Stupid insurance
- Thread starter hummie
- Start date
MommaTrish
Well-known member
Ugh... I hate insurance.
We found out last week that starting this week our's is going up from $105/week to $126/week. When John started at the shop he works at 3 years ago it was $80/week. We now pay in more a month for insurance than we do our mortgage.
We found out last week that starting this week our's is going up from $105/week to $126/week. When John started at the shop he works at 3 years ago it was $80/week. We now pay in more a month for insurance than we do our mortgage.
jessica31876
New member
when my husband was working the insurance at his job for our family was over 200 a week. And the really bad thing is the company preached to the workers telling them to avoid using their insurance as much as they could!!
hummie
New member
I'm on hubby's insurance, but they have changed it and now say they will no longer cover me because I have insurance available to me at my employer.
However, for 2011, they will cover me for an extra $100 a month surcharge (plus the whole premium is going up). I HAVE to accept it and pay that until my work's open enrollment period!
I can't believe how much we have to pay now!
It's TOTALLY crazy and stupid and so wrong.
However, for 2011, they will cover me for an extra $100 a month surcharge (plus the whole premium is going up). I HAVE to accept it and pay that until my work's open enrollment period!
I can't believe how much we have to pay now!
It's TOTALLY crazy and stupid and so wrong.
ColleenSwerb
Brodo gettin her Swerb on
I. Hate. Health. Insurance. Especially here in the US. And I have a good plan! That's cheap! It's absolutely ridiculous. 
Amy Carey
New member
ours was over $800/month for family coverage through my husband's job. When I lost my job I had to drop it. My new job paid half of what my old one did and to be able to stay in our house we had to make cuts somewhere. It's been over a year and we haven't missed it! I've paid as we went for the things that came up healthwise and it ended up being cheaper. I just can't justify paying that much!
kim21673
New member
Our insurance actually is going down a little bit and we were shocked. DH kept going over and over to make sure he didn't miss anything...along with others at his work.
What he did miss however was our portion for hospital stay last year. Ugh!!! When we had the other boys we only paid $250 for me and another $250 for baby (which is really good considering we had TWO NICU babies with bills well over 40K)...well, like I said, DH missed that part of the change last year and we got the bill....$2250!!!!! That's the max we have to pay but still......WOW that is a major increase!!!!! I just about crapped my pants.
What he did miss however was our portion for hospital stay last year. Ugh!!! When we had the other boys we only paid $250 for me and another $250 for baby (which is really good considering we had TWO NICU babies with bills well over 40K)...well, like I said, DH missed that part of the change last year and we got the bill....$2250!!!!! That's the max we have to pay but still......WOW that is a major increase!!!!! I just about crapped my pants.
I hate health insurance, but I have to admit that our plans here are so much better and cheaper than in the US. We pay yearly because it's slightly cheaper, and it's only 2400 euros for the both of us. The bad thing is that we don't even use it. Neither of us every go to the doctor, but unfortunately it is now mandatory to have health insurance.
HeatherKS
New member
Ours are going up for next year too. Even though dh's is paid 100% by his company, it is almost $900 to insure the rest of us. We're looking into some alternatives since we're done having children and don't require the maternity coverage anymore. We're considering a cheaper policy with higher deductibles and putting a medical savings account into place to offset any medical expenses we might incur. As the money man that's dh's department though so I'm not sure of the specifics.
My husband owns his own company and does not have health insurance through that company. We have individual policy health insurance, which is very expensive.
Almost a year ago, we changed so that our premiums went down. But now we have a huge deductible.
We just had to change our thinking on it and really view it as "insurance" -- money that is there should we really need it. We pay for most doctor appointments, meds, etc. with cash. Most is applied to our deductible, but our deductible is high enough that we probably won't ever reach it w/in one calendar year.
Almost a year ago, we changed so that our premiums went down. But now we have a huge deductible.
We just had to change our thinking on it and really view it as "insurance" -- money that is there should we really need it. We pay for most doctor appointments, meds, etc. with cash. Most is applied to our deductible, but our deductible is high enough that we probably won't ever reach it w/in one calendar year.
Paula
New member
I hate insurance too and would gladly get rid of it if it weren't for the what ifs. For instance, what if I didn't have it last year when my daughter was injured and had to be life flighted out of here? She had to have a five hour surgery to repair her broken elbow AND physical therapy afterwards. The life flight alone was $15,000 and her surgery was $30,000 not to mention the months of physical therapy at $100 a pop (and she was going three times week). Thankfully, my insurance paid ALL but $580.
I would gladly get rid of it, but then I think about the above situation and how we would totally be broke right now if we didn't have it. It's a stupid catch 22 isn't it?
I would gladly get rid of it, but then I think about the above situation and how we would totally be broke right now if we didn't have it. It's a stupid catch 22 isn't it?
MommaTrish
Well-known member
I don't even think about our's in terms of What Ifs anymore. I used to... then last year they dropped Belly off of it for no reason and never told us. We didn't find out until a month later and we have had to pay for all her testing she had completely out of pocket.
:cursing:
:cursing:
kristijoy
New member
I know that insurance is expensive, but after I had emergency surgery last year, I gladly pay it. The cost of everything was over $50,000 (including home health visits because I had an open wound for 6 weeks). The quality of the services I received was excellent. There is NO WAY I want to take the risk of paying for that type of emergency stuff myself.
newfiemountiewife
New member
I don't know if in the long run we pay less, more or equal to, what you all pay, in taxes. I am just glad I don't have to deal with it, and all the BS that you seem to have to handle. If I'm sick, I can go to the doctor, get surgery, whatever. I just like not having to worry about it, ya know?
litabells
New member
Am I reading this right - you have to PAY to stay in the hospital to have your baby? :blink:
lovely1m
Active member
Oh, yes! We pay for anything in the hospital or clinic. My son broke his leg this summer, my cost AFTER all insurance is close to $1000, though I am currently fighting with them on this.
isaacsmom
New member
The saddest thing is that for most of us living in the US, we are only one medical emergency away from bankruptcy/completely ruining our lives if we DON'T carry health insurance. It IS the what-ifs that we all have to carry insurance for. Premiums are costly, but I'll gladly pay - we've had our medical emergency! My son got meningitis a few years back and his 2-week stay in the hospital was around $200,000. I have no idea what we would've done if we didn't have insurance!
adrianka
New member
I still don't get the system of health insurance in the US, but from what I read, it seems to me that the medical costs are kind of overblown, too. Luxembourg is outrageously costly when it comes to medical bills (it really is), and since I'm privately insured (I partially bear the costs, normally 20% of them, but it rarely happened that they didn't cover those 80%), I know the costs. I never knew them in Slovakia, where I was insured in a stateun company.
Also, it happened that my Mum was hospitalised in a kind of fancy hospital (because that's where they had free beds) when she was visiting me - she had commercial travel insurance, so it was 100% covered from that, but still I knew all the costs involved as I kept receiving the invoices and sending them to the insurance company in Slovakia, and believe me they were high, but still nowhere near as high as what I'm reading here.
I really should start a new thread asking you about the system and all, because I'm really interested in this topic. I don't say everything about healthcare in Europe is great, and it varies from country to country, but at least everybody is covered. It just pains me to think that one might find oneself uncovered or close to ruin because of health insurance...
Also, it happened that my Mum was hospitalised in a kind of fancy hospital (because that's where they had free beds) when she was visiting me - she had commercial travel insurance, so it was 100% covered from that, but still I knew all the costs involved as I kept receiving the invoices and sending them to the insurance company in Slovakia, and believe me they were high, but still nowhere near as high as what I'm reading here.
I really should start a new thread asking you about the system and all, because I'm really interested in this topic. I don't say everything about healthcare in Europe is great, and it varies from country to country, but at least everybody is covered. It just pains me to think that one might find oneself uncovered or close to ruin because of health insurance...
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kim21673
New member
Yes...but I do have to add that I am very happy with our insurance. There is very little we do have to pay for our premium and they cover almost everything 100%.
kim21673
New member
I completely agree! Two of our boys were in the NICU and all we paid was $250. We would have been homeless if we had to pay those bills....thank goodness for our insurance!!!
luckyme
New member
I remember when I was pregnant with my first born, I was visiting some trimester forums and there was an enormous thread of US-based women talking about how to cope in labour without an epidural -- not for health reasons, but because they couldn't afford them. It was shocking and eye-opening to me. I remember one woman in particular saying she went bankrupt from her first c-section and desparately needed to avoid another. I can't imagine having medical costs foremost in the mind during pregnancy and labour! (So very thankful for universal health care coverage!)
crecia27
New member
Yes, but for me personally I have felt like the level of care and ability to choose the doctor & hospital I trust were worth the cost. I had my first baby in a military hospital, had never seen the doctor before they were checking me, I'm still not sure who actually performed the c-section. The cost there was very minimal but the experience was less than stellar. Of course you could pay and still get a bad experience.
We've also had the unexpected emergency. My daughter had to be hospitalized for MRSA 2 years ago. We had to pay $700 out of pocket but I can't imagine what the surgery and after care would have cost out right.
kim21673
New member
I couldn't agree more!!!!
iteach3rdgrade
New member
I can't fathom not having insurance and I appreciate the choices that I have. As a teacher, I pay a fairly high premium compared to some other districts. As few years ago we went to an HSA. It was great for 2 years with a $2,000 deductible, but as I expected it went to $4,000 and I will seldom meet it, so I pay more each year.
The problem is, if you don't have that amount available then you charge it. With the other system, I might have paid more in the long run, but with $10, $20 or $50 here and there it was more affordable.
The problem is, if you don't have that amount available then you charge it. With the other system, I might have paid more in the long run, but with $10, $20 or $50 here and there it was more affordable.
ColleenSwerb
Brodo gettin her Swerb on
It upsets me so much to know that there are people out there who have to weigh taking their children to the dr vs having food to eat.
nanienamou
New member
It upsets me so much to know that there are people out there who have to weigh taking their children to the dr vs having food to eat.
Yes. This. I'm in Canada, yes, our taxes are higher, but thank good for universal health care. IMO, health care should be right, not a privilege.
We also have insurance for extras (physical therapy, eyecare, dentist, etc) with DH's job, but it is free (thank you Costco).
HeatherB
Well-known member
I agree with you completely. I'm glad we don't have to worry about it here! Just comes out in taxes which aren't broken out specifically, so there isn't much to argue with.We do have a huge tax rate compared to the US, but still I think it is compensated by our public health care system.
adrianka
New member
Exactly.
adrianka
New member
We have universal (free) health care in Slovakia, but all my friends who have children could choose the doctor who did the delivery (well, usually it was their own ob-gyn who they knew). It might have been more restricted during the Communist regime, but as far as I know, right now this is not a problem.
MommaTrish
Well-known member
We've had to do that several times. John doesn't make much and we maxed out all our credit cards with Bella's tests last year. Generally we end up having to borrow our co-pay ($35) from my parents if it's an unplanned doctor's visit. And John and I almost never go unless it's just impossible to manage a sickness without a doctor visit... even then we put it off. I held off going for several months even though I was in constant huge pain everyday before my grandmother finally told me to just go and she would pay.It upsets me so much to know that there are people out there who have to weigh taking their children to the dr vs having food to eat.
adrianka
New member
It really and honestly upsets me to hear this. Life is hard enough without having to worry about whether you can to do the doctor. That sucks big time. :-(
I don't pretend everything rosy in a universal health care system, but at least you can be sure you will be treated.