Would you switch all your family's drs if you could save $100 a month?

[traces7]

My family (DH, DD) and I are covered under my health insurance plan. Our rates are going up of course. Right now the plan that we're in, we can go to any drs we want. If we want to stay in that plan we'll have to pay $100 more a month.

We can switch to a plan that covers only certain drs for the same as what we're paying now ($275 every 2 weeks). The only thing is that none of these drs or hospitals are in our hometown. The nearest ones are about 20 miles away. There is a small general practice clinic 10 miles away. Also not to mention the fact that I've been going to my OB/GYN for over 12 years, DH has been going to his dr since he was a kid, and DD has had the same pediatrician since she was born.

Would you switch everybody's drs to save the $100 a month? (That's $1200 a year!) We're seriously considering it. We all only really go to the dr once a year. Although I've recently found out I have a low thyroid levels and will have to be tested in another 3 months. We just don't know how much more we can afford for insurance!

Everything else about these 2 plans is the same, except the cost and the drs you can see. What would you do?

 

[Madison'smommy]

I would but that is because we moved here about 5 years ago... and each have only been to the dr's for a few routine visits. We have no connection with our doctors... and no health issues... $1200. is alot of money, when you look at it like that

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

My family (DH, DD) and I are covered under my health insurance plan. Our rates are going up of course. Right now the plan that we're in, we can go to any drs we want. If we want to stay in that plan we'll have to pay $100 more a month.

We can switch to a plan that covers only certain drs for the same as what we're paying now ($275 every 2 weeks). The only thing is that none of these drs or hospitals are in our hometown. The nearest ones are about 20 miles away. There is a small general practice clinic 10 miles away. Also not to mention the fact that I've been going to my OB/GYN for over 12 years, DH has been going to his dr since he was a kid, and DD has had the same pediatrician since she was born.
Would you switch everybody's drs to save the $100 a month? (That's $1200 a year!) We're seriously considering it. We all only really go to the dr once a year. Although I've recently found out I have a low thyroid levels and will have to be tested in another 3 months. We just don't know how much more we can afford for insurance!

Everything else about these 2 plans is the same, except the cost and the drs you can see. What would you do?

I was thinking I would until I read the bolded part. No way would I be trekking out 10-20 miles to see the drs that I need to see. I work FT and the teensy bit of free time I get is precious. No way would I want to spend so much time getting to & from a dr office. Then again I live in suburbia where everything is a 10 min drive.

 

[sydneysmom]

I would totally switch. it's alot of money you would be saving and you aren't going to sacrifice care.

if you need to get tested that often, you might ask them if there's a lab that's close to you that can do the test and send the results directly to the doctor's office.

 

[traces7]

I was thinking I would until I read the bolded part. No way would I be trekking out 10-20 miles to see the drs that I need to see. I work FT and the teensy bit of free time I get is precious. No way would I want to spend so much time getting to & from a dr office. Then again I live in suburbia where everything is a 10 min drive.

Yeah, I know that will be a problem. Because DH and I both work full-time and don't get home til after 5 p.m. DH's general practitioner and DD's pediatrician even still have Sat. a.m. hours! But we really don't go to the dr very often. Only once a year for all of us.

 

[lovemygoofy]

No question for me. I would not be changing. My time and personal relationships with doctors are more important than the 100/month. Because your choices are limited with the other plan and others are changing, imagine what a pain it could be to make an appointment.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yeah, I know that will be a problem. Because DH and I both work full-time and don't get home til after 5 p.m. DH's general practitioner and DD's pediatrician even still have Sat. a.m. hours! But we really don't go to the dr very often. Only once a year for all of us.

Wow, that's amazing! My kids don't get sick so often now that they're older but we do love our ped. and they have Sat/Sun hours still too.

I've been with my OB/GYN for 20 yrs and followed him as he moved from the hosp where I work to 3 other hospitals too. I know I'm not alone in that.

I also have bad allergies so I see an allergist & ENT, both of whom I really like & respect. Also getting bad varicose veins for working on my feet since age 16 (so that's like a jillion years now...) so I see a vascular surgeon.

If I truly only went once per year, I might give it a trial depending on how long I'd be "stuck" with that decision. At my work it's 1 yr except for life changing events (birth, death, job loss, etc.) As long as you can always go back, it might be worth a try.

 

[Coll0610]

We went through this a few years and we did switch doctors. It was more money for us though - over $2000 a year. It took me a couple years to make the switch because I loved my doctor, but eventually the money got to be too much. The funny thing is, the practice that our doctor is in began taking the new insurance last year, so I'm back with my original doctor!

When I was considering switching, I did ask my doctor if he planned on retiring soon because I certainly didn't want to stay with the expensive insurance to keep him if he wasn't go to be around.

 

[homedad]

no and you can ask your local doctor to join the network your changing to, it can take 6 month for the process but the worse they can say is no

 

[deedeetoo]

I wouldn't switch. While not switching doctors is a big factor, the more important one to me is the distance to the alternative doctors. Maybe its just us but we always seem to be at the doctor. Its not the my kids are sick much but they are very active, play lots of sports,and lets just say I'm on a first name basis with the local x-ray tech.

 

[Pigeon]

Nope. I've had cancer, and have a surgeon, an oncologist and a radiation oncologist who I still see six years later. They are all amazing.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I wouldn't switch. While not switching doctors is a big factor, the more important one to me is the distance to the alternative doctors. Maybe its just us but we always seem to be at the doctor. Its not the my kids are sick much but they are very active, play lots of sports,and lets just say I'm on a first name basis with the local x-ray tech.

Whew! That's really saying something. I'm an xray tech. I've remembered families with chronic illness but never from injuries. My sister was the same way though. My mom was getting to know everyone in our local ER.

 

[traces7]

Wow, that's amazing! My kids don't get sick so often now that they're older but we do love our ped. and they have Sat/Sun hours still too.

I've been with my OB/GYN for 20 yrs and followed him as he moved from the hosp where I work to 3 other hospitals too. I know I'm not alone in that.

I also have bad allergies so I see an allergist & ENT, both of whom I really like & respect. Also getting bad varicose veins for working on my feet since age 16 (so that's like a jillion years now...) so I see a vascular surgeon.

If I truly only went once per year, I might give it a trial depending on how long I'd be "stuck" with that decision. At my work it's 1 yr except for life changing events (birth, death, job loss, etc.) As long as you can always go back, it might be worth a try.

The last few years it's only been once a year, but now watch something will change that! Yes, we can only sign up at open enrollment -April 1, so we'd be stuck for a year, but we could always switch back next year if we didn't like it.

 

[traces7]

no and you can ask your local doctor to join the network your changing to, it can take 6 month for the process but the worse they can say is no

I don't think that's a possibility, the drs/hospitals all have to be in this certain plan's network and it's a very specific network. It's an EPO for Mercy Health Care only (it's in Wisconsin).

 

[lovemygoofy]

The last few years it's only been once a year, but now watch something will change that! Yes, we can only sign up at open enrollment -April 1, so we'd be stuck for a year, but we could always switch back next year if we didn't like it.

So just for the sake of discussion, how much would you loose having to take off early from work plus travel time in gas dollars to travel to the doctor if you have to even 4x in a year?

 

[Marionnette]

My first thought was to say yes to the change and then use part of that $100/mo. savings to pay OOP to see my current doctor when I needed to. But when you added that the cheaper plan doesn't have any specialists nearby nor a participating hospital that completely changed my opinion. No one wants to contemplate having a child admitted to the hospital, but I would not want to have one of mine in a hospital 20 miles away.

Maybe I'm spoiled living in Philly. You can throw a rock and hit a dozen hospitals.

 

[traces7]

My first thought was to say yes to the change and then use part of that $100/mo. savings to pay OOP to see my current doctor when I needed to. But when you added that the cheaper plan doesn't have any specialists nearby nor a participating hospital that completely changed my opinion. No one wants to contemplate having a child admitted to the hospital, but I would not want to have one of mine in a hospital 20 miles away.

Maybe I'm spoiled living in Philly. You can throw a rock and hit a dozen hospitals.

Good point! We have a hospital here in our hometown, but it's not on that cheaper health plan. Now, I'm really thinking we'd be better sticking with what we have now with our drs. I've been to a couple drs. in the other plan and the hospital and I wasn't really impressed. Not sure if it's just because I'm used to our small town drs. and hospital and this was a bigger city or what.

 

[traces7]

So just for the sake of discussion, how much would you loose having to take off early from work plus travel time in gas dollars to travel to the doctor if you have to even 4x in a year?

That's another good point! Plus I know that with the drs. on the cheaper plan we wouldn't be able to get same day appointments. With our drs. we have now, many times I've been able to get same day appointments when necessary.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I would not. It's important to me to maintain the relationships with doctors that I already have. When my husband has been deployed (he's a Reservist) and the kids and I revert to Tricare, I stay with the standard option rather than opt into the "prime" option because I don't want to drive 20 miles to the nearest base to see a doctor I don't know, who doesn't know my history or my kids'. I'd rather pay the co-pay and the deductible.

 

[jodifla]

No, I would not change.