I am at wits end...

[Bob Vila]

We are goign through open enrollement right now at my company. Previous to this enrollemtn I was paying $900 per year for an HMO (connecticare for you Ct peeps) now, the company says they are paying to much $$$ for our health insurance therefore they are ousting the HMO plans and goign witha PPO, we have a 4 choices:

1 - Blue Cross Blue Shield with a $400 deductible $2000 out of pocket maximum
2 - Blue Cross Blue Shield with a $1000 deductible $2000 out of pocket maximum
3 - Aetna with a $400 deductible $2000 out of pocket maximum
4 - Aetna with a $1000 deductible $2000 out of pocket maxium.

Now the two plans cost teh same, its basically preference of provider. My previous deductions for this current year was $47.00 with 70% of my pay if I become disabled. I still get $25k life insurance from the company, and my dental plan premium remains the same.

THe $400 deductible plan will cost me $65.25 per pay period ( i get paid 24 times a year) and the $1000 deductible will cost me $54.69 per pay period. This DOES include the 70% LTD as well as 3 days bought vacation ( I will be carrying over approx 33 hours from this year, and I will be receiving 21 days come Jan 1 with a total of about 225 PTO hours next year)

Now I do not go to the doctors all to often. The only time I really go is if Im deadly sick to just get a prescription.

If you were in my shoes, which option would you chose. It is about an $11.00 difference per pay period to have the $400 deductible.

 

[94RedSiGal]

I guess it would depend on how good you are with keeping money in the bank for emergencies and such. I think most would lean towards the $400 deductible plans. Especially is the difference is only $11 a pay period.

 

[MaaseyRacer]

Yeah man I would go for the $400 deductable, 11 bucks a pay period is not that big of a deal, and if something does happen you will be covered. Honestly I would stay away from blue cross, where I work we are dealing with insurance companies on a daily basis. And from what we have seen through our patients is that blue cross does not cover certain procedures, they argue with patients and us about restoring ambulance fees, and overall patient satisfaction with the coverage plans are not high. I have not heard any complaints about Aetna, but then again I do not think we have many patients with Aetna. It must be an East Coast insurance company.

 

[Bob Vila]

Aetna is an east coast company, and between the two, BCBS has a better reputation as far as Customer Service is concerned...nothing beats what I currently have though, Connecticare

 

[Domeskilla]

yes.. bcbs does.. my friend chris, his mom started the health section of Blue Shield some 30+ yrs ago and sold it. If you have problems with that aspect, lemme know.

 

[quicksi]

I am at wits end...

well that wasn't a very long trip now was it???

 

[Bob Vila]

lol, dont make me 403 you, bish

 

[posol]

i haev blue cross, and I FUCKING HATE IT.
by far the wosrt insurance i've ever had.

 

[jeffie7]

I think we should all move up to Canada

 

[Bob Vila]

Originally posted by pissedoffsol@Sep 29 2003, 07:39 PM
i haev blue cross, and I FUCKING HATE IT.
by far the wosrt insurance i've ever had.

care to elaborate?

 

[BigJ]

My dad pays for mine, and my older brothers and its under his company, and he pays actually more for the 3 of us on insurance then his 2 brand new trucks and his insurance combined.

 

[Bob Vila]

Originally posted by Slammed89Integra@Sep 29 2003, 08:46 PM
My dad pays for mine, and my older brothers and its under his company, and he pays actually more for the 3 of us on insurance then his 2 brand new trucks and his insurance combined.

uhh, were talkign about Medical Insurance not Auto Insurance...

 

[ahedau]

had Prudential...have BCBS... they don't call them "The Blues" for nuthin.

Of the two I much prefer the blues but they do want to quibble a lot over piddlely shit.

Every time we submit a bill over $1000 they deny it on the basis we didn't return a damn form stating that I don't have any other insurance; which they NEVER send out to be returned. "Coordination of benefits" they call it. Well, in the meantime the hospital is billing me directly for what the insurance should have paid for to begin with. After getting two bills into collections before they paid I got the assholes to send me a bunch of blank C.O.B. forms. Now I send them in quarterly - certified mail. If they deny another claim (they haven't yet) some poor peon is gonna get an earful!!!

Prudential is the reason the movie "The Rainmaker" was made. they are the shittiest company EVER when it comes to collecting on benefits.

Get the lower deductible.... You'll never miss the extra $22 a mo. but its holy hell coming up with another $600 when its time to get treatment. See, future treatment is refused until the deductible is paid in full. No one tells you that until you're lying on a gurney bleeding out!!

 

[jamesA]

my insurance is through blue anthem or blue shield or some thing like that...I don't pay into it, but my company does.

Neither the eyeglass place, my doctor or my old dentist file with this company, it's such a pain in the ass...when I got my new glasses, I just paid for it all myself.

 

[posol]

Originally posted by sisteve+Sep 29 2003, 09:39 PM-->

pissedoffsol

@Sep 29 2003, 07:39 PM
i haev blue cross, and I FUCKING HATE IT.
by far the wosrt insurance i've ever had.

care to elaborate?

where do I even start....

it costs me 160 a month.
my coverage sucks. I have 50% co-pays on most normal things, 25% copays on heart surgery and shit like that.
dental is not included, and is an additional $40 a month.
I could keep my old doctor. i had to go to some new guy who is on their homo... eerrrr hmo list.
if i want to add a spouse or a dependant, its $360 more a month, as work doesn't help cover non-employess.

if you can get on aetna, get on it and stay on it. my dad as you know works there, and thats what he still has for him and my mom and when i was growing up. its a WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better plan, cheaper, lower co-pays and better coverage.

hell, i got a credit-card looking thing from aetna as my health card.
with blue cross- i have a fucking piece of card board that i won't even keep in my wallet do the the fact that it will be destroyed in 3 days.

 

[Bob Vila]

But is this through work...or subleted on your own? Because that sounds like an exorbant amount of money...however abbie pays $228/month for health insurance since she is no longer on her fathers...

 

[posol]

this is through work as my "benefits" package

 

[Bob Vila]

wow, thats ridiculous. When I was at the woodshop I had BCBS on my own and was paying 128/month. I think its time to look for a new job.

lol, they sux0r for benefits/time off.

 

[posol]

i have been, and asked you several times to get me in there... lol but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo

 

[CRX-YEM]

Originally posted by pissedoffsol+-->

this is through work as my "benefits" package

it costs me 160 a month.
my coverage sucks. I have 50% co-pays on most normal things, 25% copays on heart surgery and shit like that.
dental is not included, and is an additional $40 a month.
I could keep my old doctor. i had to go to some new guy who is on their homo... eerrrr hmo list.
if i want to add a spouse or a dependant, its $360 more a month, as work doesn't help cover non-employess.

See your basing your opinion on the benefits package set up from your job, which is why it sucks they must be a small company.

Originally posted by pissedoffsol+-->

if you can get on aetna, get on it and stay on it. my dad as you know works there, and thats what he still has for him and my mom and when i was growing up. its a WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better plan, cheaper, lower co-pays and better coverage.

The coverage is way the fuck better because your dad works there, same for my wife and I we get killer insurance rates because she works for anthem, other than that we are treated like any other customer.


pissedoffsol@
i have been, and asked you several times to get me in there... lol but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo

B. you want kick ass insurance go work for Anthem in there IT division. they are always hiring, I'll ask Adrienne to look for job postings for you.

ahedau
Every time we submit a bill over $1000 they deny it on the basis we didn't return a damn form stating that I don't have any other insurance; which they NEVER send out to be returned. "Coordination of benefits" they call it. Well, in the meantime the hospital is billing me directly for what the insurance should have paid for to begin with. After getting two bills into collections before they paid I got the assholes to send me a bunch of blank C.O.B. forms. Now I send them in quarterly - certified mail. If they deny another claim (they haven't yet) some poor peon is gonna get an earful!!!

Do you know how many of these stories I've heard from my wife when she was a customer service rep. and the pain you went thru getting your claims covered is because 80% of the time you spoke with an incompetent cust. serv. rep. (they go thru em like used underware) Also when your coverage started they should of asked for a C.O.B the day you you plan went active and had it on file.

Now my opinion:

My wife works for Anthem (bcbs) and we have insurenace thru her company and they rule, they pay every claim we've ever sent in. Anthem actually pays my wife $60 a month to insure her and myself under a HMO w/ $15 co-pays, and RX coverage as well. no deductable. other than that we are treated like any other cutomer for claims etc... We've had 3 large claims over $1,000 for emergency room once for a kidney stone (billed $2200) once for a piece of stainless steel in my eye (billed $1100) once for slicing my hand open with a shard of glass (billed $1500) visits all covered except for our $50 co-pay.

I've had Aetna before and they are 2nd best to Anthem I never do go to the doctor much so they've always paid my claims, My father who has Aetna thru his work with 6 dependents has had nothing but trouble with them. He has always had to tough out a battle getting his claims paid.

and for the $11 difference you'd be stupid not to go with the lower detuctable.
do these plans have a RX plan ?? does the price of meds go toward your deductable ?? do the deductable include emergency room visits?? not just your typical office exam before the insurance company kicks in. which one has the better co-pays ??

that's the stuff I'd be looking into.

oh how often are you pay periods ?? I'll assume every two weeks, which means your getting raped for insurance.