Rant : Anyone else with crappy insurance?

mrs_drc_rn

I hate that I work in healthcare but just shit coverage. I had my first OB appt yesterday and the woman checking me in told me I owe $900 by my 7th month (this doesn't cover ultrasounds). I knew I'd be responsible for 30% but I really wish she would've told me AFTER! I felt like that was looming over me the whole appontment. I don't even want to see the hospital bill

mrs_drc_rn

Ugh, really? What state are you in? I'm in PA and have been trying to research the average delivery cost and look into supplemental insurance.

rmjones15

Mine isn't great. My deductible is 1500 and I'll have to pay it again starting January. I have to pay 30% after I meet the deductible. We have been saving for this purpose, but it still sucks to pay so much a month and still be responsible for a lot of the bills.

chaysefaith

I got lucky and am able to be covered under BFs insurance which is amazing. But I work for a large health insurance company and if I had to keep it next year I would be paying over $300/month in premiums for the best plan...which has a 9k out of pocket max.

The worst coverage would cost me $170/month with an 11k out of pocket max.

Insurance was something we considered before TTC.

xnbride

Each of our boys cost about 4000 for everything (prenatal care, delivery, and pediatrician fees).

RamseySD

We have a $6,000 family deducible, and it'll start over again in January. Thank goodness for my husband's HSA.

athara

snuff9861 said:

That's insanity! It will cost us exactly 0 dollars to have this baby, unless I want to upgrade to a private room. My insurance may even cover that. Yay Canada.

Us too! If I remember correctly when I had DS our private room cost us $120. $60/day.

surgesmama

Mine sucks as well $1500 deductible tp meet before baby is born

sacarroll1983

I to have to pay 30%, however I have a $500 deductible (which will reset in January, sigh) but a max out of pocket of $4500. It's still so much since my husband and I are in California and the cost of living is so high

LegalLadyBug

I have a $35 copay per visit, plus 30% of testing and ultrasounds, a $3,000 deductible and $6,000 max oop. Yuck. Thankfully my hospital allows payment plans.

LegalLadyBug

And that doesn't include our $500 a month premium. Thanks for the *great* coverage Blue Shield!

mrs_drc_rn

It's ridiculous! I've heard some hospitals will give you a reduced rate, so I'm definitely going to try to negotiate. I had free insurance that covered 100% at my other job and I'm really considering taking a pay cut to go back there just for that.

Mrs_D_in_KY

When I had my son in 2010, we paid out about $4,000 for my ob visits, hospital stay and my aftercare. This pregnancy Ill probably fill my $3,000 deductible this year. Then fill it again next year once baby arrives.

Mrs_D_in_KY

Thankfully my husband socks money away (~$400 a month) into his hsa. Otherwise we would be screwed

KarinaP29

Wow! This blows my mind! I live in New Zealand. And all our costs are covered without having insurance. It makes me so sad it cost so much to have your beautiful babies.

MomoFlower

I live in Japan and though I have national health insurance, birth is considered "natural" and "not an illness" so we completely pay out of pocket. On a positive note though, after you register your baby's birth, if you are national health insurance, you get a "birthing gift" of between 3,000-4000 dollars:)

colllydon

I have to pay $900 a month just for insurance! Never mind the birth I just applied for Obama care

ETA because I think my response was confusing people. Obama care is not (well I live in Mass) mass health you have to make nothing to get mass health. Obamacare is just help for those who work. We make good $ but my work has crap insurance and my hubs is an independent contractor.

MessyMommy

My husband is active duty military - Tricare Prime pays everything. We are extremely fortunate. Lots of people complain about tricare but at the end of the day when you pay "nothing" for healthcare you can't really complain.

nunzchucks

RamseySD said:

We have a $6,000 family deducible, and it'll start over again in January. Thank goodness for my husband's HSA.

This is us, too!

nunzchucks

We had crappy insurance until dh lost his job this week. Now we have none. Yay.

I am so sorry to hear this! They have to offer COBRA, right?

mrs_drc_rn

Babybarlow2014 said:

We had crappy insurance until dh lost his job this week. Now we have none. Yay.

Or try Obamacare? I'm so sorry

KristaU831

MessyMommy said:

My husband is active duty military - Tricare Prime pays everything. We are extremely fortunate. Lots of people complain about tricare but at the end of the day when you pay "nothing" for healthcare you can't really complain.

this sums up my feelings about Tricare. its not the best but hot damn it is free! and they are pretty flexible if you know how to ask nicely. 

i love when people complain that tricare doesn't cover breast pumps and are like its a national law… and I'm like but most other people are paying like 300/month for healthcare. you are not so buy a pump. 

Lynnja616

We pay what I think is a lot for our insurance ($145 per two-week pay period for family) but I work for a healthcare system, so as long as we stay within that provider network (which we do) we pay $0. I just checked and breast pumps are covered 100%. Prescription copays ate also good, $8 for generic or $10 name brand. If I use one of the hospitals pharmacies I get an additional 20% off that. Can't complain.

justme04

Ugh, really? What state are you in? I'm in PA and have been trying to research the average delivery cost and look into supplemental insurance.

 

I'm in PA too.  DH did a calculator and it estimated the entire cost at $8500 and our HSA will cover our copay.  Our estimate is also for a C-section.  DH works for a health insurance company.

wimb01

tricare for the win....we're remote so I got to pick my doctor

Pintobean39

@loherrim my insurance is going up also. Were are going with a higher deductible plan with an HSA. I really thought the affordable healthcare act was suppose to make you insurance go down. Somehow I knew that was a big joke.

Pintobean39

LoHerrim said:

I'm pissed. We already pay way more than we should and don't even use it most of the time cuz we can't afford to!

I don't pay nearly as much as you do that is a lot. I'm just wondering if you could get insurance on the exchange? I really don't know how it all works it's just a thought.

I'm really curious as how well the coverage is going to be for the ahc ins. Is it going to be like Medicare/Medicaid where a lot of Dr's won't accept the ins because the reimbursement rate is so low?

Pintobean39

LoHerrim said:

We don't qualify. We make too much money to qualify but not enough to use the crappy ins we have. it suuuucks!

Don't you just hate that "you make to much money to qualify" ..... It pisses me off when I'm told that.

I know I'm a little ignorant about the whole AHC act but I was thought everyone would be eligible and it would be a way for everyone to shop around for health insurance to get the best prices.

dragonfly711

We have good insurance NYSHIP from blue cross blue shield. I called back in January before my MC to see f genetic testing is covered since it usually is not with some insurances.

The lady I talked to was so nice and even told me that I had great insurance and it is covered. I have had to pay co pays but that is about it so far.

matthew24

LoHerrim said:

We don't qualify. We make too much money to qualify but not enough to use the crappy ins we have. it suuuucks!

You really need to read up on the affordable care act. There are no income limits and everything works on a sliding scale meaning that depending on how much you make will depend on what type of subsidies you qualify for. You may very well save a lot of money using the exchange so I would really recommend going to the website, once it is completely up and running, and see what is available. If you are talking about making too much for medicaid then you probably would significantly benefit from the exchange as it is income based. There are certain limitations if you receive employer benefits but depending if your oop costs are over 9.5 percent of your income and its affordability to you you may qualify. I wish you luck.

mom2be614

LoHerrim said:

We don't qualify. We make too much money to qualify but not enough to use the crappy ins we have. it suuuucks!

Do you mean you don't qualify for a subsidy? Everyone is eligible to buy insurance on the exchanges. The people really getting screwed are the ones in states that rejected the Medicaid expansion. You can earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to get a subsidy under Obamacare. Now that's stupid. Also, we're all lucky that under Obamacare, pregnancy (and being female) can't stop you from getting coverage anymore. I had a crappy expensive private plan in my early 20s that excluded maternity coverage and had premiums twice as expensive as what my brother got, even though I had a better health history. It really is more fair now.

SandyD83

LoHerrim said:

I have a PPO thru Cigna. We pay (gulp) $950 a month out of pocket for our premiums for our family coverage. Then have a 40% deductible until our max out of pocket is met at $5000. This is about to change (thanks Obamacare) to $9000 on January 1st. I am screwed. Gonna be making payments forever.

Our cost is going up next year too because of Obamacare, I don't know all of the details but I am very nervous to get the fine print. For our first two pregnancies/births our coverage was awesome. Not anymore.

Baldwinbaby4

We have used a midwife for all our babies and paid cash. a max of 4500 for each birth. I am glad we don't have to deal with all that insurance stuff! Seems so frustrating!

colllydon

matthew24 said:

LoHerrim said:

We don't qualify. We make too much money to qualify but not enough to use the crappy ins we have. it suuuucks!

You really need to read up on the affordable care act. There are no income limits and everything works on a sliding scale meaning that depending on how much you make will depend on what type of subsidies you qualify for. You may very well save a lot of money using the exchange so I would really recommend going to the website, once it is completely up and running, and see what is available. If you are talking about making too much for medicaid then you probably would significantly benefit from the exchange as it is income based. There are certain limitations if you receive employer benefits but depending if your oop costs are over 9.5 percent of your income and its affordability to you you may qualify. I wish you luck.

This. I think you really need to learn what this does. It's not help for poor people and you can't make too much. Worst case senerio you may qualify for a bigger tax break.