heatlh insurance is freaking expensive, plus another wrinkle...
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
April 15, 2013 11:22am CST
I was lucky really. When I got laid off, my former employer told me they were paying my Cobra for a year (one month for each year of service). Unfortunately, that lovely bonus runs out September 1st.
I did a little Googling Friday. The cheapest plan I could find online was, ironically, with Blue Shield (that's the company I'm working at, but not for). It was %676 per month for me and the three children. It had a $6000 per person deductible, and a $12000 per family deductible.
Yikes. That's basically over $8000 per year for no coverage. Really, unless somebody needs a major procedure, or something catastrophic happens, the bottom line is that I would be paying them premiums, and I will get nothing back.
Big reality check.
I have 4 alternatives for insurance right now (assuming Blue Shield doesn't hire me before then):
1. pay the Cobra myself (really expensive)
2. pay for benefits through the agency I'm contracting with (also pretty expensive)
3. go out and find insurance (also really expensive)
4. get Cary on Medi-cal, which he is eligible for, and get the girl's on R's insurance, then insurance for just me is like $370 something a month.
#4 would probably be the best option, but I will be really tight on money no matter which one I go with.
But here's the darn wrinkle. Dearra just told me yesterday that R quit his job. I know he has insurance through his former employer (he met the age limit for their retiree insurance). So maybe he can add them to that. I hope. I'll no doubt have to help him pay for it.
When his company lost the contract for the cafe at HP, HP told the new company they wanted them to hire him. But they've really made his life miserable. I thought the old company was bad, but this company has him doing 12 - 14 hour days plus weekends, and he's just burned out. I wish he'd waited until he found something, but not my decision.
This wrinkle means no help with money for the children, no house in EDH (so the kids have an address in the school district), and that's all a little scary. I hope he finds something soon.
Never a dull moment.
2 people like this
10 responses
@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Apr 13
Never a dull moment to be sure. I would have said to stay with your Cobra insurance or go with #4. Yikes is right on the other. Maybe if R has to be responsible for the kid's insurance he will be more apt to get work quicker.
@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
17 Apr 13
Yes, but if its payed until April of next year that gives you that much more time to find a cheaper insurance and figure out what R is doing.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
15 Apr 13
That's why I keep telling my husband not to quit his job. He's been looking for something else for awhile.. but he's got really good benefits at his current job. We only pay $40 a week for our insurance for the whole family, and the only deductibles are for out of network physicians and like hospital stays and stuff. Everything else is a $20 copay, that's it.
Not to mention he gets sick time, personal time, 3 weeks of vacation..
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Apr 13
My insurance was practically free until a couple of years ago. When it went to $300 something a month it was sticker shock. I had 5 weeks off (combined sick/vacation) too. Now if I don't work, I don't get paid. Bla...
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
15 Apr 13
Yep.. tough economy still..
Thankfully he is at least trying to find another job before quitting.. and he is looking at all the benefits, he won't leave this job for something that doesn't at least offer what he has now. But still.. he's got it good, I'd hate to see him leave that behind!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Apr 13
yeah, if it's really stressful it may not be worth it in the end. I hope he does find something.
R is really a little too old to be looking for a job without already having one. :(
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
15 Apr 13
Now you know why I have not had any insurance in at least three years. I do not get sick, but I am getting older. Hubby has not had work in quite a while, but he is old enough for medicare. Could I get him to take out a supplemental plan. . . no. So I had him get a physical this year because he could. Now we are looking at a biopsy because he may have cancer. Never ending fun.
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@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
16 Apr 13
Oh, we hope not too, and there are some other possibilities, and if he has to go on long term medication I am hoping it is cheap as that would be part of what the supplemental policy would pay. I put up a bit of an article about it on Bubblews, but the biopsy is a ways off. The last time I looked at insurance just for me the quotes were over six hundred dollars per month. I will not be Medicare eligible for five and a half more years, if they do not change the rules. I am working enough to be full time and have benefits at work, but I think I have to do that for ninety days before they offer. If they do not offer by mid June I will be looking for other work. I could work for their competition as I have before.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
16 Apr 13
@GG I am so sorry and hope that all will be well for him. This is why coverage is so necessary. Mine is limited but it is better than a kick in the pants (as my GM woud say)
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
16 Apr 13
It sounds rather confusing to me. I am on Blue Cross and it is about ninety dollars a month but do not have dental insurance which is what I need. We do have government insurance up here, but they do not cover everything and only the cheapest. I do think that $370 a month is a bit high. Is it for your family or just for yourself? Sounds like a mess down there.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
16 Apr 13
That is definitely high. Is some of that for critical illnesses?
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@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
15 Apr 13
It is scary dawn. I would go for option for and do it as quickly as possible and pay for yourself. The problem is that when you get older you need more benefits no less. R being without a job is really awful. May have been stressful but he should not have quit at his age without getting another job. The children have to come first. where is his head? all right. Don't bother to tell me
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Apr 13
I know he was looking, but I was very surprised to hear he had quit. Maybe he does have plans, but since I got it secondhand from Dearra, I'm not really sure.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Apr 13
He was 55 when he left his last company in December, and I think he managed to get on their retirement plan...
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
16 Apr 13
I really hope so as he has to think about retirement in the not so distant future and then the health care that he may need.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16784)
• China
16 Apr 13
I am amazed that it is so expensive.I wonder how much a person who suffers from a common ailment can claim his medical reimbursement charges.
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@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Apr 13
it is amazingly expensive here... I read yesterday that the majority of foreclosures in this country were due to medical expenses...
@changjiangzhibin89 (16784)
• China
17 Apr 13
I think If one loses his job,many problems may follow it,including medical expenses.
1 person likes this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
16 Apr 13
That's what I thought when my husband was working. So I didn't bother to try when I first found out about it. Turns out we did. Now neither of us are working so we don't qualify. Ironic, huh?
Anyway, here's the link in case you need it: http://www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov/HFProgram/Income_Guidelines.aspx
Good luck!
1 person likes this
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
15 Apr 13
Yes, #4 would have probably been the best decision. However, your ex seems to rush into rather bad decisions. Even if he wasn't happy with the company, he has children to think of; at least, he should be thinking of them when he makes that sort of decision.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Apr 13
yeah, and he knew he might have to add them in September, just not sure what he's thinking....
@savypat (20216)
• United States
15 Apr 13
I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but it doesn't. Get Cary on Medi-cal ASAP before they change the rules and he can't get it. Hope the EX can get the rest on his insurance. That would be my best advice. As for you $350.00per month is about the best you can get. Hope you get the new job. Hang in there. We have to cut back on almost everything to get our medicare suppliment, for the two of us it's over $600.00 per month and that is after the $200.00 we pay for medicare.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Apr 13
yeah, I'm going to call my contact at the regional center about Cary. Bla...
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
17 Apr 13
I think that I would definitely go for option number 4 in your situation and I would try to get Cary on Medi-Cal no matter which option that you would take. Now when it comes to your divorce agreement, was there anything stated about insurance for the children, if there was the R would be required to cover their insurance and that would leave it to where you would just have to carry insurance for yourself.
One other option would be to look at what it would cost to have individual insurance for the girls and yourself. That might be cheaper than a family plan. That is what Kathryn and I had when she was littler.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Apr 13
I've started the process on the medi-cal already. As for the divorce agreement, it just says medical insurance has to be provided. I did verbally agree to cover it, but it was based on me actually having a job that provides reasonable insurance. I talked to R last month and he was willing to add the kids on his insurance, but if he's quit his job, that could change things. I guess I could check into individual insurance, but I doubt it would be cheaper.
