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Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Old Jul 25th 2011, 2:35 am
  #16  
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
Several thousand dollars a month? Maybe a few hundred but I doubt that several thousand is normal.
Here's the spouse plan offered by my employer: $750 a month for coverage, $5000 deductible with a 20% co insurance after the deductible is met. That's 14 grand before the split kicks in.

Got kids? hand over close on a grand a month prior to deductibles 80/20 etc.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 3:33 am
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by Titchski
Here's the spouse plan offered by my employer: $750 a month for coverage, $5000 deductible with a 20% co insurance after the deductible is met. That's 14 grand before the split kicks in.

Got kids? hand over close on a grand a month prior to deductibles 80/20 etc.
Ok - but still not close to several thousand dollars per month.

Your figures may be misleading if they are pre-tax deductions. Also is there a Health Savings Account (HSA) available that you can use to cover the deductible and co-pays?

My family plan (medical, prescriptions, dental, and vision) costs me $236 per month - but that's a PRE-TAX deduction so it doesn't actually cost me that much. In addition, I contribute another $480 per month (again pre-tax deduction) into a Health Savings Account (HSA) that I use to cover my deductible ($3200 for a family) and co-pays. Even after the deductible is met and the co-pay kicks in, there's also an "out of pocket" maximum that eventually brings my co-pay down to zero.

So my total contribution is $716 per month pre-tax. However, that's really costing me a percentage of that. If we assume a 25% tax rate, then the real cost to me is $537 per month.

Last edited by MarylandNed; Jul 25th 2011 at 3:56 am.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 4:00 am
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed

Your figures may be misleading if they are pre-tax deductions. Also is there a Health Savings Account (HSA) available that you can use to cover the deductible and co-pays?
HSA is pissing money in the wind though unless you've got prescriptions that you know will use that money up.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 4:58 am
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by Bob
HSA is pissing money in the wind though unless you've got prescriptions that you know will use that money up.
An HSA is not just for prescriptions - it's for any medical expense (deductible contribution, co-pay, prescriptions, etc)

Also, an HSA is NOT the same as a FSA (flexible spending account). I don't lose my HSA balance if I don't use the entire balance during the year. It remains in the account for use in future years (including retirement) and I can adjust my monthly contributions to adjust the HSA balance.

Even a FSA (where the balance does not roll over year on year) is still advantageous because, like HSA's, contributions are also pre-tax deductions. The only difference is you need to be careful about not over contributing to the FSA and losing any balance at the end of the year.

Last edited by MarylandNed; Jul 25th 2011 at 5:13 am.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 12:25 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
Ok - but still not close to several thousand dollars per month.
You're right, it isn't - I can only give what my costs are. However, if you take into account how cheap your plan is (ridiculously cheap imo, I haven't paid that little for 2 people in almost a decade, so good for you!), compared to how cheap my plan is (I'd think fairly middle of the road), it is only fair to assume that some plans ARE running at a couple of thousand a month! That's just employer plans - I shudder to think how much some self pay plans must cost.

It all depends on individual circumstances.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 1:13 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
Several thousand dollars a month? Maybe a few hundred but I doubt that several thousand is normal.

Canada? Great choice but hardly what the OP is looking for in terms of nice weather and beaches.
I was going to respond differently but, if memory serves, I believe that you don't like it one bit when you're challenged... so I won't bother.

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Old Jul 25th 2011, 2:41 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by Titchski
You're right, it isn't - I can only give what my costs are. However, if you take into account how cheap your plan is (ridiculously cheap imo, I haven't paid that little for 2 people in almost a decade, so good for you!), compared to how cheap my plan is (I'd think fairly middle of the road), it is only fair to assume that some plans ARE running at a couple of thousand a month! That's just employer plans - I shudder to think how much some self pay plans must cost.

It all depends on individual circumstances.


Yeah - different plans can vary greatly by cost. I work for a very large employer so that volume probably helps keep per employee costs down. By the way, I pay that for a "family" - and I have a wife and 4 kids.

My plan used to be a lot better - there didn't used to be a high deductible at all. My employer moved to a high deductible plan a few years ago in an attempt to control costs - and apparently more and more employers are doing this now. The idea of a high deductible plan is that employees will be a lot more thoughtful about scheduling medical appointments if they know they are 100% responsible until the deductible is reached. However, sincethere are 6 of us, I know we're going to hit the deductible at some point during the year anyway - usually mid-year. So I don't have the same cost cutting incentive as someone who has a smaller family or who is single and might not hit the deductible at all.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 2:43 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by ian-mstm
I was going to respond differently but, if memory serves, I believe that you don't like it one bit when you're challenged... so I won't bother.

Ian
Respond how you like. I don't see paying several thousand dollars per month as being normal for an employee in the US. I also don't see how Canada is a good choice for someone looking for nice weather and beaches. But feel free to convince people otherwise.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 2:55 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
Yeah - different plans can vary greatly by cost. I work for a very large employer so that volume probably helps keep per employee costs down. By the way, I pay that for a "family" - and I have a wife and 4 kids.

My plan used to be a lot better - there didn't used to be a high deductible at all. My employer moved to a high deductible plan a few years ago in an attempt to control costs - and apparently more and more employers are doing this now. The idea of a high deductible plan is that employees will be a lot more thoughtful about scheduling medical appointments if they know they are 100% responsible until the deductible is reached. However, sincethere are 6 of us, I know we're going to hit the deductible at some point during the year anyway - usually mid-year. So I don't have the same cost cutting incentive as someone who has a smaller family or who is single and might not hit the deductible at all.
The OP doesn't have an employer in the US...they are trying to move here through the GC Lottery. Until they find an employer with good healthcare benefits they could well be paying that amount per month for an individual policy.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 2:56 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
An HSA is not just for prescriptions - it's for any medical expense (deductible contribution, co-pay, prescriptions, etc)

Also, an HSA is NOT the same as a FSA (flexible spending account). I don't lose my HSA balance if I don't use the entire balance during the year. It remains in the account for use in future years (including retirement) and I can adjust my monthly contributions to adjust the HSA balance.
HSAs with catastrophic insurance are fine for people with relatively good health and relatively predictable health costs. They're a poor idea if either of those turns out to be untrue.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 4:37 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
But feel free to convince people otherwise.
I'm not trying to convince anyone... unlike you and your attempts to prove you're right or, at least, that everyone else is wrong. With you, it's all "zero sum"... which is why responding to you is useless. I'd put you in my twit file, but I enjoy watching you periodically implode.

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Old Jul 25th 2011, 4:40 pm
  #27  
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by MarylandNed
An HSA is not just for prescriptions - it's for any
True, but prescriptions are the only thing you can effectively plan for if you've got a long running illness or other issues that require drugs continuously.

And it is pissing money away, would be better suited going into a pension funds, unless you're on the cusp of hitting a higher tax bracket.
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Old Jul 25th 2011, 5:27 pm
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Default Re: Perth (oz) to Florida (usa) what's the difference?

Originally Posted by Bob
True, but prescriptions are the only thing you can effectively plan for if you've got a long running illness or other issues that require drugs continuously.

And it is pissing money away, would be better suited going into a pension funds, unless you're on the cusp of hitting a higher tax bracket.
And if I'm remembering correctly, there's a change in qualifying products next year which will limit what the HSA can be used for.
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