Health Care Insurance Costs

[Victoria]

I have been thinking of health care lately and keep hearing about how horrible "US style health care" is. I'm wondering how much is Canadian propaganda and how much is true. I don't trust the news, they will slant any story to fit their agenda so I thought I would just ask some Americans. Here in Canada we pay for (or get health insurance for) dental, vision, chiropractor, massage therapy, and prescription drugs. These plans pay a percentage of the cost - ours it depends what it is anywhere from 80 - 100% of the bill is covered. Orthomolecular doctors and naturopaths are generally not covered under any purchased health insurance plans and not covered by government either. Doctor visits and hospital stays are generally covered by the govt. There are a few exceptions but we won't go there.

How does your health insurance work? What do you pay for insurance? How much of your total bills does it cover? Will hospitals admit you if you do not have insurance?

 

[Howdyjabo]

Down here people that don't own anything more than a car and a house- basically get free health care. Drs/Hospitals have to treat them and unless they offer to pay the only thing they can do to them is to ruin their credit scores. They cannot go after their wages, car or house(even if that house is a mansion and full of diamonds)

The rest of us have to pay as we go
Right now (we are in our 50's with one kid) we are paying almost $700 a month with a $5000 deductible on everything(some routine health screenings are covered before the deductible).I do get a reduction in the Drs Bills for having insurance. But after $5000 they pay 100%. No vision maternity or dental.
On big bills the Drs/Hospitals will work with me on a payment plan with no interest.

which sounds great but my original bill is quadrupled(or more) to cover those that pay nothing.
I went to the emergency room 7 yrs ago and it cost me $500
I went last year and it cost me $4000
Had the same treatment both times(migraine).

I'll be laying unconscious before I ever go to an emergency room again.

 

[kerley]

Our insurance is Blue Cross/ Blue Shield. We pay a yearly deductable of $500. per family. The insurance pays 80% we pay 20% up to $10k, after that the insurance pays 100%. We also have Dental and Prescription coverage. Our monthly premiums are covered by the state of California PERS. We are very fortunate to have this insurance as part of my wives retirement plan.
Kerley

 

[Jogeephus]

In a nutshell if you work and pay taxes you'd better either work for a large company or the government because if you cannot qualify to be in a large group insurance plan since your insurance cost will become a real burden as you age. If you don't work and don't pay taxes its free, along with you cell phone and all the other neccessities.

 

[upfrombottom]

In a nutshell if you work and pay taxes you'd better either work for a large company or the government because if you cannot qualify to be in a large group insurance plan since your insurance cost will become a real burden as you age. If you don't work and don't pay taxes its free, along with you cell phone and all the other neccessities.

This maybe off the subject a bit, but have you heard of TEA. It is a government program that was designed to get individuals off the welfare rolls. Transitional Employment Assistance will pay your car payment, cell phone bill, a sitter for your children, and give you money to buy gas and insurance. All you have to do is get a part-time job and your in. Well, I have had two full time employees and numerous applicants tell me they do not want a full time job. I will not hire part time help and I will not cut hours, so I have had two employees quit and take part time jobs so they can get this assistance. Naturally since their income has fallen, they qualify for other welfare benefits also, so, as with all government programs, its working, bassakwards. :roll:

 

[Jogeephus]

Haven't heard of that one but it sounds about right. My biggest problem is applicants wanting to be paid cash so it doesn't interfere with the benefits they are getting from disability or unemployment. I wish our government would take note of what happened in Finland. There they offered unemployment for 5 years and 90% of the unemployed were able to find a job only after 4.5 years of searching. They changed it to 4 years and 90% found a job after 3.5 years of searching. Now they have it at 3 and you you guessed it, it only takes 2.5 years to find a job but I guess this is because their economy is getting better. :shock: :roll:

 

[TexasBred]

Haven't heard of that one but it sounds about right. My biggest problem is applicants wanting to be paid cash so it doesn't interfere with the benefits they are getting from disability or unemployment. I wish our government would take note of what happened in Finland. There they offered unemployment for 5 years and 90% of the unemployed were able to find a job only after 4.5 years of searching. They changed it to 4 years and 90% found a job after 3.5 years of searching. Now they have it at 3 and you you guessed it, it only takes 2.5 years to find a job but I guess this is because their economy is getting better. :shock: :roll:

A hungry animal hunts much harder than a fat one.

 

[Jogeephus]

Well said. Another wise saying is 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Lots of wisdom in the black book.

 

[TexasBred]

Our insurance is Blue Cross/ Blue Shield. We pay a yearly deductable of $500. per family. The insurance pays 80% we pay 20% up to $10k, after that the insurance pays 100%. We also have Dental and Prescription coverage. Our monthly premiums are covered by the state of California PERS. We are very fortunate to have this insurance as part of my wives retirement plan.
Kerley

Wow Kerley...wish I was in your group. I have a $2000 deductible with same company and pay $750 a month premium just for me. The rest is pretty much like yours. Dental insurance is on separate policy and runs about $40 a month. At least when I do use it there is very little waiting time on surgery etc...see doctor, schedule surgery more at a time that is convenient for me and show up for surgery.

 

[MO_cows]

Down here people that don't own anything more than a car and a house- basically get free health care. Drs/Hospitals have to treat them and unless they offer to pay the only thing they can do to them is to ruin their credit scores. They cannot go after their wages, car or house(even if that house is a mansion and full of diamonds)

That is not correct. I know a single lady who has a full time job with crappy health insurance coverage through her employer. She has had a lot of health problems recently and ended up with a hospital bill from what the insurance didn't cover. She was on a payment plan with them but got behind so they garnished her wages.

 

[Douglas]

^ In North Carolina non-profit hospital can garnish wages.

 

[Howdyjabo]

If she is far enough behind all she has to do is file for bankruptcy. All the debts are gone, she keeps the house ,car and wages.
Supposedly they have trouble getting credit from then on- but everyone I know that did it didn't seem to have any trouble getting whatever they wanted.

 

[TexasBred]

If she is far enough behind all she has to do is file for bankruptcy. All the debts are gone, she keeps the house ,car and wages.
Supposedly they have trouble getting credit from then on- but everyone I know that did it didn't seem to have any trouble getting whatever they wanted.

Jabo I think if I had another migraine I'd conveniently leave ALL identity, insurance cards, etc behind. If they ask questions just tell them "no gotty". It works for the illegals. ;-)

 

[Howdyjabo]

I'm WAY too white to have them fall for that

I'd rather sit at home miserable than in the waiting room- as long as they would leave me sitting around with no documentation.
People keep telling me you can't die from a migraine(some days I have my doubts),so I wouldn't be treated as an emergency.

 

[kerley]

Our insurance is Blue Cross/ Blue Shield. We pay a yearly deductable of $500. per family. The insurance pays 80% we pay 20% up to $10k, after that the insurance pays 100%. We also have Dental and Prescription coverage. Our monthly premiums are covered by the state of California PERS. We are very fortunate to have this insurance as part of my wives retirement plan.
Kerley

Wow Kerley...wish I was in your group. I have a $2000 deductible with same company and pay $750 a month premium just for me. The rest is pretty much like yours. Dental insurance is on separate policy and runs about $40 a month. At least when I do use it there is very little waiting time on surgery etc...see doctor, schedule surgery more at a time that is convenient for me and show up for surgery.

Tex, I know we are lucky to have such good coverage. The down side for us living in Alabama in my oppinion is the Doctors work the system as well as any bandit could ever think of. When I got really sick six years ago the Dr's sent me to all their buddies for tests that were not necessary. They even sent me to the Cancer clinic where I was given two years tops to live. Thats when Kathy took me to The University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. By that time I was so weak I could not stand up or walk without assistance. They ran tasts and sent me home. They called two days later and told me I did not have Cancer but had advanced RH. I I have been seeing an RH specialist and have been improving .

 

[TexasBred]

Kerley glad to hear you're doing better. Peace be with you.

 

[kerley]

Tex Bred. Thank you, and peace be with all of you.

 

[Lammie]

They changed a lot about Steve's coverage. He works for a nationwide company. He now gets a lot of his screening for free, like colonoscopies, which he didn't get before, and his premium is paid by his employer. The way they changed, I guess to help pay for the expanded coverage, was to decrease the amount they match on his 401k. Used to match dollar for dollar up to six percent and now it only goes to four. I haven't seen any changes in my health policy.

It's scary to think that one bad accident, one bout with cancer and you can get wiped out financially.

And there are those who need assistance. People like Peg 4x4, who could no longer work because of their illness. Don't get too far up on the soapbox, yall. It could be you.

 

[kerley]

Lammie; If we did not have health insurance we would have already been bankrupt. My drug/pharmacy bill was near 30k last year. Medical insurance is just like car insurance. It's a gamble maybe you'll need it & maybe you won't. Eather way you could and probly will loose everything you own if you need it and don't have it. What soap box are you referring to?

 

[Lammie]

Some folks tend to get on the "bums on welfare" thing, and although I do agree with some of that, I also think that programs such as these were designed to be safety nets as opposed to lifetime entitlements. There are some good folks who worked hard all their lives and need a little hand.