Nutmegger

I don't think this will help you -- you are on a non-immigrant visa, you have health coverage, and I believe that you noted in another post that you have a child in private school. That doesn't sound like the kind of person who would be eligible for state assistance. Perhaps you need to find out if it would be worthwhile to pay a slightly higher premium in order to reduce your deductible.

aussie_best

But according to law an employee cannot upgrade or downgrade medical insurance during middle of the year. The only eligible conditions to add or delete people from current health care coverage during the year are divorce, adoption, someone have died or new child birth.Employees are given oppurtunity for enrollment only in October and once its close then insurance plan is pretty much final.
It means even if you want to pay more premium and reduce deductible it not possible before January 1 (which will be too late)...

Bluegrass Lass

You are absolutely right. You can only make changes to your insurance policy during the open enrollment period, or when there has been a 'life change' like the ones you mentioned.

Most medicare/medicaid have income restrictions. If you make too much money, you won't qualify for those programs.

penguinsix

Does the deductible apply to pregnancy? It might be treated separately. Have you talked to the HR people about the specifics of maternal care?

AmerLisa

AT&T only has the one plan, and the one deductible. So it wouldn't make any difference, well at my husband's grade, but it sounds as if you're husband is at the same level.

Rete

That is only a benefit if you are here long enough to qualify for it if you are disabled and/or if you retire.

Not all states will allow an immigrant the right to a federal/state healthcare program and never someone who has the ability to own private healthcare, which you are through your spouse. Also you need to have a low income to qualify for some healthcare assistance from the state or federal government.

aussie_best

Yes we pay $100 per month from our paycheck for a plan which doesn't work.We are required to pay $2400 per year deductible to cover normal situations like pregnancy. And after paying $3600 per year the insurance will cover 80%-90% of the cost (after meeting deductible).

Well this is how the big multinationals are working. As far as my experience, generally everybody want to hide behind a website in USA.Normally companies dont want to have a clear procedure for making complaints. The objective is to somehow/anyway collect the regular payment from consumer, then make and leave consumer to suffer. The maximum they do is to give a PO Box address in Alaska or Hawaii (Which is mostly unattended) on their website. Generally its very very hard/impossible to make any complaint or follow-up if you are a consumer. I am not sure if you guyz have experienced the new automatic telephonic system where the same recorded information is repeated again and again.Where the user is again and again advised to visit the same useless website.It is so called new voice recognition telephonic system which even give callers hard time to switch menu option. The callers are juggled between telephone menu options and in the end he/she end up frustrated. This system normally dont have operator or actual people to talk with

AmerLisa

Yes, that's our plan as well. And not quite sure who your making the complaint to, AT&T or United Healthcare?

If you go on the benefits page it will tell you what is covered, although I'm sure you're pretty aware that the only thing covered at 100% are physicals. Everything else is 90% covered after meeting that massive deductible. When my husband first started with AT&T, the deductible was $300 and there was a co-pay of $15 to visit the doctor.....no such luck anymore.

Make sure you find a doctor that's in-network as well and hopefully you're throwing money into your HSA account, we've never used ours.

Bluegrass Lass

You can complain all you want to the insurance company, but you're wasting your breath and time. If that's the only policy your employer has offered to you, then you have no option to change that.

Sally Redux

Is medicare restricted to low income? Not that it will help the OP, I'm just thinking of my future.

Rete

No, Medicaid has the income qualification.

I'm at that future right this minute and even with Medicare is it far from rosy. You still need private insurance and private drug coverage if you don't want to use your saved monies.

Rete

The plan you are talking about is one that is shared by many who work and are offered healthcare through their employers. At least the deductible is tax deductible if you don't has a HSA/FSA along with the premiums and the 10/20% that is your responsibility.

Sally Redux

Aargh.

tigerbaywarrior

Be sure to question EVERY line item on the bill for your new baby. Hospitals are very good at including extras that they will remove if you question them .... unless of course you don't mind!

Rete

Have the baby at home with a midwife and enjoy the privacy and relaxation of having the birth your way and cut down on expenses at the same time.

Costing my daughter less than your deductible to have her child at home next month.