MY HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS HOW MUCH?!?!?
I am firmly behind the idea of health care reform, but I’m actually the perfect demographic to be opposed to it.
I’m a middle aged white male with an upper-middle class income who (up until about six months ago) had almost all of their insurance costs covered by their employer. I’m in a high tax bracket and I know I’m supposed to be livid at the idea that somebody on welfare or somebody that has a different color skin than I have might get health care that I’m helping foot the bill for, because frankly, I’m out there working for mine and By-God they can do the same.
I’m embarrassed to admit that up until six months ago I didn’t even know how much my health insurance cost. My employer covered all but a fraction of it and I what I paid showed up as a tiny blip on my pay stub that I didn’t even pay attention too.
Then I moved jobs.
My new employer doesn’t provide health coverage until you’ve been on the job six months, so I took out a bridge policy that only covered catastrophic illness until insurance at my new firm kicked in. I thought it was a little pricy but I chalked it up to being a temporary policy. Since I’m brand new, my employer only pays for half of my coverage and none of my wife’s. I have no children left at home so I don’t need a full family policy.
I got my first paycheck after my new health insurance policy kicked in and I was certain there had been a mistake. I called our company accountant and said “you took $360.00 out of my check for health insurance. Do you just deduct for health insurance once a month?” “No” he laughed, “your out-of-pocket is $740.00 per month. $360.00 will be taken out of every paycheck.
I almost shit myself. “That means that health insurance for just my wife and I costs almost a $1,000 per month?!?!?” “Yes,” he replied. “We’re trying to negotiate with other providers to find a cheaper solution but that is what it currently costs.”
How freaking much would it cost if I had five kids at home?!? My insurance is purchased along with many others in order to get a group rate. How much would it cost if I was just trying to provide it on my own?!?
I’m lucky; I don’t like paying $740.00 out of pocket every month, but I can do it without worrying where my next meal is coming from. How does anyone living on minimum wage afford health insurance? Obviously they don’t. Now I understand why hospital emergency rooms are overrun by people simply needing basic health care.
I’m sure many of you reading this are thinking “welcome to reality buddy” and you would be exactly right. I’ve been living in my little insulated white-bread world hearing others in my demographic whine about how their choices might be limited.
I’ve read all the arguments. I understand that the right is afraid of anything that reeks of Socialism. I’ve read history books too. I understand the argument that any government that pays $3,500.00 for a hammer is likely to screw up health care. As a foster parent I dealt with DHS all of the time and I fully understand how the government can f*#k up a social assistance program. But frankly, if you’re in my demographic and you’d rather see those less fortunate than you suffer and possibly die because of a lack of adequate health care just because you don’t want the government involved and you don’t want any of your tax dollars to help pay for it…I’m embarrassed for you.
Comments (36)
you’ve only begun to scratch the surface on the problems of health care.
at least you can be insured. my daughter’s husband has a new job and after 3 months he’ll get insurance. i am worried sick that my daughter, because of some health issues, might not be included on the policy because she has the audacity of having not being perfectly healthy all the time. hell, a friend of mine was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, and her insurance company canceled her pol after her treatment.
in the past, if you had an illness or needed health care that cost a lot of money beyond insurance payments, you could work out a payment plan. not really an option these days.
and the folks screaming that the government will be choosing your doctor and what medical treatments you can have? apparently those folks have never dealt with the ultimate Big Brother — the insurance companies. i know people who left their long-time family doc because their job changed insurance companies and the long-time doc wasn’t part of the new insurance plan nor would the insurance cover anything recommended by that doc. we’ve jumped through hoops with the insurance company for taking my son, who was literally bleeding to death, to the emergency room before we called the insurance company to get their permission first.
and on and on.
Excellent post, Mark. Kansas has an insurance policy available for school-age children whose families don’t qualify for Medicaid, yet they cannot afford insurance. Insurance costs are just ridiculous, and everyone lives in fear of losing their insurance if they have a catastrophic illness or injury. For individuals with disabilities, Medicaid does not pay a nickel for dental care (at least not in Kansas). Seems ridiculous, too, since lack of dental care can lead to other health issues.
I wish everyone had your attitude toward health care reform.
Kathi
Thank goodness you finally said something reasonable so that I can jump up on your bandwagon!
Sorry to disagree this time but I do. If you went out on your own and got insurance you could get some for about $300-400 per month. Example: Humana Health Care. We don’t need the government getting involved. Now they want to fine people up to $3000-$3800 per year if they don’t have insurance. If some people had that much money don’t you think they would be getting their family insured. My family went without insurance for about 10 years just because we needed that extra $60 per pay period to buy food. I don’t know what company your employer has but on your own you can do better. You don’t need the government butting in.
I like how some people (not naming names or referring to anyone in particular) argue that the government will step in and tell us what doctors we can and cannot see and what procedures and tests we can and cannot have, when that is basically what health insurance providers are doing now. People ask their insurance agencies to cover costs for necessary MRI’s and various surgeries and get denied all the time because their lives “are not in immediate danger”. Sometimes one hospital will accept your coverage and another will not. I also find it ironic that some of the older people at the town haul meetings cause a ruckus and start screaming “Keep your government hands off my Medicare”, when Medicare is exactly that, a government run health program. I’m not sure yet if Obama’s plan will solve all these issues as I have yet to read the entire thing, but coming from a normal middle class family that has suffered from the high costs of medical care, even with coverage, I do agree that some type of reform is necessary.
Excellent post. I think I can now forgive you for killing little defenseless doves.
@PrimevalWench -
hahah
Its not that I dont want the Health Care Bill. I dont want it AS WRITTEN. Do you want a cap on the number of times you can be readmitted to a hospital? There are other counselings sessions in addition to “end of life” counseling that I dont want to pay for, such as Maritall and substance abuse. How about overseeing what equipment the hospital may buy?Several items in the health Bill are not necessary. I am cold hearted! It is not that the govt will step in and say what medical procedures one can have; one can have whatever they want, but some the govt will not pay for. In medicare this is done now. I also have a gap insurance. This only pays a portion for the same procedures that the govt approves. If the govt doesnt approve payment there is no money from the ins. co.
But frankly, if you’re in my demographic and you’d rather see those less fortunate than you suffer and possibly die because of a lack of adequate health care just because you don’t want the government involved and you don’t want any of your tax dollars to help pay for it…I’m embarrassed for you.
I second that emotion. Well said.
I can’t afford health care, if I didn’t go to my University which provides limited health care during the school year, I’d be screwed. So, I just hope I don’t get injured during the summer time. I’m actually really counting on this new reform just to get basic check ups. Something I’ve NEVER been able to do.
Healthcare and insurance is something that I get REALLY mad about.
I can’t imagine paying the insurance you are paying. Sometimes my husband doesn’t even make that much on his paycheck per week if the weather is bad. We are paying for his meds (around $350.00 per month) out of pocket because we make “to much” money for help but aren’t offered insurance with his job. I, being self-employed, can not afford insurance as well. Some days we are to the point of whether we should fill his meds or pay the electric bill or get groceries. Sometimes he only takes his meds every other day so he can kind of make them last a little longer.
Last night we went to pick up his meds from the pharmacy (a well-known pharmacy). One of the meds he was taking had been running around $150.00. We found out recently that he could get a 90 day prescription of the generic form of this med for $12.95. WHY didn’t anyone tell us this sooner? The prescription says “may substitute” so why didn’t the pharmacy do this?! GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
COMMIES! UR ALL COMMIES! ^_-
Cheers from Canada, who, by the way, needs serious healthcare reform also, ironically. I live in Quebec, and there’s this underground dual system, private and public. So all the poor people have to wait about 12 hours mininum in a waiting room, unless it’s life threatening (and according to their definition, a broken arm, or bleeding skull fracture isn’t, unless you’re unconscious) or wait over 2 years for life-saving surgeries, and the rich get the services right away because they’re afraid they’ll die on the public system.
Bleh.
Good point. Good post!
@nimbusthedragon -
My husband is Canadian, but I’m an American, and I’m living up here with him. Everyone always chimes in about how Canada has good healthcare and you hit the nail on the head. I still don’t think it’s as bad as American, but give it some time.
As for me… well, I’m stuck here with no healthcare whatsoever. The “free” clinics up here cost me $50 just to walk through the doors (which is a lot when you’re barely scraping by) and that doesn’t even include anything except a simple exam. No bloodwork, x-rays, nothin’. I would think at least being married would mean I would get on my husband’s plan, but nope. And it’s all because I’m American.
I can only imagine the crap our children and grandchildren will have to go through.
I have seen people less fortunate than me suffer. Sadly, it has been my own family.
I understand your shock. While I was still covered on my parent’s insurance I had no idea what that world was like. Then I got pregnant and stopped going to school so I had to buy my own through my work. Not only did I pay nearly $300 a month, I had a pretty steep co-pay and had to pay 20% of all tests/ labs etc. Then it was canceled on me because my work cut my hours below 32 a week. Their bridge plan was much worse but I had to get it for me and my daughter because I wasn’t about to not have insurance with a newborn. Anyway, it should be obvious to everyone that reform and regulations are absolutely needed in health care.
Yup. It sucks.
There are solutions besides Government health care.
There are: tax cuts, and more importantly, tax VOUCHERS for people to use towards health care.
My personal favorite is getting rid of Insurance companies.
We need the exact same kind of universal health insurance that they have in Japan- it’s ridiculously cheap (I’m talking roughly $130 for a year), low, low out-of-pocket, if any, when you’re actually at the doctor’s office, and every single place takes it. EVERY place. The service is excellent. I love the Japanese health care system so, so much.
I had a similar awakening when my husband and I (prior to getting married) bought our first house and I was no longer a dependent of my mother who worked for the state and had ALL medical covered in full. My pregnancies allowed husband’s income to be acceptable for coverage through the state (pregnancy medicaid) and I was lucky enough to extend my medical a bit longer. My pregnancy coverage dropped of when my son (2nd child) turned 2 months old and now, with my husband’s income I don’t qualify for anything besides the state program that is currently broke and has a waiting list of 80,000 people. The coverage my husband’s employer provides sounds about like what you described but, I imagine we make far less money than you do so it’s not even close to being an option. My kids are covered through the state (the state is nicer to kids) thank goodness but, who knows for how long. Meanwhile my inside are falling out (quite literally. detailed in a recent post of mine) and I’m facing well over $30,000 in surgery in the very near future… and still no insurance. We’re barely paying our mortgage as it is. So, hopefully I don’t loose any vital organs while picking up one of my kids before I can scramble to find some kind of insurance. Even though I can’t afford indivual insurance like Group Health or something similar, they shot me down due to pre-existing conditions anyway. Everything is a big fat catch 22……. now excuse me while I step aside to tuck my uterus back in.
one point that the husband brought up as we watched the speech tonight — why should health care be tied to employment? why not make it more like car and home insurance — more affordable, universal (i.e., every doctor and hospital must accept it), and tailored to your needs/wants/desires. like, i’ve been relatively healthy, so i’ll pay a lower monthly premium to cover things like preventive medicine check ups, but take the risk that if i have an accident or get ill, i have to pay a higher deductible.
For $740/month I hope it at least covers your viagra.
It’s good to hear of someone coming to enlightenment on the subject. Knowledge is such a precious commodity in this supposed era of information.
Every one of us counts. Thank you for being a decent human.
@Hiattetcat8 -
To be honest, having read the policy write-ups personally, I don’t see where you’re getting some of this. I don’t have the patience really to dig through it but I have to say you sound misinformed… and I suggest you visit the blog of Angophilo, as he has far more patience for this sort of thing than I do and is much more acutely informed.
Aside from that, even with any current flaws, the reform is irrefutably more fair and balanced than the current disgusting excuse for insurance that we have.
@transvestite_rabbit - LOL!
Good post– I’m glad you were humbled enough to post your recent enlightenment on this unfortunate issue.
@ElliottStrange - the reform is irrefutably more fair and balanced than the current disgusting excuse for insurance that we have.
We CURRENTLY have NO health bill. . Exceptions Medicare/Medicaid. So yes, something may be better than nothing. Yes there will undoubtedly be changes later along the way. Also each state has different policies and options. I actually read those items in the 3200 Bill. As we speak the Bill is being revised. There are five Bills in discussion, being revised, yet to be decided upon, possibly a merging……. I would guess all the complaints have been voiced… so now its a wait and see …..Better to complain before it is set in clay and hardens to stone.
OBAMA LIED LIED AND LIED ALL THROUGH OUT THE NIGHT AND WITH A STRAIGHT FACE.
not everyone needs health insurance. I for one has only been in a hospital less than 4 times in my 30 years of existence. i have not visited a doctor for a routine check up. i’m not all healthy but i eat well. i exercise. i don’t drink smoke snort sniff shoot.
also. $700/ month probably covers people who smoke. drink. have prexisting conditions. high blood pressure. heart problems. feet problem.who knows what other conditions are placed on the policy. does it cover viagra? advil? orthopedic shoes?
my brother who was employed by verizon complained that the insurance didn’t cover a $100 vaccination shot. my question is why should insurance company cover vaccination shots?
the solution to the healthcare insurance debacle is rein in the lawyers. they cost us billions maybe trillions in legal fees, defensive practices, increased insurance premium. and a whole host other costs.
take steps to remove fraud and corruption for m medicare/medicaid. they cost the tax payers billions.
make the insurance policy tied to the individual not to the place of employment. this step will ensure that people who are not employed or self employed will be able to afford insurance.
give people tax credit for health savings account. killing two birds with one stone. the individual gets a tax credit and has money saved for rainy days.
there are more but who has time for them. if these steps are taken i promise you that the insurance premiums will decrease.
@supsoo -
I’m sorry, but anyone who says they don’t “need” health insurance just because they are currently healthy has no grasp of reality. I sincerely hope that you remain healthy, but if the unthinkable were to happen and you were to be in accident with catastrophic medical bills you would find out the hard way that you do, in fact, need health insurance. Or would you simply declare bankruptcy and leave the rest of us to pay your bills? I’m 50 years old and I’ve never been in the hospital (not a single time). I run five miles a day, and I watch my diet religiously. I haven’t had a cold in several years I wouldn’t dream of going a day without health insurance. I hate to be harsh, but even though you may be 30, you reason like a teenager who thinks they will live forever and nothing bad could ever happen to them.
@ColdSkivvies - not even once? not even when you were born? you were born right? =)
well. i agree 100% with what you say. i want to be able to buy the coverage i want and need. that is all i ask. i don’t need health insurance. i want a health insurance that i can afford. i don’t need to have it handed to me on a silver platter. (who knows they might have caviar on the platter. ewww… ) i want a health insurance i can choose. from a menu of things i like. i want customized coverage. i don’t need standard one size fits all insurance that one provider provides. i want competition. what fun would it be if we only one fast food chain? competition. customizablity. affordability. that is what i ask for.
also lawyers are stealing from us. doctors at least make a living providing a service to us. what do lawyers provide? legal advice? they prevent us from giving legal advice to another. they take 30% of our money.
You know, I’m getting a lot of exposure to “socialized” everything during my time over here in Europe. I think the worst impact of the Red Scare was that we’re afraid of anything where the government, with the help of the people, provide support to those in our own country who need it.
“Socialized” anything is generally a good idea. All that means is that the government regulates and subsidizes whatever it is. Why on earth is that inherently evil? Only the most extreme of libertarians can support that argument (and I’m pretty close to that and still can’t.) Socialized medicine is not a bad idea. Rae was just venting at me – $150 for a pap smear. Maybe 5 minutes of work is involved, and unless there’s something wrong no doctor (and thus no malpractice insurance) ever sees it. The whole industry is a mess.
However, like education and other non-socialized entities, there just isn’t enough social pressure to effect real change. They need to be rebuilt from the ground up but that would require some kind of catastrophic emergency (which I really hope doesn’t happen.) I’m glad that the focus has been placed on healthcare. But the amount of right-wing bullshit rhetoric that’s coming out of it makes me happy I’m not in the states right now.
Yes! Yes! yes! you are right on! I’m not talking FREE all I want is affordable! Being self employed, I do not have coverage. I had a catastrophic policy but it was simply that. Nothing to do with prevention. I could affort $200 month but everything else was negotiated rates. That was still unacceptable. I cannot pay $900 towards a colonoscopy or mammogram. My trade organization offers health care but again, it’s all negotiated rates.
Thank GOODNESS colleges offer super affordable health plans to students . I’m never leaving school now.
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