What is your health insurance cost?

samiwas · Sep 26, 2012

I'm not looking for a discussion about America's healthcare system and how much it sucks...trying to keep this out of PRSI.

Anyway, after it was determined that our infant son needs a helmet to help shape his head (it's flat on one side), my parents offered to cover the cost, as I am the only sibling who has never asked them for a penny (others have been fully supported at times) since I graduated college over 15 years ago. When my mother found out how much it would cost, we got into the discussion about how much I pay for our family's health insurance, and why it is so high. I thought what I pay is fairly normal, but maybe i'm wrong on that.

I don't think health insurance cost is a taboo subject like salary is, so hopefully people are keen to offer their experiences. It's hard to get a real scenario by just searching internet sites. I saw one site breaking it down to like $350/month for a family plan, which seems insanely low.

I have a family plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia with a $2500 deductible, 20% co-pay, and $35 office visits which includes medical, dental, and vision, with a maternity rider, and a small life insurance rider. This covers myself, my wife, and our infant son. Total monthly cost is $1,289.88 ($32 is the life insurance for myself and wife).

Obviously, this topic is for Americans, as most of the rest of you have universal health care.

jzuena · Sep 26, 2012

samiwas said:
I'm not looking for a discussion about America's healthcare system and how much it sucks...trying to keep this out of PRSI.

Anyway, after it was determined that our infant son needs a helmet to help shape his head (it's flat on one side), my parents offered to cover the cost, as I am the only sibling who has never asked them for a penny (others have been fully supported at times) since I graduated college over 15 years ago. When my mother found out how much it would cost, we got into the discussion about how much I pay for our family's health insurance, and why it is so high. I thought what I pay is fairly normal, but maybe i'm wrong on that.

I don't think health insurance cost is a taboo subject like salary is, so hopefully people are keen to offer their experiences. It's hard to get a real scenario by just searching internet sites. I saw one site breaking it down to like $350/month for a family plan, which seems insanely low.

I have a family plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia with a $2500 deductible, 20% co-pay, and $35 office visits which includes medical, dental, and vision, with a maternity rider, and a small life insurance rider. This covers myself, my wife, and our infant son. Total monthly cost is $1,289.88 ($32 is the life insurance for myself and wife).

Obviously, this topic is for Americans, as most of the rest of you have universal health care.

I just pulled up the medical page from my company's web site and for medical only (on our PPO plan), a family plan is $353.06 per month. Add another $23.76 for dental and $4.64 for vision coverage. This also has a 20% co-pay (including office visits) and a $500 deductible per person / $1500 deductible max. It is through CIGNA, not Blue Cross and is standard for all US-based employees. The company switched from Blue Cross about 3-4 years ago because it was getting too expensive.

In some countries with universal health care it is not unusual to buy additional supplemental health insurance, as not everything is universally covered.

Shrink · Sep 26, 2012

samiwas said:
I'm not looking for a discussion about America's healthcare system and how much it sucks...trying to keep this out of PRSI.

Anyway, after it was determined that our infant son needs a helmet to help shape his head (it's flat on one side), my parents offered to cover the cost, as I am the only sibling who has never asked them for a penny (others have been fully supported at times) since I graduated college over 15 years ago. When my mother found out how much it would cost, we got into the discussion about how much I pay for our family's health insurance, and why it is so high. I thought what I pay is fairly normal, but maybe i'm wrong on that.

I don't think health insurance cost is a taboo subject like salary is, so hopefully people are keen to offer their experiences. It's hard to get a real scenario by just searching internet sites. I saw one site breaking it down to like $350/month for a family plan, which seems insanely low.

I have a family plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia with a $2500 deductible, 20% co-pay, and $35 office visits which includes medical, dental, and vision, with a maternity rider, and a small life insurance rider. This covers myself, my wife, and our infant son. Total monthly cost is $1,289.88 ($32 is the life insurance for myself and wife).

Obviously, this topic is for Americans, as most of the rest of you have universal health care.

An therein lies the entire discussion!!

Tomorrow · Sep 26, 2012

My premium (every two weeks) is $24 and change, plus I contribute $119 and change per pay period to a HSA. Annually it's $640-some-odd dollars for the insurance and $3,100 toward my HSA to meet the annual deductible, so it comes out to about $312 a month. No dependents.

senseless · Sep 26, 2012

I cannot figure out why there is such a vast cost difference between group plans and individual policies. There is no rational reason that an unemployed or retired person has to pay nearly 2X the cost for the same coverage.

samiwas · Sep 26, 2012

I'm not unemployed, but I am self-employed or a freelancer, if you will. I have multiple companies that I work for, but don't qualify for health insurance at any of them. Therefore, I am paying the "Joe Blow Off The Street" rate.

Seems like the above responses are what people pay as their portion of a company plan?

senseless said:
I cannot figure out why there is such a vast cost difference between group plans and individual policies. There is no rational reason that an unemployed or retired person has to pay nearly 2X the cost for the same coverage.

I've always wondered this, as well. And it's not just a small difference! There's also the difference between the no-insurance cost for a procedure, and the insurance cost. And those are vastly different as well.

renewed · Sep 26, 2012

Cigna PPO Single Plan - $120/month including Dental.

puma1552 · Sep 26, 2012

This probably isn't much help, but I'll throw it out there anyway. I pay $0 for health insurance; my company foots the premium 100%, so I don't even know what that is. We have a $5000 annual deductible, but the company reimburses the first $2000 for my wife and I (it would be the first $1000 if I were single). Beyond the $5k, it's 80/20 coverage.

Provider is Anthem, which IIRC is part of Blue Cross.

Rodimus Prime · Sep 26, 2012

I want to say my insurnce my parents were paying for me for a while was like $110 a month and had a $30 co pay. It was also a high deductible plan so if I did get injured it was going to cost a fair amount

avro707 · Sep 26, 2012

$135 a month for mine. That's real dollars, not those cheap US ones.

I hardly make any claims on it at all, and just keep paying those costs. Because I'm basically fairly active and fit, they should give me a rebate! Worst thing is it didn't cover the physio I needed a while back when I tore the calf muscle on my right leg. So that was 6 sessions at $90 a time.

We have universal health care in my country, but most people have private cover too - this usually lets you get in to have elective medical procedures done quickly.

firedept · Sep 26, 2012

We are very fortunate here in Canada as I have Alberta Health Insurance Plan that Provincial Government pays for which covers most hospital visits, operations (but not cosmetic) and family doctor visits. Then I have private insurance plan payed for by my employer which is about $400/mth and that covers 100% drugs, 100% dentist, ambulance and eye-wear ($200/yr.).

mobilehaathi · Sep 26, 2012

Employer pays about $400/month; I pay about $7/month (sic). Copays are between $0 and $10 for most things. $1500 out-of-pocket max. Scripts are $10/$20/$35.

talmy · Sep 26, 2012

senseless said:
I cannot figure out why there is such a vast cost difference between group plans and individual policies. There is no rational reason that an unemployed or retired person has to pay nearly 2X the cost for the same coverage.

There is a very rational reason. Individuals will only tend to buy insurance if their health is a risk. So only the sick and elderly will want the insurance. In a group plan, everyone in the group must be insured, even those people that feel they don't need it. This is why it costs much less. This is also why "Obamacare" will fine people that don't opt in.

erickkoch · Sep 27, 2012

My medical insurance is free as long as I use HMO. But, I'm single, no kids. My coworkers pay a couple hundred a month or more for spouses and more if they have kids. Vision care is free but voucher for glasses are $150 every two years (not enough, IMO). Dental covers 80% of cost.

BTW, I'm not very happy with my HMO, turns out many doctors don't take it. I'll probably have to start paying next year to move to a better plan like a PPO.

samiwas · Sep 27, 2012

Seems like the vast majority of people here are getting their insurance through an employer. Who out there is not?

laurim · Sep 27, 2012

samiwas said:
Seems like the vast majority of people here are getting their insurance through an employer. Who out there is not?

I pay for my own as a freelancer but since I'm single w/o kids, it's hard to compare to a family plan. I pay $158/mo for a MN Blue Cross 80/20 plan with a $7,500 deductible. Covers a yearly exam w/ no copay. Prescriptions have a $30 copay. I'm 48, non-smoker and opted out of the coverage for having a baby. My dental is $188/YR and covers the basics like 6 month cleanings, fillings and x-rays on a schedule.

Looking forward to Obamacare fully kicking in because then my BC pills will be no copay and there's a program to get individual insurance as if you are a member of a group (like the congress already gets).

JBazz · Sep 27, 2012

I am covered by my employer. I am single, no kids. I am paid bi/weekly, every two weeks.

Medical is 46.25 per payday, blue cross blue shield. But my entire suite of benefits (not counting retirement or 401k) run me 135 per payday. So that's what? Just under $300 per month.

But next year my medical will go up $200 more per month.

0098386 · Sep 28, 2012

Well, I do live in the UK.
But I paid for private healthcare last year. Came to £300 for a consultation and treatment. I don't have private insurance so I had to pay more than those who do.

colourfastt · Sep 28, 2012

laurim said:
I pay for my own as a freelancer but since I'm single w/o kids, it's hard to compare to a family plan. I pay $158/mo for a MN Blue Cross 80/20 plan with a $7,500 deductible. Covers a yearly exam w/ no copay. Prescriptions have a $30 copay. I'm 48, non-smoker and opted out of the coverage for having a baby. My dental is $188/YR and covers the basics like 6 month cleanings, fillings and x-rays on a schedule.

Looking forward to Obamacare fully kicking in because then my BC pills will be no copay and there's a program to get individual insurance as if you are a member of a group (like the congress already gets).

So you would pay almost $10,000 in a year that you would have the policy cover your claim. And then it would only cover 80% of the bill. Not exactly cost-effective.

I owned several allied health companies in the 90s and came to believe that the only efficient system for the U.S. is a single payor system, e.j., put everyone on a Medicare-type system with a monthly premium of, say, $100 for every individual (yes, even the kids).

jeremy h · Sep 28, 2012

In these plans you mention - whats a deductible? Not making any kind of point just curious. (I won't get any more involved in the discussion.)

chown33 · Sep 28, 2012

jeremy h said:
In these plans you mention - whats a deductible?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductible

jeremy h · Sep 28, 2012

chown33 said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductible

Yeah, thanks for that. Guess what I did look it up but didn't think that entry was massively clear for a non US audience - partlcularly the bit about the difference between a deductable and an excess. Anyway whatever...

Tomorrow · Sep 28, 2012

jeremy h said:
Yeah, thanks for that. Guess what I did look it up but didn't think that entry was massively clear for a non US audience - partlcularly the bit about the difference between a deductable and an excess. Anyway whatever...

In a nutshell, a deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance pays for anything. Typically with something fairly routine like a doctor's visit, it can be anywhere from $10-$30, and the insurance company pays the rest. For something like a surgery or emergency room visit, the deductible is more often a percentage of the charge, usually around 20%, subject to an annual maximum in many cases.

jeremy h · Sep 28, 2012

Ok, thanks. We'd call that an excess but with the proviso that it's for a fixed amount. I guess the percentage thing makes the difference.

Zombie Acorn · Sep 28, 2012

I pay ~30 dollars a month for myself and my wife for Extended Coverage/Prescription/Dental/Eye/Other non medical stuff like massages.

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