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Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted
Thanks Obama, goddamn it to hell. Thanks for RUINING the employer provided health insurance market in this country as they all race to the bottom to match and keep with Obamacare requirements. GODDAMN IT!

I work for a large corporation that builds stuff for the government that flies and goes into space, and you'd THINK they'd have a very good health insurance but it's been getting steadily worse over the past 5 years.

This past Monday we find that all previous plans are scrapped and all we can chose from for 2018 are 3 High Deductible Health Plans with insanely high deductibles that we will never be able to meet short of a major hospitalization. I went from having a $300 deductible...to $500...to $750...to $1000...to $2000, now we have plans with a choice of these deductibles and until they are met, we pay for EVERYTHING out of pocket:

$3,200
$5,100
$6,850


The one decent part of the old plans was reasonable prescription drugs, now that is all gone too. One woman here found out that her husband's Parkinson's medication they were paying $100/month for in 2017 will be...wait for it...$2,100/month in 2018. WTF! Mad Mad Mad

They totally just f*cked us all. Confused

For the first time ever, I may have to look outside the company for some sort of health coverage for my family! Been here almost 14 years.

But our stock just hit an all time high this week, so the CEO is happy and that's all that matters.


 
Posts: 33769 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
well, the bright side is that you get to open an HSA and those are pretty cool.
 
Posts: 5405 | Registered: April 08, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Just because you can,
doesn't mean you should
posted Hide Post
quote:
For the first time ever, I may have to look outside the company for some sort of health coverage for my family!


Good luck on that one. You're about to get sticker shock.

Just be glad you aren't self employed. We get to pay the full premium and have deductibles that are so high you can't use the insurance except in major illnesses.


___________________________
Avoid buying ChiCom/CCP products whenever possible.
 
Posts: 9495 | Location: NE GA | Registered: August 22, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Krazeehorse
posted Hide Post
I doubt your employer is forcing you. You can go shopping for yourself like many of us self-employed do. My insurance for myself (no family) is $600/month. That's $10,000 deductible with the stop loss at $15K. I think if I could get on your employer's plan I would probably opt to do so. I understand the sting of going backwards but do some price checking and I think you'll appreciate what you have a little more.


_____________________

Be careful what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.
 
Posts: 5685 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by 220-9er:
Just be glad you aren't self employed. We get to pay the full premium and have deductibles that are so high you can't use the insurance except in major illnesses.


Exactly where I am. $6,500 individual, $13,000 family deductible. Catastrophic coverage at full coverage prices.
 
Posts: 8954 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
I Wanna Missile
Picture of tanksoldier
posted Hide Post
quote:
Employer Forcing High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) On All Of Us



Nope. Nobody is forcing anything.

True, Obama and the Dims are responsible for the high insurance rates most people face now... but nobody is forcing anything.

To be honest, "high deductible" plans are how health INSURANCE is supposed to work. What most people have now is pre-paid medical which isn't the same and isn't really "insurance".



"I am a Soldier. I fight where I'm told and I win where I fight."
GEN George S. Patton, Jr.
 
Posts: 21542 | Location: Eastern plains of Colorado | Registered: January 25, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shall Not Be Infringed
Picture of nhracecraft
posted Hide Post
I feel your pain....Actually I've been feeling it for quite a while. Our family (my wife, my son and myself) has health insurance through my wife's company and our deductibles have gone up SIGNIFICANTLY since ObamaCare! Frown

Previously deductibles were $500/person, $1500/family
Currently deductibles are $5000/person, $15000/family Mad

And this is in addition to the HUGE jump in premiums we're paying as well!

That said, in 2016 I was actually able to claim a medical expense deduction my income tax return for the first time in my life....Gee, thanks! Roll Eyes


____________________________________________________________

If Some is Good, and More is Better.....then Too Much, is Just Enough !!
Trump 2024....Save America!
"May Almighty God bless the United States of America" - parabellum 7/26/20
Live Free or Die!
 
Posts: 8865 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: October 29, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Too old to run,
too mean to quit!
posted Hide Post
quote:
The one decent part of the old plans was reasonable prescription drugs, now that is all gone too. One woman here found out that her husband's Parkinson's medication they were paying $100/month for in 2017 will be...wait for it...$2,100/month in 2018. WTF! Mad Mad Mad

They totally just f*cked us all. Confused


Unfortunately, the insurance lobby has "bought" the elected officials. To the point that any effort to reduce or eliminate that influence is met with lots more lobbyist action to continue access to the public feeding trough.

Remember what happened when it came down to the congress repealing and replacing it?


Elk

There has never been an occasion where a people gave up their weapons in the interest of peace that didn't end in their massacre. (Louis L'Amour)

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical. "
-Thomas Jefferson

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis de Tocqueville

FBHO!!!



The Idaho Elk Hunter
 
Posts: 25642 | Location: Virginia | Registered: December 16, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
I run trains!
Picture of SigM4
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by tanksoldier:

To be honest, "high deductible" plans are how health INSURANCE is supposed to work. What most people have now is pre-paid medical which isn't the same and isn't really "insurance".


I agree with this. While we don't like to think about it, insurance is there to help offset a catastrophic event. The switch over to a HDHP was the trigger for my wife and I to both get move involved with our health and ensure we're taking care of ourselves and the kids. Not that we had any glaring health problems previously, just that we needed to be continually mindful. We're also much more mindful of checking our invoices from the various doctors/hospital visits. You'd be amazed at how much is tacked on that you're probably not seeing now. Just being educated helped reduce a huge portion of the cost.

You have to be aware of prescriptions and the agreed upon price for the plan. We've worked with our providers to ensure we're using the most cost effective options for anything we may need.



Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Complacency sucks…
 
Posts: 5423 | Location: Wichita, KS (for now)…always a Texan… | Registered: April 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Get my pies
outta the oven!

Picture of PASig
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:

Catastrophic coverage at full coverage prices.



Summed up perfectly in one sentence. Frown


 
Posts: 33769 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: November 12, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shit don't
mean shit
posted Hide Post
The CFO said in a call today that this was done in response to the "Cadillac Tax"...although that got pushed out to 2020. The other benefits they are changing are supposed to partially account for the change...I've known this for a while, but we both work for the same company. You can look at my email here and look me up in the GAL if you'd like. Wink

I started looking at the changes yesterday. My biggest issue is I can't find a doctor in my zip code, or the zip code next to me. I think my current doctor will now be out of network.
 
Posts: 5759 | Location: 7400 feet in Conifer CO | Registered: November 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I've had a high deductible pan with an HSA for about six or seven years now. I really prefer it. The deductible is $5500, but I've managed to stay healthy and put money into the HSA every month, so now I've got a a couple years worth of deductible in the account for my wife and I. What I like is that the pretax money is all mine. By the time I really start to need more routine medical care (I'm not yet 40) I should have a sizable account balance in the HSA to help out.


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Posts: 728 | Location: Raleigh, NC | Registered: May 15, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
sick puppy
posted Hide Post
pretty sure mine is like $6,800 individual or $13,500 family. whatever it is, it freaking sucks. and that's one of the "better" options.



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While you may be able to get away with bottom shelf whiskey, stay the hell away from bottom shelf tequila. - FishOn
 
Posts: 7546 | Location: Alpine, Ut | Registered: February 17, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Don't Panic
Picture of joel9507
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quote:
Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
Remember what happened when it came down to the congress repealing and replacing it?

As bad as those timid shits are/were, it's important to remember they are not the ones who saddled us with this monstrosity.

There is a world of difference between the folks who wrecked something on purpose, and the folks who are trying, however ineffectively, to undo the damage.
 
Posts: 15022 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: October 15, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Equal Opportunity Mocker
Picture of slabsides45
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by 220-9er:
quote:
For the first time ever, I may have to look outside the company for some sort of health coverage for my family!


Good luck on that one. You're about to get sticker shock.

Just be glad you aren't self employed. We get to pay the full premium and have deductibles that are so high you can't use the insurance except in major illnesses.


^^^THIS. But yes, it does blow chunks.


________________________________________________

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving."
-Dr. Adrian Rogers
 
Posts: 6389 | Location: Mogadishu on the Mississippi | Registered: February 26, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
eh-TEE-oh-clez
Picture of Aeteocles
posted Hide Post
Did you compare premiums?

I just recently changed my enrollment and actually saw that going up to a higher deductible plan with a lower premium would save me money over all.

I did the math and realized that even if I used the entirety of the high deductible and imagine that deductible spread across my 26 pay periods, its still cheaper than the low deductible plan with the higher premiums. Bonus points if I could get through the year without racking up the doctors bills.
 
Posts: 13047 | Location: Orange County, California | Registered: May 19, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of mikeyspizza
posted Hide Post
Are you sure you are reading and undersanding the coverages correctly? I have voluntarily chosen Aetna HDHP for about the past 5 years or so. If I read the plan details it sounds as if nothing is covered until you meet the deductible. But that is not the case at all.

For 2 of us the deductible is $3k and max. out-of-pocket is $6,850. Preventive care is free, we pay the reduced rates negotiated with Aetna, and drugs are priced at the reduced Aetna rate.

My wife takes 3 scripts that cost about $30/month, and she goes in for office visit and lab work about 2x/year at about $400 a shot.

YMMV.
 
Posts: 4009 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: August 16, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
Picture of Skins2881
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by KDR:
I've had a high deductible pan with an HSA for about six or seven years now. I really prefer it. The deductible is $5500, but I've managed to stay healthy and put money into the HSA every month, so now I've got a a couple years worth of deductible in the account for my wife and I. What I like is that the pretax money is all mine. By the time I really start to need more routine medical care (I'm not yet 40) I should have a sizable account balance in the HSA to help out.


Yep I love mine. I've saved enough to pay deductible for two years since going that route. It's great! Pay lowest premium possible and save the difference. If I don't need medical care I end up better off. If I do need it, I've already saved the money and pay for care tax free.

I much rather pay less in taxes every year. $3,350 x .25 =$837.50 at my 25% rate. Additionally if I had a lower deductible plan that didn't qualify for HSA then I'd pay an extra $2,000-3,000 per year in premiums. Instead I save that money in my HSA and let it grow.

High deductible plans are the way to go for me for sure. I rather self insure with tax free money. It also is sweet that my deductible is almost exactly the same as max contribution. If I need serious care my MAX OP is $5,500.

If you are sickly then low deductible (prepaid medical care) is better than high deductible plans (insurance).

Quick question for those that hate HDHPs. Do you select the highest car/homeowners deductible or the lowest?

It's financially smarter to select high deductibles with all insurance you pay way more for low deductible. Talk to your financial planner they can explain this to you. Usually after a year or two the premium difference covers the difference in deductibles. The secret to this is you must save the savings for a rainy day.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20815 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of chansen92
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by PASig:
Thanks Obama, goddamn it to hell. Thanks for RUINING the employer provided health insurance market in this country as they all race to the bottom to match and keep with Obamacare requirements. GODDAMN IT!

I work for a large corporation that builds stuff for the government that flies and goes into space, and you'd THINK they'd have a very good health insurance but it's been getting steadily worse over the past 5 years.

This past Monday we find that all previous plans are scrapped and all we can chose from for 2018 are 3 High Deductible Health Plans with insanely high deductibles that we will never be able to meet short of a major hospitalization. I went from having a $300 deductible...to $500...to $750...to $1000...to $2000, now we have plans with a choice of these deductibles and until they are met, we pay for EVERYTHING out of pocket:

$3,200
$5,100
$6,850


The one decent part of the old plans was reasonable prescription drugs, now that is all gone too. One woman here found out that her husband's Parkinson's medication they were paying $100/month for in 2017 will be...wait for it...$2,100/month in 2018. WTF! Mad Mad Mad

They totally just f*cked us all. Confused

For the first time ever, I may have to look outside the company for some sort of health coverage for my family! Been here almost 14 years.

But our stock just hit an all time high this week, so the CEO is happy and that's all that matters.
Just have a little patience and when all the insurance companies crash you can sign up for the one payer system. Problem solved!
 
Posts: 1622 | Location: owosso,Mi. USA | Registered: August 18, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Don't Panic
Picture of joel9507
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by chansen92:
Just have a little patience and when all the insurance companies crash you can sign up for the one payer system. Problem solved!

That is a usage of the word 'solved' that I've not been exposed to before. Wink

<I strongly suspect you were kidding>
 
Posts: 15022 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: October 15, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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