How Much do you pay for health care coverage

[Iceman 2699]

This thread is not to debate policies/ ideas for controlling costs.  I just am curious what the typical surlists pay for coverage and relativity of it all.

I take the more expensive coverage with my job vs a plan that mimics the ACA.  For my wife and I, we pay $122.87/ wk for that medical, plus dental, and plus vision coverage.

Is that high? cheap? middle of the road?

 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

Do you mean what do we pay out of pocket for premiums, or what total cost including employers portion?

[Iceman 2699]

Out of pocket.   for premiums.  What comes out of your check, not your employer's.

[Bash Riprock 1695]

49.78 Medical a check

1.62   Vision a check

5.08   Dental a check

I'm the only one on the policy.
 

[52-80 19150]

Data point many years old but just for myself it was a nudge under $100 for Cigna OAP and dental PPO

[Flg8rfan 201]

$150 every two weeks HMO plan thanks to my wife’s state job. Prior to that I was paying $300+ biweekly in the private sector for family HMO.

If I ever leave my job and get a state job, it drops to $50 biweekly.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

Fuuuuuck.

A hair under $1200/month for coverage with a 14,000 annual deductible.

Extremely routine healthcare (PCP visit, mammogram) covered.  Nothing else until deductible. No dental.

1099/Self-employed couple, early 50s, good health.

I should add that, as a lawdog, have had small-group plans that were similarly bad when including the employer portion (with more coverage, though).  You guys must work for some large corps.

Edited April 29, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[ZB'Tejas 593]

Through BCBS my options were $100 a month for High Deductible and $530 a month for PPO

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

My employer covers almost all of mine but I pay about $750 a month to have my wife on my insurance. 

[Samson's Wig 3191]

About $2600 per month for family of 4, including dental (such as it is) - all healthy and no history of issues.  Deductible is relatively low, coverage is mediocre.  I am the employer, so this is the full cost.  

[TwiceHorn 31450]

17 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

About $2600 per month for family of 4, including dental (such as it is) - all healthy and no history of issues.  Deductible is relatively low, coverage is mediocre.  I am the employer, so this is the full cost.  

Lawdog, right?  Small-group coverage?

That makes me feel a little better and a little less angry about ACA.

[Anastasis 23469]

This is really hard to compare without including the employer amounts.

 

27.06 every 2 weeks for family coverage on a HDHP 3000/6000 limits, employer share is 768.80

25.76 every 2 weeks for family dental, employer share is 31.48.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Anastasis

[Samson's Wig 3191]

7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Lawdog, right?  Small-group coverage?

That makes me feel a little better and a little less angry about ACA.

Yep.  Why does it make you feel less angry?  I'm still seething over it.

[UTGrad98 2271]

Should really be including what the deductible and coinsurance is at the least. My family has uhc insurance and I pay 206 per biweekly pay period for medical dental and vision for all of us. I consider myself lucky. We have a hsa eligible plan and I think our deductible is 3000 coinsurance 80/20 with max oop 6000 - 7500 per year. I dont have the numbers in front of me. I can also lower that premium to 150 per pay period if we get labs done etc yearly. 

[Js1 85311]

My old firm paid 100% of premiums. For 6.5 years I never paid a dime. 

New firm I pay:

$34.62/check medical

$23.08/check dental 

$3.84/check vision 

[Native Horn 3500]

Coverage for me and my son:  $65.75 from my bi-weekly pay for BCBS High Deductible with $1,500/$3,000 deductible.  Employer portion for this is $344.07 bi-weekly.

Dental via Delta Dental (me and son) is $11.26 bi-weekly, employer portion for this is $18.74 bi-weekly.

[Dry Elbows 142]

7 minutes ago, Native Horn said:

 BCBS High Deductible with $1,500/$3,000 deductible

Is that really considered a high-deductible plan?

[Dry Elbows 142]

I pay $50 twice a month for Cigna PPO.  Deductible and out-of-pocket are $3,000/$6,000.  Employer contribution is about $580 per month.  Our firm health insurance is about $42,000/month.

[Incredulity 11665]

2 minutes ago, Dry Elbows said:

Is that really considered a high-deductible plan?

I had the same initial reaction, but it appears the definition is deductibles above 1350.00

[Native Horn 3500]

3 minutes ago, Dry Elbows said:

Is that really considered a high-deductible plan?

Yes, our company has two HD plans, one at 1500/3000, and the "higher" HD plan with a 3000/6000 deductible.  Also a PPO plan with 500/1000, but the premiums are so high that the math doesn't work out.

[Iceman 2699]

16 minutes ago, UTGrad98 said:

. I can also lower that premium to 150 per pay period if we get labs done etc yearly. 

We get $200 per person back on a Visa giftcard for doing our health check/ bloodwork with quest diagnostics or your own doctor..  

[gyroprotagonist 2592]

me, wife and 2 kids on PPO + vision/dental - I pay just under $360 mo / employer pays $1500 mo

- $200/$500 deductible and $2500/$6600 max oop.

- 

[Dry Elbows 142]

1 minute ago, Native Horn said:

Yes, our company has two HD plans, one at 1500/3000, and the "higher" HD plan with a 3000/6000 deductible.  Also a PPO plan with 500/1000, but the premiums are so high that the math doesn't work out.

Interesting.  I just don't consider that to be high deductible.  

[Native Horn 3500]

3 minutes ago, Dry Elbows said:

Interesting.  I just don't consider that to be high deductible.  

For 2020, the IRS defines a high deductible health plan as any plan with a deductible of at least $1,400 for an individual or $2,800 for a family. An HDHP’s total yearly out-of-pocket expenses (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) can’t be more than $6,900 for an individual or $13,800 for a family. (This limit doesn't apply to out-of-network services.)

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/high-deductible-health-plan/  

[TwiceHorn 31450]

38 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

Yep.  Why does it make you feel less angry?  I'm still seething over it.

Well, it shows that the progression of premiums in the small-business context is just about as bad as ACA (but I imagine you still get better actual coverage than I do).  

Large-employer health plans seem to be maintaining halfway reasonable premiums, as per usual.

Unless you connect the rise in small-group premiums to ACA.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

3 minutes ago, Native Horn said:

For 2020, the IRS defines a high deductible health plan as any plan with a deductible of at least $1,400 for an individual or $2,800 for a family. An HDHP’s total yearly out-of-pocket expenses (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) can’t be more than $6,900 for an individual or $13,800 for a family. (This limit doesn't apply to out-of-network services.)

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/high-deductible-health-plan/  

In other words, all ACA plans.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10232]

$1,200 month out of pocket for family plan... 6k family deductable, 8k in network cap

I know work probably pays similar piece... small office

[Samson's Wig 3191]

10 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, it shows that the progression of premiums in the small-business context is just about as bad as ACA (but I imagine you still get better actual coverage than I do).  

Large-employer health plans seem to be maintaining halfway reasonable premiums, as per usual.

Unless you connect the rise in small-group premiums to ACA.

I assumed you meant something along the lines of, "at least we're fucked either way".  Just wanted to be sure. 

We were on ACA plans early on, but the options dried up in Texas when the major carriers bailed around 2015/16.  We shifted into a small group policy at that time rather than providing a stipend to everyone. I've got employees in multiple states and the business covers 100% of premiums for everyone so we needed a national carrier.  Outside of Texas, and other states who didn't play ball, there were/are some decent options on the ACA.  I haven't looked at ACA in a while so perhaps the big carriers came back in to Texas?     

Like most well intended legislation involving subsidies, the ACA robbed the little the guy to help out other little guys and the rich just get richer.  I'd like to think that the current situation we're in will motivate folks on all sides to come up with a better way of doing things, but I won't hold my breath.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

1 minute ago, Samson's Wig said:

I assumed you meant something along the lines of, "at least we're fucked either way".  Just wanted to be sure. 

We were on ACA plans early on, but the options dried up in Texas when the major carriers bailed around 2015/16.  We shifted into a small group policy at that time rather than providing a stipend to everyone. I've got employees in multiple states and the business covers 100% of premiums for everyone so we needed a national carrier.  Outside of Texas, and other states who didn't play ball, there were/are some decent options on the ACA.  I haven't looked at ACA in a while so perhaps the big carriers came back in to Texas?     

Like most well intended legislation involving subsidies, the ACA robbed the little the guy to help out other little guys and the rich just get richer.  I'd like to think that the current situation we're in will motivate folks on all sides to come up with a better way of doing things, but I won't hold my breath.

Yep, it's a fuckjob on those with some ability to pay, but at the bottom of that scale.

[Samson's Wig 3191]

Just now, TwiceHorn said:

Yep, it's a fuckjob on those with some ability to pay, but at the bottom of that scale.

As is customary.

[JBJ 3654]

$1600/month.  EPO, high deductible. 

There's technically dental and vision in that, but it literally has never covered anything.

[Guadaloopy 10960]

As a military retiree, I’m embarrassed to say I pay $150 a quarter for family coverage (just me and my wife).  Y’all can stop thanking us for our service now.  

[TXSG8R 3362]

$260 a month for a premium HDP (family $3k/6k deductibles, $8k/16k OOP maximums), employer puts in $700 a month.  Dental is about $140 a month, employer puts in nada.  Vision is $24, employer nada.  Our company has been bouncing from plan to plan over the last few years trying to find better rates and plans that dont fuck people.  This sucks because you have to roll your HSA into the new HSA, and there are freeze periods where you cant access the old one, but the new one has nothing in it yet.  Really fun.  

For comparison, I believe the best PPO they offered would cost something like $800 a month (dont remember the employer contribution) with $600/1200 deductible, $2500/5k OOP max.  

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

My employer offered a “safety net” HDHP from BCBS this year, with a rather high single deductible of $6900 (nice). The max OOP is also $6900 with 0% coinsurance, so I ended up taking that and putting the savings on premium cost into my HSA instead. My employer contributes some to HSA as well. The medical premium is actually a net positive to me in cost, since I also get a $45 credit from this work health program thing that we have.

I added some smaller incidental coverages for hospitalization etc., but actual premium cost with all medical/dental/vision included is technically only $10 biweekly after my credit.

It does have a high deductible, but if I do get sick I can just use my HSA. If I don’t, I can just roll that shit over. If something happened to me this year I’d have to be OOP some to meet that deductible, but going forward I’d be gravy. I’m 31, so my outlook on that will probably change as I get older.

[TwiceHorn 31450]

14 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:

My employer offered a “safety net” HDHP from BCBS this year, with a rather high single deductible of $6900 (nice). The max OOP is also $6900 with 0% coinsurance, so I ended up taking that and putting the savings on premium cost into my HSA instead. My employer contributes some to HSA as well. The medical premium is actually a net positive to me in cost, since I also get a $45 credit from this work health program thing that we have.

I added some smaller incidental coverages for hospitalization etc., but actual premium cost with all medical/dental/vision included is technically only $10 biweekly after my credit.

It does have a high deductible, but if I do get sick I can just use my HSA. If I don’t, I can just roll that shit over. If something happened to me this year I’d have to be OOP some to meet that deductible, but going forward I’d be gravy. I’m 31, so my outlook on that will probably change as I get older.

This is the way it should be done, most likely.  I have no quibble with that aspect of ACA.

I do quibble, strenuously, with having to pay 1100/month for the privilege of capping my annual medical expenditures at 14000 (plus another 12k in premiums).

[Neonmoon 38129]

My employer used to pay everything before Obamacare. I didn't pay a dime. It was glorious. 

Now $200 a month for myself and spouse. It covers Medical, Dental, Vision, Mental, Supplemental Medical, and Hospital Indemnity. They offered Pet coverage but I didn't take it. (I don't think)

[JBJ 3654]

49 minutes ago, JBJ said:

$1600/month.  EPO, high deductible. 

There's technically dental and vision in that, but it literally has never covered anything.

This is the full cost plus spouse and family.

[SHOOTER12 8800]

Myself and Mrs. Shooter

$44.10/Week Insurance, $3000 out of pocket annually.

$16.85/Week dental.

Whether or not this is great, I don't know.  The only thing I can go by is what it ran with the previous owner.

Covered only me.

$200.00/Week Insurance, $5000 deductable,. $3000 out of pocket

Edited April 29, 2020 by SHOOTER12

[StruggleBus 3922]

$1400/month for a BCBS silver PPO

For a family of four 

[TXSG8R 3362]

58 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

My employer used to pay everything before Obamacare. I didn't pay a dime. It was glorious. 

Now $200 a month for myself and spouse. It covers Medical, Dental, Vision, Mental, Supplemental Medical, and Hospital Indemnity. They offered Pet coverage but I didn't take it. (I don't think)

We lost that long before Obamacare.  We had Cadillac plans up until 06ish.  Of course I'm on the defense industry side of the house, so that's about when all the GWOT money started getting thinner.  

[UTGrad98 2271]

My experience is self or self plus spouse or self plus kids is manageable. But family insurance premiums are normally a kick in the teeth

[drewlaws 126]

I'm self employed and paying $820/mo for my wife, 1 year old and myself on a dog shit HSA plan with a $13.8k family deductible and OOP max (half that per individual). I was paying $1400/mo last year for "better" coverage on my wife's COBRA plan. Then they stiffed us on the hospital bill for our daughters birth.

I have regularly been denied coverage on medical bills, so now I go for the cheapest premium possible to protect against a catastrophic event and save for everything else out of pocket.

Edited April 29, 2020 by drewlaws

[gecko 1104]

$180 per month for high deductible plan for wife and I.  Deductible is $6500, with OOP max of $10,000.  I also put the max $6500 in the HSA

[Jiggy-Z 3432]

5 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Fuuuuuck.

A hair under $1200/month for coverage with a 14,000 annual deductible.

Extremely routine healthcare (PCP visit, mammogram) covered.  Nothing else until deductible. No dental.

1099/Self-employed couple, early 50s, good health.

I should add that, as a lawdog, have had small-group plans that were similarly bad when including the employer portion (with more coverage, though).  You guys must work for some large corps.

This is about what we are doing, except we have two kids with us on the plan.  It is HSA so we get to do that...and there is a little known clause in the tax code that allows S corp owners to be reimbursed for their premiums with the tax deduction run through the company even if said company does not have a health plan.  You kind have to be in the right spot size wise to pull it off.     So after tax considerations it comes out to about $750.00/month.  Make no mistake though, this insurance really sucks.  No dental or vision.

[JBJ 3654]

26 minutes ago, drewlaws said:

I have regularly been denied coverage on medical bills, so now I go for the cheapest premium possible to protect against a catastrophic event and save for everything else out of pocket.

I'm in the habit of getting everything pre-authorized through insurance now.

It saved me once already when the insurer-over-the-phone was like "well, we do cover that but only on the second Tuesday in August if the wind speeds over 20 mph."

[Your Mom 4805]

I have a grandfathered pre-obamacare plan. 

Zero premiums, zero copays, zero cost for generic drugs, $300 family deductible, then I pay 20% coinsurance to a max out-of-pocket of $2500 per year.  The kicker is that preventative care is not covered, which scares a lot of my co-workers off from this plan.  I pay cash for a well-check each year for myself and my kids.  It's usually about $90 for each of my kids checkups and about $300 for mine with blood tests.  Best plan I've ever had.  It saves me many thousands compared to a conventional plans I've had at all my past jobs.  Paying for the preventative stuff stings a bit but those are really a fraction of most peoples medical costs, almost everything else is diagnostic sick visits, injuries, etc.. and is covered.  The lack of premiums makes up for the preventative costs by a mile.  

[Rougarou 594]

I pay for myself, wife and 3 kids. $86.94 semi-monthly, so $173.88/month, company pays $780 semi-monthly or $1560 a month

Cigna EPO $20 office visit copay $0 deductible individual $0 deductible family $2,500 out of pocket max individual $5,000 out of pocket max family

I have heard every time I use it that they are amazing benefits, but they sound in line with most of you guys here, so I guess everyone has the good stuff. We are privileged. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

I pay $577/month for me and 3 kids. Wife’s is paid thru state. I think she pays $28 bi weekly for the dental/vision of my and the kids.    I *think we are under some kind of ACA. I really don’t know, she handled it when I started contracting and said it was a better deal than I had previously. Last company was $1200/month with very high deducts/OOP and they would tell us every chance they got that we should be kissing their ass as we had a top 5% plan in Houston. I don’t know wtf they were smoking. Tbh, now that I think of it, the guy probably knew that was bullshit and was having a blast lying to the stupid Americans.  

[Nice Guy Eddie 13511]

$110/mo medical

$22/mo dental

$6/mo vision

Just me. 

[gmr548 16576]

My current job has, by far, the best healthcare benefit I have ever encountered. No premium, no deductible, OOP max is like $2,500. Cigna so finding in network is easy. I was a contractor beforehand and went for a bare bones ACA plan at like $200/month, which I straight up never used. I am lucky that I am single because it shoots up real fast to add a spouse or kid. I think it is well north of $500/mo for family.

Of course I am young and don't have any chronic health conditions. I am pretty sure the day I leave this job I will get hit by a bus or diagnosed with cancer or something.

2 hours ago, Rougarou said:

I pay for myself, wife and 3 kids. $86.94 semi-monthly, so $173.88/month, company pays $780 semi-monthly or $1560 a month

Cigna EPO $20 office visit copay $0 deductible individual $0 deductible family $2,500 out of pocket max individual $5,000 out of pocket max family

I have heard every time I use it that they are amazing benefits, but they sound in line with most of you guys here, so I guess everyone has the good stuff. We are privileged. 

I think we have the same plan, or a very similar plan, but my premium is covered.

Edited May 1, 2020 by gmr548