Health insurance premiums.

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: mattpegher
I have noted that many of you quote very low annual costs for your insurance. Unless there are plans out there that I don't know about, I think that for many the cost of insurance premiums are mostly covered by your employers, and therefore you don't see the entire cost. What plans do you have and what is your annual cost.

As for me. 100% of the premiums come out of my wages.
I have a high deductable (5k) PPO plan through QualCare that cost me $7000 per year for a family plan.
That is with the group discount from work.
I could have a low deductable PPO but it would have cost about 14000 per year.
When my company dropped its group plan a few years back it would have cost me $19000 per year for a BC/BS 80/20 plan with $1000 deductable.
I also have a Health Saving Account in which I can deposit 5k/year for health expenses including eye/dental/prescriptions.

I really hope you are being compensated an extra $10-15k in exchange for having that completely crappy health coverage from your employer.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Nebor
I pay very little, get great health care, and love it.

I oppose those without health coverage getting even a second glance from a health professional.

What if I'm a 20 year old billionaire in excellent health and physical condition, and I choose to pay full retail in cash, instead of carrying insurance?

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: mattpegher
I have noted that many of you quote very low annual costs for your insurance. Unless there are plans out there that I don't know about, I think that for many the cost of insurance premiums are mostly covered by your employers, and therefore you don't see the entire cost. What plans do you have and what is your annual cost.

As for me. 100% of the premiums come out of my wages.
I have a high deductable (5k) PPO plan through QualCare that cost me $7000 per year for a family plan.
That is with the group discount from work.
I could have a low deductable PPO but it would have cost about 14000 per year.
When my company dropped its group plan a few years back it would have cost me $19000 per year for a BC/BS 80/20 plan with $1000 deductable.
I also have a Health Saving Account in which I can deposit 5k/year for health expenses including eye/dental/prescriptions.

Do you actually use your HSA $?

Mine goes away at the end of the year if I don't spend all of it.

That's not a HSA, because HSA's don't go away... HSA's are also allowed to accumulate year on year, as well as earning tax-free interest over the years.

What you have is similar, but is called a Flex Spending account. Your Flex Spending Account does not accumulate, does not accrue interest, empties itself at the end of the year. The only benefit to using it is that you can get childcare / OTC medicine and other "medical" (but otherwise un-covered by insurance) using pre-tax dollars instead of post-tax dollars.

 

[ScottMac]

I'm still in an HMO, though thre are a couple PPO options (for now, I like the HMO).

The HMO (HMO Illinois / BCBS) is no payroll deduction, $25 Doctor's office co-pay, $150.00 ER co-pay (whether I'm admitted or not).

Most of the PPOs are also no payroll duduction.

Prescription co-pay is something like up to $20 for formulary generics, up to $40.00 for non-formulary generics, and up to 50% of the actual cost for most Brand-name drugs. I don't remember; I let Wallgreen's figure it out.

All of the above is for the primary insured; wife & chillens will (of course) add to the costs.

We also get a Vision Plan, Dental HMO or PPO (chose one), Psych visits, free/cheap legal counseling, life insurance rounded up to the nearest 25K (with options to multiply it for an additional cost up to 4X or 6X, I think), pension, 401K, and some stock purchase options.

Working for a large (for Dave et al: "evil, despicable ...") corporation does have some perks. These benefits are the same for all non-union employees. The union guys have most of the benefits or similar.

FWIW

 

[heartsurgeon]

I have excellent insurance, that costs me nothing.....I'm covered under Mom's (Wifey) insurance.

She is a Federal Employee, and has an excellent plan.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

wheres the option for '0% i'm uninsured'

 

[BarneyFife]

I'm on a state govt plan and get high quality health care for $6 a week. Can't complain!

 

[mattpegher]

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: mattpegher
I have noted that many of you quote very low annual costs for your insurance. Unless there are plans out there that I don't know about, I think that for many the cost of insurance premiums are mostly covered by your employers, and therefore you don't see the entire cost. What plans do you have and what is your annual cost.

As for me. 100% of the premiums come out of my wages.
I have a high deductable (5k) PPO plan through QualCare that cost me $7000 per year for a family plan.
That is with the group discount from work.
I could have a low deductable PPO but it would have cost about 14000 per year.
When my company dropped its group plan a few years back it would have cost me $19000 per year for a BC/BS 80/20 plan with $1000 deductable.
I also have a Health Saving Account in which I can deposit 5k/year for health expenses including eye/dental/prescriptions.

I really hope you are being compensated an extra $10-15k in exchange for having that completely crappy health coverage from your employer.

My employer includes a monthly bonus of $1250 for full time employees to cover insurance, but we can choose from about 4 plans, from HMO, regular PPO, High deductable PPO, and Facility-only high deductable PPO. The high deductable PPO is the least expensive plan. So out of the 1250/month, I spend about half pretax on insurance and put about 1/3 away in the HSA. The rest I get but I get taxed on it.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
wheres the option for '0% i'm uninsured'

According to the resident Republicans that option does not exist.

Must be a figment of your imagination.

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: charrison
$200/month for a high deductable PPO. This is down from $300/month last year as my employer got a better deal or paid a bigger share. There is $1000 deductible/per person before insurance starts paying for everything. It is not a bad plan.

Ecxept for the fact that I pay $300/month, this is about exactly what I have.