Poll - ACTUAL non-subsidized heatlh care cost in ER.

[Sam]

I'm really interested in the actual health care insurance paid by Early Retirees who have no (none whatsoever) health benefits from their former employers. I plan to retire in 3-4 years, and I will not have any subsidized health benefit. So please share if you don't mind.

Example

Number of people: 2
Ages: 52 and 55
Annual premium: $12,000
Deductible: $5,000/person
Location: Houston, TX
Other notable: ...

 

[PBAT]

I'm not retired, but you can see current rates for various individual plans (with various deductibles) at BCBS website for your state.

 

[REWahoo]

Number of people: 2
Ages: 59 and 60
Annual premium: $7,500
Deductible: $5,000/person
Location: TX
Other notable: DW is in state high risk pool. Her premium is $4,700/yr and will increase by another $1,000/yr when she turns 60.

 

[Sam]

Thank you REWahoo. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Real data from real people (I hope you're real )

The $7,500 premium, that's for both you and your wife, right?

 

[TromboneAl]

Number of people: 2
Ages: 53 and 51
Annual premium: $5,196
Deductible: $3,500 for me (HSA), $5,000 for DW
Location: CA
My premium is $188/mo, DW's is $245. With have Blue Cross.

 

[REWahoo]

The $7,500 premium, that's for both you and your wife, right?

Yep.

(And I am real. Really.)

 

[Sam]

Thank you Al and REWahoo. Wow. It does not look that bad (outrageously expensive). It's not cheap, but appears to be within reasons.

Hmm... I'm still working now, so my employee is carrying the major %age, 68%, of the cost, but my share is still $4,800/year. That's for medical (1K deductible/person), dental, term life, and accidental/dismemberment. And the family size is 4 (2 adults, 2 older children.)

 

[ashtondav]

Living in the UK and UK resident. Private healthcare premiums $1,900 a year. Aged 52 and 53. That's with paying the first $1,000 of any treatment. Bad illness record in my early 20's probably boosts the cost.

 

[Sam]

Thank you ashtondav. The amounts provided are in US dollar or British pound? Why are you buy private health care insurance? Doesn't England have a universal health plan which you are already paying for thru taxes?

 

[stargazer08]

Number of people: 2
Ages: 44 and 47
Annual premium: $2,400
Deductible: $10,000/person (HSA)
Location: Herod, IL

 

[Martha]

Number of people: 2
Ages: 52 and 54
Annual premium:
--right now it is $3000 as I negotiated one year's health insurance through my former employer. Deductible is $750. Drug copays of $10, $30 or $60. Maximum out of pocket is $1500.

--As of January 1, 2008 we will have COBRA for 18 months. Monthly premium for family is $1086 or roughly $13,000 a year. Deductible and copays as above.

--After COBRA expires July 1 of 2009 we will be on the Minnesota risk pool. If we were enrolled now, my premium would be $377/month and Greg's $466/month, each with a $1000 deductible, $200 of which is for drugs. Total premium cost per year is $10,116. Maximum out of pocket is $3000 per person. Premium depends on age and whether you smoke. We get older, but don't smoke.

Location: Anywhere in MN

 

[Nords]

Real data from real people (I hope you're real )

REW & Al are real; we've all broken bread together.

Or at least whatever's left of REW after the chiggers have finished with him...

 

[kramer]

Number of people: 1
Ages: 41
Annual premium: $1020
Deductible: $5,000 (HSA)
Location: San Diego, CA
Insurer: Aetna

* This covers everything after deductible including prescriptions.
* Annual physical is covered by the plan, regardless of deductible.

Kramer

 

[KB]

Number of people: 1
Ages: 54
Annual premium: $3,480 for Kaiser HMO
Deductible: $1500
Location: California

I'm about to start looking for something less expensive with a higher deductible. Probably with Blue Shield of CA or Blue Cross.

 

[farmerEd]

ABout $820/month for BC/BS Mass. Age 43, DW 40 and 4 minor children. $5000 deductible.

 

[Sam]

Thanks all for sharing. So far it does not look as scary as I thought it would be.

ABout $820/month for BC/BS Mass. Age 43, DW 40 and 4 minor children. $5000 deductible.

Ed, is that $5,000 deductible per person or for the whole family. $820/mth, or about 10K a year for a family of 6 is reasonable, isn't it?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Two adults 45 and one 2 year old child, northern california

Cobra: 1340/month crappy blue cross $1500 deductible 80/20 plan
HMO: ~$900/mo no deductible $25 co-pay but they wont take us due to preexisting conditions
Same HMO forced to take us under HIPPA: about $1250
Same HMO forced to take us under the state high risk insurance plan: About $1000
Same BC plan as Cobra, under state high risk plan: About $1660

 

[rnitz]

Number of people: 4
Ages: 49, 63, 14, 12
Annual premium: $3,200
Deductible: $5,000 individual/$10K family
Location: CA
Insurer: Blue Cross

 

[Zathras]

People: 2
Ages: 37 and 40
Annual Premium: $5900
Deductable: $1500
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Currently I am under COBRA, I expect the premium will increase after I get out of COBRA as I have diabetes.

 

[farmerEd]

Thanks all for sharing. So far it does not look as scary as I thought it would be.



Ed, is that $5,000 deductible per person or for the whole family. $820/mth, or about 10K a year for a family of 6 is reasonable, isn't it?

$5000 per family, $2000 per individual. Its not outrageous, but being relatively healthy it means we pay the $10K+ per year, and still pay for all the other things too (i.e. another $2K in misc stuff that doesn't get paid because we haven't hit the deductible limit).

 

[ashtondav]

Living in the UK and UK resident. Private healthcare premiums $1,900 a year. Aged 52 and 53. That's with paying the first $1,000 of any treatment. Bad illness record in my early 20's probably boosts the cost

Thank you ashtondav. The amounts provided are in US dollar or British pound? Why are you buy private health care insurance? Doesn't England have a universal health plan which you are already paying for thru taxes?

I've converted to dollars. When you're next over here come and see our hospitals and the wards. They ain't nice places! Also you can wait quite a long time to see a specialist. Care in the NHS (public sector) is fine in an emergency or for very very severe conditions (ie cancer). For other ailments (hips, knees, back problems etc) you can be waiting a year or so for treatment.

 

[USK Coastie]

Number of People : 2
Ages 57 and 55
Annual premium $6030
Dedeuctable: $3000 each
Pharmacy paid first $3000
Location: Usk WA.
Cola Option from Employer $13000/yr

 

[tangomonster]

Sam---don't mean to freak you out, but my numbers will show the high side of health insurance:

Number of people: 2
Ages: both 53
Annual premium: currently $1800 mine and $7500 DH--his will go up to $9600 next month
Deductible: $10,000 for me,$2500 for DH
Location: GA
Company: BCBS for me, United Health Care conversion policy for DH

Health care/insurance is truly our biggest expense in RE.

 

[magellan_nh]

Paying around $6k per year for an HSA for 2

DW and I each have individual HSAs with BCBS in NH

Here's the deal (same for both):
Age: 42
Premium: $251 per month (~$3,000 per year each)
Deductible: $5000
(includes preventative care such as physical, mammograms, pap, etc).

Total premium for both of us is $502 per month or ~$6,000 per year.

We could have gotten a joint policy that would have been ~$50 cheaper per month but with $10k family deductible. Also, DW was rated due to a foot injury (running) that has since healed and should yield a lower rate once she's been 6 months without treatment. The plan is to have her re-apply to see if she can get a better rate.

Even though neither of us has anything really wrong with us, it seems that the way the insurance industry works is that if you've been to the doctor for so much as a cold, you end up paying the standard rate which is about 40% higher than the preferred or best rate.

Jim

 

[Lagniappe]

Even though neither of us has anything really wrong with us, it seems that the way the insurance industry works is that if you've been to the doctor for so much as a cold, you end up paying the standard rate which is about 40% higher than the preferred or best rate.

Jim

Is the rate we see quoted on the various web sites the standard rate or the preferred rate?