Health Insurance #*?& %$#^**!!!!

**TheRootedNomad** · 11-02-2007, 07:04 AM

I've been trying to figure out for quite some time why DH is not bringing home much more than he was 8 years ago. He consistently gets ok raises that should have really been adding up. When I sat down to go over it he only brings home 54% of his pay. He does put 9% in his 401 so we'll say 63%. That still leaves 37% going where????

There are very minimal taxes taken out. Well I found out where......I knew health insurance was going up a little every year but we're paying 18% of his pay BEFORE taxes for health insurance for him and the boys. It doesn't even include me as I am "a female of child bearing age" and make all the policies jump so I just keep single coverage for me at work. We do re-evaluate every year and this is our best option at the moment. When I looked back though 8 years ago it was only 8% of his lower pay.

.....I hadn't realized how MUCH it had jumped. Anyone else paying high percentages like that with no better option in sight???? Or maybe someone knows of some really reasonable private options I don't know about????

**lovestoread** · 11-02-2007, 07:26 AM

I am 40 yrs old, my husband is 42, we have 2 girls, ages 18 &16, it costs us $161.oo a week for our insurance. My husband works for our best friends construction company, also, farms during farm season for another friend, and when not doing that, he drives a semi on the weekends. It rained last week, so he missed a day of work, so after taxes, ins., etc. he brought home a paycheck of $399. !!!!!!!!! Now the friends he farms for will pay him, but he hasn t gotten it yet. I am self employed so I do rely on him for our insurance. His main job is now looking into doing HSAs , so we are going to do that. It will go to 87.00 per wk. Hopefully this will help.

Sheri

**VanVivCam** · 11-02-2007, 07:42 AM

My hubby (32), myself (32) and our daughter (6) cost us $158.00 per month. this is with a $35 office visit and the $15,$20,$25 tier prescription plan. our hopsital ded is $1500 and then it goes to an 80/20 plan after the 1500. This is thru personal insurance.

The plan at my work a couple of years ago was about $450. Yes, the benefits might have been a little better such as $25 OV and $10,15,20 tier, but we really aren't sick very often (thank you God).

I have always felt that group health insurance is a scam for healthy individuals...all you are doing to paying for the sickly in the group!

Sorry this has been such an ugly eye-opener for you!

**Buckeye5** · 11-02-2007, 08:01 AM

How I feel your pain!! Just last night my Dh and I had to enroll online in his new insurance plan, we are now paying 312.00 amonth, for crappy insurance. We pay 20% out of his pay for it and he works for a huge nationwide electric company. Our medical bills have absolutely killed us from 2 back surgeries in 13 months, we owed out of pocket $13,000.00.Our pay has gone down also, It will now be going down again about $72.00 a month beginning Jan. 1.

**McD** · 11-02-2007, 10:02 AM

Thankfully, I haven't ever had to worry about health insurance. With Zac being in the military and being active guard, our coverage is provided for us. And it's been a lifesaver.

I hope you can find something that works better for your family.

**sdrjeolsen** · 11-02-2007, 10:14 AM

Ours actually went down for some strange reason. We still have the same coverage, but pay $27 per pay period for a family of 5. That gives us a 20 Dr. copay, $100 ER copay and 20% payout on hospital things with a 2000? deductible. But we really look at it's purpose as a catastrophic thing. We've been blessed to be healthy and have only had a few broken bones from sports.

**tammy88** · 11-02-2007, 10:28 AM

i know how you are feeling we are loosing 560 a month to health insurance!

This is a new health insurance and employer, my plan is to change it after the new baby is born and have my husband carry the health insurance on him and the boys and then i purchase my own health insurance some where else i think it would be cheaper..its only like 40.00 week for him and the boys but with all us its $130.00 a week for everything.. and honestly its not that great of coverage..my delivery is still going to cost a fortune.

**wulong32** · 11-02-2007, 10:28 AM

oh dont even get me started on health insurance. I pay about $100 a month for the premium coverage of my works insurance. well, i just went for my annual pap smear, and in addition to the $20 co-pay and my $150 co-pay for the HPV shot, I have received and additional $300 in bills. They just keep coming through the mail. My insurance told me some of the tests are considered "experimental". grrrrr

**guest002** · 11-02-2007, 12:50 PM

We only pay for dental coverage unless I change the family from Tricare Prime to Tricare Standard. With Standard I get a choice of dr.'s and have to pay a family ded. and then %s. I've put the kids on Standard once because the care that was available at the base we were stationed at was sub-par.

Most days military medicine is okay, but every now and then you really get crappy care and the feel of socialized healthcare.

I do think a lot of families who get out of the military forget to factor in health care cost and housing cost into what they need to make in a salary.

**McD** · 11-02-2007, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by PaulaPAFW

We only pay for dental coverage unless I change the family from Tricare Prime to Tricare Standard. With Standard I get a choice of dr.'s and have to pay a family ded. and then %s. I've put the kids on Standard once because the care that was available at the base we were stationed at was sub-par.

I forget sometimes that people living on or close to base have to use military healthcare. We are National Guard and live close to Camp Dodge but there isn't any military healthcare we can use here--thank God! So instead, we are TriCare Prime Remote and get to use any doctor we want this is in our network without any co-pays, except for medicine.

After racking up 60,000$ in hospital bills when Wesley was born and not having to pay a penny--I am so thankful for TriCare.

**Dancing Lotus** · 11-02-2007, 12:54 PM

My dh is the same industry as your sso Im willing to bet we are looking at the same tax bracket and so on. we were spending over 800 a month on health insurance, thats close to a weeks pay! We had to drop it.

**justpeachy92** · 11-02-2007, 12:57 PM

I feel your pain, we pay $250 a week for health, dental and vision.

**guest002** · 11-02-2007, 12:57 PM

Yeah, Prime Remote would be wonderful! LOL.

Most days I'm fine with the MTF (military treatment facility for our non-military friends). But some days I get so freaking mad at the lack of care and/or training my head wants to explode.

But when the chips are down and you do have a major medical issue and need surgery or something expensive it's real nice to walk out of the hospital without a bill (most of the time).

With both of my c-sections and gall bladder surgery I didn't owe 1 penny.

I know a lot of military families dog Tricare but most of the time it's not Tricare it's the military clinics/hospitals that they have the issues with.

I get all my meds for free at the base pharmacy and the ones that they don't carry I can get in town for $3 generic and $9 name brand.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 11-02-2007, 02:41 PM

We pay $595.00 a month for th e four of us. OUCH!

**jamie79** · 11-02-2007, 03:18 PM

When we live on or near a post with medical facilities we go with Tricare Standard. I want choice and you dont get that at a military clinic.

Where we are now we have Prime Remote and it is the best, No bills civilian docs etc. This is why I dont think dh will ever get out until they force him to