Health Insurance help needed

[MadJack]

geeez! just got my new rate. incredible! went from $546 per month to $715. WTF?!

here's the plan i have. maybe someone has some suggestions. this is getting ridiculous!

blue/cross blue/shield
family of 3
me 46 male
wife 39 female of course

son 14 male
no deductable 80/20
$15 prescriptions $30 brand name
$20 co-pay dr visit


to get the cost back down near $500 they told me i'd have to take a $600 deductable.

any help or suggestions?

 

[fletcher]

check out national health alliance 800)955-9507

 

[Neemer]

Very similiar.....Mine went from $432 per month to $586 on my annual renewal! It is actually the largest increase I've experienced since working...

BlueCross/Blue Shield plan B(which is supposed to be the 2nd best plan Bc/Bs offers)

Family of 4, wife & two sons ages 4&5. Each individual member has a $750 dollar deductible. It pays 80/20 for charges over $750 per person up to a maximum of $2500 bucks! There is also a $100 deductible per family member for RX drug coverage which doesn't really concern me that much..

So technically, I could be out $5,900 bucks before my insurance started to kick in! Bullchit I tell ya! And keep in mind, this apparently is one of the best plans they offer in the state of Kentucky....

What I would do Jack is shop some other health insurance plans but make damn sure that your local doctors are in the plan's network as well as your local hospital. It doesn't matter how cheap you can get it if noone accepts it....

 

[rrc]

Might want to call Fortis 800-553-7654, one of, if not the largest insurers of individuals that's out there. If you took a deductible, even a small one, would knock your monthly premium down. We have 43 yr old male, 40 yr old female 7 & 5 yr old boys, monthly premium of 330.00. However, my deductible is HUGE, basically I'm self-insuring, using the monthly savings to pay medical bills incurred throughout the year. Good luck.

 

[JohnWise]

Jack-
Do what I have done. Find your WIFE a job with benefits.

 

[MadJack]

Find your WIFE a job with benefits

i did, john. she works for me

thanks for the replies, so far. i'll look into them but let's hear some more.

neemer- what would 'out-of-pocket' cost be for Altace 10mg 60 caps and Aciphex 20mg 30 tabs be?

thanks

 

[JohnWise]

jack-
i take altace too. same dosage. bp medicine. found out today that my gall bladder doesn't empty like it should. i figured it out way before the doctors. internet is great for finding things. it empties only 5%. 40% is passing. how much would you charge to do the removal?

 

[Ronbets]

Hey MadJack,

Long time no talk. Glad to hear the Alladin took good care of you. You better hurry back out here before they go BK. How much did you beat them out of ?

In regards to this health insurance fiasco, it's an out an out GOUGE. There's a big % of your premium being diverted to the legal industry, but that's for another time. Ok, you're paying $8580 per year and you hope you blow it all. Not my idea of how to run my finances. As an ex-BM, I'd handle your situation like my former business. Don't sweat the small stuff. FWIW, my advice would be to buy catastrophic health insurance with a high deductable. Say 5 to 10 dimes. Anything is negotiable.---Ron

 

[MadJack]

hey ronbets, welcome aboard!!

when i was notified that you had registered, i was expecting a reply to the poker cheating thread

aladdin is holding some of my money from last year's trip. i'll get it back in january. hope we can hook up when i visit.

as far as you suggestion about my health insurance; i'm seriously considering that route.

again....welcome aboard!!

 

[sandwedge]

MJ -

I was looking into some providers for the self-insure with coverage for catostrophic illness only (ie huge deductible). unicare.com seemed to have some reasonable options, haven't used them so i can't comment on the quality of the company, but they did seem more reasonable than some.

good luck

 

[MadJack]

sandwedge, thanks, i just checked the site and they don't have anything for maryland residents. thanks anyway

 

[fletcher]

whats up ron. for guys that don't know ron when he writes something i would listen very close to him,has a great grasp of gaming and handicapping. welcome

 

[scrubbo]

another company to try is MAMSI. I switched my business from bc/bs to mamsi because they were much much cheaper with similar benefits. good luck

 

[Ronbets]

Fletcher,

Thanks neighbor for the kind words.

 

[Investment Executive]

ontario, canada.....home of the "ohip card"..

golf and beer are good also Jack

......but then again so are the taxes.

 

[SixFive]

MJ, shoot an email to Dogs that Bark if he doesn't respond to this by in the morning. I think he will have some insight. If I was in your situation, I think I would lean high deductible as well. GL!

------------------
It's far better to be LUCKY than good.

 

[ozball]

As a doc in the canadian system...man it looks complicated down there...the overhead to have multiple payers, multiple provider groups, complex expensive insurance schemes sounds like a massive pain in tha a$$. Our system is relatively sleek (single payer), has some waiting (not a whole pile lately, if your family doc is on your side) and simple.

I don't earn what your US docs make, but my overhead is way less, less headaches about getting paid.

So, bottom line...move up here to Alberta, run MJ's from here and solve your health care woes.

ozball

PS I'll bring a sack of Altace samples to the Superbowl party if I can make it

 

[fletcher]

hey doc can you bring me some samples of xannax 1mg please

 

[ozball]

Fine for taking xanax
across border..very very big

Altace only 1*

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Howdy Jack
Since you are self employed you may want to look into a MSA(Medical Savings Account).
Without getting into technical terms it works like this.
They want you to pay $700 a month for 0 deductible now.Opt for plan with $2,500 deductble (large deductible required for MSA) that should cost you around $350 to $400,not familiar with rates in Maryland.
You put the $700 a month in your MSA account but only spend $350 for insurance while the remainder grows TAX FREE till (or if) needed.
Most state BC BS provide these plans however Ky does not.Fortis,their # is in above thread ,also provide these but some time have very limited PPO networks as in Ky.
If you think there is too much red tape to go that route I would consider a regular BC BS plan with $2,500 deductible.If you go 18 months without catastrophic claim you should have saved enough to cover a deductble.
If you have any specifics shoot me an email.