Buying Healthcare

Discussion in 'West Mall' started by Roger, Sep 27, 2013.

  1. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    I just wanted to ask the question and figured you guys would probably know best. If I want to buy health insurance for my family, what is the best way to go about it? I've always been insured by an employer, however currently I'm on COBRA and with Obamacare I was thinking that I may be able to get better insurance at a better price. My wife has pre-existing conditions so I've never been able to purchase insurance in the past, and just wondering if I'll really be able to do it now with a good plan.
     
  2. Hu_Fan

    Hu_Fan Guest

    I moved over from Blue Cross & Blue Shield a while back to UnitedHealthCare and had good luck. I have a separate plan for myself due to my age.. supplement F to go with Medicare. (edit: Also I moved far away from Medicare/Advantage plans... like Humana, after trying it one year. Horrible when used in a hospital, and Austin Regional Clinic I believe won't even accept it anymore).

    My wife and daughter are on a high deductible that qualifies for a Health Savings Plan. This way all the premiums AND the expenses up to (I think $6,250 for a family) per yer, is all tax deductible. And on an HSA you can pay for dental as well as a number of eligible health matters. The family coverage premium I am paying in 2013 is $5 more than the national average being tauted by ACA numbers.

    As to pre-existing with UFC, I can't say, but their coverage is rated one of the best in the country and they are staying with Texas. We do not have employee-supported coverage. So we are individually covered. And I sweated bullets all year that Obamare would drive my rates up. UFC has not been willing/able to discuss rates since I started calling in July, but I got a letter saying nothing drastic is going to happen.

    I consider myself fortunate to have gotten into what I consider a pretty good company/plan. I pay about $525 total in all family insurance per month, and have over $6,000 out-of-pocket per year allowed for deductions if it matches what I've put aside (but I don't count on that, I still pay my own on my plan). Bottom line, we have to calculate almost $10,000 a year in dental/medical, if we put the limit in the savings account and eventually use it.

    I like the way my father did it most of his life: no insurance, just go cash. And hardly anyone ever went to the doctor.

    I seldom go. And my preference would be that we all had catastrophic insurance for surgeries, broken bones, other major concerns, and paid premiums only at the level of car insurance, and then paid cash out of our pockets for all office visits -- which should not be many if we took better care of ourselves.

    I'm ashamed the doctors and hospitals are a) paid so little on the insured rates, and b) that hospitals in particular charge costs as if they are Nieman Marcus. Our family makes every effort to use herbs, smart lifestyle, cut back on sugar, no one drinks to speak of, and we use acupuncture and other means.

    I've found a food supplement that is staggering in it's health effects. More on that some other time. And good luck and best wishes in getting results in your searches.
     
  3. pasotex

    pasotex 2,500+ Posts

    The Texas insurance exchange opens October 1st, but you cannot be insured until January 1st. The rates look ok to me although my current group plan is very high. There are four levels. The plans are bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. For catastrophic needs only, the bronze plan is the least expensive monthly but also has a high deductible.

    This calculator may be able to help although next Tuesday you should be able to do it live.

    The Link
     
  4. Horn6721

    Horn6721 10,000+ Posts

    Hu
    good info and suggestions but please what is the food supplement

    unless it is a multi level marketing plan [​IMG]
     
  5. NEWDOC2002

    NEWDOC2002 1,000+ Posts

    Look into Chinese herbs only by a reputable acupuncturist. Don't guess, pony up the money for an appointment.

    As far as over the counter, don't do GNC or other multi-level marketing crap. It's a money making racket and vitamin quality is not that great versus wally world or Sam's. Look at PS Vitamins online, cold pressed and pharmaceutical quality. None of this beats a good diet covering all essential vitamins and minerals.

    With all that said, some people are still going to get sick, you can't outrun genetics (at least not yet) and chance. Find a good primary doc that doesn't have to send you to every specialists in town for a work-up. Educate yourself on any chronic conditions you have with reputable sources. Get second opinions if you think something isn't right with treatment or diagnosis.

    If you are disciplined with your income, the HSA model is a great way to go and will probably survive in some form through the Obamacare roll-out. They will still find a way to make you pony up for everyone's healthcare.

    I tell my patients that after 30, health and perceived age is about genetics and lifestyle choices. You can control one of those modifiers so get to work. There are six ways to do it. Diet, exercise, diet, exercise, diet and exercise. And sleep, so seven I guess.
     
  6. Horn6721

    Horn6721 10,000+ Posts

    newDoc
    wow
    [​IMG]

    That advice is priceless and I will make use of much of it.
    some of it is common sense but coming from you it carries extra weight.
    MY goal is to do as much s I can toward my own health and well being.

    In one post you gave us all a good simple guideline to control what we can.
    For what we can't control
    we will call on YOU> [​IMG]
     
  7. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts


     
  8. pasotex

    pasotex 2,500+ Posts

    I think this is right. I am sort of in the same boat with a very expensive group plan until 1/1/14.
     
  9. NEWDOC2002

    NEWDOC2002 1,000+ Posts

    I hate that these rates are sky rocketing for people. For what it's worth, I don't think any docs are seeing an increase in reimbursements over inflation. Actually, we are going backwards.
     
  10. msdw24

    msdw24 1,000+ Posts

    If you're a healthy person you are getting bent over right now on healthcare. If you're Roger's wife and have a preX then you're now getting the healthy people to help pay your insurance cost. It's costing most everyone more.

    Talk to an independent agent.

    I just looked at what it would cost my family if not on my wife's job plan and it would be almost $8200/year for me 35, wife 31, and son newborn. Oh and that's before deductibles, co insurance, etc. Tell me again how this is "affordable"?
     
  11. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    Msdw, I'd take $8,200 a year in a heart beat. However my guess is that is a higher deductible plan, so that won't be what I need. You are correct in that it is the healthy people buying insurance that are getting screwed over to subsidize people like my wife.
     
  12. msdw24

    msdw24 1,000+ Posts

    Roger, while your wife should be able to get coverage it should not be subsidized by the rest of us.

    Something HAS to be done about the COSTS of medical care. This is something that obamacare didn't address at all!
     
  13. Hu_Fan

    Hu_Fan Guest


     
  14. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    msdw24, I agree with all of your points. I am against Obamacare. I truly believe it's number one goal is to get to a point where a single payer system is the only fix. However as I am sitting here I'm being a realist I don't see this going away, thus I want to try and get the best insurance at an affordable price for my family.

    As for lowering costs, I've spent 20 of the last 32 hours sitting in a hospital, I could spend a week here and make a list of all the inefficiencies that cost money. There is a lot of inefficiency in both paperwork and the actual care and this is standard now. Of course the consultants have told them to scan everything so they can bill for everything, but have given incentive to multiple people to do their job. I watched my wife give her history and list of meds to 5 different people yesterday. Everyone of the then put it into her chart, I guess they can't read each other's writing?
     
  15. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    BTW, in case anyone was interested to know the website is basically impossible to do as I continually get a message "We have a lot of visitors on the site right now.
    Please stay on this page.
    We're working to make the experience better, and we don’t want you to lose your place in line. We’ll send you to the login page as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience!"
     
  16. Seattle Husker

    Seattle Husker 10,000+ Posts

    As an IT person that is unacceptable. Recognizing the extreme complexity of what they are trying to do, I'm surprised they didn't stress test the solution for high volume traffic. More than likely they needed more time to get everything working but had an immovable deployment date.

    As someone that has worked with the DEA/FBI on solutions, governments are the hardest to work with because their requirements are MUCH more complex than the corporate world. Consumers are the most simple to develop for.
     
  17. hornpharmd

    hornpharmd 5,000+ Posts

    all these myths will be dispelled when people actually go to healthcare.gov and start shopping for plans for themselves. the exchanges will compare plans base on the bronze, silver. gold, platinum categories so ech plan will be apples to apples. difference will be the cost, service, and quality of the providers in the networks. good news for you Roger that your wife will be able to get coverage now.
     
  18. mojo17

    mojo17 1,000+ Posts

    You better be pretty well off and have a stack of cash on hand if you are going with the obamacare plans. Check out the out of pocket expenses before the plans kick in.
     
  19. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    Hornpharmd, biggest non myth right now is logging into exchange appears next to impossible.
     
  20. dillohorn

    dillohorn Guest

    Wait until the masses of young healthy folks get smashed by a giant bill for obozocare that they don't want.
     
  21. hornpharmd

    hornpharmd 5,000+ Posts


     
  22. theiioftx

    theiioftx Sponsor Deputy

    You really need to get some news and talking points somewhere else. I can fix your statement for you. "Life is hard and you are stupid so the government should make choices for you."
     

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