Medical Insurance in the US
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@BRRABill said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Not as bad as when we were looking in October.
Again, I'm not saying it is cheap, not even remotely.
But it's not 40K with terrible coverage and caps.
And all tax deductible, of course.
Yes, when we were paying $40K/year, Aetna (which who would trust an insurance provider that mispronounces their own name) wouldn't even talk to us.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Aetna (which who would trust an insurance provider that mispronounces their own name)
Boy you don't let anyone slide for ANYTHING!
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@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.
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@BRRABill said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Aetna (which who would trust an insurance provider that mispronounces their own name)
Boy you don't let anyone slide for ANYTHING!
I'm passionate, as is @rob, about the correct use the ash tree ligature. Using it when you don't know what it is is ridiculous.
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@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
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
You're not uninsurable though - you've already said you could get a US only plan and you could get an international traveler's plan - so you're not uninsurable, not even uninsurable in the USA - you Choose to not have insurance in the US because the cost outweights the benefits in your mind for the dozen or less weeks a year you spend in the US. Definitely not the same as uninsurable.
Sorry, I'm uninsurable under Obamacare. I can buy insurance that does not qualify for Obamacare that would cover me.
I choose not to be covered in the US because I am NOT covered by US insurance. I'm allowed to pay for it, but it doesn't provide healthcare coverage. If that's what you call insurance I think we found where the confusion is. I define insurance by it providing insurance against bills. You seem to be defining it as the ability to take my money.
Way to play both sides! You're ability to use something you pay for has nothing to do with your' ability to purchase something.
and you said it again, you're uninsurable under Obamacare, but really you are not. You, and your family can get qualifying insurance (granted it will be near useless for you) and would cost more than the penalty tax, but you can get it.
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@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.
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.
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@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.
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@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.
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@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.
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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!
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@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.
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@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.
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@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.
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@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
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@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.
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@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....
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@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.
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@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.
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@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.