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Put me down as a fan of the HDHP/HSA. $6k family/$3k individual deductible. With the wife's breast cancer, $3k came and went quickly. Others here have have walked similar roads nod knowingly when I mention that the non negotiated price for one chemo round was just over $72,000. Aetna will surely pay less, but I'll pay nothing on that.

We're doing fine, but I'm glad I'm only on the hook for $3k.


--
I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is.

JALLEN 10/18/18
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...610094844#7610094844
 
Posts: 2362 | Location: Roswell, GA | Registered: March 10, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Stop Talking, Start Doing
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During this year's open enrollment (which was just last month) I opted to LEAVE the 'cadillac' plan I had our family on for years ($100 deductible) and opted for the High Deductible w/ HSA plan.

$2,600 deductible / $5,000 max out of pocket.

It's $400 less per month and I can instead put $200 into the HSA monthly.

Also, all preventative care is covered 100%. It's only non-routine office visits that get billed (at the negotiated rate).

Win/win.


_______________
Mind. Over. Matter.
 
Posts: 5070 | Location: The (R)ight side of Washington State | Registered: August 31, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
In search of baseball, strippers, and guns
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Not to defend your employer, but he might not have had much of a choice

I own a business and currently supply my employees with anthem health insurance


I was informed by my broker that my plan would remain the same except....

That the out of pocket deductibles would increase by several thousand dollars a year for both individual and family maximums


AND

It would cost me roughly $1500/month more


For my "same plan"


We have since decided to switch insurance providers because of it....I don't have many employees on my plan...it was going to go up by more than $100/month per participant for me

As a small business, margins matter

I looked long and hard at higher deductible plans to keep my costs down

I figured it's better for my employees to have crappier insurance and a job than for me to bankrupt myself trying to provide them with similar plans

The new network isn't thought of nearly as well, but here in Northern Virginia outside of DC you can pretty much find something in network for any insurance plan so it won't hurt us that much, and the cost is basically what I pay now....I don't know what I would have done if we lived in a less covered area


——————————————————

If the meek will inherit the earth, what will happen to us tigers?
 
Posts: 7796 | Location: Warrenton, VA | Registered: July 09, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
Picture of Skins2881
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quote:
Originally posted by Kevbo:
Not to defend your employer, but he might not have had much of a choice

I own a business and currently supply my employees with anthem health insurance


I was informed by my broker that my plan would remain the same except....

That the out of pocket deductibles would increase by several thousand dollars a year for both individual and family maximums


AND

It would cost me roughly $1500/month more


For my "same plan"


We have since decided to switch insurance providers because of it....I don't have many employees on my plan...it was going to go up by more than $100/month per participant for me

As a small business, margins matter

I looked long and hard at higher deductible plans to keep my costs down

I figured it's better for my employees to have crappier insurance and a job than for me to bankrupt myself trying to provide them with similar plans

The new network isn't thought of nearly as well, but here in Northern Virginia outside of DC you can pretty much find something in network for any insurance plan so it won't hurt us that much, and the cost is basically what I pay now....I don't know what I would have done if we lived in a less covered area


This is the real problem. High deductible plans are great. I don't need coverage for the first couple thousand, I need it for the hundred thousand dollar claim.

People now aren't buying HDHPs for the wise financial decision they are, they are buying them because health insurance has became so freaking expensive, they can't afford anything else.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20758 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Unapologetic Old
School Curmudgeon
Picture of Lord Vaalic
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Yes but people are forgetting that your insurance is part of your compensation. when I hired in to my company we got paid less than our competitors but our insurance was free and covered a lot. Now we have these same high deductible plans because of cost to the employer but our pay hasn't increased to offset what used to be a great benefit.




Don't weep for the stupid, or you will be crying all day
 
Posts: 10719 | Location: TN | Registered: December 18, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
That rug really tied
the room together.
Picture of bubbatime
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quote:
Originally posted by ScorpionBoy:
well, the bright side is that you get to open an HSA and those are pretty cool.


THIS. Time to invest in a Health Savings Account. Lowers your taxes and its nice to pay for healthcare bills with non-taxed dollars.


______________________________________________________
Often times a very small man can cast a very large shadow
 
Posts: 6660 | Location: Floriduh | Registered: October 16, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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So I'm gonna guess you work for the big B down there, which rhymes with going. Either them or General Dynamics... either way, their health care programs suck. I've never been able to exceed my deductible, even with an er visit, so essentially I've been paying all healthcare out of pocket for the last few years and it sucks. I'm sorry that you're being dragged into our "subsidized" healthcare system.
 
Posts: 451 | Location: Hatboro, PA | Registered: May 25, 2016Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Do No Harm,
Do Know Harm
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In a past life I had a HDHP.

I was making something around $45,000 for a family of 3, 4 during some of it.

It was unrealistic, to put it nicely.


Now, with my current wife's and my income, we could probably do it. But I'll keep my "Cadillac" plan until they force me to give it up.




Knowing what one is talking about is widely admired but not strictly required here.

Although sometimes distracting, there is often a certain entertainment value to this easy standard.
-JALLEN

"All I need is a WAR ON DRUGS reference and I got myself a police thread BINGO." -jljones
 
Posts: 11446 | Location: NC | Registered: August 16, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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The deductible for mine used to be fully covered annually between the pre-tax contribution I could make and employer contributing the rest.

Now, the deductible is higher and the company is no longer making up the difference, a double-whammy. All for the ability to be on a crappier plan with crapper doctor availability and far worse prescription coverage with astronomically higher co-pays.

It was either this or an awful HMO that literally nobody in the city or surrounding community even takes on new patients for. Seriously, ponder that. Who the hell offers a health plan which can't even be used because nobody in the county or conveniently located surrounding counties accept it?


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$
 
Posts: 7655 | Location: Mid-Michigan, USA | Registered: February 17, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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My single coverage plan is $3000 deductible with $6000 out of pocket max (I think that's the max). My employer gives me $500 a year in my HSA, but my premium is only about $30-$35 a month if I participate in the wellness plan and get enough points. I contribute $100 per paycheck on my own ($200 per month total), which is still less than a "Cadillac" plan premium would be nowadays.

For in-network providers (it's Anthem so it's accepted almost anywhere) I get the negotiated rate which is always a lot less than the billed rate. Generic drugs are pretty cheap at the insurance rate, but special drugs can be killers.

So the nice part is as long as I stay reasonably healthy, I will save up enough to cover the deductible in a year. And I'm actually making sensible decisions - like getting my GP to take care of stuff specialists used to do, getting free med checks at work and taking the results to my GP and not paying extra for redundant labs.

I feel sorry for the younger guys having kids now - guaranteed $6000 bill or whatever it is for family out of pocket.

Edited to add: After deductible it's 80/20 in network. I may be wrong about the max, that might be the family deductible (not sure since I only cover myself).

There's also a 1500 dedcutible plan with higher premiums, but it doesn't pay for itself unless you know you are going to be spending around $2600 I think.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lefty Sig,
 
Posts: 4690 | Location: Indiana | Registered: December 28, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by MNSIG:
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.


I'm self employed, single, 40 years old, $1500 deductible but paying just under $400 a month!!!!!!! My health insurance just over 5 years ago was like $120 a month for better coverage.
 
Posts: 21335 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Team Apathy
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My employer has offered various HDHP plans and a HMO type plan for the last 5-6 years. I've been on the HDHP and actually like it a lot, but it sounds like ours is set up better than yours.

For family, the total deductible is $2600. Out of icket totals are $6000. It is very important to understand the difference. Once you meet thevseductible the plan converts to a HMO type where you are responsible for colayments only. People see that $6000 figure and freak out but just how many doctor visits worth of copays would it take to get to $6000 from $2600??? A lot.

Further, my employer kicks in $2000 to our HSA to cover the bulk of the deductible. They deposit half on Jan 1 and then the other $1000 is split into 13 payments on our paychecks stsrting in July. I kick in X amount all year. Never had an issues.

I could keep my HMO, but it's $700/month. The HDHP plan is $37 a month plus whatever I choose to put in the HSA.

Just be sure you understand some of the finer points before freaking out.
 
Posts: 6354 | Location: Modesto, CA | Registered: January 27, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
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Just be thankful this is just happening to you. It happened to my wife and I, via our health care plan where I used to work, about a year after Zerocare went into effect.



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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