re: Cost of health insurance?

We pay almost $700 per month for a family of 5 ... although it would be the same price if we were a family of 3 or 4. BCBS of LA, individual policy, grandfathered in and not under Obamacare. It's expensive.

We have the high ded with HSA; 5600$ ded and $10K max oop. Sucks really but if we make any changes at all we'll fall under Obamacare and then premium would probably be higher.

We're 45, in good health, no weight issues, no smoking; I have to say the past 2 years we've met our ded (only did this 1 other time in 17 years of having the policy) and BCBS was very good to us ... our premium went up but ever so slightly.

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his is just baffling to me. Is there no end to the rise in cost?

My company is supposedly paying for half of my health insurance but I'm now paying $300/month. 35 years old, completely healthy, my medical bills are $0.00 every year. I do not have any need for a doctor. I have insurance in case of an emergency, but I feel like I'm paying more than I could ever use.

$600/month for a single healthy person? Explain this to me. How could you even accumulate $600/month in medical expenses?

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1. At 35 so should be getting a yearly physical. If you pay for it with cash it should cost less than $50
2. Drop the company plan and get a high deductible plan and open an HSA

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This thread reminds me that I need to find a new primary care physician. Insurance at work changed and my previous one not in network anymore

Family practice best route to go?

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FP and IM are roughly equivocal in terms of taking care of adults. It's more about the physician and personal relationship you have with them. In a major medical center (there's a Peds unit or hospital that you work in if I'm not mistaken, leading me to assume you're in at least "not a small town"), you're more likely to see separation of inpatient and outpatient docs. Typically, but not always, FP is more likely to only work outpatient. IM is more likely to practice traditional or only inpatient. In any non-rural area, we are basically past the point of FP actually delivering babies. Both internists and FP can usually take care of women's health (contraception should you choose it, breast exams, Pap smears), but none of them really deliver, so it's probably better to have an OB/GYN if you're between 21 and menopause. So I'd pick just whoever is closer and you like. Picking one who only does outpatient is slightly more likely to be "on time," but there's no guarantee. The real plus about FP is, should you choose to have kids in the near future, you can set them up in the same practice.


So FP is fine. Med and med/Peds are great, too. If you are in a rural area, usually the FP guys are really good. But in any major city where they don't practice OB, you're just as good off with an internist.

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How could you even accumulate $600/month in medical expenses?

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Pretty easily, actually.

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My company is supposedly paying for half of my health insurance but I'm now paying $300/month

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Maybe you should take another look at your company's health care plan. I'm in the middle of a two month window between my last plan being cancelled and starting on company insurance.

I'm 28 and single and pay $220 a month.

I'm pretty much the same as what you described, I am a year older, and I only pay $239 a month for the best platinum plus plan on Obamacare and that is with zero subsidies. I did price my plan in other zip codes in La and Ca and it was almost double there so I guess I am lucky to live where I do.

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By middle class they mean poor

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I made zero dollars last year, but didn't qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or subsidies on the Marketplace.

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so you are promoting socialism (socialized health care)

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absolutely not

I'm on my company's BCBS plan. My family policy was just under $700.00/month. This year, my policy premium went to over $1300/month, and my co-pays and deductible increased. When I called the rep, he advised me that it was Obamacare that caused the increase, and family policies are catching the brunt.

That's a fact, and these people that supported Obamacare should be ashamed.

you're going to need to get that smug checked

i look at it more like paying now to utilize it later, except that if you drop the insurance, all of your past payment mean a big fat zero