Health Insurance Premiums for 2014

[frayne]

Currently have pre-Medicare retiree health insurance from mega corp. through Aetna. Insurance is your basic 80/20 plan and covers DW and myself. Paying about $550 a month and trying to get some idea what the premiums may be for 2014.

Has anyone here received any information on retiree health care costs for 2014 yet ?

Appreciate any and all replies in advance.

 

[Dawg52]

$270 just for me through BCBS. Didn't do ACA for 2014 due to the limited network offered through the one company participating in Obamacare in my area. Hoping that more options will surface the following year.

 

[TerryA]

Currently paying $662/mo for DW and myself for COBRA Aetna 80/20 policy. 2014 price is going up 24%, COBRA ends in Aug so will switch to an ACA policy in Jan.

 

[retiredatfifty]

$330 something per month thru National Association of Letter Carriers for self-and-family coverage (+ I have to pay about $35 per year to belong to their union)

This is a FFS plan through FEHB with about 70% of the rest of the premium being paid by the Fed Govt as a retiree benefit. Network is thru CIGNA. $20 office visits & pays on average about 85% for most things after $600 family deductible.

Dental coverage is an additional $1100 or so per year. Pretty much no Federal Employee health care plans offer dental anymore. You have to buy it separate. (a continuation of the ongoing erosion of benefits - wouldn't be surprised if they throw us all onto State exchanges in a few years)

 

[HFWR]

Currently $160-ish for subsidized retiree medical (Aetna) and dental (Metlife). Increasing next year, another $20 or so...

 

[retiredatfifty]

Currently have pre-Medicare retiree health insurance from mega corp. through Aetna. Insurance is your basic 80/20 plan and covers DW and myself. Paying about $550 a month and trying to get some idea what the premiums may be for 2014.

Has anyone here received any information on retiree health care costs for 2014 yet ?

Appreciate any and all replies in advance.

Coverages, deductibles and employer contributions are so variable between plans, I don't think any comparisons are valid unless you know the plans you are comparing are apples-to-apples.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Under $200 a month for a Blue Cross Bronze PPO HSA for a family on an ACA exchange plan. Woooohooo. Big savings for us over 2013.

 

[Donzo]

Still waiting to find out - we are losing Aetna (they are leaving CA). Have the paperwork in (I think...) still waiting for a reply.

 

[bradaz2488]

BCBS of AZ allowed me to stay on current high deductible HI ($8K max out-of-pocket) until Dec 2014 for $182/month. I'm 50 with no pre-existing conditions. I did some checking on premiums under ACA and I could get a BCBS bronze plan for around $350/month before subsidy. If I believe the subsidy calculators and can control my MAGI to around $25K my premiums could be in the $150 range for a silver plan. I decided to stay with my current plan next year to see how the dust settles for ObamaCare.

 

[psweath]

For 2014, my pre-Medicare retiree coverage from megacorp is $685/mo. for me alone. Wife has her own plan, same situation from same megacorp, and hers is also $685/mo. So that's $1,370/mo. for both of us.

I say "retiree coverage", but actually it just allows you to participate in their plan - there is no subsidy whatsoever. BTW this is a High-Deductible PPO w/HSA from Aetna.

Seems outrageously high, doesn't it? Years ago when megacorp dropped retiree medical benefits, they set up a Future Health Account for us. It was a nice chunk of change, and it can only be used to pay for premiums from megacorp's plans. So, I'm actually not paying any of that huge amount out-of-pocket - it will be covered by the Future Health Account for the next couple years. So that's the only reason I'm staying with such an outrageous plan for the moment.

 

[frayne]

Coverages, deductibles and employer contributions are so variable between plans, I don't think any comparisons are valid unless you know the plans you are comparing are apples-to-apples.

Good and valid point, just trying to get a sampling across the folks here. I have no doubt mine will go up, just kind of curious as to what other plans are doing and how big of increases.

One would think a general retiree (80/20) plan for a pre-Medicare folks would be somewhat in the same ballpark.

 

[Sue J]

Our retiree plan was $376/mo ($1628/mo before retiree allowance) in 2013 and it increased to $472/mo ($1818/mo before retiree allowance) for 2014. Those prices include coverage for both of us.

This plan has very low co-pays and a $850 deductible, which is far better coverage than we need.

For 2014 we have declined the retiree insurance and instead enrolled in an ObamaCare HDHP with HSA. The retiree plan used to not allow you to re-enroll if you left but they just changed that so we can come back if needed. Our costs would increase a huge amount as they are eliminating the spousal subsidy in stages between 2015 and 2017.

 

[mpeirce]

Aside: I see these costs quoted "per month", but do people here actually pay it this way?

I know we pay for our various insurances annually (some like car insurance is ½ yearly). This works for us since we are living off investments.

 

[golfnut]

When applying for ACA, I know we had more than $27,000 entered into the ACA site (but still got the Medicaid letter). Want to avoid Medicaid.
Not sure how to undo this.

Our scenario is we presently are covered by my former employer's retirement hc. The rub is it is $800 per month and it can be cancelled in years going forward (we are good for 2014). I know based on out limited income, the aca coverage (even a gold plan) with subsidies would be much cheaper. However, if I go to the exchanges, we cannot go back to my former employer's plan.

Also, looking far into the future, if the employer's coverage is still in place, it offers x/s coverage over Medicare at a present monthly cost of $691 (for both my wife and me). Not sure if this a reasonable price for x/s Medicare coverage.

Anyone out there with some comments or advice??

 

[psweath]

Aside: I see these costs quoted "per month", but do people here actually pay it this way?

I know we pay for our various insurances annually (some like car insurance is ½ yearly). This works for us since we are living off investments.

Yes, ours is a monthly deduction from our pension check.

 

[KM]

$875/mo for 90/10 coverage for DH and myself with BC/BS. No increase from last year (which was a pleasant surprise....).

 

[Lakedog]

My HDHP plan is going up 5% in 2014 (from $104.96/mo to $110.21).

 

[meierlde]

For my retiree health insurance 600 Dollar deductable my payment is 496 up 5 from 2013 company contribution is 354.

 

[bbbamI]

No increase for 2014 regarding medical (United Health Care),vision and dental through retiree benefits. Combined cost is still $289 a month for DH and me.

 

[Theduckguru]

Increase of $45 per month x 2 on mine.

 

[Hermit]

I think I must have a pretty bad plan with Megacorp. They say they pay a couple hundred toward my retiree medical. Most services are 60/40 after a $2000 deductible. $504 for an individual; $1008 for participant + one or more. The two kids are 22 and 23 and not very likely to need medical services. This year this was $822 per month so it is going up considerably.

Maybe Megacorp found a new profit center?

 

[homestead]

Just got my bill for Jan. for my HDHP HSA . They just decided I can keep my old insurance for one more year, it went up $6 /mo to 263/mo. I had already applied for
ACA but haven't received any info yet to pick a plan, if approved for subsidy it should
be less than $100/mo.

 

[Alan]

Pre-Medicare retiree with group insurance through previous employer, $376/mo for DW and myself. PPO Plan with 80/20 coverage with $500 deductible per person and $30 co-pays for Dr visits. Fully paid annual exam, and flu shots.

 

[Southern Geek]

I think I must have a pretty bad plan with Megacorp. They say they pay a couple hundred toward my retiree medical. Most services are 60/40 after a $2000 deductible. $504 for an individual; $1008 for participant + one or more. The two kids are 22 and 23 and not very likely to need medical services. This year this was $822 per month so it is going up considerably.

Maybe Megacorp found a new profit center?

I think maybe I retired from same Megacorp. My subsidized retiree medical premium this year for DW and I is $770/mo. Next year is rises ~25% to $950/mo. This is for a HDHP, 60/40 with $2K deductible per person.

I don't think Megacorp is trying to make a profit. I think they are trying to get out of providing health insurance to retirees by raising the premiums to the point where retirees can't afford to stay with them and have to get health insurance elsewhere, e.g. - ACA Health Exchanges.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

No increase for 2014 regarding medical (United Health Care),vision and dental through retiree benefits. Combined cost is still $289 a month for DH and me.

Wow -- good for you. That's a lot of coverage for a low premium.

Our group retirement family plan (w/HSA) went up 5% for a new premium of around $1200/month plus I fully fund the HSA. In March I start Medicare and that should help; DW won't be in MC for another 2.5 years.

Bottom line: high end plan (HSA-linked PPO) went up 5%, MC effects to be determined in March.