Health Benefits

For most folks with the light blue or white collars, open enrollment is coming up for various options that companies offer. The main one for me, now that I'm 27, is going to be my health options. My company provides a lot of different plans, obviously with different costs, and a flexible spending account to help with the payments on whichever plan I use.

When I was hired, I was automatically put into the basic PPO plan we have. I bumped myself up to the plus PPO, which is pretty good. I'll need to review my current options and see if I want to change. With the plus PPO, I have a $300 deductible for doctor's visits/preventative care (this doesn't apply to any orthodontic or optical stuff).

The company is offering an EPO, which I don't remember seeing last year at this time. Since EPOs are similar to HMOs, I'm not sure I want to take it. Some benefits of it are that it's a lower contribution each paycheck (I think my flex dollars will cover 100% of the EPO, actually) and no deductible. That deductible killed me this year when I got my physical exam and bloodwork done and, even though I only paid the $20 copay at the office, I ended up having to dish out another $40 bucks because I hadn't met my deductible.

Areas of note: I don't get sick often, but I do have my vision problems in addition to a fatal allergy, low blood pressure and low cholestorol (odd for being slightly over weight).

Hoping for some feedback from fellow TNLers who might have some experience with this stuff. Or you can just share some stories about times you got jacked and had to sit in the emergency room for like five hours.

We have the option to get a spending account that uses pre-tax dollars. At first it sounded great, but it's use it or lose it. That's right, if you put $500 into the account (taken via payroll decuction) and you don't use that $500 by the end of the year, it's gone. They also introduced a ton of hoops and restrictions to the account mid-year; such as only use specific pharmacy, need to submit claim forms (WTF!, this debit card was supposed to eliminate that), not all prescriptions were covered. It all turned into more trouble than it was worth to me. If you have that option, plan accordingly.

I haven't even looked at our new options yet. They supposedly fixed the spending account problems, so maybe I'll give it another shot.

Do NOT bother with the flexible spending accounts unless you have known, fixed healthcare expenses. Like medical birth control, insulin for diabetics, or any other permanent maintenance medication. I don't know if vision is covered, but maybe that. Otherwise if you're a typical healthy young male, you're just going to piss money away from your FSA.

My company is completely changing the health insurance policy. It used to be like what most companies offer now, PPO or group where you pay a deductible. Going forward, we will have an annual deductible (instead of a deductible per visit). So for the first $1500 (for a single), you have to pay that out regardless (so you would have to pay $150 per doctor's visit for the first 10 visits, then afterwards the insurance kicks in).

So this kinda sucks, but they are providing us a 401k like account to offset this. Everyone gets like $1200 (for the first year, subsequent years will be different) and this account grows like a 401k account. This health account is independently managed and not tied to any employer so if I quit, I will keep this account. It also rollover year by year (unlike flexible spending account where you lose the money you put in). So it is kinda nice, I can contribute a small percentage each year now. And have the account grow so when I get older and have more health problems, I can use the money in the acct.

You will see alot of companies changing the health insurance to this kind of policy soon, because of the rising health care cost. My company actually consults large companies on health plan design and alot of companies are going this way. It kinda sucks when you are sick, but then again, I don't want my company to bankrupt b/c of health insurance.

Health care in America sucks.

just remember, health insurance isn't really about doctor's visits and shit, its for covering catastrophic stuff or serious injury/disease that could take a while to fix and otherwise ruin you financially. I'd say the most important thing is a company that has a good reputation for paying out on legit claims.

My only advice on this front is that Humana is the absolute scum of the med insurance industry. Everyone i've talked to agreesThey'll do all sorts of games with stuff they cover and make you fight to get them to pay out.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is pretty good for me tho.

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Originally Posted by sleeve

Health care in America sucks.

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It's a broken system on the backs of small businesses that don't make money like they used to. And your elected officials in DC don't give a fuck.

As usual.

National health care for me... YAY!!!!

And unlike the canadian system, it actually works well here.

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Originally Posted by bbobb

National health care for me... YAY!!!!

And unlike the canadian system, it actually works well here.

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What kind of taxes does the typical Japanese pay to support the health care system?

I worked with guy from Norway for a little while and they get slammed HARD with taxes.