Confusion over buying health insurance

[winston53660]

I went and looked up on Blue Cross Blue Shield. For 204 per mnth I can get 100% coverage with a 3.5k deductible. IOW I would be spending 500 per month. That beats what I'm paying now.

 

[JumpinJack]

You're saying you can match the levels of coverage for less than $200 a month? Can you describe the coverage and state the premiums you found, and where you found them or the companies?

I pay $100 toward my policy. My employer pays the rest. To get a comparable policy on the open market would cost me between $450 and $650 a month. (No two policies are exactly the same - which is why they're listed separately.) I couldn't find anything for $100 a month. The only thing I found for less than $200 is a short term policy, and the coverage is not comparable. It's a catastrophe policy (protects me against catastrophic bills).

 

[winston53660]

You're saying you can match the levels of coverage for less than $200 a month? Can you describe the coverage and state the premiums you found, and where you found them or the companies?

I pay $100 toward my policy. My employer pays the rest. To get a comparable policy on the open market would cost me between $450 and $650 a month. (No two policies are exactly the same - which is why they're listed separately.) I couldn't find anything for $100 a month. The only thing I found for less than $200 is a short term policy, and the coverage is not comparable. It's a catastrophe policy (protects me against catastrophic bills).

It was 204 per month through Blue Cross Blue Sheild with 3500 dollar deductible after the 3.5 it had 100% coverage. I live in Texas. I looked it up on the internet. I also talked to the BCBS high risk pool here and they could not reveal the rates yet

 

[Mr X]

I use the British NHS single payer system. I pay about £75 a month, 100% coverage and no deductibles.

 

[winston53660]

I use the British NHS single payer system. I pay about £75 a month, 100% coverage and no deductables.

Curious do you have any problems getting appointments and or procedures?

Over here I also get disability a government program and I have not had to many issues with these kinds of problems

 

[Mr X]

Curious do you have any problems getting appointments and or procedures?

Over here I also get disability a government program and I have not had to many issues with these kinds of problems

Not really. My main dealings with the NHS have been routine GP visits, and I can usually get appointments within 48 hours with a choice of am or pm

 

[winston53660]

Not really. My main dealings with the NHS have been routine GP visits, and I can usually get appointments within 48 hours with a choice of am or pm

Cool. I have chronic congestive heart failure and I at one time I was looking at a heart transplant. Then I had to up my insurance that runs about 900 per month

 

[Mr X]

Cool. I have chronic congestive heart failure and I at one time I was looking at a heart transplant. Then I had to up my insurance that runs about 900 per month

damn, that's crazy. I hope Americans someday realise single payer systems are the way to go.

 

[winston53660]

damn, that's crazy. I hope Americans someday realise single payer systems are the way to go.

With our new system I should be able to save about 400 per month. The real bitch there for a while there was I was not allowed to work. With out the help of friends and family I don't know how I would have survived. I'm very lucky family and friends have these resources. A lot of people are not born with a silver spoon

 

[JumpinJack]

It was 204 per month through Blue Cross Blue Sheild with 3500 dollar deductible after the 3.5 it had 100% coverage. I live in Texas. I looked it up on the internet. I also talked to the BCBS high risk pool here and they could not reveal the rates yet

I see. I live in Texas, too. You must get some sort of price break because of your gender or age or something. I just looked up BCBS through ehealthinsurance.com. I am in my late 50's, female, perfect health, no tobacco, no pre-existing conditions. The cheapest BCBS policy I could get is $318/month. That is a $5000 deductible, doesn't pay for dr visits until you exhaust your deductible, then I'd have to pay 25% of those; $8000 out of pocket limit for the year; Then there's a 25% coinsurance for the insured after deductible met.

So you have to pay more in a group policy, I guess, because when you are pooled with other people, you lose the benefit of the price breaks you get as a separate individual.

When I look up policies that are comparable to what I got under group policy at work ($5k deductible; 20% coinsurance;dr visit copay of $25 for general dr & $50 for specialists)...the cheapest one I find is CIGNA, $5k deductible, 20% coinsurance; dr visit $30 copay. That is $421.00/month.

The next nearest one is BCBS @ $457/month ($5k ded., 20% coinsurance; $25 dr copay). Note: I don't look at Humana, since my drs are not in its network.