My new crap health insurance

[Jenn! 918]

My company is switching to a new healthcare plan effective Jan. 1, and I just received the materials outlining the changes. I'm not pleased.

My current plan is a BCBS PPO. I pretty much pay a $20 at doctor visits, and that's it. I pay about $150/month for my spouse and me.

The first negative is that we're switching from BCBS to Aetna, which I hear has horrible claims service. My new monthly premium will be $400/month for 2 people, with a $2,000 annual deductible and a 20% coinsurance wth a $3,500 cap. It appears that the only service not subject to the coinsurance is an annual physical, regardless of whether you are in-network.

#######!? I am really pissed and considering starting to look for a new job.

[KarenCee 3]

I feel your pain. I just went through this last year when our school board switched from BCBS (HMOs and PPOs) to United Healthcare OR Cigna. Not only did my deductible go up, my copays went up, AND my medications increased in cost - at least the ones I need for my asthma and diabetes. But to be without it...sheesh... All the school systems in my state have done this so looking for a new job isn't gonna work for me.

If you decide to look for a new job, I wish you the best.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

we have the aetna, small pay at visits have had no problems. I work for state so they cover my cost and percent to add ahmed so it works for us

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

ouch! That is quite a difference, especially for you with a baby on the way. I hope they'll at least let you keep the same doctors!

[rebeccajo 14]

For those of you reading ------------

Coming to Your Job Soon!

[rebeccajo 14]

My company is switching to a new healthcare plan effective Jan. 1, and I just received the materials outlining the changes. I'm not pleased.

My current plan is a BCBS PPO. I pretty much pay a $20 at doctor visits, and that's it. I pay about $150/month for my spouse and me.

The first negative is that we're switching from BCBS to Aetna, which I hear has horrible claims service. My new monthly premium will be $400/month for 2 people, with a $2,000 annual deductible and a 20% coinsurance wth a $3,500 cap. It appears that the only service not subject to the coinsurance is an annual physical, regardless of whether you are in-network.

#######!? I am really pissed and considering starting to look for a new job.

What will family coverage cost?

[Jenn! 918]

What will family coverage cost?

Family coverage is about $475/month with a coinsurance max of 4,500. I haven't worked out the numbers to compare, but I believe that the 2-person coverage gets hit the hardest, relatively speaking.

We have different deductible and coinsurance max options. the figures I quoted were for the top-level plan. I ran the numbers and it's only beneficial to choose the lower-deductible plans if your total medical expenses are greater than $20K per year. The difference between out-of-pocket total costs between the "worst" plan and the "best" plan is only $2,000. To me that seems like a no-brainer to pick the highest-deductible option. The deductible will be $5,000, and the coinsurance max will be $6,000, but the monthly premium will only be $150.

Edited September 27, 2009 by Jenn!

[rebeccajo 14]

What will family coverage cost?

Family coverage is about $475/month with a coinsurance max of 4,500. I haven't worked out the numbers to compare, but I believe that the 2-person coverage gets hit the hardest, relatively speaking.

We have different deductible and coinsurance max options. the figures I quoted were for the top-level plan. I ran the numbers and it's only beneficial to choose the lower-deductible plans if your total medical expenses are greater than $20K per year. The difference between out-of-pocket total costs between the "worst" plan and the "best" plan is only $2,000. To me that seems like a no-brainer to pick the highest-deductible option. The deductible will be $5,000, and the coinsurance max will be $6,000, but the monthly premium will only be $150.

Always depends on what you need.

Prescription costs are huge for us. And to get the drugs covered we always have needed to go to higher cost plans. Wes has frequent testing also so it's good if we can keep deductibles down.

[BRIAN AND ISA 0]

Go online and get a quote for individual insurance but be prepared for a lot of calls if you do. Typically individual insurance is half the cost of a group plan due to the individual underwriting and the possibility of be exculed or turned down. Group plans are higher because although they do underwrite they can not exclude anyone. If you get individual insurance you may be able to go to your employer and have them pay for it. Why would they do this? Because it would actually be cheaper for them; in a group plan then employer typically pays a portion of the actual cost that most employees do not even see. Good luck.

[trailmix 77]

Go online and get a quote for individual insurance but be prepared for a lot of calls if you do. Typically individual insurance is half the cost of a group plan due to the individual underwriting and the possibility of be exculed or turned down. Group plans are higher because although they do underwrite they can not exclude anyone. If you get individual insurance you may be able to go to your employer and have them pay for it. Why would they do this? Because it would actually be cheaper for them; in a group plan then employer typically pays a portion of the actual cost that most employees do not even see. Good luck.

That's interesting - I don't think it applies in all States though?

When we were living there (Florida) we too had crappy insurance, although it cost us $400 a month. I did call about individual plans and I did not find anything better - similar, not better.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... we're switching from BCBS to Aetna, which I hear has horrible claims service.

I wouldn't knock Aetna too much, they were pretty good about paying for the last year of life of a relatives expensive treatment.

#######!? I am really pissed and considering starting to look for a new job.

Good luck if that's what you wanna do. But it's my view that the days of the insurance industry providing kickass benefits to its employees is coming to an end.

That said, take a look at MetLife. Their benefits are still very good. For starters, there's a 10% (of base+bonus) contribution with immediate vesting into a retirement annuity account which you can take with you when you leave.

For those of you reading ------------

Coming to Your Job Soon!

Goddamn, you are depressing

[peejay 327]

For those of you reading ------------

Coming to Your Job Soon!

Few people dispute that the status quo should be maintained. The big question is how to administer quality care at an affordable price without bankrupting the private system or bankrupting the country with a public system. Not to mention bankrupting me personally if I get ill or try to maintain pre-existing conditions if I lose my coverage at work through layoff. Ever price COBRA continuation of coverage if you get unemployed? You can't do that for very long.

I've seen my employee contribution premiums take a bigger chunk out of my payroll deductions at work while the coverage has been degraded. These little tricks can't go on forever. The money has to come from somewhere (private or public).

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The big question is how to administer quality care at an affordable price without bankrupting the private system or bankrupting the country with a public system.

Why is protecting a private industry that tries to gouge us at every turn such a priority?

Ever price COBRA continuation of coverage if you get unemployed? You can't do that for very long.

You're supposed to save your money while you work, homeboy. COBRA won't seem so expensive then

[Jenn! 918]

Good luck if that's what you wanna do. But it's my view that the days of the insurance industry providing kickass benefits to its employees is coming to an end.

I know you're right - my urge to move is more out of the feeling that I should make some kind of point, not that they would care. This is GE - they have hundreds of thousands of employees that are just gonna bend over and take it, including me.

I hope you're right about Aetna. I've just heard some horror stories.

[rebeccajo 14]

For those of you reading ------------

Coming to Your Job Soon!

Goddamn, you are depressing

I'm just not a 'sunshine up your a$$' kinda girl!

Good luck if that's what you wanna do. But it's my view that the days of the insurance industry providing kickass benefits to its employees is coming to an end.

I know you're right - my urge to move is more out of the feeling that I should make some kind of point, not that they would care. This is GE - they have hundreds of thousands of employees that are just gonna bend over and take it, including me.

I hope you're right about Aetna. I've just heard some horror stories.

Wes had Aetna twice - two different jobs. We never had a problem with claims.

You can also get through to their customer service without too much standing on your head.

Edited September 27, 2009 by rebeccajo