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Health Insurance choices 2019

Health Insurance choices 2019

Old Oct 8th 2018, 12:17 pm
  #31  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

What state comes in dead last on the US News list: MISSISSIPPI I can testify to that first hand using my daughter as an example.

However, healthcare was not the issue I was raising but that the doctors bill Bob for the remainder of the fees that his wife's healthcare does not pay. Hell, I'm 70 years ago. I have had Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Prudential, and now Aetna supplemental for my medicare and never been billed by a doctor or a hospital for the surplus fees unpaid by my healthcare. I have used my healthcare over the years in New York State, New Jersey, Massachusetts and now in Mississippi. So based on my personal experience, I find it outrageous that doctors have the nerve to bill a patient for the unpaid portion of the fee after healthcare has paid what they deem to be a reasonable fee.

Last edited by Rete; Oct 8th 2018 at 12:22 pm.
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Old Oct 9th 2018, 12:18 am
  #32  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

Originally Posted by Rete
What state comes in dead last on the US News list: MISSISSIPPI I can testify to that first hand using my daughter as an example.

However, healthcare was not the issue I was raising but that the doctors bill Bob for the remainder of the fees that his wife's healthcare does not pay. Hell, I'm 70 years ago. I have had Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Prudential, and now Aetna supplemental for my medicare and never been billed by a doctor or a hospital for the surplus fees unpaid by my healthcare. I have used my healthcare over the years in New York State, New Jersey, Massachusetts and now in Mississippi. So based on my personal experience, I find it outrageous that doctors have the nerve to bill a patient for the unpaid portion of the fee after healthcare has paid what they deem to be a reasonable fee.
I was under the impression that balance billing was illegal assuming the provider is in network.
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Old Oct 9th 2018, 3:03 am
  #33  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

Originally Posted by Rete
And I have been horrified over the years of your description of your healthcare woes with the Mrs. and the girls. I often wonder what crappy type of healthcare your wife has and/or what kind of doctors you have in MA.
It's pretty decent level of coverage, but it's not cheap in the metro area.
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Old Oct 9th 2018, 5:58 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

Originally Posted by Bob
It's pretty decent level of coverage, but it's not cheap in the metro area.
Don't I know it. Don't forget I lived 20 miles from midtown Manhattan in Westchester County and inexpensive is not a word that is used there unless it is accompanied by the word "not". I don't see my MA friends in the Berkshire having to pay this balance billing for their doctor visits or hospital stays or tests.

I realize that not all healthcare is like mine has been and that each state handles it differently. I'm so sick of the mediocre healthcare system in my country that I'm almost willing to start a new revolution and overthrow our elite government whose only core concerns are themselves, their politics and their financial worth.
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Old Oct 9th 2018, 6:11 pm
  #35  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

Originally Posted by Rete
Don't I know it. Don't forget I lived 20 miles from midtown Manhattan in Westchester County and inexpensive is not a word that is used there unless it is accompanied by the word "not". I don't see my MA friends in the Berkshire having to pay this balance billing for their doctor visits or hospital stays or tests.
I haven't seen anything in Bob's posts to indicate he's being balance billed - he talks about a 10% "portion" which implies a copayment?

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Old Oct 9th 2018, 6:22 pm
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

Surprised how few states have laws against balance billing. Six are described as "comprehensive", 29 have no laws. So for many the only protection is contracts between insurance companies and providers:

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/pub...ssing-consumer
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Old Oct 11th 2018, 6:01 am
  #37  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

The point of my thread was about how much you pay now vs next year. Apparently it is state specific. Still , would like to hear more numbers.
Premium/deductible/MOOP / and approx circumstances viz state, earnings, industry etc.Thanks for the responses so far
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Old Oct 14th 2018, 12:20 am
  #38  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

My premium, deductible and out of pocket isn't changing for 2019, but they removed the vision benefit that was part of the medical plan before so if I want to pick that up, it'll be an extra $5 and change a pay. I don't recall the premium, around $100 a pay for a family plan, and the deductible is $2700/5400. They also added a cheaper option this year that has a much higher deductible, can't recall what it is though, and 80% co-pay after that, but the premiums for a family plan are something like $40 a pay. We have wellness credits and a smoking penalty, I don't smoke and get all the wellness benefits which are included in the premiums I listed. Last year they did introduce a two tier premium approach with "higher" earners paying more. I say "higher" because the line was under $40k and over $40k so it's not exactly my definition of a high earner.
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Old Oct 14th 2018, 6:18 pm
  #39  
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We haven't gotten info for the new year, except to say that our vision is moving to a reimbursement only thing. This current year, they only paid up front if it was in network from a small list, which in previous years included Target, but which we didn't notice, had dropped Target. So that was a bit of a hassle.
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Old Oct 15th 2018, 4:28 pm
  #40  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

State: SC
BCBS Bronze high deductible coverage for family of five. Premium increasing by 16.5% to $1,906 per month. Deductible = MOOP = can't remember exactly but approx $6.5K per person, $13K family
The other policy offered is BCBS Silver and the premium for this has increased by 6%
So depresssing
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Old Oct 15th 2018, 4:29 pm
  #41  
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$2k per month? For a Bronze plan? That's insane.
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Old Oct 15th 2018, 4:34 pm
  #42  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

Originally Posted by civilservant
$2k per month? For a Bronze plan? That's insane.
I'm glad i am not the only one that thinks so. That is $22,800 per year for effectively emergency cover only ie one of the family comes down with something major
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Old Oct 15th 2018, 4:49 pm
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Old Oct 15th 2018, 5:00 pm
  #44  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

And from Consumer Reports:

"[ACA] Premiums are still high, but most insurers aren’t hiking rates as sharply as they did the past few years. Some insurers are even lowering premiums. Deductibles remain steep, too, depending on which plan you choose. But what you end up paying will vary dramatically based on where you live and what your state is doing—or not doing—to support insurance markets."

https://www.consumerreports.org/heal...nsurance-cost/

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Old Oct 16th 2018, 6:27 am
  #45  
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Default Re: Health Insurance choices 2019

That is insane. Your health insurance is my entire months income.....lol.... Insanity.



Originally Posted by newadventure
State: SC
BCBS Bronze high deductible coverage for family of five. Premium increasing by 16.5% to $1,906 per month. Deductible = MOOP = can't remember exactly but approx $6.5K per person, $13K family
The other policy offered is BCBS Silver and the premium for this has increased by 6%
So depresssing
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