Inch Worms, Ticks and Insurance Companies

[peternap]

I guess because of the warm winter, the pests are everywhere. I've never seen so many inch worms, every day I have to pull 8 or 10 ticks off and that's after using generous amounts of DEET,

Today I got our annual health insurance increase. Last year I took myself off and just left Jane on. Neither of us ever put in a claim and she only has major med. That cut it down to $250.00 a month.

Well, they must need money so they increased her bill $100.00 a month.

I think I've figured the scam out.

If you put in claims, they increase it to the point you can't afford it anymore and they're off the hook.

If you don't put in claims, they bleed you until you reach the age that they figure you will have a major medical problem, then increase it to the point you can't afford it and they're off the hook.

How many plagues are we supposed to get before the end in December? 

[NM_Shooter]

My insurance was great prior to this administration.  Changed hard for the worse this spring. 

I now am out of pocket for the first $3000 every year, at which time it starts to kick in.  We're paying $350 a month premiums, PLUS whatever our company is paying on top of that.  Plus, the variety of docs that I can now see is extremely limited.

It was bad enough before Obama.  All we did was give the insurance companies more freedom in screwing the actual paying customers. 

[Don_P]

Self employed, this is not my first rebuild, they've paid out, I guess that means I won   . Mine had been going obscene pre Bush, continued apace thru Obama. It is a bit lower now but I switched flavors. I did get a little lesson a few weeks ago. I had to pay for the MRI out of pocket as part of the deductable and got to see the bill two ways. If uninsured it would have cost $1000, the insurance company had a negotiated price of $500, which is what I paid.

[MountainDon]

My jaw and I have won bigtime.  Really big. The three operations with all the hardware included totaled some $175,000+ in insurance company billings. My financial responsibilities came to less than $1000, not counting the high monthly insurance premiums I paid for years.

... reminds me I have a follow up visit coming up in a month or two. 

[Sassy]

You seem to be doing pretty good now, Don...  that was quite an ordeal you had to go through!

I've had 2 surgeries in the past 3 yrs - the gall bladder, because of complications & a week stay probably totaled $120,000;  the back surgery $17,000...  now, the doctors, hospitals, etc didn't get near that much, probably 25% & I paid out around $4000 on the 1st & $400 on the 2nd...  sooooo, figured I'm ahead compared to what I paid out.  Not that it is such a great thing to have to use it but glad I had it. 

For awhile I was paying about $800 mo for both of us;  now since I've retired & gone to a less expensive plan, it's $350/mo I think. 

[MountainDon]

For the last few years before I turned 65 I was paying 750- 800 a month for myself. However it was good coverage. I've had issues with my colon for many years and the HMO plan covered the procedure and made the premium pay for itself. I could have chosen a plan that cost me less but then I would have been on the hook for the cost of the colonoscopy each year. So I figured if I was paying out the big dollars I may as well get the most bang for the buck. Buy the insurance.

Now that I'm 65 I am covered by Medicare. I've heard some complain that where they are they couldn't get much choice in doctors that accept MCare. Here in my part of NM I could choose to use the same health insurer with some slight changes in the plan, a few things with a higher co-pay, many with a lower co-pay. When was the last time anyone had a $5 co-pay for their primary care physician? I probably shouldn't tell you what that monthly cost from me is.      




$99.90.  I don't know what the carrier gets from the government. 

[peternap]

I just don't understand the cost to us.
Never a claim, I'm not on the plan and she hasn't been sick a day in 3o years.
Major Med with a 6,000.00 deductible is $500.00 a month.
That just doesn't make sense

[Windpower]

The ticks were as bad as ever at the farm in WI

grandson had one dig into his neck but mom got it out ok

weather was great however