Health Insurance Coverage Poll

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

Poll question: Health Insurance Coverage Poll

Just curious as to the state of coverage for DU Members. The first four options are for those with employer-provided insurance plans.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

1. K&R so more people get to participate in this poll.

[90-percent]

2. Other

means, in my case, I'm getting COBRA since I got laid off last Feb, so I'm uninsured next September and I pay my own insurance. TARP has been picking up 65% of my COBRA, and I think they just extended that coverage?


-90% jimmy

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

10. Arg!

Too late to update the poll, but COBRA should have been an option.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. My husband's union takes $800 a month

out of his pension check for health insurance premium. I'm not sure what they contribute, if anything.

[ThomWV]

4. I'm in the Government Program that congress shares and they pay ~65% of the monthly cost

I have the Government Plan (FEHBP) and my ex-employer (I"m retired) pays 65% of the monthly Blue Cross/Blue Shield premium.

[Catshrink]

5. My employer pays all of a basic plan

I pay $40/month to upgrade. I haven't used my insurance since my knee surgery last June, except for a flu shot.

[subterranean]

6. What does "self-insured" mean, and how is it different from uninsured?

[TorchTheWitch]

7. self-insured means you buy your own policy

and pay for it all yourself... not employer or government provided. Uninsured means you have no insurance either through an employer, the government or by purchasing a policy yourself.

Sort of like the difference between being self-employed and unemployed... when self-employed you work and derive an income from that work, and if you're unemployed it means you don't do any work that provides an income.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

9. That was the intent

I wanted to also wanted to draw a distinction between those had the option of a employer plan, but chose not to take it. Uninsured, but there is insurance available.

[TorchTheWitch]

8. dupe

wow - first time that's ever happened to me.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

11. Kick

Just to get some more poll responses. This is interesting.

[Delphinus]

12. How do I answer:

I pay for catastrophic health insurance, along with my employer. But if I ever need to use it, with a $5,000 deductible, I will be in bankruptcy court the following day.

I'd rather not have any "insurance" whatsoever - then I could (maybe) afford to see a doctor.

I've a while to wait before I'm Medicare eligible - thank goodness for Slovenia.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. I voted < 50 but actually that is only a wild assed guess

1) premiums are only part of the 'shared costs'. Many of us have huge deductibles, co-pays, etc. All of which have been increasing every year and which are being used to shift more and more of the costs from employer to employee.

2) my employer does not disclose what their costs are.

The consequence of which is that it is quite possible that my < 50 guess is wrong.

[mmonk]

14. 100%. That's why I fight so hard on this issue in difficult times.

I have two sons still on my coverage as well as my spouse. One son will be off soon but insurance premium rates are designed on family plans for three so I won't get any easing of the burden. The new plan, as well as I can determine, will change little for my family's condition.