Funstuie

Just bumping this thread as I need some advice about health plans.

I am being offered Kaiser Permanente HMO 10 with my contribution to cover myself and my wife and children at $51.50 semi monthly. The other option is something through Aethna which just seems a lot of work.

On top of this I am being offered the opportunity to join an FSA through Aethna. What the hell is all this lot? I will join a benefits presentation on Monday but I want to get this all sorted today.

As I live in Northern California and Kaiser seems to be a better option as they are everywhere and their service sounds more like what we are used to in the UK so they manage all our healthcare and information rather than Aethna whom I would have to manage everything.

Jerseygirl

I have moved your post into a new thread.

GeoffM

Ok so my experience is limited to 2.5yrs on Kaiser P and 2 months on A N Other. I want KP back - we had to switch as my wife switched jobs and KP wasn't an option. And KP only have urgent care and family doctors around here: the nearest ER and full service hospital is about an hour away. With KP you can do most stuff online; with ANOther I've had to ferry bits of paper around from one building to another building halfway across town, and fill in a new health questionnaire for each of the eye doctors, family doctors, dentist, and goodness how many others if I need them. KP aren't perfect but I liked them!

RICH

My advice is talk to the folks at work who have the same choices.
Most likely they will bitch that it is not as good as it used to be, but they will have more experience than me, and many on here.

Either way it is nothing like you are used to. But HSA is a good thing, and not the same as FSA

And,kaiser/Aetna/other don't manage your healthcare. That would be akin to Churchill looking after your car

Funstuie

The FSA is an addition I am being offered if I join Kaiser. If I join Aethna I would pick one of their HSA plans and also join the FSA.

I can't work out if I need the FSA as well as the HMO/HSA

People I talked to in work all seem to recommend Kaiser.

Michael

The difference between FSA and HSA is discussed in the following thread.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-5...please-840767/

Funstuie

So the FSA is a use it or lose it type which seems pointless.

Michael

If you know you are going to have medical bills (child's braces, eye glasses, breast implants or face lift if covered, etc.), then a FSA can save you on taxes.

Funstuie

I wasn't planning on breast implants. I need to reduce my moobies as it is.

The Fsa is a maximum of $2500 over a year so it's not a massive amount monthly. I just don't actually know what it's used for.

Michael

If you are in the 28% federal marginal tax bracket and 5% state marginal tax bracket and have projected out of pocket medical expenses (check which medial/dental/eye care/drug expenses are covered) for the year, then $2,500 in the FSA will save you about $800 over paying for those expenses without a FSA. However you need projected expenses since you'll lose any money that isn't used.

md95065

If the OP is young and healthy then those expenses could quite easily be zero ...

I would suggest that, unless you are very sure that you are going to spend the money, it is probably a good idea not to contribute to a FSA the first year that you are in the US.

Michael

I agree. It has to be projected to be an expense such as braces, eyeglasses, or anything that the person will definitely do before contributing to a FSA.

augigi

I have used my FSA funds this year for copays at urgent care and PCP, prescription costs, a wrist brace, and then to pay some of my out of pocket costs for prenatal care. The first year I underestimated at $250 or something, one year I took the max as I got braces and spent it all. Next year I'll take the max as I will be delivering a baby and expect many costs associated with that. You can find a list of things covered by the FSA on your healthplan SPD, or here: Publication 502 (2013), Medical and Dental Expenses

(on the side, who knew "includible" was a word...? Not me!)

Funstuie

So I didn't go for the FSA this year. My family have not been to the doctor in the uk in a year and I have not been in nearly 2 years. I just didn't see the point in the FSA.

I did go with voluntary life insurance (or whatever it's called) as it was so cheap and I couldn't really work out what it was.

Went with kaiser for the health plan.

Zez

We went with Kaiser as it seemed less likely to get huge out of network charges. I've been really really happy with them. Can recommend our doctor at the San Mateo offices.