What are your Health Care Costs?

[Katsmeow]

What is your Monthly Premium (1,2 or more coverage)?

Yearly Deductible per person/family?

Out of Pocket Maximum?

How do these numbers compare to what you paid last year?

1. For 2017, retiree coverage for kids and I is $1549 a month which is $18588 per year. However, Megacorp subsidizes $10,080 of that so the net cost is $8508 a year which is an average of $709 a month. We also pay $41 a month for Dental coverage.

DH is on Medicare. Medicare premiums will be about $109 a month in 2017. DH pays $197.67 a month for his supplement. He gets his prescription coverage for $0 as a benefit from his former employer.

2. Family deductible is $3000 for in network and $5000 for out of network. Co-pay after deductible is 20% for in network and 40% for out of network.

3. Out of pocket max for in network is $6850. Out of network is $15,500.

4. Last year the health insurance for the kids and I was $15888 so that went up $2700 this year. The subsidy from Megacorp went up $80 (the subsidy is tied to CPI not to the increase in the premium). The dental insurance stayed the same.

 

[Golden sunsets]

DH and I are both on Medicare-premiums for 2017, $109 x 2= $218

Retiree FEHB premiums for 2 in 2017, $358/mo. Acts as supplemental HI once retired and Medicare becomes primary.

Once on Medicare FEHB coverage(currently BCBS Basic PPO ) becomes a wrap around program, with 0 deductible and 0 Out of Pocket max, so zero health care costs for us aside from premiums.

Thinking of switching to Aetna Direct which has similar zero deductibles and OOP maximums, but with lower premium cost of $263/mo and Insurer provided HSA of $900/per person/year which can be used to offset Medicare premiums. Plan sounds too good to be true, so may wait one more year to switch. If anyone on this forum has Aetna Direct with Medicare B I would love to hear of your experiences with that policy.

Drug co-pay costs are covered free for both of us-DH's covered by the VA-mine by Champ VA.

VSP vision for 2-$27.50/mo

MetLife Dental for 2- $25/mo. Free cleanings and X-rays and Up to $2,500/yr PP after a percentage copay for crowns and filings.

We feel pretty lucky to have these benefits.

Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[nun]

Before getting subsidized retiree health insurance at $120/month premium I was paying the full premium of $480/month essentially under COBRA. I applied for an ACA plan to save some money, but my income was low so that I was put on Medicaid and received a $450/month subsidy leaving me to pay $30 each month.

 

[HillCountry]

BCBS high deductible. 400/month for family of four. Company contribute ~1600.

 

[GTFan]

For 2017, BCBS ACA Silver plan for 2 in their early 50s with 94% CSR:

Premium: $36/mo.
Deductible: $250 pp/$500 family
Max OOP: $750 pp/$1500 family

$25 copay for family doc, 25% coinsurance on other visits, tests etc. after we hit the deductible.

$20/$40/50%/50% on drug tiers.

Yeah, that's cheap and heavily subsidized with income below 150% FPL. But in return it's a limited HMO network, only other choice we had was Kaiser and I'd rather pick our own docs. We had a Humana National POS plan this year but they're gone.

 

[ivinsfan]

All these varying numbers point out the difficulty going forward with changes in insurance and ACA..everything from full self pay at levels of 15K plus, to work benefit provided health insurance with varying self-pays to literally 0-35 bucks a month for full family coverage.And of course the gentlemen who said no insurance.

It almost seems like no 2 people in the country pay the same amount for insurance and so no one will have the same opinion about what is "fair". No wonder the majority of these threads end up being closed.

 

[rodi]

DH starts Medicare in January - his medicare B, F+, and D plans will be $134+$64+17 = $215. The deductible for the F+ plan is $2200/year.

The kids and I are on a bronze HDHP (w HSA). The premium is $704/month (1 55yo adult and 2 teenagers). The deductible is $4800/person; $9600/family. Max OOP is $6550 person; $13100/family.

In 2015 the deductibles were a bit lower - and we hit (or were within a few dollars) of the family deductible.
In 2016 one son has blown through the individual deductible and will for sure hit the max OOP for individual. This is why we have money set aside.
I'm hoping that somehow we'll defy all the odds and avoid sports injuries (2 broken arms and a broken face from basketball and baseball in 2015) and tumors (ameloblastoma surgery for one son in 2016).

Ironically - we're an overall healthy, active family... just haven't been having a good run with medical expenses.

I still say that the insurance is not about covering your costs - it's about getting the reduced/negotiated prices.

 

[MichaelB]

DH starts Medicare in January - his medicare B, F+, and D plans will be $134+$64+17 = $215. The deductible for the F+ plan is $2200/year.

The kids and I are on a bronze HDHP (w HSA). The premium is $704/month (1 55yo adult and 2 teenagers). The deductible is $4800/person; $9600/family. Max OOP is $6550 person; $13100/family.

In 2015 the deductibles were a bit lower - and we hit (or were within a few dollars) of the family deductible.
In 2016 one son has blown through the individual deductible and will for sure hit the max OOP for individual. This is why we have money set aside.
I'm hoping that somehow we'll defy all the odds and avoid sports injuries (2 broken arms and a broken face from basketball and baseball in 2015) and tumors (ameloblastoma surgery for one son in 2016).

Ironically - we're an overall healthy, active family... just haven't been having a good run with medical expenses.

I remember thinking we'd never get ahead despite relentless saving and thrift, due to non-stop spending on children's illnesses and accidents, all of it absolutely needed. It finally did end, and eventually the thrifty habits paid off.

I still say that the insurance is not about covering your costs - it's about getting the reduced/negotiated prices.

It can be both, but the second part you mention is the critical element.

 

[NW-Bound]

...I still say that the insurance is not about covering your costs - it's about getting the reduced/negotiated prices.

Now that really irks me, because it is totally bogus. It feels like paying the Mafia for "protection".

 

[Ally]

My husband is a retired state employee. Our Medicare Advantage premium for both is $155 monthly. We have zero deductibles, zero copays for in or out of network, zero copays for labs, X-ray or procedures. We don't pay anything but the premium and very low RX copays.

 

[TrvlBug]

Way too much...just finished writing the checks for 2017:

Me: retiree medical @ $8,200 w/ $750 deductible & $3K OOP

DH & I: Vision & dental COBRA @ $1,500 (DH getting implant & crowns so will get maximum $2K benefits in 2017

DH: Medicare, Medigap Plan F, Plan D @ $5,900

2017 total: $15,600 minimum. I'm just thankful we can afford it.

 

[MooreBonds]

Individual pre-ACA Anthem policy, STILL grandfathered through 12/31/2017. Premium for 2017 is $113.47/month for a $5,500 deductible in-network, $5,500 Max OOP. Premiums for 2016 were $97.94 for the same policy.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Retired military, so have Tricare Prime.

Premium: About $50/month (family coverage)
Deductible: $0
OOP Max (catastrophic cap): $3000

I am eligible for VA healthcare, but the closest clinic is almost an hour away and well...it's the VA. So, unless Tricare gets gutted, I won't use the VA.

I do like my monthly "wake up pay" (pension), but the key to being able to retire so early is our *very* cheap health care costs.

 

[ivinsfan]

Now that really irks me, because it is totally bogus. It feels like paying the Mafia for "protection".

Yes it does, and I wonder why the multi-tiered billing is allowed to continue and in fact the spread between rack and final bill seems to be getting wider.My DH just had a cardio visit billed out at 260 dollars ..Medicare approved amount 42 bucks..which to me it an insult to the doctor...he was a new doc and read my hubby charts, looked at all the echos and scans and spent 25 minutes with us.