Haelth Insurance - Do You Pay For Your Own ?

Hawk · Post by **Hawk** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:35 pm

For those of you who buy your own health insurance - I'm looking for advice.

I recently lost my health benefits and have to look into getting new health insurance. What's good, what's the price, etc.. What do I look for ?

Thanks

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:11 pm

The COBRA (Highmark) from my former employer was up in December and I just got new health insurance from Highmark. In your situation (assuming no pre-existing conditions) you could get their tier-one (best price) with a $1200 deductible for around $200/month. Family costs more, so you need to check on it.

https://www.highmark.com/hmk2/index.shtml

All the ones on TV commercials suck really bad.

ALSO: If you lost your benefits from an employer that is still solvent, federal law requires that they allow you to continue in their plan for a period of 18 months...this is COBRA. You pay a premium equal to their cost.

witchhunt · Post by **witchhunt** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:19 pm

lonewolf wrote: you could get their tier-one (best price) with a $1200 deductible for around $200/month. Family costs more, so you need to check on it.

Isn't that insane?

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:38 pm

witchhunt wrote:
lonewolf wrote: you could get their tier-one (best price) with a $1200 deductible for around $200/month. Family costs more, so you need to check on it.

Isn't that insane?

I've been looking at different plans for about 10 years and this is actually the most cost-effective plan I've seen. Considering the company and benefits, I was blown away at how cheap it was compared to others, including the fly-by-night companies.

Self-reliance ain't no picnic.

felix'apprentice · Post by **felix'apprentice** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:41 pm

heh ... we just got new insurance at work. our guys that have family coverage .. are payin almost 450 a month. insurance is ridiculous, gotta have it though.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:50 pm

Yep, I was paying $400 a month 5 years ago. I'm on the wifey's plan now, she's a nurse, and they get pretty comprehensive bennies... though it IS Geissinger, which isn't the best. Getting anything serious done is like a full-time job in and of itself... you have to jump through a lot of hoops, and practically force them to pay things at knifepoint.--->JMS

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:03 pm

my job offers a few different HMO's.

i have a 'health savings account'. it takes an amount out of each paycheck to put towards a special account and my employer matches it. if i don't use it cool...i can roll it over or cash it in. it's logical for me since i don't have any special medical concerns (thankfully) and i don't visit the doctor much.

Post by **Jim Price** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:07 pm

I'm on Geisinger's basic plan to the tune of $158/month. I had the option to go with my former employer's COBRA, but the monthly cost was too high for what I could afford.

Memo to myself: Don't get sick.

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:15 pm

DrumAndDestroy wrote:my job offers a few different HMO's.

i have a 'health savings account'. it takes an amount out of each paycheck to put towards a special account and my employer matches it. if i don't use it cool...i can roll it over or cash it in. it's logical for me since i don't have any special medical concerns (thankfully) and i don't visit the doctor much.

Dude I would at least get something with a high deductable in case anything major comes about. My wife had an issue a few years ago and if we didn't have insurance it would have been finacial ruin or death. Seriously cover you ass.

On the original subject, UPMC really took care of my wife when we needed. There was no B.S. at all. One test was denied but before we could appeal it they called and said they reevaluated and were going to cover it. A family plan with no deductible is expensive but a plan with deductibles may be reasonable.

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:21 pm

For me, insurance at my old employer was 10.00 a week. Where I am at now will cost 100.00 a week. Cobra is 500.00 a month. Health insurance is a rip off ... You should'nt have to pay the same as a car payment or mortgage to get it.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:33 pm

I have it thru were I work and I'm only paying 46.28 a month and that includes prescription and dental. not too bad I guess? compared to what you guys are paying.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:23 pm

Wow! That's awesome. I'd hang onto that job if I were you.--->JMS

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:04 am

tonefight wrote:
DrumAndDestroy wrote:my job offers a few different HMO's.

i have a 'health savings account'. it takes an amount out of each paycheck to put towards a special account and my employer matches it. if i don't use it cool...i can roll it over or cash it in. it's logical for me since i don't have any special medical concerns (thankfully) and i don't visit the doctor much.
Dude I would at least get something with a high deductable in case anything major comes about. My wife had an issue a few years ago and if we didn't have insurance it would have been finacial ruin or death. Seriously cover you ass.

On the original subject, UPMC really took care of my wife when we needed. There was no B.S. at all. One test was denied but before we could appeal it they called and said they reevaluated and were going to cover it. A family plan with no deductible is expensive but a plan with deductibles may be reasonable.

i should've mentioned i do...just in case something serious were to come up. $2,000.

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 8:18 am

I pay like $17 a pay for mine.

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 8:46 am

lonewolf wrote:The COBRA (Highmark) from my former employer was up in December and I just got new health insurance from Highmark. In your situation (assuming no pre-existing conditions) you could get their tier-one (best price) with a $1200 deductible for around $200/month. Family costs more, so you need to check on it.

https://www.highmark.com/hmk2/index.shtml

All the ones on TV commercials suck really bad.

ALSO: If you lost your benefits from an employer that is still solvent, federal law requires that they allow you to continue in their plan for a period of 18 months...this is COBRA. You pay a premium equal to their cost.

this COBRA?

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:03 pm

RobTheDrummer wrote:I pay like $17 a pay for mine.

You suck, dude.

Seriously, for those who don't know him, Rob's a prison guard. Good for you, man. I never met a prison guard (and I know lots) who wasn't a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy, and I'm dead certain I couldn't do the job. You have to be badder than the bad guys, and I'm just... not.--->JMS

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:00 pm

songsmith wrote:
RobTheDrummer wrote:I pay like $17 a pay for mine.
You suck, dude.
Seriously, for those who don't know him, Rob's a prison guard. Good for you, man. I never met a prison guard (and I know lots) who wasn't a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy, and I'm dead certain I couldn't do the job. You have to be badder than the bad guys, and I'm just... not.--->JMS

rob is too mellow of a dude to be a prison guard!!

convict-"i'm bustin' outta here!"
rob-"that's cool"

metalchurch · Post by **metalchurch** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:25 pm

I was paying $27.00 per week for Highmark - Blue Cross, which covered short and long term disability, $1,500 deductible, eye and dental.
I am missing that right now and I'll be on the market for a replacement soon.

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:11 pm

DrumAndDestroy wrote:
songsmith wrote:
RobTheDrummer wrote:I pay like $17 a pay for mine.
You suck, dude.
Seriously, for those who don't know him, Rob's a prison guard. Good for you, man. I never met a prison guard (and I know lots) who wasn't a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy, and I'm dead certain I couldn't do the job. You have to be badder than the bad guys, and I'm just... not.--->JMS
rob is too mellow of a dude to be a prison guard!!

convict-"i'm bustin' outta here!"
rob-"that's cool"

Yea pretty much, It would be fun to see someone trying to climb through two fences loaded with razor wire and get past some tower guards who have some guns...

MoonManTom · Post by **MoonManTom** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:07 pm

Well I left my last job because they cut everyones health insurance, they paid for it all! They didnt offer us paying so much a month,they just cut it and said if we want we could pay for it all! It was like 200 and some a month, and since I am single and the only source of income, that wasnt happening! so I found another job that offered health insurance, where I would pay so much a month! I actually took a paycut , with a promise of a raise after 30 and 90 days! Well the insurance would cost me 20 dollars a week, but I still havent gotten either of my so called raises, and I am making less money then before! ( i know sucks to be me)Plus, since it is a college, we were off for 4 weeks for the Christmas vacation, and I barely got enough unemployment to cover my regular bills, and I would have had to pay for my insurance during the time off, if I had it! So needless to say, here I am 6 months later, still no health insurance, and making less money! I have asked many times about my so called raises, and am told that they will get to it! We'll see! In the meantime, i keep working and hoping that something better may come along, but that doesnt look good either!

Now some of you may not agree with me on this next part, but if I got say, a life threating disease at this time, say for example cancer, I would not even try to fight it! Why ? Because My daughter would be taken care of by my life insurance policy, and wouldnt have to pay off any ridiculous hospital bill and lose all that money! I dont want that to come across as me being depressed about the situation, its just trying to really think about the situation for me! I dont know Maybe I am looking at it the wrong way, then again, like Jim said, Memo to myself, Dont get Sick!

thats my 2 cents