What do you pay for Health Insurance??

[RockaFowler]

I just got my statement for what it's gonna cost for me and my husband and our insurance this year. It went up (mainly because I had to add him because he lost his coverage) and I have less coverage.

I will be paying $1476 a year. My company's paying $9464 this year. Last year I paid a total of $324 for my insurance. My company paid $4966. So because I added my husband, I'm now paying $1100 more than last year. And I didn't get a raise this past year, so I'm now being paid less than last year - and I'm doing 3x the amount of work.

So I guess I get something more for $1100 this year. No, not really.

[MerryBlooms]

1. $564 per month medical only, for me.

My premium has gone up 44% in the almost two years I've had it.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. $9,600 a year is taken from my husband's fixed pension

for our insurance up from $3,600 a year five years ago.

[RockaFowler]

8. That is horrible

I am so sorry. :(
I really feel for those on fixed incomes. This can't be easy on them at all.

[DesertFlower]

3. hubby doesn't pay anything, but it costs

$127 a month for me. the deductible for both of us went from $742 last year to $900 this year. and of course, there's co-insurance.

i have no idea what the company pays, but they haven't given raises in a few years unless you're a top performer -- then you get 1%.

[nightrain]

4. that's probably on the cheaper end of the spectrum actually--slightly more than

$120/month for two people. Your employer is being quite generous, but it sounds like it's quite a jump compared to last year. Terrible situation overall.

How about deductibles and copays? Are they reasonable?

[RockaFowler]

7. Not reasonable at all

My deductible is $5600 for my husband and I. This does include prescription drugs, but I don't get a discount of any significance for the drugs. Here's a good example:

I pay $26 a month for Birth Control pills. They are generic and cost $31. I save $5.
My husband takes Aciphex. It costs $175 at Walgreen's. The COST is $178. So, we save nothing.
The only prescriptions that are reasonable are Crestor. They cost us $11, and we save $200. Why?? Because my company only covers preventative medicine (it's free if generic). Aren't Birth Control Pills Preventative?????? Why aren't they covered??? I can't get a straight answer from my company on that.

[nightrain]

13. that's exactly what I'm concerned about! It's almost prohibitive to use these damn

insurance policies! Nasty deductible, high med copays. At least you're not paying through the nose on the premium. If that's any small consolation!

For all this money we could have actually created a single payer system that people could use.

I hope the insurer has to pay something more in a year than on the meds for your and your employer's contributions! Lousy messed up way of providing (little) care.

[quinnox]

5. The one I'm about to get will be $350 a month

Its expensive but it covers everything and is the lowest out of pocket of all the plans. Its private insurance, the one my employer offers isn't any good.

[Semi_subversive]

6. I have Blue Shield of California

My premium for myself, wife and two kids just went up to $1,344.43. In addition, i pay $39.38 for dental and $9.19 for vision care. My employer pays $1,172, so I have to pay $221 out of pocket. I was looking at some check stubs from the past and saw that in 2000/2001, my monthly premiums totaled only $435 for self, wife and three kids, and my employer paid it all.

[stray cat]

9. Almost nothing - I get it from my employer

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. I pay

nearly $300 per month. I have no documented pre-existing or high risk conditions. My annual deductible is $10,000 and carries a co-pay beyond that. Doctor visits are not covered. Neither are dental or optical services. I haven't seen a doctor for any reason in nearly 15 years. I'm also long-term unemployed.

You may not feel particularly fortunate but - from my window - you are.

[RockaFowler]

15. I am so sorry

I really don't know if we can afford the amount we're getting this year. So I really feel bad for you :hug:

We all have to make sure we don't get sick. I can only imagine what my hospital bill is gonna be if I have any emergency. Or God Forbid I decide to have a child. :eyes:

[cali]

11. $60 a month.

subsidized and administered by the state.

[MisterP]

12. $1020/yr for basement care, UCLA subsidized clinic nt

[ellenfl]

14. it looks like our part of the premium my so gets through his job

will be $2704/yr. before i got on his policy, i paid $8,136/yr for an individual policy, which, at the time, was almost 20% of my salary. i anticipate that the premiums for everyone who gets their insurance through their employer will increase by a fairly substantial amount. the insurance companies WILL get their pound of flesh, if you will excuse the expression.

ellen fl

[ThomWV]

16. $367 a month for my end, my old employer (US DOE) picks up the other 65% of the monthly cost.