Just me Whinning

[Cruisingdad]

Ok, call the whambulance, I know. I am not trying to start another healthcare thread, just frustrated and thought I would share.

My wife's company (whom we keep insurance with since my company is too small to have a 'reasonable' healthcare policy) decided to save some money so changed insurance. They do NOT give you an option to take their insurance. Every employee MUST take the insurance, period. Also, you are still expected to pay for your portion (smile).

The went with a new plan by United Healthcare that is cheaper on both them and us every month (though I do not know how much they pay... I guess I am assuming). The things it covers is about the same, but it has a max payout/year of $10,000. That is $10,000 total, for the entire family (not for each one of us seperate, which would still be a joke).

So, if my son has to have some type of surgery, it will basically wipe out the entire max out, and they won't so much as pay for an aspirin for th rest of the year fro any of us. God forbid something happened to more than one of us (ie, a car accident). I would not live long enough to pay off the hospitals. Believe me, as someone who is still living and breathing this car wreck stuff, I know!!!!

So in essence, this policy is good for nothing but basic checkups and the occasional child getting sick (for the entire family of her, two boys, and me). Does not even cover the dentist. If will not cover any serious injuries.

As such, we are forced to go out and get a "catastrophic" insurance policy. That costs us $450-$500/month enroll estimate. What does that mean? Well, they accept you (after you fill out this rediculous long form on every time you have been to the doc, every pill you have taken in the last 12 months, surgeries, etc). That is when you pay the $500/month. But then they review your medical forms you just filled out and recalculate your monthly payments based upon your answers (which, given Kris' accident and my back problems, has the potential of going through the roof). But what options does an American family have if they raise it to.... $2,000/month, for example?? Basically none. You pay it and deal with it. Because one serious injury would wipe out this young family for the rest of our lives. I could litterally lose my boat and everything I own in medical bills - for the rest of my life!!!

I realize that the Canadian system is not what it has been cracked up to be. However, it has just flat gotten (and even deteriorating) rediculous in the US. Luckily for me and Kris, we financially are in the top 5%. What happens to the poor families? What does the other 95% of our country do?

Sound kinda like a game of craps to me, with your financial future at stake. It is tough raising a young family these days.... and we do. I do not know how others do it, honestly.

- CD

[chucklesR]

Your wife and you have basically the same option as any other American in the workplace.
Vote with your feet - Find another job, then go with Blue Cross or pickyourbrand.
I'm really glad I'm retired Navy with full coverage for life - a fair trade as most of my medical issues were caused by 22 years of being rode hard and put up wet by the military.

[Cruisingdad]

You know, they find the other job was seriously discussed. Their insurance was great before now.

At first, we were really upset with them for being such cheapskates. But I am a business owner too. You want to know how much it cost us (my old company where I was a partner) to cover my other two partners and their families? Get ready:

$3,600/month.

Kinda hard to show a lot of profit with $3,600 month walking through the door for two people, isn't it???

[DJEVANS]

CD, unfortunately, the other 95% of the country usually has to resort to praying. Hard. And when that fails, they often have to resort to bankruptcy.

But seriously, $10,000, are they joking?! My husband's company has UHC too, but we don't have that kind of cap (yet...*knock wood*) but they are cheap bastards. Twice they have tried to stiff us for anesthesia on surgeries I have had-surgeries they said were 100% covered. It took pointing out to them that one can't typically withstand surgery w/o anesthesia to get them to pay up. A big pile of suck if you ask me.

[TrueBlue]

You'd stop yer whining CD, if you were paying what we shell out per month for BC/BS's Healthmate Coast-to-Coast policy . . . $1,340/mo. for just my wife and I, no kids . . and we're healthy.

As expected each term, rates are expected to go up again.

[chucklesR]

On the other hand, when I contract with a company I expect my salary to reflect the fact that I do not take medical insurance, just long term and short term disability- which I pay in total because I want it tax free.

So far, not a single employer has factored that in. To me, that sucks.

My heart attack care was billed at 58k, Tricare (Navy) paid 13k. I paid 5.72 a day for food. The hospital took the rest as a loss.
My stroke cost 14k (one day) the follow up six months of therapy was 350 a hour (hundreds of hours) - Tricare paid 58 a hour and 3k.

Bottom line - there is a genuine problem with our healthcare industry.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by TrueBlue

You'd stop yer whining CD, if you were paying what we shell out per month for BC/BS's Healthmate Coast-to-Coast policy . . . $1,340/mo. for just my wife and I, no kids . . and we're healthy.

As expected each term, rates are expected to go up again.

TB,

The $500 is on top of what we pay for the United Healthcare Policy. That is $5,000/year (our part). So we are paying them $5,000/year for $10,000 in coverage. However, given that the company is also paying some portion (I do not know how much), United is getting out better than that.

So mine is: $5,000+500*12=11,000/year. That is assuming they do not raise our portion on the catastrophic plan - which I bet they will.

- CD

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by DJEVANS

CD, unfortunately, the other 95% of the country usually has to resort to praying. Hard. And when that fails, they often have to resort to bankruptcy.

But seriously, $10,000, are they joking?! My husband's company has UHC too, but we don't have that kind of cap (yet...*knock wood*) but they are cheap bastards. Twice they have tried to stiff us for anesthesia on surgeries I have had-surgeries they said were 100% covered. It took pointing out to them that one can't typically withstand surgery w/o anesthesia to get them to pay up. A big pile of suck if you ask me.

The policy before this one was United too... but a lot better policy.

- CD

[AjariBonten]

I feel your pain, CD.
Without advocating any particular fix, or political affiliation; health care in the US is a big mess.

Chuckles response might be appropriate in one or another case; but the vast majority of people have very little option of "voting with their feet". I would never suggest that his benefits are anything but deserved; but it does give him a measure of distance from this topic, for the most of us the world of insurance/health care is a mine-field.

After reading Chuckles later posts written while I was writing my response; I see that he does indeed understand the issue. I might have mis-read his first response as being less compassionalte on the subject than he actually is. Sorry Chuck.

What happens to the poor families? What does the other 95% of our country do?

We live without health insurance, don't go to the doctor unless on death's doorstep, have NO preventative care, etc. Like I did for almost 20 years until my latest job with fairly decent health insurance.

But what options does an American family have if they raise it to.... $2,000/month, for example?? Basically none. You pay it and deal with it.

No, not actually. $2,000 a month is the entire salary (or more) of one average adult in my area. If my insurance cost me much more than the $300/month I pay I would have to forgo it.

No, you are not whinning.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by chucklesR

Bottom line - there is a genuine problem with our healthcare industry.

Yes, my friend, there is.

The nanny that kept Glen (my youngest) had the misfortune of her husband having colon cancer. They had some insurance but maxed it out in no time at all. Their total bill (after insurance) was right around $500,000. They cannot pay that. If they could, they would have had more insurance. They have been turned into collection agencies, etc. As such, their credit sucks. They cannot buy a new car, house, etc... they are stuck where tehy are for the rst of their lives. But you talk to her about it and she still smiles and says that her husband lives so she is thankful.

Incrdible.

- CD