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mellyrose
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| Posted: Oct 16 2008 at 6:00pm | IP Logged
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DH just brought home the information for health insurance for next year. Our health insurance is going up over $1200 from this past year, putting our portion of the health insurance to just over $8,000 / year.
And that doesn't include dental, vision, disability or life.
It's good insurance, but I confess that we can't afford to use it most of the time. I do use it for the kids, but I avoided my annual for over a year bc of the copay, and I still haven't had the bloodwork done that was ordered 6 weeks ago bc I'm afraid of the diagnosis. (and the cost that will come from it.)
I'm just frustrated today. They recently cut his commission rate again, the health insurance is going up, a freelance job I had just cut their rates by 2/3, and more.
I want to feel grateful that we HAVE insurance, but I don't know how we're supposed to afford it.
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Melanie in AZ
Colin (11/00), Nate (05/02), Lydia (04/07)
My Little Patch of Sunshine
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Oct 16 2008 at 6:09pm | IP Logged
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We pay around 650 per month, and that is just basic-no dental, vision, etc. Plus we have a 5000 dollar deductible, so unless we get REALLY sick, we are basically not getting any help.
My husband is searching and searching for something better.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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folklaur
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| Posted: Oct 16 2008 at 6:35pm | IP Logged
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In AZ, our choices were horrible. At one job, it was well over $800/mo, and at his most recent (before moving to Vegas) it was over $1000/mo. But his pay was low enough annually that our kids qualified for KidsCare. So we had to do that, especially with Sarah's health issues. Is it possible - especially with how your dh's work is getting cut - that the kids could be covered? Also, if they cover your kids, sometimes, parents can qualify for a different coverage with pretty low premiums.
(here in Vegas, since the company he is with is such a massive employer, we actually are quite lucky and we know it - if we go with the HMO option, it is $100/mo + co-pays. If we go with the PPO option, it is $44/mo w/$300 yearly family deductible + the 80/20 split.)
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Oct 17 2008 at 12:55pm | IP Logged
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We're pretty lucky. Our insurance is $34 a pay check, so about $880 a year. Dental and vision are separate. The only beef I have is that they only cover $500 in well visits/vaccinations per person per year, but that is better than the old policy that only allowed 1 well check visit per person year. I always try to plan for newborn through 18 month well checks with our flexible spending account. All sick visits are covered except for a $10 co-pay.
We also use IL's Vaccines for Children program. I'm all over it to make sure that all of our $500 goes to pay for visit expenses and not vaccines that are covered by the state program.
I feel really lucky that we have such good insurance and benefits. My husband has talked from time to time about looking for a position that pays a little better somewhere with a lower cost of living, but I don't know if we would get as good of benefits elsewhere.
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Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: Oct 17 2008 at 1:21pm | IP Logged
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We don't. Dh is fortunate to be in a competitive industry and will not work for a company that does not provide full medical. We do have co-pays, but that's it. We are very blessed in that regard.
The cost to his company to insure us is only $12,000 per year for medical, dental and vision. I can't imagine how an employee can possibly pay $1000 or more a month and not even have comprehensive coverage! It sounds like you're getting robbed! At that rate, maybe you are better off with a major medical plan for serious illnesses and then pay out of pocket for smaller things? There are various plans for Catholics, Christians, even for homeschoolers I believe.
I wonder if it has to do with different states and different regulations? I confess to being pretty ignorant of the whole system. Several months ago, we got a mailing from a major insurance company here in Virginia that was offering family medical plans for less than $500/month. I can't understand why companies would be paying so much more than that.
By the way, my dh's company has less than 15 employees. This is the third small business he has been with that paid full medical.
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Kristie 4
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| Posted: Oct 17 2008 at 1:47pm | IP Logged
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Oh my, that is so much money. Here in Manitoba we have no health care premiums (no tomatoes please). As we work for a not for profit group we don't have dental etc. but everything else is covered.
Eeek, I don't know how we would ever fit that in combined with the outrageous increases in food prices!
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Kristie in Canada
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LisaR
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| Posted: Oct 17 2008 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
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when dh's went up to 900 per month, plus the deductibles and co pays more than doubled, we went to kidscare, too- or whatever it is called in our fair state.
We pay 200.00 a month now, and 5.00 per doctor visit/perscription. I have to admit, I am very impressed with this healthcare. I am sure that the Docs and hosps don't like it, but we are very grateful, especially after enduring 3 spinal epidurals for dh's discs, and my miscarriage, sonos, etc.
I feel good knowing that we are still purchasing this insurance, but at a price that is fair and just to our income.
we do still purchase dental and eye through dh's work, those are about 24.00 per month??
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Lisa
dh Tim '92
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juststartn
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| Posted: Oct 18 2008 at 11:18am | IP Logged
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Hm. Well, we get it from DHs army retirement, and his civilian job...the Army has Tricare (not very good, much higher, and fewer drs will take it), and BCBS with the county/city DH works for. So far I am very pleased with the BCBS (but I have not had to use it much). His work does cover dental, and vision (whew).
We're paying about $200/month on the civilian side, I think (I am trying to remember it without looking at the papers), and a bit less than that for the army one, I believe.
Rachel
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sewcrazy
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| Posted: Oct 21 2008 at 7:26pm | IP Logged
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We also use IL's KidCare. It runs us $100 per month for the kids. Right now my dh and I aren't covered under any policy. It is scary, but we are both very overweight and the upcharge for that became unbearable. My dh hasn't been sick in years, and my only claim came from a brolen leg. We have no health issues from our weight, but noone will give us good insurance.  So we put the money we could afford into a medical savings account and pray. I did have a major expense 2 years ago, and was able to get a state grant to pay 80% of the cost.
LeeAnn
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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Martha
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| Posted: Oct 22 2008 at 8:03am | IP Logged
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just over $4000 a year, just for medical, not incl vision or dental or life or whatever...
and it doesn't cover any rx unless it's a maintence drug like dh's insulin that can be ordered thru the mail in 3 month supplies. so that's covered 70%, but if the kids needs an rx when they get sick? - nada.
it seems we have to fight tooth and nail for every claim too.
they aren't covering any of my current pregnancy because I am having to go through a midwife and they don't cover those. but they will cover a completely unneccessary c-section.
ARGH! don't get me started on insurance companies! 
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Martha
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Oct 22 2008 at 8:39am | IP Logged
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Wow! You ladies make me feel so blessed! My dh has had a rough week at work, and I asked him about insurance citing this thread. I don't remember the dollar amount, but he said we pay about 17% of our health (which does include dental and vision), and the national average is 30%. It sounds like many here are paying much more than that, even!
Anyway, he was saying how that put a lot of things in perspective for him in the midst of his frustration. 
And, we have a PPO (instead of the HMO), and it just increased coverage for our in network midwives. Last birth we paid 10% (but a hospital birth was less ) whereas this one was fully covered.
We have Amerihealth (which is Blue Cross, I think). Martha, how frustrating! One would think an insurance company would want to cover a midwife assisted birth since it costs LESS than a hospital one!
I don't understand insurance much at all, but isn't part of your cost related to the cost of others on your plan (or rather, in your group)? That is why a business can pay less for insurance per employee than you can get as an individual. Dh has a lot of really young, single coworkers with few health problems; so, that might play a role in the cost, I think.
I just remember another coworker expressing concern about how his family with their youngest having been in the hospital for a year and still having frequent visits and being on a liver transplant list, etc... might affect the cost for everyone else in the organization. I have no idea how accurate or to what degree this might be the case.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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stacykay
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| Posted: Oct 22 2008 at 9:43pm | IP Logged
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Our insurance, for 8 of us, is $1250 a month. It covers well-child visits, $20 copay for general office visits, $50 copay for er visits. There is also a deductible for any tests done. Prescriptions aren't too bad, usually under $10 unless it is a major antibiotic or the elidel my ds uses for his eczema (that runs about $70 a tube!)
We have no optical or dental insurance.
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Oct 23 2008 at 12:13pm | IP Logged
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We just got our medical info from dh's employer for next year.....we'll be paying $560/month for medical. $200 deductible/person/year. $30 co-pays. $2,000 out-of-pocket-maximum.
Dental is $51/month.
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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mellyrose
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| Posted: Oct 23 2008 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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I want to thank everyone for their replies! It seems that insurance varies from company to company, and state to state. I knew that -- but I am amazed at how much it varies! I seriously doubt the politicians understand what they're talking about when they start talking about insurance reform.
My DH works for a major international corporation. You would think that they could afford to offer great deals on health insurance, but apparently not. I also am not sure how much a percentage we are paying for the insurance vs. what the company pays. That's not something they've ever shared . . . I'm beginning to wonder if we are paying 100%. Our premiums have increased $100/month over the last 3 years -- when he first started we were so happy with our benefits cost, now we feel overwhelmed.
Just wanted to thank you all for sharing your insurance costs.
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Melanie in AZ
Colin (11/00), Nate (05/02), Lydia (04/07)
My Little Patch of Sunshine
Pictures of our Life
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: How Much Do U Pay for Insurance?
