health insurance company recommendations

[Udella&Wiz 325]

You're not be gouged, we're just finding out what healthcare REALLY costs. You simply cannot compare anything to back in Canada. When you bought Helath insurance, they didn';t have to cover as much as companies do here. In the US it's 100% of your fees, in Canada they were only 'topping-up' what the government didn't cover. HUGE difference. Dental is a little more on an even playing field because the government didn't sibsidize/ regulate that like Health care.

I used to work for Mutual Group/ Clarica/Sun Life in the health side and when provincial governments delisted certain procedures though the years, there was always a flurry of activity to determine what insurance would now be paying for.

Sapphiredreams is on the money when she said your husband's company subsidizes HIS portion, they aren't obliged to subsidize spouse or family care. I can't remember your situation Kimbear, but sometimes in a young couple it's better for each to take the healthcare their company offers.

Here's a question too - are there several options available or does his company only offer 1 plan? Larger companies can offer more options.

At my current job I interact a lot with HR and specifically the Benefits department. They feel our pain and they do care about their employees and would love to find them lower rates.

I know it's not helpful, but if you look at it differently......think of what you're getting for that $115/pay (26 pays = $3000). If you had no insurance, 1 small Dr's visit could cost you over 200 or 300(or worse) right? Right away you've saved money having insurance.

Health Insurance is hard to get used to for sure!

[jkelly07 120]

to bad. many people go bankrup, thay can't pay the medical,hospial bills.whats wrong with obama care,these insurance companys are crooks.

[Boiler 44,955]

It would be great if we could 'tailor' health care plans but generally the employer decides what options they will offer to their employees and usually offer 3 or so levels of coverage, each with increasing levels of benefits and premiums, with premiums also increasing depending on individual or family and the age of the employee.

Your husband should receive a notice of what packages are available about a month or so before his annual enrollment date. He is only allowed to change his plan on the enrollment date anniversary or if there is a life changing event such as marriage or birth of a child, which often provides a month or so window of opportunity to add them into the plan. It may be that his employer only offers one option and has different rates for individual or family coverage.

Health care costs are obscene in the US, mainly because they have added a middleman - the insurance company - who sits there between the patient and the doctor with their hand out, taking money from you and your employer, holding the majority of it back for themselves, then passing the rest on to the doctor. You can be sure that the sole motivation of the insurance company is their bottom line and certainly not the well-being of the patient or the doctor. It is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to find affordable options that they can support on behalf of their employees as well, so in many cases they too pass along a lot of the expense to the employee and minimize their own financial commitment. There isn't a one size fits all though, so you can have the range of absolutely horrible health care coverage to wonderful coverage with different employers and with the same insurer. It all comes down to money - who is willing to give the most of it to the Insurance companies.

It sounds like you are blaming the messenger.

Firstly the majority of Medical Costs are incurred by the Government, then large employers basically self fund with maybe insurance to cover catastrophe issues, for example say they expect their medical costs to come to $20,000,000 next year they may buy insurance in case it exceeded $25,000,000. They then but basically a claim handling service, often from an insurer.

Small group schemes and individuals are insured in the conventional sense but that is a relatively small percentage of the total spend.

In my state insurance premiums have to be approved by the State Insurance Commissioner.

There are endemic issues with the US system, there is an awful lot of waste. Certainly one of the problems is Employers being involved, it would be much more transparent if they kept out, but most of it is down to Politicians being paid to legislate a corrupt system.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

to bad. many people go bankrup, thay can't pay the medical,hospial bills.whats wrong with obama care,these insurance companys are crooks.

Insurance companies have always been crooks, didn't take any particular politician to bring that out