topic Re: Health Insurance in SmorgasBoard

Health Insurance

cadavis0609 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:28:44 GMT

I just wanted to say that you cannot understate the value of good health insurance. I didn't used to have it and I didn't worry about it, but my wife being pregnant, we've racked up ridiculous medical bills the last 6 months and I've only had to pay out like 50 bucks in that time. And then with my sprained ankle, which is covered under workmans comp but if that was coming out of my pocket, it would have been $12,000, between the drugs, the ambulance ride, the x-rays, the physical therapy, etc. I wouldn't feel like I could breathe without it anymore. So if you don't have it, that should be on your list of top priorities. I almost feel like FICO and insurance should go hand in hand. I would even venture to say that having it or not should be figured into your scores, because without it, you're always one medical emergency away from financial hardship.

Re: Health Insurance

llecs — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:45:17 GMT

cadavis0609 wrote:
I just wanted to say that you cannot understate the value of good health insurance. I didn't used to have it and I didn't worry about it, but my wife being pregnant, we've racked up ridiculous medical bills the last 6 months and I've only had to pay out like 50 bucks in that time. And then with my sprained ankle, which is covered under workmans comp but if that was coming out of my pocket, it would have been $12,000, between the drugs, the ambulance ride, the x-rays, the physical therapy, etc. I wouldn't feel like I could breathe without it anymore. So if you don't have it, that should be on your list of top priorities. I almost feel like FICO and insurance should go hand in hand. I would even venture to say that having it or not should be figured into your scores, because without it, you're always one medical emergency away from financial hardship.

Ditto. DW and I have health ins. (HRA) and would be broke without it. Unfortunately, so many people don't have health insurance. And if you have the $$$ to pay the bills, then it isn't necessary, but most people don't have tens of thousands laying around.

I serve as the plan administrator for our business. Of our 40 eligible employees, only 10 have health insurance. The others think they will never need it. I keep using myself as an example. Had appendicitis and it was removed. The visit to the emergency room was $50 with the copay. The operation and recovery was over $25,000. Had we not had health insurance..........$50 for $25,000 is a bargain in my book.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:55:11 GMT

Yes, I spent 7 days in the hospital last winter....it was something like 3 days in Intensive, 2 in Intermediate and 2 in regular....a $47K bill where MORE than 1/2 was "contractually obligated" and written off. I paid a $2,000 Out of Pocket Max plus a $500 Deductible for a total of $2,500 and the rest was paid by Insurance.

To buy Insurance individually and be a woman of "bearing" age will cost about $500 per month......The chances are rare that it would be needed and most likely the last thing on a persons mind..........I have gone 57 days without Insurance even though I am currently on blood thinners and have been acting as my own doctor (but I don't have $1100 for Cobra)

Any how...if it isn't offered by a job I completely understand why people don't purchase and I think it is a good guess that those offered health insurance by an employer for a cost would absolutely accept it........

Either way I am for health insurance if it is subsidized by an employer......Other than that I think a lot of us "chance it" as risky as that might be!!!!

Edited: I was a bit slow in typing and read lecs post stating 1/4 of the employees don't have health insurance where it is offered........When I was out of work for THREE weeks, I didn't have short or long term disability, I was lucky at that time since my Employer valued me as an employee and decided to pay me to work when I wasn't there.....Others aren't so lucky.

IF your employer offers Insurance and makes you pay Short Term disability BUY IT!!!! (I didn't and I work in Insurance!) So do as I say, not as I do!

Message Edited by 1111mel on 09-30-2008 11:55 PM

Re: Health Insurance

cadavis0609 — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:07:27 GMT

Been there, if you're unemployed, who has 1000 bucks a month for the "what if?" I don't.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:38:33 GMT

Sometimes insurance doesn't save you from bk But on the flip side we would of been out 1/2 million dollars instead of 150,000.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:34:12 GMT

Other states should follow the Connecticut health plan. The offer health ins. to everyone at set cost. It goes by income and # of family members. If you are single & make under $15,600 you pay $97 a month.

All kids here are insured!!

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:17:57 GMT

@cadavis0609 wrote:
Been there, if you're unemployed, who has 1000 bucks a month for the "what if?" I don't.

Or self employed. I pay about $1,000 each month for medical. Totally is the pits. I'd rather be driving a brand new Corvette! Insurance doesn't always save you money but it prevents the doctors from charging you full price if in that group.

Re: Health Insurance

MsKiwi — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:18:18 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Other states should follow the Connecticut health plan. The offer health ins. to everyone at set cost. It goes by income and # of family members. If you are single & make under $15,600 you pay $97 a month.

All kids here are insured!!

This is a reasonable sounding plan. Unfortunately insurance is becoming a luxury for many people.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:43:26 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Other states should follow the Connecticut health plan. The offer health ins. to everyone at set cost. It goes by income and # of family members. If you are single & make under $15,600 you pay $97 a month.

All kids here are insured!!

Im moving to Connecticut!

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:15:53 GMT

I can not complain. I am military so my insurance is fully covered. The treatment you get may not be as good as private facilities but I do have it.

My brother has a $2 million insurance policy. It runs $900 a month. Almost 3/4 of it was exhausted when he had a heart transplant last year. His wife was having to work just to keep up with the payments.

WA has basic health insurance also. Very inexpensive also.

Message Edited by guiness56 on 10-25-2008 07:15 AM

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:01:20 GMT

Sorry .... long rant about TriCare to follow......

My son has TriCare and while I am very happy with the fact that I don't have to pay anything for it they couldn't be MORE of a pain in the rear to deal with.

They recently sent me a letter that said that a copy of my son's SS card was missing from his file and that I needed to fax one to them.

No biggie I called and verified that they actually needed the card and verified the number, I faxed the card to them and then called to confirm they received the fax.

After their regular verify the caller circus (you must provide the sponser SS#, you SS# and the SS# of the person you want to discuss as well as current contact information for all involved parties before receiving any "secured" information)

Although all the information I provided matched what he had on file he said I needed to send proof that I was my son's mother.

I said "Well I just sent you a SS card and you have a Birth Certificate on file with my signature and it matches the Sig on the enrollment paperwork I filled out, what more proof do you need that I am his mother?"

He said... "Do you have a court order?" ??????? "Well No.... does your mother have a court order stating she is your mother or did everyone just sort of assume when you fell out of her &#&$% that she was your mom!" (He didn't like that and yes I said it!)

So I had his Dad call in and they gave him the same BS. For weeks we go around and around with this and FINALLY do you know how we got through to them...

My EX had his current wife pretend to be me (Ok with me but in this situation only) so that "We" could verify each others identity. They then said ok you are verified but we can only talk to Ms. Boo about your sons insurance because WE HAVE ON FILE THAT SHE HAS SOLE CUSTODY!!!!!!!" (Seriously... NOW you acknowledge that?!?!?!)

Are you kidding me. After all we went through they finally verified they had received the fax to my son's Step Mother who has less rights to my son than his father does and she was only PRETENDING to be me!

OY! But still very glad that he has free insurance.. even though I still pay out of pocket for his medical expenses since its not worth the 2.5 week process of getting verified to request an appointment when my son has a fever.

Re: Health Insurance

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:12:48 GMT

AmyBoo wrote:

He said... "Do you have a court order?" ??????? "Well No.... does your mother have a court order stating she is your mother or did everyone just sort of assume when you fell out of her &#&$% that she was your mom!" (He didn't like that and yes I said it!)

* laughing hysterically *

Oh, yeah, you don't ever want to challenge a woman on whether she actually gave birth!

Good for you for beating Tricare into shape. They can be a mess, that's for sure.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:38:59 GMT

Well I was only brave enough to say it because I do actually have proof that I am his mother.

His father and I were no longer married and he could not be present at the birth due to a deployment so we had to have a DNA test done to get him on the Birth Certificate.

The DNA test at least agrees that there is a 99.87% chance that I am my son's mother.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:31:19 GMT

OMG Amy that is beyond hilarious!

I can't believe the trouble you've had! TriCare gives me info like there's no tomorrow... Sometimes I can't even keep the step-kid's birthdays straight (I think it's the third? or the fourth?) and they still let me talk to them. But DEERS... now the DEERS rejects are another story entirely.

We needed to get a child's SSN, b/c her mother is a control-freak nutjob and would not give it to DH directly while we were waiting for a copy of her SS card to be mailed. So we went into the DEERS service center & asked for a copy of the DEERS printout, because it has her SSN on it. They would NOT give it to us, saying it's protected info. I said, "So you're telling me, that my DH, who created the child, who got her the SSN in the first place, is not allowed to know the SSN of his own minor child???" They said... YES... So I smiled & we walked to the back of the line again. I came back through the same line, walked up to the SAME lady and said "we need a copy of the DEERS printout for -samechild- to get her a new ID card." She paused, her brain did a couple hicccups & I think I saw an atomic explosion behind her eyeballs, and then she said "OK!" and printed it out! THE SAME PIECE OF PAPER! WITH HER SSN ON THE TOP LINE!

WTF People?!

Free medical care is not to be underestimated, but I occasionally have to question whether all the hoops we have to jump through really make it worth it!

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:00:59 GMT

I have a theroy that they make it so difficult to use .... so that you won't use it... Just a theory.

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:59:32 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I have a theroy that they make it so difficult to use .... so that you won't use it... Just a theory.

Exactly!

My TRICARE clinic is shut down for the next FIVE DAYS ... and they told me that if I really need help to go see the emergency room.

Typical pass-the-buck. I wonder how many people they've sent to overwhelm the emergency room with minor ailments that don't belong there. So I just went to the pharmacy and got whatever I thought would do the trick over-the-counter.

TRICARE makes me crazy.

Re: Health Insurance

MidnightVoice — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:07:59 GMT

I once talked to my health insurance guy, and he said "The problem with you people is that you think Health Insurance is there to pay for you medical bills. It is not. It is there to give you help paying your own bills."

But what can you expect when they get pay increases for denying more claims?

Re: Health Insurance

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:02:52 GMT

I work in the insurance industry.... and its true that there are some people who just nickle and dime insurance companies to death.

This one guy called once with a windsheild claim on a $150k antique porsche it was less than a $1000 claim. I though... my goodness don't you have $1000 in the bank to replace your windsheild.... You own a $150k car for goodness sakes!

He felt it was his "moral obligation" to report the damage

Whatever!

I know that example is car insurance and the post is about health insurance but you would be suprised at how many ways the two correlate