Insurance Sticker Shock!

[Industrialsize]

This month is Open Enrollment for my health insurance. Here's a portion of the letter from my insurance company telling me how much I'm going to have to pay. I don't get my insurance through work so I buy and pay for it on my own(sorry the pic is sideways):

 

[nudeyorker]

That took my breath away. I pay $7,000.00 a year for hospital, medical, dental and vision.

 

[Industrialsize]

That took my breath away. I pay $7,000.00 a year for hospital, medical, dental and vision.

Would you adopt my husband and me and put us on your insurance?

 

[nudeyorker]

Would you adopt my husband and me and put us on your insurance?

I would if I could. I can't even put my other half on it. I can only add dependent's under 21 or full time students.

 

[D_Tully Tunnelrat]

This month is Open Enrollment for my health insurance. Here's a portion of the letter from my insurance company telling me how much I'm going to have to pay. I don't get my insurance through work so I buy and pay for it on my own:

Do you have a HMO plan there? I belong to one here, CA, and my rate is less than half yours. It does entail a larger co-pay, but it's not exorbitant by any means. You could also try joining through an associations, or group, as the rates can be 25% less.

 

[Industrialsize]

Do you have a HMO plan there? I belong to one here, CA, and my rate is less than half yours. It does entail a larger co-pay, but it's not exorbitant by any means. You could also try joining through an associations, or group, as the rates can be 25% less.

The prices quoted are for an HMO and I already get it through a group, our local Small Business Guild.

 

[HappyBoi]

This month is Open Enrollment for my health insurance. Here's a portion of the letter from my insurance company telling me how much I'm going to have to pay. I don't get my insurance through work so I buy and pay for it on my own:

Omg, that's crazy! That much for just insurance!?

That took my breath away. I pay $7,000.00 a year for hospital, medical, dental and vision.

Ow shit, that's a hell-a-lot! Damn! :O



I thought you americans finally would get it a bit easier with the healthplan Obama worked for? How do you even make ends meet with those high costs!? My monthly budget (though as a student) is around 1200 dollars, and that pays my rent, electricity, broadband, dentist, contact lenses, gym membership, home & personal-insurance.. and still leaves about 450 dollars for food and other stuff. Your insurance is like my whole budget.. :S It's so awful.

 

[nudeyorker]

Omg, that's crazy! That much for just insurance!?



Ow shit, that's a hell-a-lot! Damn! :O



I thought you americans finally would get it a bit easier with the healthplan Obama worked for? How do you even make ends meet with those high costs!? My monthly budget (though as a student) is around 1200 dollars, and that pays my rent, electricity, broadband, dentist, contact lenses, gym membership, home & personal-insurance.. and still leaves about 450 dollars for food and other stuff. Your insurance is like my whole budget.. :S It's so awful.

Just more expensive here... $1,200.00 a month pays for my HOA and property tax.

 

[Endued]

Good god. The NHS has it's faults but I'd it over the US system any day.

 

[HappyBoi]

Just more expensive here... $1,200.00 a month pays for my HOA and property tax.

What's a normal month-wage/pay over there then? I mean, if it's that expensive your salaries must be pretty high too, or?

 

[ManofThunder]

I don't have any additional health insurance beyond the NHS, so I pay nothing. (Except through taxes of course.) I have to pay for a private dentist though. I still can't believe how expensive healthcare is for you Americans. Shame it can't be free. :smile:

 

[nudeyorker]

What's a normal month-wage/pay over there then? I mean, if it's that expensive your salaries must be pretty high too, or?

That's difficult to answer... I've been a working professional for many years. I would say that in certain places in the US a $1,200.00 a month budget would cover the expenses of most students.

 

[HappyBoi]

That's difficult to answer... I've been a working professional for many years. I would say that in certain places in the US a $1,200.00 a month budget would cover the expenses of most students.

Oh ok. ;P But.. does that mean that students have it much cheaper, or just don't have insurance? I hope it's the first, since the latter isn't really a good fix. :l

 

[nudeyorker]

Oh ok. ;P But.. does that mean that students have it much cheaper, or just don't have insurance? I hope it's the first, since the latter isn't really a good fix. :l

I can't speak for anyone except myself. When I was a student I was covered under my parents insurance plan. With the number of people in the US who don't have insurance it's logical that their children are also not insured.

 

[superbot]

Good grief....I'd be mortifyed if I had that burden of cost just for healthcare.Thank god for the NHS!!....Wonder what those profit margins are for those insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies??!!!!!

 

[NCbear]

Continuing my health insurance under COBRA means $400/month, which I thought was expensive before viewing that photo took my breath away. I can't imagine being self-employed or self-insured and paying this much, Indy.

Is there anything you can do? Are there other health insurance companies that are cheaper?

NCbear (who knows these costs are so damned high because [1] hospitals have to care for everyone, including those who can't pay; [2] hospitals therefore charge out the wazoo for Kleenex and other minor items; [3] malpractice insurance is incredibly expensive; and [4] drug development costs are incredibly expensive )

 

[D_Tully Tunnelrat]

The prices quoted are for an HMO and I already get it through a group, our local Small Business Guild.

That's hefty. I'm assuming your health is good. If it is, you can get a HMO plan with a $50 co-pay, and a $2,500 max out of pocket for $350-400 a month in CA.

 

[vince]

I'll adopt you Indy!

Good grief, that's expensive. In B.C. The monthly rates are $60 for one person, $109 for a family of two, and $121 for a family of three or more with no co-pays. We pay less for a year's coverage than you do for a month! Those are the rates if you earn more than $30,000 per year. If you earn less there is a sliding scale of premiums.

There is also a complex system called Pharmacare for drugs which will pay based on age, income levels, family size, etc. Not really sure how it works.

 

[borntobeking]

I don't have any additional health insurance beyond the NHS, so I pay nothing. (Except through taxes of course.) I have to pay for a private dentist though. I still can't believe how expensive healthcare is for you Americans. Shame it can't be free. :smile:

How I wish. My family and I have seriously considered a move out of the country before for various reasons but healthcare was high up on the list.

 

[D_Martin van Burden]

That's difficult to answer... I've been a working professional for many years. I would say that in certain places in the US a $1,200.00 a month budget would cover the expenses of most students.

Yeah, emphasis on certain places. I live in an area of the country with a relatively lower cost of living, and $1,200 a month would be stretching. My stable monthly expenditures for rent, my car, car insurance, my cell phone, and my Internet access push $900-950. If I just had to worry about food and household needs, $1,200 might cut it. But then there's dental care, vision care, education expenses, and all the unexpected stuff.

I get health insurance from my university plan. It's about $1,800 a year that the university shells out as part of my graduate school tuition stipend contract, but it only gets us rudimentary medical care and slightly decreased payouts. Neither dental insurance nor vision are covered on the plan -- you know, which would actually make it worthwhile. The sad thing is, even if I had good coverage, I grew up without it for much of my life. So I'm used to self-treating lots of things that probably could medial attention -- colds and sinus infections ranking highly on that list. I'm healthy, I suppose, but there are sinus surgery things I probably should do. When I get the money, that is.