I hate insurance stuff!

**nodmicks** · 09-21-2009, 04:05 PM

I won my appeal for the chiropractor to be paid at the in network rate because they showed her in network and then told me she was out due to them having a tax ID code that was 10 years out of date. Glad I won!!!!! Thats $50 back in my pocket.

Dh's employer like so many is changing health ins plans come Jan. Same carrier just different plans. The 85% coverage with no deductible and 70% with no deductible are going the way of the dinosaurs.

I sat on a long long boring conference call about this today. We can go with a 85% PPO with a $500 deductible ( our premiums go up $30 a week over the current plan for 2009) or we can go to a 80% plan with a $3000 deductible tied to an HSA. Our premiums go down a tad however we of course need to contribute to the HSA.

Anyways you look at it It will still be about $50 out of the paycheck pre-tax a week. Oh joy~ not really!!!!

In both plans physicals and healthy care are covered 100% no deductible.

I crunched and crunched numbers today. Since we are relatively healthy it looks like the HSA wins. Ugh I hate the thought of even more of that paycheck being eaten up but at least with the HSA there is a good chance we keep some $!!! Our only medical bills billed to ins in 2009 were 2 chiro visits and 1 extended hours so far. Not much!

As a precaution everyone will be getting their physicals in the next two weeks. That way if any problems are there with anyones health I know it before we take the high deductible plan.

Ah~ sigh~ now to crunch the numbers on the free dental that pays 50% but we can only go to one dentist who never is open past 4 or the $545 a year option that we can go out of network and see our current dentist and they pay 60%.

numbers numbers numbers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok thanks for letting me vent!

**littleplum** · 09-21-2009, 04:12 PM

If you go with the HDHP with the HSA, does your $3K roll over year to year if you don't use it all? Don't forget your stop-loss, too.

**Greebo** · 09-21-2009, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by littleplum

If you go with the HDHP with the HSA, does your $3K roll over year to year if you don't use it all? Don't forget your stop-loss, too.

HSA's roll over. HRA's and Flex do not.

HSA's are essentially health care retirement plans. If you have limited health care expenses, they are an excellent option for the future. Invest as much as you can in them.

**beks37** · 09-21-2009, 04:20 PM

I am also questioning the $3,000 HSA. Make sure that you don't lose any of that! I also hate dealing with insurance companies!!

**nodmicks** · 09-21-2009, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by littleplum

If you go with the HDHP with the HSA, does your $3K roll over year to year if you don't use it all? Don't forget your stop-loss, too.

yes it rolls over and keeps building. What is stop loss please

**littleplum** · 09-21-2009, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

HSA's roll over. HRA's and Flex do not.

HSA's are essentially health care retirement plans. If you have limited health care expenses, they are an excellent option for the future. Invest as much as you can in them.

A lot of people get them confused and refer to FSAs and reimbursement systems as HSAs. I agree that an HSA is a fabulous way to invest a little extra into retirement!

**littleplum** · 09-21-2009, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by nodmicks

yes it rolls over and keeps building. What is stop loss please

Stop loss is your maximum out of pocket. If the worst case scenario happened, what is the maximum you would have to pay out for a major emergency?

**nodmicks** · 09-21-2009, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by beks37

I am also questioning the $3,000 HSA. Make sure that you don't lose any of that! I also hate dealing with insurance companies!!

You can't lose your $ in an HSA. It keeps building unless you spend it.

We had a similar plan years ago and I actually just spent what was left on a dental bill from a year ago that the ins co said was not a covered date after dh was laid off. It came in handy! I couldn't use the flex for it.

If your family is healthy it is a good plan,

Our total health bills this year were

2 claims for $55 to the chiro ( cost us $30)

$125 clinic visit (cost us $15)

I also paid $34 ~12 times from the old HSA to the chiro.

I'd say we are an ok with what we actually use with the HSA

**nodmicks** · 09-21-2009, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by littleplum

Stop loss is your maximum out of pocket. If the worst case scenario happened, what is the maximum you would have to pay out for a major emergency?

Oh got it!

Max out of pocket on the 85% ppo is $4000 a family

Max out of pocket on the high deductable plan is $6000 a family

I need to use up the flex by Dec 31 so an hsa can start in Jan. I'm told

**Greebo** · 09-21-2009, 06:35 PM

Huh - I thought stop loss was the maximum out of pocket for the insurance company, not the individual...

But then I usually deal with the Rx side, not the Med side, so who knows...

**nodmicks** · 09-21-2009, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by Greebo

Huh - I thought stop loss was the maximum out of pocket for the insurance company, not the individual...

But then I usually deal with the Rx side, not the Med side, so who knows...

hummmm no clue here. I did read the ins co has a 2 millon lifetime max on each covered member though