Rising cost of health insurance. What do you pay?

That's a lot of money for most people. But that seems low for an individual plan (you have an individual plan, right?).

When I quit work a year ago, my then current PPO group plan would have cost $13,000 a year for me and my daughter, if I wanted to go the COBRA route. Luckily for me, my ex was able to add both of us to her PPO group plan for under $3000 a year.

 

I think so (compared to $13,000 a year for me and my daughter under a PPO group plan).

Maybe they vetted you and gave you a red diaper baby discount lol.

 

well, there's a lot to it...

high deductible plans are cheaper
low coinsurance plans are cheaper
high copay plans are cheaper
high out of pocket max plans are cheaper
low lifetime/annual benefit limit plans are cheaper
i've found that we may be about the only people in the universe who stand to gain from a plan with straight deductible-coinsurance, but a plan with copays is more expensive
pregnancy coverage (!) adds a lot if you're seeking an individual plan

i know there are more... tradeoffs for affordable coverage, that is.

 

Well, alright, I won't skew the poll by answering 'free'. It isn't, really, but it may as well be in comparison. I pay $108 per month for the family. This doesn't include dentistry or fancy stuff like tv in a private room, but pretty much everything else is covered; doctor's visits, specialists, operations, ambulances, hospital stays...

I need special insurance just to visit the US, so that a simple car accident, even one not my fault, doesn't bankrupt me. There is absolutely no way I would even think about moving to the US, on this issue alone. For those of you suddenly pondering fleeing your oppressive regime, I have room for only a few, and they already know who they are.

 

We have been really fortunate. Through my DH's insurance it costs $140.00 per person per month for our insurance (HMO or PPO?). Until Jan '08 I had dual insurance since my employer picked up 98% of my BCBS Master Medical Family Plan premium; that way I didn't have to pay deductibles, but alas that will end in Jan. To continue with it would then cost another $224 per month, which is more than the co-pays I would be paying without it, so after 12 years the "gift" from my employer is ending. We knew it would eventually end, what with costs going up. At least I HAVE insurance and I am thankful I do

 

The school district pays for my health coverage. They do so by deducting the cost from my salary. In other words, instead of getting cost of living, my "raise" is used to pay my healthcare costs.

I've heard it is in the $400-$600 a month range as I asked what I was going to have to pay to keep the same coverage after I retire, since once I retire I have NO health coverage. Unless you count that diddly squat spit of coverage our current government offer which I probably won't qualify for as I own my own home. I think I have to be destitute with no home, no savings and no income to qualify for sh¡tty Federal health whatever.

 

Being a student I didn't have a job that paid for my coverage so I had to pay it myself. The monthly bill was $219. I couldn't afford it so I cancelled my coverage.

Now I am going to see how much coverage my college will give me and how many units or what other requirements I need to fulfill.

 

I pay for my own insurance, $750 a month. Fortunately, it's tax deductible.

 

I pay about $180 per month for private health cover but it is worth noting I pick up the first $1000 of hospital expenses in each years. This cover is only for hospital and extras like dental, medical is covered by Medicare but most doctors charge a gap fee, the difference between their fee and what the government scheme pays. All Australians are in Medicare and pay 1.25% of their wages toward it if they earn more than next to nothing.

There is no tax deduction for health insurance contributions only a tax penalty if your are not in a fund.

I could just use medicare but I would get a tax penalty and if I want to join a fund at a later time in life my premium would be 1% higher for each years past the age of 30 for the oldest person in the policy. My policy covers me, my son and my wife.

I made a mistake in the poll, I only put the $180 per month, I forgot the 1.25% of income which my wife and I both pay to medicare. This would lift me 1 or 2 brackets

No, I messed up twice and it all worked out right. I didn't see the per person part, blind me.

 

I know this isn't relavant to the thread but it kind of is, what is the current minimum wage in the US?

Just wondering how it compares to a person who has to pay something like $750 per month for them and a child each for health insurance.

What does health insurance that is that expensive cover? Lost income?

 

The federal minimum wage is $5.85 an hour. Some states have higher minimum wages. [EDIT: Right now, 30 states have a higher minimum wage rate than the federal rate.]

A person who makes only $5.85 an hour obviously cannot afford to pay $750 a month for health insurance. But s/he may not have to if her/his employer provides and pays for most of the insurance.

No, health insurance in the US does not cover lost wages. Only healthcare expenses.

A lot of Americans do not have any health insurance. I forget what the exact number is, but I think it's close to a quarter or one third of the population. EDIT: CORRECTION, REPORTED FIGURE WAS 15.6% AS OF 2004.

To make matters worse, hospitals charge more to uninsured patients than insured patients ... sometimes like 4 times more.

 

I have not had health insurance for nearly 3 years and every doctor or medical bill since has been much less than if we had insurance. Most medical facilities (at least the ones I have had experience with) have a separate scale they use for the uninsured.

This by no means makes it all that affordable however, and pharmacies don't seem to subscribe to the same rule.

 

Partly off topic, sorry

Phamacuticals here are subsidised by the government but there is an out of pocket expense unless you are very poor.

I wouldn't think an employer who pays minimum wage would pay for health insurance.

Minimum wage is $1014 a month (@ 40 hours a week) and some people pay $750 for health insurance alone? For one person not a family? OMG that is crazy. You must have a similar industrial relations policy to that which John Howard introduced here before he was VOTED OUT OF THE PARLIAMENT!!!
I kid you not, or last Prime Minister was the first pime minister since the 30s to lose his seat! We don't want unfair workplace relations here.

 

Hi Steve,

I don't know the exact number, but the impression I got from a 60 Minutes report on the subject seemed to suggest that most private hospitals have a separate higher scale (as much as 4 times higher) for the uninsured. One of my sisters who has been a healthcare/hospital administrator for 20 years confirmed to me that the hospitals she's worked in do charge more for the uninsured (I don't know how much more ... but she was not surprised by the 4X figure I mentioned).

Anyway, I'm very glad that your experience with doctors and medical facilities (does that include hospitals?) has been different.

 

I think it varies, and that probably most full time employees who make the minimum wage do have employer provided/subsidized health insurance available to them. However, some employees who have insurance available to them elect not to get it because they can't afford the employee contribution part of it.

In general, the lack of health insurance is a serious problem in the US, and has been a major issue in Presidential campaigns. 46 million+ uninsured people is a lot of people.

 

Too right it is. Unfortunately I would guess that of the 11% of eligible voters in the USA who actually vote very few of them are on the minimum wage.

They would most likely be a powerful force if they had the education to know that they could influence government policy if they did vote. I'm also guessing most on the minimum wage are not born in the USA.

 

many people who make minimum wage qualify for some type of government assistance. especially if they're providing for more than just themselves.

i dug up a few recent examples of differences in what you're charged with insurance and without. you can see that insurance does decrease your bill considerably in many cases but not all. this depends on the doctor or the facility.

for non-US citizens, this is calculated before you pay your part. so if you have a 20% coinsurance, you only pay 20% of the contracted amount after you've met your deductible. and if you've hit your out of pocket max like we have, the insurance pays for it all. of course, by then you're living in gunshot kingdom eating ramen noodles anyway. at least if we're hit by a stray bullet, the insurance picks up the tab... well his tab but not mine.

x-ray facility charge:
Amount of bill: $82.00
Contracted Amount: $18.09 (22%)

fluoroscopy facility charge:
Amount of bill: $292.00
Contracted Amount: $77.00 (26%)

sometimes it's not the greatest:

radiofrequency lesioning procedure, doctor's bill:
Amount of bill: $4052.00
Contracted Amount: $1978.10 (49%)

sometimes you just get stuck with the whole thing:

hospital facility charge for above procedure:
Amount of bill: $5058.60
Contracted Amount: $5058.60 (100%)

sometimes some hospitals give you a break on the really big bills if you pay within a certain time period. i always take those opportunities, no matter what. they have saved us hundreds of dollars.