Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-14-2014, 12:26 PM   #61
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
swakyaby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: central California
Posts: 1,134
For my California Blue Shield PPO with a $500 deductible per person, I pay 1691.82 per month for my husband (57) and I (53). It's a group rate, so individual plan would be higher. Our dental is $59.92 per month, and our Vision is $13.29 per month. I continue working just so I can afford health care!
swakyaby is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-14-2014, 01:29 PM   #62
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Bikerdude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,901
Medicare - $104.00
Retiree supplemental medical, drug & dental Ins. - $211.00

Total = $315.00/mo.
__________________
“I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said” Alan Greenspan
Bikerdude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 03:00 PM   #63
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Redbugdave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 1,131
I am Federal retiree. We have different plans to choose from at different costs during the open season.

I am paying for the wife and I...$309 a month BCBS Basic for health...and $70 a month high option Met Life dental.

No deductible, $25-35 copayment on visits. $7000 max OOP.

Boy...I feel lucky.
__________________
"I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it." Ashleigh Brilliant
Redbugdave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 03:21 PM   #64
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
pb4uski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,266
Late to the party be we pay $213 a month each for catastrophic coverage with a $6,350 deductible and max OOP.

We previously paid $683 a month for 2 for a bronze plan with a $10,000 deductible and $12,500 max OOP.

One thing to consider is whether the deductible is stacked or aggregate. Ours is aggregate meaning that the premium for 2 would be $426 (2 x the $213 premium for an individual) but the deductible would be $12,700 (2 x $6,350) so if one of us had a health event that cost $10,000 we would get no insurance reimbursement if we had one policy for us as a couple, but since we have individual policies the insurance would pay $3,650 ($10,000 - $6,350)

All of the above are before any subsidy (we expect none since we do Roth conversions to the top of the 15% tax bracket).

As a point of reference, my HDHI HSA eligible COBRA premium for 2012 would have been $900/month for us as a couple and that is what I budgeted for so I'm quite happy over two years later to be paying less than half of that COBRA amount, albeit with a somewhat higher deductible.
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.

Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
pb4uski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 03:50 PM   #65
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,154
I wonder about dental insurance. When I worked for Chicago the bc/bs plan didn't pay for hardly anything but cleanings.
ripper1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 03:55 PM   #66
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
pb4uski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,266
Dental insurance for us would be ~$900/year as I recall. Luckily we don't have any significant dental issues so we have cleanings/checkups which cost us ~$500/year. Even when we had dental when I was working the benefits were not all that great so we self insure and take our chances.
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.

Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
pb4uski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 04:10 PM   #67
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Redbugdave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 1,131
Quote:
Originally Posted by ripper1 View Post
I wonder about dental insurance. When I worked for Chicago the bc/bs plan didn't pay for hardly anything but cleanings.
That's the way it is for me, now. That's why we have supplimental MetLife dental. Used to be, years ago my BCBS had dental in the plan.
__________________
"I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it." Ashleigh Brilliant
Redbugdave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 04:11 PM   #68
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: South central PA
Posts: 3,469
Quote:
Originally Posted by swakyaby View Post
For my California Blue Shield PPO with a $500 deductible per person, I pay 1691.82 per month for my husband (57) and I (53). It's a group rate, so individual plan would be higher. Our dental is $59.92 per month, and our Vision is $13.29 per month. I continue working just so I can afford health care!

You seriously need to check out the California ACA website. It can't be that expensive. Also, note that with less income, you'll qualify for subsidies.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
EastWest Gal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 04:26 PM   #69
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,682
Quote:
Originally Posted by pb4uski View Post
Dental insurance for us would be ~$900/year as I recall. Luckily we don;t have any significant dental issues so we have cleanings/checkups which cost us ~$500/year. Even when we had dental when I was working the benefits were not all that great so we self insure and take our chances.
I made sure to get some costly dental work done in 2007 and 2008 when I was on COBRA and knew I would probably lose my dental insurance once I ERed in late 2008. I also figured out that the full insurance cost I was paying while on COBRA plus any copays and deductibles would cost about the same as two visits to the dentist per year, one set of X-rays, and maybe 1 cavity per visit. So, losing dental insurance was not a big deal as long as I avoided anything big going forward; my dentist (who recently retired, good for him!) at the time told me there were no big, looming issues with my teeth in the near-term.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.

"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
scrabbler1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 05:13 PM   #70
Recycles dryer sheets
EllisWyatt's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 259
We pay $1385/month for the two of us. $5000 deductible for each of us. No dental coverage - it was available, but at $185/ mo each.

Two years ago when we first planned to retire, and we're going to cover our 26 yo son as well, the cost was going to be $700/ mo for a $2500 deductible.

Fortunately, we suspected it would go and budgeted for it.
EllisWyatt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 05:50 PM   #71
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,525
Quote:
Originally Posted by swakyaby View Post
For my California Blue Shield PPO with a $500 deductible per person, I pay 1691.82 per month for my husband (57) and I (53). It's a group rate, so individual plan would be higher. Our dental is $59.92 per month, and our Vision is $13.29 per month. I continue working just so I can afford health care!
That sounds pretty high. It may be worth it if you/husband have ongoing conditions that require very specialized treatment. If you are both reasonably healthy you might consider some of the various Obamacare plans.
ejman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-2014, 08:37 PM   #72
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
pb4uski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,266
Quote:
Originally Posted by ejman View Post
That sounds pretty high. It may be worth it if you/husband have ongoing conditions that require very specialized treatment. If you are both reasonably healthy you might consider some of the various Obamacare plans.
+1. swakyaby, have you checked out healthsherpa.com?
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.

Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
pb4uski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 12:00 AM   #73
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
swakyaby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: central California
Posts: 1,134
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastWest Gal View Post
You seriously need to check out the California ACA website. It can't be that expensive. Also, note that with less income, you'll qualify for subsidies.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
It is that expensive. The ACA expands insurance coverage for those under 65 who make up to 130% of the federal poverty level. I don't qualify for that. And I don't qualify for any subsidies. And that's why I continue to work.
swakyaby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 06:49 AM   #74
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
pb4uski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,266
Quote:
Originally Posted by swakyaby View Post
It is that expensive. The ACA expands insurance coverage for those under 65 who make up to 130% of the federal poverty level. I don't qualify for that. And I don't qualify for any subsidies. And that's why I continue to work.
Part of the reason it is so costly may be because the deductible is so low. $500 is a very low deductible. In fact, I can't recall hearing of a deductible that low recently but we have had HDHI plans for the last 5 years or so. Depending on your health, there is a definite trade-off between premiums and deductible. In the policies I have looked at in my state, if you have significant health issues the cost is similar across the different medal bands so it is simply a matter of whether you pay the insurer or pay the provider.

Since we are healthy, we have a high deductible policy. The insurer doesn't pay claims until after we have incurred $6,350 of claims for a year (for one). We usually only incur $1,500 or so each and luckily none so far this year. After the $6,350, the insurer pays 100%. So we get insurance protection against a catastrophic illness and access to negotiated rates from providers for $213 a month.

According to healthsherpa.com a BCBS bronze PPO plan with a $5,000 deductible and $6,350 MOOP for someone in LA (zip 90001 - not sure where you are in CA so I just picked LA's first zip code) is $383 a month for a 53 YO non-smoker and $458 for a 57 YO non-smoker. Those rates are similar to the $342/month we were paying for a bronze plan earlier this year before we changed plans.
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.

Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
pb4uski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 06:54 AM   #75
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 1,894
Quote:
Originally Posted by swakyaby View Post
It is that expensive. The ACA expands insurance coverage for those under 65 who make up to 130% of the federal poverty level. I don't qualify for that. And I don't qualify for any subsidies. And that's why I continue to work.
The ACA expands coverage for everyone in that you can not be rejected anymore. There are several parts, medicaid expansion covers those under 65 up to 133% of FPL ( if your state expanded medicare ). subsidies are available up to 400% of FPL. And if your premium exceeds 9.5% of your household income there are some options.

Is this group plan you have from an employer ?
rbmrtn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 07:05 AM   #76
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
swakyaby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: central California
Posts: 1,134
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbmrtn View Post
The ACA expands coverage for everyone in that you can not be rejected anymore. There are several parts, medicaid expansion covers those under 65 up to 133% of FPL ( if your state expanded medicare ). subsidies are available up to 400% of FPL. And if your premium exceeds 9.5% of your household income there are some options.

Is this group plan you have from an employer ?
Yes, it is. Although employees pay the entire premium. Believe it or not, the employer dropped California Blue Cross because the premium was even higher for 2014.
swakyaby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 07:24 AM   #77
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,154
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastWest Gal View Post
You seriously need to check out the California ACA website. It can't be that expensive. Also, note that with less income, you'll qualify for subsidies.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
Maybe lower rates with ACA but deductibles are like 5000 or 6000 an individual and co-pays and other expensives are sky high.
ripper1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 07:50 AM   #78
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 1,894
Quote:
Originally Posted by ripper1 View Post
Maybe lower rates with ACA but deductibles are like 5000 or 6000 an individual and co-pays and other expensives are sky high.
depends the "metal" level you choose. Gold level may have $500 deduct., platinum plans offer even lower deductibles. You trade that off with increased premiums. The maximum out of pocket expense helps control this now as they can not stack other charges on top of the OOPM

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/...maximum-limit/

Once you hit the OOPM your are covered 100%. For me, to get a $500 deductible I would be paying a lot in premiums for something seldom used.
rbmrtn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 07:58 AM   #79
Administrator
MichaelB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,586
Member Anamorph shared a spreadsheet with us last year that compares the total cost of policies based on different health spending scenarios. Generally speaking, the least "total cost" policies were those with the highest deductibles and the most expensive were those with the highest actuarial value. The differences weren't huge, so effectively, if one uses substantial health care during the year one will pay a lot no matter what the deductible is.

Of course, in the cases of less healthcare need during any year the no or low deductible plans were considerably more costly that all other alternatives.
MichaelB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2014, 08:10 AM   #80
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Florida's First Coast
Posts: 7,666
This is the way it SHOULD be.

Enrolling for medical coverage is mandatory for B.C. residents.

In B.C., premiums are payable for MSP coverage and are based on family size and income.

Effective January 1, 2014, monthly rates are $69.25 for one person, $125.50 for a family of two and $138.50 for a family of three or more. From January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013 monthly rates are $66.50 for one person, $120.50 for a family of two and $133.00 for a family of three or more.

Note how it is NOT free as a lot of people think. Just affordable.

If these prices were similar in the USA everyone could NOT afford to NOT be covered.
__________________
"Never Argue With a Fool, Onlookers May Not Be Able To Tell the Difference." - Mark Twain
ShokWaveRider is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
KFF FAQ on expected healthcare premiums in 2014 MichaelB Health and Early Retirement 15 03-31-2013 06:03 PM
What would you do - pay off student loan or pay down mortgage? bank5 FIRE and Money 27 07-27-2009 05:30 PM
Pay $15K upfront to pre-pay 20+ years of oil heat bills??? farmerEd Other topics 16 02-14-2008 06:46 AM
Pay COBRA premiums using HSA free4now FIRE and Money 3 08-22-2006 12:18 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:54 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.