small businesses do, and in an ailing economy to boot. We won't be on this plan (or one like it) for all that long.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jill61
And what makes you think every family has the same resources and medical needs your family does?
Who said that I thought that? It certainly wasn't me.
Back off your confrontational stance and try to have a conversation. We both might learn something. If you're just going to get in my face, I'll just tune you out. What would the point be in that?
Yeah but then there are plans like the one I currently have at work
15$ doc
25 spec (no referral needed)
100 surgery
50 ER waived if admitted
RX 10,20(preferred brand), 50 (non preferred brand)
No deductible
500$ a month (250 a paycheck)for a family of 3
I just had major surgery. The insurance has been billed over 40,000$ so far. My responsibility is 100$. I love my plan, and there are no pre-existing condition limitations with it either. It's through Optima.
Yes my company offers a cheaper plan, but I am willing to pay more for the better coverage. Especially given the fact I've had surgery twice in 18 months.
How much does your employer pay towards your coverage?
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