Poll of What is Your Health Insurance Choice for 2016

[easysurfer]

Okay, open enrollment is begging for a poll. What's your choice?

 

[pb4uski]

2016 will be our third year with a catastrophic plan whose benefits are slightly less than a bronze plan but whose premiums are 42% lower (in 2016). I had to deal with our state exchange when I first purchased it, but luckily have only dealt with the insurance company directly since then. We are relatively healthy and have few claims... perhaps $3,000 a year at most over the last few years. We have two policies so if one of us has a health event then the insurance kicks in earlier.

 

[Walt34]

Medicare is primary now for me, BCBS is secondary for me and primary for DW. It is heavily subsidized by my former employer so this is a no-brainer.

 

[Alan]

Group insurance from ex-company as a retiree.

 

[W2R]

OK, I voted "Medicare" since Medicare is my primary insurance.

I also have retiree insurance from work, which is secondary. But it's the exact same insurance that I had when I was working, and I pay the same amount for it as I did when working. Now that I am older, it picks up whatever Medicare doesn't pay plus now, it pays the deductible and co-pays which it didn't do before Medicare.

 

[frayne]

Retiree medical insurance from Aetna at this point in time but soon to change to Medicare and some form of addition coverage from ? Still researching and trying to learn the nuances of all the different options. Being in fairly decent health I will probably go with some sort of an Advantage plan. I wonder if any of the Advantage plans with the silver sneakers option include green fees

 

[Senator]

I will be working until July, so I will not need a plan until the end of the Cobra period, which I believe is 90 days after I no longer have insurance. Maybe the end of October.

I will use my VA insurance, which is free. Then pick up a bronze policy, likely through BCBS. Anytime I go to the VA my deductible gets closer to being met, and it doesn't cost me anything. I would like a way to avoid a after-market policy altogether...

The other half will get a policy though MinnesotaCare, which is a nearly free policy, through BCBS, without any deductible.

 

[RockyMtn]

Group insurance from ex-company as a retiree.

Ditto here. GF is on ACA plan.

 

[easysurfer]

Will get my plan directly through insurance company. Don't want to go on state's medicaid nor tinker with my income to find the sweet spot for the market exchange. Been reading where BCBS is cancelling PPO plans and replacing them with watered down plans and putting policy holders in panic mode. I'll probably end up going with the watered down plan (at least my doc and hospital is in network), but just don't get too sick and even think about seeing a specialist out of network.

 

[Rick_Head]

Us Canucks can only vote "other", so I did.

 

[easysurfer]

Us Canucks can only vote "other", so I did.

Sorry. As soon as I pressed enter to create the poll, I realized that besides "other" I didn't have a voting item for the non-USA folks.

I would have had something like "Does not apply - You folks in the states sure have funny systems for healthcare".

 

[rodi]

Policies purchased through the exchange. Starting to research medicare options for DH as he turns 65 in early 2017. I have a ways to go till I get that deal.

 

[ivinsfan]

Will get my plan directly through insurance company. Don't want to go on state's medicaid nor tinker with my income to find the sweet spot for the market exchange. Been reading where BCBS is cancelling PPO plans and replacing them with watered down plans and putting policy holders in panic mode. I'll probably end up going with the watered down plan (at least my doc and hospital is in network), but just don't get too sick and even think about seeing a specialist out of network.

That was our attitude as well, until my policy got hit with a 40% rate increase.I looked around and decided I can't keep paying more for less coverage indefinitely. Unless you have limitless fund and are a Libertarian I think you might a least look at the exchanges and see where you are sitting subsidy wise.

 

[nun]

I wanted to click two options. I have ex-employer insurance, but because I also qualify for Medicaid the state pays most of my premium to keep me off the Medicaid roles.

 

[easysurfer]

That was our attitude as well, until my policy got hit with a 40% rate increase.I looked around and decided I can't keep paying more for less coverage indefinitely. Unless you have limitless fund and are a Libertarian I think you might a least look at the exchanges and see where you are sitting subsidy wise.

I'm debating in my own mind and am now leaning towards looking at the exchange due to both the rate increase and less coverage. I didn't mind paying higher last year for a better, more coverage plan. But now, the insurance company wants to switch that to a plan that's almost same cost but way less coverage area.

 

[ivinsfan]

I'm debating in my own mind and am now leaning towards looking at the exchange due to both the rate increase and less coverage. I didn't mind paying higher last year for a better, more coverage plan. But now, the insurance company wants to switch that to a plan that's almost same cost but way less coverage area.

My situation exactly, the 40% increase included a 2500 dollars raise in the out of pocket expense. I'm 2 years and 9 months (but who's counting) away from Medicare and have bought private coverage since I was 19...I don't have anything more to give. When our older daughter was born my hubby and I had catastrophic coverage that cost 100 bucks a year for both of us..We paid 1200 dollars for all the baby expenses. I'd go back to that if I could!

 

[DEC-1982]

Ex-company medical insurance for 24 months (till mid-2017).

 

[Cobra9777]

I have pre-medicare retiree group insurance, which is heavily subsidized by my former megacorp. It's a HDHP administered by BCBS, so I still contribute to an HSA as well.

Just got my 2016 open enrollment package and the premium is unchanged for the third straight year. It's roughly 25% of the unsubsidized premium, and has $1.5K deductible, $3K OoP max, 10% doctor coinsurance, 20% hospital.

DW is still working OMY and has coverage through her employer. Her post-retirement options are not quite as good, but certainly better than adding her to my coverage.

 

[HFWR]

Other, that being retiree HI through a former employer. I think it's called Cigna Copay or some such.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I will be working until July, so I will not need a plan until the end of the Cobra period, which I believe is 90 days after I no longer have insurance. Maybe the end of October.

I will use my VA insurance, which is free. Then pick up a bronze policy, likely through BCBS. Anytime I go to the VA my deductible gets closer to being met, and it doesn't cost me anything. I would like a way to avoid a after-market policy altogether...

The other half will get a policy though MinnesotaCare, which is a nearly free policy, through BCBS, without any deductible.

COBRA can last 18 months if willing to pay. In general, it's freaking expensive. Study your options then decide.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[bingybear]

COBRA can last 18 months if willing to pay. In general, it's freaking expensive. Study your options then decide.

I've been on COBRA since March. I will continue COBRA through August and then either do an ACA or individual plan though a broker... unless someone has better ideas. (sorry, no VA or retiree health. The latter got cancelled when the tech bubble popped).
The ACA bronze plan I would likely take (same insurer as cobra) would be 64% more non-subsidized, have higher OOP & deductibles and much smaller network. So for me... I see COBRA is more cost effective.
note I plan to do roth rollovers.

 

[Fishingmn]

DW retiring in a week so we will be on the private market for 2016 for the first time. No subsidy expected.

We will be getting a high deductible, bronze HSA plan.

In MN we have 3 companies to choose from. Each of them have 2 different plans. One with limited clinics for a lower price or one with a broader set of doctors for around $40-70/mo more in premium.

Basically, we will be looking at anywhere from $10-21,000 in health insurance costs not including dental or vision.

 

[Another Reader]

I have pre-medicare retiree group insurance through my last employer. It's an HMO through United Healthcare. The former employer pays a set dollar amount, depending on your years of employment, towards any one of their plans. This plan is accepted by Palo Alto Medical Foundation,one of the better large primary/multi-specialty groups. It's now part of Sutter Health. I like to think of it as Kaiser, with real doctors.

 

[ziggy29]

What a strange trip it's been. Until April 2013, my last Megacorp covered us. I was laid off then, so for the rest of 2013 we had to rely on a short-term catastrophic policy to get us into 2014 when ACA would take effect. My wife's employer covered her for 2014 and beyond but I was on my own. For 2014 into part of 2015 I had an "Obamacare" policy but my (very) part time gig with the post office -- originally 3 hours a week, one day a week -- turned into a part-time "career" gig, whether I wanted it to or not, which included retirement and medical benefits so now I'm covered on my own FEHB plan. And we are negotiating with my wife's employer (she's a pastor) to see if it makes sense for them to stop paying the nearly $8000 a year to cover her, and instead give us the $3,500 as extra salary which is what it would cost us to cover her on my FEHB plan with similar benefits, after grossing up for self-employment taxes on the extra income. One of our members is a CPA who works with several churches and pastors so we want to run it past her first.

Seems like every year lately, we've had to work with church council to reevaluate medical benefits....

So yeah, I will definitely be on a FEHB plan in 2016 (trying to decide between about 4 of them), and DW may be as well, if we can be reimbursed one way or another for the extra cost of putting her on my plan.

 

[nun]

COBRA can last 18 months if willing to pay. In general, it's freaking expensive. Study your options then decide.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

I pay full premium to buy insurance from my ex-employer, it is not COBRA and there is no time limit on it, it's a benefit that my ex-employer allows. As I have low income the state pays most of the premium, leaving me to pay $40/month.