Medical Insurance in the US

Dashrender

@BRRABill said:

@Minion-Queen said:

This is only me using the insurance. If husband or son ever need to use it well the costs go up from there.

Also assuming nothing serious happens, which is kind of the definition of insurance.

that's true. However my deductibles for visits, surgery etc. is still crazy. It's just not worth having.

The fact that your meds are more expensive on insurance than off - that's a total screw job, and that is completely to blame on the pharmacies. They could allow their contracts to sell a high deductible plan member to get the cash rate, not the contracted insurance rate. This actually helps the insurance company, but hurts the pharmacy. The insurance company would be applying less toward your deductible, and the pharmacy would be getting less money. But IF you are over you deductible, the pharmacy could then get the contracted amount from the insurance company.

Dashrender

@marcinozga said:

@Minion-Queen said:

@BRRABill said:

@Minion-Queen said:

This is only me using the insurance. If husband or son ever need to use it well the costs go up from there.

Also assuming nothing serious happens, which is kind of the definition of insurance.

that's true. However my deductibles for visits, surgery etc. is still crazy. It's just not worth having.

How is your deductible so high? Max out of pocket is $6850 for individual per year, including deductible. Your insurance is screwing you and most likely breaking the law.

How so? In Omaha, a family plan is often $10,400 deductible for a high deductible plan. Then the cost of insurance on top of that.

Dashrender

@scottalanmiller said:

@Dashrender said:

@scottalanmiller said:

@Dashrender said:

Let's say you get US coverage insurance by a US company only for use while in the US - Let's say it costs $15k/yr and you get insurance for world traveler, non-US. How much is that? I'm betting that adding those two together come to way less than $40K.

US insurance is not available like that. You pay for the full year or else you pay the tax penalty. Trust me, we've checked. There is no "temporary" option like that. But it is a good idea and everyone wonders why there isn't that option.

So your plan would end up being the full cost of US and full cost of traveller insurance all at once.

I'm not suggesting a temporary plan - I'm suggesting a full out year of coverage plan - where you will waste 90% of it because you won't be in the US.

So $5K a week

Eh?

I'm stopping.. You're right - for you, you're just F[moderated]ED! Pay the Obama tax and move on. When you need healthcare pay out of your own pocket.

marcinozga

@Dashrender said:

@marcinozga said:

@Minion-Queen said:

@BRRABill said:

@Minion-Queen said:

This is only me using the insurance. If husband or son ever need to use it well the costs go up from there.

Also assuming nothing serious happens, which is kind of the definition of insurance.

that's true. However my deductibles for visits, surgery etc. is still crazy. It's just not worth having.

How is your deductible so high? Max out of pocket is $6850 for individual per year, including deductible. Your insurance is screwing you and most likely breaking the law.

How so? In Omaha, a family plan is often $10,400 deductible for a high deductible plan. Then the cost of insurance on top of that.

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-limit/ - individual $6850, family $13700.

Dashrender

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

marcinozga

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

It is, in Canada, and most, if not all of EU.

Dashrender

@marcinozga said:

@Dashrender said:

@marcinozga said:

@Minion-Queen said:

@BRRABill said:

@Minion-Queen said:

This is only me using the insurance. If husband or son ever need to use it well the costs go up from there.

Also assuming nothing serious happens, which is kind of the definition of insurance.

that's true. However my deductibles for visits, surgery etc. is still crazy. It's just not worth having.

How is your deductible so high? Max out of pocket is $6850 for individual per year, including deductible. Your insurance is screwing you and most likely breaking the law.

How so? In Omaha, a family plan is often $10,400 deductible for a high deductible plan. Then the cost of insurance on top of that.

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-limit/ - individual $6850, family $13700.

Different areas have different numbers. But it's definitely not illegal for there to be a $9000 family deductible as someone else was implying.

marcinozga

@Dashrender said:

@marcinozga said:

@Dashrender said:

@marcinozga said:

@Minion-Queen said:

@BRRABill said:

@Minion-Queen said:

This is only me using the insurance. If husband or son ever need to use it well the costs go up from there.

Also assuming nothing serious happens, which is kind of the definition of insurance.

that's true. However my deductibles for visits, surgery etc. is still crazy. It's just not worth having.

How is your deductible so high? Max out of pocket is $6850 for individual per year, including deductible. Your insurance is screwing you and most likely breaking the law.

How so? In Omaha, a family plan is often $10,400 deductible for a high deductible plan. Then the cost of insurance on top of that.

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-limit/ - individual $6850, family $13700.

Different areas have different numbers. But it's definitely not illegal for there to be a $9000 family deductible as someone else was implying.

I must have missed the family part and assumed it was individual.

Minion Queen

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

Yup that I have. Doesn't do me any good for not getting taxed but for major accidents etc. It ends up paying me

travisdh1

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

The American system isn't setup to handle that tho. Have you ever actually looked at a hospital bill? Good luck deciphering everything on that little piece of insanity.

Dashrender

@Minion-Queen said:

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

Yup that I have. Doesn't do me any good for not getting taxed but for major accidents etc. It ends up paying me

Oh - well, then you've found the best situation, but that catastrophic insurance costs should be included in your line item, because it's directly related....

Dashrender

@travisdh1 said:

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

The American system isn't setup to handle that tho. Have you ever actually looked at a hospital bill? Good luck deciphering everything on that little piece of insanity.

Yes I have - when i had stitches in the OR 2 years ago. The hospital charged me for a DR fee, and the Dr's office sent me another bill for her services as well - and this double billing is somehow legal.

stacksofplates

@travisdh1 said:

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

The American system isn't setup to handle that tho. Have you ever actually looked at a hospital bill? Good luck deciphering everything on that little piece of insanity.

I think that would dissipate over time though. People will just buy insurance from companies that make it easy to read. Right now no one cares unless the bill gets screwed up and then you notice, but if people had to deal with it all the time I don't think they would put up with it.

travisdh1

@johnhooks said:

@travisdh1 said:

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

The American system isn't setup to handle that tho. Have you ever actually looked at a hospital bill? Good luck deciphering everything on that little piece of insanity.

I think that would dissipate over time though. People will just buy insurance from companies that make it easy to read. Right now no one cares unless the bill gets screwed up and then you notice, but if people had to deal with it all the time I don't think they would put up with it.

That's a lot of what's wrong with the current system. Nobody pays attention to what they pay for, so (mostly) hospitals are no better than highway robber barons.

stacksofplates

@travisdh1 said:

@johnhooks said:

@travisdh1 said:

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

The American system isn't setup to handle that tho. Have you ever actually looked at a hospital bill? Good luck deciphering everything on that little piece of insanity.

I think that would dissipate over time though. People will just buy insurance from companies that make it easy to read. Right now no one cares unless the bill gets screwed up and then you notice, but if people had to deal with it all the time I don't think they would put up with it.

That's a lot of what's wrong with the current system. Nobody pays attention to what they pay for, so (mostly) hospitals are no better than highway robber barons.

I think it's kind of designed that way. As long as you pay your premium every month why would you care? Kind of like how people don't pay attention to the taxes that are taken out because they employer has to deal with all of that. If you got all of the money from your paycheck and then had to physically pay the IRS yourself out of your pocket, I bet everyone's ideas of taxes would dramatically shift.

travisdh1

@johnhooks said:

@travisdh1 said:

@johnhooks said:

@travisdh1 said:

@Dashrender said:

all that said - it would be really nice to just have collision type insurance - catastrophic insurance. If you run into something medical that will cost more than say $10K. the insurance pays it.. done.. anything less... suck it up, life's not cheap!

The American system isn't setup to handle that tho. Have you ever actually looked at a hospital bill? Good luck deciphering everything on that little piece of insanity.

I think that would dissipate over time though. People will just buy insurance from companies that make it easy to read. Right now no one cares unless the bill gets screwed up and then you notice, but if people had to deal with it all the time I don't think they would put up with it.

That's a lot of what's wrong with the current system. Nobody pays attention to what they pay for, so (mostly) hospitals are no better than highway robber barons.

I think it's kind of designed that way. As long as you pay your premium every month why would you care? Kind of like how people don't pay attention to the taxes that are taken out because they employer has to deal with all of that. If you got all of the money from your paycheck and then had to physically pay the IRS yourself out of your pocket, I bet everyone's ideas of taxes would dramatically shift.