Do you have health insurance?

[luvsJack]

I agree about getting another job to pay for insurance.

I would too, if it always made sence to do so. For some, it doesn't. Besides, one job is hard enough to come by right now.

As a for instance, dh drives a truck and is gone from home; he can't work a second job to pay for his insurance. I can and have, but then have to pay child care for dd which eats up anything I can make in a few hours at night or on the weekends.

Dh doesn't have insurance because to pay for him through my employer is just a crazy amount of money for some mediocre coverage. He was covered under his employer for awhile until it kept getting higher for less coverage. So, for now he is without any.


Just wanted to add: For us, anyway, its not just about making it a priority. Dh's income has gone down to the point that we couldn't pay the premiums and stay afloat. His income is coming back up so we will get him some coverage or hopefully he will be able to get another job that will offer better coverage than the one he is with now. I am sure there are others, like us, that would love for it to be a priority but at times just cannot make it so.

 

[DMickey28]

We do but we pay and arm and a leg for it. It's decent coverage as far as I am concerned. We used have a traditional plan for almost $800/month. Now we have a high deductible plan for just over $400/month.

DH is hoping for a new job (had a verbal offer but now on hold ) which the same insurance we have now (same company, similar coverage) is $90/payperiod which is twice a month so $180/month for the family for the same coverage as the $800/month plan at his current job. Sad ... We are still keeping our fingers crossed this job works out because it's perfect for DH.

 

[Darsa]

Get individual an individual plan for your DD at least but I would get one for your DH too. In our state an individual plan for a child is only a little over $100/month for a really good plan. Your DH would be in the $200/month range.

How would one go about finding this insurance? And would they be all right with covering someone who's currently medicated for diabetes and on a CPAP for Apnea? Those are the things that concern me most, I'm afraid that this type of thing will cause the cost to skyrocket and make it just as expensive as having insurance through my employer.

 

[Feralpeg]

It's not. There are plenty of very good individual health plans out there that do not cost that much.

Unfortunately, that is a matter of perspective. As I mentioned earlier, I pay $700 a month with a $5000 deductible for my daughter and I. While I hate paying that much, I'm thankful I can afford it. Many people could not afford a policy this expensive.

Sadly, I know many, many people without health insurance. Since I live so near WDW, I know many CMs. I would say that the majority of them do not have health insurance. Most of them are part time cast members. Disney likes keeping the majority of its workforce as part time so they don't have to pay benefits. Part time CMs can buy a small health insurance policy that gives them a very small amount of coverage, but it is still expensive. When you are making $7.25 an hour and trying to survive, paying anything out of your paycheck just doesn't happen. Many of them already have union dues taken from their paychecks. They can't live on nothing. I know one lady who is supposed to be on daily medication. She only takes it when she gets to feeling really, really bad because she can't afford it. I really feel for these folks.

It only takes one small health related incident to ruin a family. A couple of years ago, I had to spend two nights in Celebration hospital. They ran a bunch of tests on me (MRI, Cat Scan, EEG, lab work). When the bill came, it as $26,000. If I hadn't had insurance, it would have been horrible. Think what something like that could do to a family without insurance. Such a sad situation!

 

[ChrizJen]

I'm fortunate enough to have decent coverage at a good price through my employer. My sister, on the other hand, who has 3 children and is a single mom, makes too much to qualify for Medicaid, but doesn't make enough to pay the huge amount that her employer charges for coverage. It would take half of her paycheck. And she needs that money to live. Even though you're probably not going to hear a lot about it here on the DIS, it's definitely much more of a problem than some even realize.

 

[C.Ann]

Yes.. It's quite expensive and doesn't cover an awful lot of things, but I consider myself very, very lucky to have it!

 

[live4christp1]

Yes. Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Ours is actually decent. $20 co-pay, etc.

Also, Dental insurance & life insurance.

I carry the family plan that covers all of us through my employer. When DH is on ADT we have Tricare as well.

Wow! Reading some of these posts.......I will not complain about the cost of our insurance again. We are very fortunate and all are covered as stated above for under $40 a week.

 

[Feralpeg]

How would one go about finding this insurance? And would they be all right with covering someone who's currently medicated for diabetes and on a CPAP for Apnea? Those are the things that concern me most, I'm afraid that this type of thing will cause the cost to skyrocket and make it just as expensive as having insurance through my employer.

It is very possible, that the policy would not cover those conditions as they are pre-existing. When I got my private policy for my DD and I, they went back over our medical records for the past seven years. They put a rider on each policy that the policies did not cover anything to do with conditions that DD and I had been treated for in the past seven years. For instance, DD has IBS. They will not cover anything for her that has to do with gastrointestinal. I had acid-reflux. They will not cover anything they think is in any way related to that condition. I had breast cancer 27 years ago, but I had had a biopsy on my other breast within that seven year period. I have a big rider on my policy regarding breast issues. When I had to have my implant that was put in for reconstruction purposes removed a couple of years ago due to rupture, they only covered $400 of the entire cost. I put out almost $10,000. For this, I pay $700 a month.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

At the moment, yes. I'm unemployed and on COBRA, and very grateful that I'm getting that subsidy in which I only pay 1/3 of it. However, as of December 1st, the subsidy will be done and I will need to pay all of it. They don't seem to realize that unemployment pays so little, that it will take two entire unemployment checks to pay for it. I can't live on what will be left.

I'm on the hunt for cheaper individual insurance. I have another two months, but I'm stressing over it.

 

[Feralpeg]

Yes. Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Ours is actually decent. $20 co-pay, etc.

Also, Dental insurance & life insurance.

I carry the family plan that covers all of us through my employer. When DH is on ADT we have Tricare as well.

Wow! Reading some of these posts.......I will not complain about the cost of our insurance again. We are very fortunate and all are covered as stated above for under $40 a week.

I was like you before I retired. I had always had excellent, low-cost coverage through my employer. Obtaining private insurance after I retired was an incredible shock. It is something that people really need to think about before thinking of retiring. Just when you get to the age where you really need health coverage the most, you find yourself in a situation where it is so incredibly expensive.

 

[ead79]

Yes, DH and I are both covered through his employer. It is very good insurance, and we are pleased with it. I'm not sure what it costs us (my memory fails me), but it's not an arm and a leg. Maybe something like $175/month.

I'm eligible for insurance through my employer as well (for only $3 per month), but DH's insurance is far superior, so we are on his. Plus, I figure it will be easier to stick with his insurance when we start a family.

 

[ChrizJen]

It's not. There are plenty of very good individual health plans out there that do not cost that much.
If you are self-employed you can look into a group plan where there is automatic acceptance.
Get individual an individual plan for your DD at least but I would get one for your DH too. In our state an individual plan for a child is only a little over $100/month for a really good plan. Your DH would be in the $200/month range.

I too would like to see a few examples of those. I've tried to help my sister find good coverage at an affordable price...couldn't find it.

I have always had insurance either individual or group. I would get a second or third job if I had to to pay for insurance. My nephew just had his tonsils and adenoids out and the hospital charge alone is $12,000.

That's really nice that you would get a second or third job to make sure you had health insurance. What about a single mom of 3? What does she do with her children while she's working these 3 jobs to pay for medical coverage? Are you going to pay for her childcare? Or do you want to care for her children while she works? Because even with just one job, she makes too much to qualify for childcare assistance. And even with 3 jobs, she's going to have to pay someone to care for her chidren 24/7 while she works.

The number one cause of bankruptcy in the US is due to medical bills. As you see from the responses here, many people have access to health benefits but it isn't a priority to get it. That is a BIG difference from people not having insurance because they can't get it.

It's easy for you to say that it's a "choice". Yes, I suppose it it a choice. For some it's a choice between paying rent to keep a roof over their chidrens' heads or medical coverage. What would you choose?

.

 

[luvsJack]

I'm fortunate enough to have decent coverage at a good price through my employer. My sister, on the other hand, who has 3 children and is a single mom, makes too much to qualify for Medicaid, but doesn't make enough to pay the huge amount that her employer charges for coverage. It would take half of her paycheck. And she needs that money to live. Even though you're probably not going to hear a lot about it here on the DIS, it's definitely much more of a problem than some even realize.[/QUOTE]

I agree, it is a huge problem. Between working at a community college and knowing the situations of my sons' friends, I can name way too many in the 25-30 age range that have no insurance and many who have kids with no insurance. These are not folks without jobs, they are young parents with kids who aren't making enough money to support their family and pay for insurance.

 

[C.Ann]

It's not. There are plenty of very good individual health plans out there that do not cost that much.



If you are self-employed you can look into a group plan where there is automatic acceptance.



Get individual an individual plan for your DD at least but I would get one for your DH too. In our state an individual plan for a child is only a little over $100/month for a really good plan. Your DH would be in the $200/month range.

I have always had insurance either individual or group. I would get a second or third job if I had to to pay for insurance. My nephew just had his tonsils and adenoids out and the hospital charge alone is $12,000.

The number one cause of bankruptcy in the US is due to medical bills. As you see from the responses here, many people have access to health benefits but it isn't a priority to get it. That is a BIG difference from people not having insurance because they can't get it.

What may be available in your state is not available in all states..

The portion of your post that I have bolded is mind boggling to me.. I have friends in numerous states where there is nothing even close to that low!! You should consider yourself very, very lucky that you live in a state that can offer such affordable prices.. Not everyone is as fortunate as you are, so your statements lean more towards a generalization of what is available where you are - not across the country.. If everyone could pay that little for health insurance, I doubt there would be anyone here posting that they don't have insurance..

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Yes, I have insurance through my employer. I get paid bi-monthly and for my son and I it's a little over $100 per paycheck. My deductible is $550 which isn't too high at all compared to a lot of the deductibles I've heard people have.

I just had my son July 31st and I was so grateful to have the insurance I have. My medical bills from that haven't been bad at all.

I work retail and I don't make a ton of money but once I found out I was having a baby (I am also a single mom) I felt that having insurance was very important. Luckily I work for a very large retail company who can afford to offer fairly affordable insurance plans to their employees.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

Yes here in Massachusetts you are required to have health insurance. My husband and I are covered under his employers policy. Sorry not sure of the cost that we pay. I believe his company pays 20% and we pay 80%.

OMG what? how do they enforce that? and what do they do if you do not have health insurance????? take your home and kick you out of the state

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

removed

 

[golfgal]

Not sure where you get your info but I wish we had access to affordable/reasonable health insurance coverage with guaranteed acceptance. Thank God we are healthy and youngish. Our Insurance raised the rates on us every year for the last 3 years until we just could not afford the premiums any longer. This is after never once having to pay even so much as a co pay for us (because our plan did not have that available) and taking more than $50,000 from us in premiums over the last 10 years.

I guess we just need to sell everything and move to Minn because health care in Tennessee is no where near that CHEAP! If it were we would have it and not worry about it what you pay for it is peanuts. Again count your blessings because it is NOT that way in most of the USA

I guess you do. In MN you CAN get a group policy with as few as 2 people that work for the same company-group policies are guaranteed acceptance. Look up Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MN or Health Partners in MN and you will see that YES you can get insurance that cheep in MN. Again, I just can't believe that the rest of the country is so much higher-how much research have you done with different companies? Where were you getting your coverage in the first place?? If you have never filed a claim you could get a really good rating on a group policy. Everyone's insurance costs have gone up in the past 3 years.

 

[luvsJack]

So what if you don't "make" any money working, you are saving yourself from financial ruin by working just to get health insurance. I know several women that work and most if not all of their paycheck goes to health insurance. It is still money that doesn't have to come out of your budget to pay if your kids get sick. What would $20,000 in medical bills tomorrow do to your household? How about $500,000 or more??

I tried working a second job, by the time I paid child care and the other extra expences of going to another job, there wasn't enough left to pay for insurance or anything else--one reason I quit.

My child is insured, my husband is not. He very rarely sees a doctor and for now when he does we pay oop. If something happened to him and we had a $20,000 bill--at this point they would recieve the amount I could pay each month until its paid off. That is the only choice we would have.

Its just not always as cut and dried as "work a second job".

And if you are meaning that I should pay for his insurance and let it take all of my pay check, that would be fine. But what am I supposed to pay my house note with? His income is increasing and when things are better in the trucking world that would be an option, but not now. There are many many households where that would never be an option.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

removed