Medical Insurance Costs- out of pocket

[Highlander1]

Never paid a dime for medical insurance until about 10 years ago, fees then were about $250 a month for a family plan with excellent coverage. Today, those fees are over $700 a month for just my wife and I and increasing at a rate than can't be imagined, 28% this upcoming year. I will say, the coverage is terrific, $10 Co-pay on doc visits, $3 prescription on most scrips, some are  as high as $9 but not a showstopper. Time spent in a horsepital is paid 100% with no deductible. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Direct 10 Plan is how its identified, supposedly cost to my employer is over $27K a year.

 

 It appears it ends at having good coverage, I can sign up for the plan they are promoting at 50% less than my current costs. Problem is its a managed plan that restricts doctor and hospital choices unless they are approved or in the plan (doubtful). This plan may fit young healthy folks ok, but as you age, health care becomes more of a concern. I will go on Medicare in July and reduce my costs substantially as my employer reimburses for wife and I medicare costs and they will provide a supplemental plan to cover the 20% Medicare doesn't which will cost around $200 a month for both of us, manageable and reasonable.

 

Just wondering if most folks are paying these kind of fees or higher and what kind of coverage they provide? $700+ a month which almost puts a new Vette ($65K) in my driveway. if I wasn't going on Medicare in 8 months I'd be looking at almost $1k a month, thats mortgage talk from my old bones.

 

I'd hate to be a young earner with a family, the future looks dark and stormy as far as healthcare costs go. And it doesn't cover dental (separate plan) no cost, not worth much either, paid $59K over the last 2 years out of pocket for implants (8), bridges and other work like root canals and crowns, it adds up quickly. Why isn't dental or eyeglass plans covered under medical insurance? 

 

So, whats everyone paying or not, I'm sure most companies aren't picking up the tab, partials but not too many full rides is how I see it. Big rip off.

[Ditchbag]

Not reading all of that

[Kings over Queens]

We just did this discussion less than 2 weeks ago.  You'll find lots of questions answered.  Probably a couple of pages back. 

[Highlander1]

15 hours ago, Kings over Queens said:

We just did this discussion less than 2 weeks ago.  You'll find lots of questions answered.  Probably a couple of pages back. 

Thanks, thread from 11/3, I missed it. 

 

 I'm in the same sinking ship as everyone else with no lifeboats or even ladders available. Maybe going on Medicare in Jew-lie will soften the blow. Doubtful. 

[Kings over Queens]

**** costs money.

 

Going on medicare has to help.  Supplements aren't nearly as expensive as the dollar one coverage.  Can't be.

 

If only we had a resource, someone with a breadth of knowledge in the med sup space.

 

:eclair: 

[morsk]

Almost 1k/month for my wife, daughter, and I.  **** coverage too

[passiton]

I deal with insurance everyday as a provider.  A caution regarding Medicare: we have people on commercial insurance who begin Medicare coverage and they’re shocked that we can’t continue to access their initial coverage.   If you aren’t a Medicare provider you can’t submit to the secondary policy at all.  You’re supposed to be able to get a Medicare denial and then submit that to the secondary, but it never works.  

[Fergal]

Mine is ~$1k/month, my wife is $700 or so. I haven't seen my 2024 rates yet. Coverage is so-so.

[BLilly]

We were paying $1100 a month for me and my wife for quite good coverage but Anthem discontinued our plan effective December 31st, so starting the New Year we'll be paying $1000 a month for substantially worse insurance....

[2GT]

Health Insurance can be tricky when you sign up. There are many variables to consider but none of the plans are reasonable. You either save on the premium and pay the doctors or pay up front and have better coverage, It’s that simple. I was paying $875.00 a month for insurance that covered a fair amount of what I would need, but not Dental, which is a huge expense. I have had 3 ORTHO surgeries in the past 5 years. I saw the bill for my cervical fusion and it was around $185 Thousand, so I balance that with what I paid in all these years and figure I getting some of my money back.

[JimP]

One really good thing about being career military is we finally have excellent coverage.  We opted out of the net for our tricare coverage so my co-pays are about 50 bucks a whack, but this past year or so I've had some issues wherein I've had to see leading neurologists, have a ****-ton of tests performed, I've fallen down two flights of concrete stairs and busted my **** up pretty good, some recent cardiology testing for weird ongoing issues, etc.  Opted into the UT Health system and they couldn't be any better.  just 50 bucks a whack to go see the hot-**** cardiologist who's running all the tests.  No other payments.  

 

We had to opt out of the system as the Air Force Rupert I went to see one day took 20 minutes of my 30 minute appointment giving me a penmanship lesson because he didn't like how I wrote something.  I about killed him.  Never did address the reason I was there.  

[2GT]

^^^^^^^That sucks ! As if it’s not bad enough that you’re all banged up and then you had to deal with some Jack Azz. 

[Slacker]

On 11/17/2023 at 3:35 PM, Highlander1 said:

Never paid a dime for medical insurance until about 10 years ago, fees then were about $250 a month for a family plan with excellent coverage. Today, those fees are over $700 a month for just my wife and I and increasing at a rate than can't be imagined, 28% this upcoming year. I will say, the coverage is terrific, $10 Co-pay on doc visits, $3 prescription on most scrips, some are  as high as $9 but not a showstopper. Time spent in a horsepital is paid 100% with no deductible. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Direct 10 Plan is how its identified, supposedly cost to my employer is over $27K a year.

 

 It appears it ends at having good coverage, I can sign up for the plan they are promoting at 50% less than my current costs. Problem is its a managed plan that restricts doctor and hospital choices unless they are approved or in the plan (doubtful). This plan may fit young healthy folks ok, but as you age, health care becomes more of a concern. I will go on Medicare in July and reduce my costs substantially as my employer reimburses for wife and I medicare costs and they will provide a supplemental plan to cover the 20% Medicare doesn't which will cost around $200 a month for both of us, manageable and reasonable.

 

Just wondering if most folks are paying these kind of fees or higher and what kind of coverage they provide? $700+ a month which almost puts a new Vette ($65K) in my driveway. if I wasn't going on Medicare in 8 months I'd be looking at almost $1k a month, thats mortgage talk from my old bones.

 

I'd hate to be a young earner with a family, the future looks dark and stormy as far as healthcare costs go. And it doesn't cover dental (separate plan) no cost, not worth much either, paid $59K over the last 2 years out of pocket for implants (8), bridges and other work like root canals and crowns, it adds up quickly. Why isn't dental or eyeglass plans covered under medical insurance? 

 

So, whats everyone paying or not, I'm sure most companies aren't picking up the tab, partials but not too many full rides is how I see it. Big rip off.

 

You have pretty much answered your own question here.  You have the Cadillac (or Corvette) level of medical insurance coverage, and the price reflects it... and you want/need/like that level of coverage.  There are cheaper plans out there, but they don't drive as nice or look as good as that Corvette.  And that's pretty much that.

 

Given that you are going on Medicare in 8 months, I would just pay the money and forget about it.  If you were years from Medicare, that would be a different story.

 

 

[Tom T]

On 11/18/2023 at 8:31 AM, Highlander1 said:

Thanks, thread from 11/3, I missed it. 

 

 I'm in the same sinking ship as everyone else with no lifeboats or even ladders available. Maybe going on Medicare in Jew-lie will soften the blow. Doubtful. 

 

On 11/18/2023 at 9:39 AM, Kings over Queens said:

**** costs money.

 

Going on medicare has to help.  Supplements aren't nearly as expensive as the dollar one coverage.  Can't be.

 

If only we had a resource, someone with a breadth of knowledge in the med sup space.

 

:eclair: 

Lol, I stayed away as I thought this was going to be the same discussion we just had.

 

Mr. Highlander, as Slacker said pay the bills until July.  In April you can make a choice about what to do with your Medicare coverage that will start 7/1.  I am more than happy to give you a referral to  INDEPENDENT broker(s) who is appointed with many carriers to lay out your options.  Generally, the commissions are the same from company to company so there is no incentive you push you to one over the other.  The incentive an independent broker has is to keep you happy, as they get paid as long as you stay happy.  Premiums are standard in the medicare supplement space, also.  That is each company is regulated as to what they charge for similar plans.

 

There's more to it, of course but that is where the broker comes in.  Education and consultation.

 

Remember, no matter your health issues you have guaranteed issuance of any Medicare supplement plan.  So, if you wanted the Cadillac of supp plans you would be in for around $200/month and figure another $50 for a drug plan. That is just an estimate as I don't know NJ rates right now.

[HopHead]

One and only one person to blame for this. Elitist rat bastard pos brown person.