Health Ins. hike!

[20thGix]

So with my paycheck today i recieved news that our insurance rate would be going up. I currently pay $86 a week for a family plan (wife/ 1 child)which includes health, eye, and dental. After the first of the year it will cost me....................................................................wait for it................................................................................137.00 F*CKING DOLLARS A WEEK!!!!!!!! They said there would be a 11% increase but what they did not say was that they were no longer going to pay 2/3 of the cost. They are only going to pay half after the first of the year. Also the coverages went down and deductables and co-pays went up. On top of all that if your spouse works and there company offers insurance they MUST use their employers insurance.

Along with insurance going up they decided that they were not going to match our 401k contributions this year. Also we have a 125 Flex plan that they would contribute $40 a week to if you did not carry insurance through the company. Guess what thats gone also.

Now that im done bitch'n has anyone had any luck looking for a private insurance policy or any suggestions on where to start?

[Anden]

First

Make wifey get job/jobs.

Make kid get job/jobs.

Second.

I would be more concerned with work closing up. Estimater working on the floor means nothing to estimate so no work coming in.

Third.

Hope the Obama plan goes through.

Fourth.

Never take life seriously. You won't get out alive.

My turn to bitch now. I lost $40 a week from the 125 plan now I have to pay the co-pay and deductables myself. I guess my kids will have to get jobs too.

[20thGix]

First. working on that

Second. Old chinese proverb say that "Estimator that let wife spend too much on x-mas must do old job after 2:30 for extra money."

Third. That may or may not be a good thing.

Fourth. Its only a qoute if you qoute me right!

Lastly. Get off the internet and get back to work slacker!

[SAMBUSA]

Ours just went up also. 155/ month for family. I think I will opt out and wait for the govt provided health care. :rollseyes:

[Gump]

What health insurance company is this?

[20thGix]

United Healthcare

[hue jass]

Unbelievable! I remember before my Dad retired, he made a great salary, got medical, dental and vision premiums paid in full by the company and no deductible. The company also paid 1 to 1 on everything he put in his 401k. Slowly this has all turned around.

Credit was invented in the mid twenties so a person could pay off their home while they lived in it (excellent idea). Soon cars went on credit (good idea), then appliances (ok), now McDonald goes on the credit. Pay has not gone up to match the real costs of living.

I see shows where they help people get out of credit debt but that's just the symptom. The problem is that people on majority aren't making enough money pay for all the things they need to pay for without feeding in some credit debt. Individuals and families are so close to the red that any upset can cause them to lose virtually everything they have (not own, of course).

The top two floors of the company get all the money and the piss trickles down to the lower 98 floors. The math just doesn't add up and if something huge isn't done soon, America's going to end up one big slum spotted with heavily gated communities to protect the few left who have money. We need to grow America again! I'm done

[shittygsxr]

Unbelievable! I remember before my Dad retired, he made a great salary, got medical, dental and vision premiums paid in full by the company and no deductible. The company also paid 1 to 1 on everything he put in his 401k. Slowly this has all turned around.

Credit was invented in the mid twenties so a person could pay off their home while they lived in it (excellent idea). Soon cars went on credit (good idea), then appliances (ok), now McDonald goes on the credit. Pay has not gone up to match the real costs of living.

I see shows where they help people get out of credit debt but that's just the symptom. The problem is that people on majority aren't making enough money pay for all the things they need to pay for without feeding in some credit debt. Individuals and families are so close to the red that any upset can cause them to lose virtually everything they have (not own, of course).

The top two floors of the company get all the money and the piss trickles down to the lower 98 floors. The math just doesn't add up and if something huge isn't done soon, America's going to end up one big slum spotted with heavily gated communities to protect the few left who have money. We need to grow America again! I'm done

It started when gas went up for no reason.

[gearman]

Me thinks medical insurance premium hikes are based on the inflation rate of some banana republic. $1170/month is a little high for that coverage but not that out of line. I believe our family coverage runs around $880/month with no vision or dental.

[Anden]

I didn't quote I paraphrased er directed at you.

I am working, no slacking here. Its running and will still be running when you get here. Enjoying the gravey.

[Disclaimer]

Free market economy FTW, especially when it comes to your health!

Don't worry your new premiums will allow you access to the top doctors, dentist, and optometrists in the free world, with only an slight increase in copays. You only want what's best for your family right? Regardless of cost - you can't put a price on your family's health and well being can you?

[psyco1]

United Healthcare, wasn't that the company whose CEO got 1 in every 700 dollars spent on healthcare a few years ago.

[serpentracer]

if I want to add a wife and one child to mine it goes up to $430 a month extra. (humana) at least with humana you can go to a doctor once a year for free. otherwise I'd have to pay my deductable.

I wonder if the obama plan is going to be any less $? highly doubt it.

[serpentracer]

Ours just went up also. 155/ month for family. I think I will opt out and wait for the govt provided health care. :rollseyes:

that plan has been scrapped. got to keep up with the news there sam. it's just going to be a government insurnace option.

[20thGix]

Free market economy FTW, especially when it comes to your health!

Don't worry your new premiums will allow you access to the top doctors, dentist, and optometrists in the free world, with only an slight increase in copays. You only want what's best for your family right? Regardless of cost - you can't put a price on your family's health and well being can you?

That is true but only if i need to see them on Feb. 29 of a leap year and the planets have to align. To bad the next leap year is in 2012 and the world comes to an end. I would probaly be out of my in-network anyway so i would have to pay 100% cost.

All seriousness i think im going to look into a HSA account.

[serpentracer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_savings_account

those are a huge scam and a waste of your money. first off, you can't get that money you put into it back. it becomes "theirs" and they tell you if you can use it or not.

yes it stays with you if you leave the company or they get rid of you, but the fact still remains, you don't get the money and they tell you what you can use it for.

they make it sound like you can use it for all medical expenses but that isn't true. my plan had a very basic list of what they "allowed". which was bullshit.

they try to lure everyone into it by claiming you get all these tax breaks etc. whoptie fucking do. I think you might get a $5 tax credit.

second, you don't earn interest on the money you put in.

it's much smarter to put money in a savings account of your own.

all that thing is is a scam insurnace companies came up with so they can get people on these huge deductable plans. which they like because they know the higher the deductable the less likely you are going to use it.

Edited December 5, 2009 by serpentracer

[dmagicglock]

I think the healthcare companies are trying to pull a bigger profit before Obama starts giving their services away for "free" and puts them out of business. My rates went up a few dollars too and I wasn't happy about it, but I can't help but think this whole universal healthcare mess has created a sense of urgency for them to try and reap more profits. Either way we're getting fucked.

And Justin, just in case you forgot... free market capitalism means no government interference. So maybe if that gubment let us go across state lines and purchase insurance it would allow the free market to decrease prices through increased competition. Instead of raising them through increased regulation.

[Likwid]

HSAs are worth it if you know you will spend it... it's not "no interest" it's pre-tax.

If you can earn a better return on your personal investments than the pre-tax amount by all means!

I'm putting 2k into the HSA this coming year, will save me about 250 dollars... I'm not earning 10% in savings anywhere soon.

[20thGix]

those are a huge scam and a waste of your money. first off, you can't get that money you put into it back. it becomes "theirs" and they tell you if you can use it or not.

yes it stays with you if you leave the company or they get rid of you, but the fact still remains, you don't get the money and they tell you what you can use it for.

they make it sound like you can use it for all medical expenses but that isn't true. my plan had a very basic list of what they "allowed". which was bullshit.

they try to lure everyone into it by claiming you get all these tax breaks etc. whoptie fucking do. I think you might get a $5 tax credit.

second, you don't earn interest on the money you put in.

it's much smarter to put money in a savings account of your own.

all that thing is is a scam insurnace companies came up with so they can get people on these huge deductable plans. which they like because they know the higher the deductable the less likely you are going to use it.

What do you have now a group policy? Im looking for ideas and real life opinions of what others have or have done. I would like to get something that would pretty much have the kid covered fairly well and the wife and i really only need something that would cover use in case of something serious were to happen. Im guessing you cant have it both ways. Your average doc. visit or after hours visit is reletively cheap. After Hours is about $100 if you werent insured. My co-pay for that now is $50 and will be $75 next year. In the 8yrs i have had insurance with United i have really only used once. Having my son was around $23,000. I paid $3000 out of pocket.

[Likwid]

Pauly I think you have an FSA... HSA is a savings account the insurance company owns... FSA you own.

[20thGix]

I think im starting to make sense of the HSA.

First you need a High Ded. Health plan with lower premiums. Which would be used for non-routine treatment. Like major surgery or something of that nature.

Then use the HSA for all routine stuff like check-ups and other inexpensive doc visits when needed. Also keeping enough in your HSA to cover you high deductable.

So with the HSA you basically have a tax free savings account to cover your simple health care needs and have a HDHP to cover anything major.

Correct me if this isnt the basic jist of it.

[20thGix]

No' date=' I have an HSA/HDHP combination. My deductible is $5,000.

[url']http://ezinearticles.com/?Health-Savings-Account,-HSA---Is-It-the-Medical-Insurance-Plan-For-You?&id=663877

I dont mean to get into your personal buisness but with your HDHP what does that cost if you dont mind. And who is that thru.

[20thGix]

I can believe i have'nt looked into this sooner. I feel i have wasted alot of money on health coverage that i havent used. I guess thats what i get for just going with the flow and not asking questions. Thanks for everyones input!

[Bad324]

After having to do our companies healthcare renewal over the last month the one thing I've learned is the rate hike is better than losing your job. Our goal was save the company money without losing the standard of quality of coverage. Well needless to say after much research it was either everyone has to pay a little more or we were gonna have to cut 2 people from our office (we only have 18 to begin with). From the employer stand point it is really difficult to find a win win situation for the company AND the employee in this current economic situation

[Disclaimer]

those are a huge scam and a waste of your money.

Methinks you don't understand how an HSA works. Pauly is on an HSA, I'm on an HSA...

first off, you can't get that money you put into it back. it becomes "theirs" and they tell you if you can use it or not.

Wrong, you're confusing HRA with HSA. I can take the money out of my HSA for a new motorcycle if I wanted to, but I'm charged taxes for non-qualified purchases.

second, you don't earn interest on the money you put in.

Wrong again, once my balance hit $2000, I have the option to invest into select mutual funds or money markets.

it's much smarter to put money in a savings account of your own.

To each their own... I disagree this is a wiser option. The admin of my HSA has still negotiated in-network providers at a lower cost. Not to mention an HSA is geared toward already healthy individuals. I have ZERO copays that allow me to see the dentist 2x a year, optometrist 1x a year, and doctor once a year - for free. I workout, watch my diet, and have excellent oral hygiene, so all I've really spent over the last 3 years I've been in the plan is $300 for my glasses and contacts.

It's a plan based on promoting preventative care. Not to mention that my deductible cap is $2700 out-of-pocket per year, which can all be covered by my HSA funds - so basically, something catastrophic happens, the max out-of-pocket I have to pay is $2700 - and like I said, I can cover that all with the funds in my HSA.