Here is the cost of the Health Care Congress has, how much do you pay?

[ThomWV]

I belong to the system and pay $365 a month for Blue Cross/Blue Shield coverage, family option (covers myself and my wife). The price and coverage would be exactly the same if I was a mail-clerk, Federal retiree, Senator, Congressperson, Supreme Court Judge, or the President of the United States.

Congress participates in the Federal Employees Health Program which is an assemblage of private insurance company plans which all full time Federal employees can chose from. Some are more expensive than others, some cover more or less than others. The employee pays a portion of the premium and the employer (Federal Government) pays a portion. I am not sure on the percentages but I do recall that it is an approximate 65/45 split with the Government paying the larger portion.

[mmonk]

1. I switched to a Blue Cross Blue Shield health savings account

because I couldn't afford $1200 a month for family coverage. So now I pay $775 a month with a $5,450.00 deductable.

[ThomWV]

6. That is an interesting comparison

If we presume that the coverage is abut the same then you are paying roughly 50% more for the policy than I am. The total cost of my FEHP coverage is about $560 a month for the two of us when you consider my pay in plus the Government match.

[mmonk]

11. And I'm assured of an increase every year because I'm self employed.

It has never decreased nor held steady. It has always outstripped inflation.

[Christa]

2. We don't even have health care

we cannot afford it :-(

[graywarrior]

3. I just got free care through my local hospital

Trust me, they do the bare minimum. I need surgery but they're stalling.

[safeinOhio]

4. I too have BC/BS

Moved from Mi to OH and I can only go to doctors "within" the plan. WTF, can't pick my own doctor. WTF is this Canada with out the cost savings.

[newfie11]

29. Canada does not dictate what doctor you can see N?T

[safeinOhio]

32. They lied?

[babylonsister]

5. Thank you. Some people are of the mistaken assumption

that theirs is free. It's not.

[mmonk]

7. We aren't requesting it has to be free (though that would be great).

It's been many decades since I paid as little as they do.

[ThomWV]

8. That is exactly why I posted the information

It would seem that some folks thinks its a super plan that covers everything on earth too. We get nailed by co-pays and every excuse known to man to avoid payment at all not to mention mountains of paperwork anytime a claim is filed. Its no different than many other employee sponsored plans. Actually I had much better health insurance before I went to work for the Federal Government and I didn't pay a dime for it with my previous private sector employer.

[CreekDog]

28. no dental or vision

:shrug:

[lamp_shade]

9. Seems very reasonable to me for family coverage.

[patriotvoice]

10. I had BCBS for all of my company...

and it was about $350 per person, $700 for family. However, BCBS was increasing their rates at 25%-29% per year, so by now I would have paid about $550 per person, $1000 per family. Fuck BCBS. I can't say that enough.

[HelenWheels]

12. Retiree

I'm a retired State employee and pay $320/month for health care. I have to pay a $380/year deductible for medications. Pretty much every thing else is covered.

[mmonk]

15. And that is why it is not an issue for many people while others

like myself don't know how much longer we can afford insurance. As long as that is the case, healthcare coverage in the United States will be grossly uneven and unfair to a significant portion of the population.

[ThomWV]

16. May I ask which State you retired from?

It sounds to me like you have a reasonable plan with a relatively reasonable price.

[HelenWheels]

19. Wisconsin

I didn't pay any supplement for 8 years after I retired. We could save our sick leave we didn't use and could apply that to health insurance.

[hobbit709]

13. My wife pays $360/mo for her COBRA

Which runs out in Aug. Supposedly where she's working now(30hrs/wk) is making her full time then so she'll get benefits. The stimulus deal doesn't cover her because she lost her job in Feb of last year.
Her copays are $35-55 on her meds except for one $10. She has a $3000 deductible and the therapist she sees is costing her $300/mo out of pocket.
I get my medical through the VA. It costs me $64/mo for my meds but everything else is covered. I'm not disabled enough to qualify for SSID, but not healthy enough to work a real job either. All I can do at this point is hang on until I'm 62 and go on regular SS.
We're spending about $1000/mo on everything. Luckily the mortgage is only $540/mo, the truck is paid for and we only have about $600 in credit card debt.

[Cassandra]

14. $1000 per month...

for individual, BCBS, basic HMO.

[ThomWV]

18. Jesus Christ! That's outright rape.

[Cassandra]

26. With no end in sight.

NY has laws requiring that a wide variety of really basic procedures be covered so the insurance companies use that as an excuse to up the cost. Of course, that amount is for a healthy person. There's no guarantee that if I got sick, that BCBS would be there for me.

[madokie]

17. I use the VA

Future health care was one of the reason I went so willingly way back when. I never had to use it until my 54th bday.

[bighart]

20. My coverage costs me $160 a month for family coverage

with a $1000 deductible per person or $3000 max family deductible. My company foots 80% of the premium. Granted I am salaried and company pays more of my health care than they do for hourly employees, their coverage went from $40 per week to $60 in January. My coverage went from $25 per week to $40 at the same time.

[mmonk]

22. Count your blessings.

I couldn't even imagine that in my wildest dreams.

[bighart]

31. I am very lucky.

As a member of the company steering committee health care coverage and the associated cost are something that are talked about regularly as a way to reduce our overall costs.

[mnhtnbb]

21. Hubby is a retiree of the VA system; we have Federal BCBS.

$314.47 is deducted from his pension check monthly for our health benefits.

[a kennedy]

23. I pay 1580.00 per month for my "family" coverage

which is my husband and I. 15.00 co pay for drugs and nothing else.......it IS the cadillac of insurance coverage......but as of July 1st I will have to pay this amount if I want this insurance. For the last 3 years my employer paid it all as my sick leave balance was converted to the premium and was paid, now, my sick leave balance is all but gone, and I will have to pick up the premium if I want the same coverage.

[Bandit]

24. My wife has Blue Cross also but they just raised her rates to $690. a month

Just for her alone with no pre-existing conditions or even current conditions. It went from not quite five hundred a month to almost seven hundred a month and she can't afford it so had to choose a plan with a five thousand dollar deductible and it is still more than she was paying..I have zero insurance but am a veteran and if some catastrophe happens I am hoping I can get veterans care.

[RebelOne]

25. I pay just under $100 a month for full coverage,

including dental, eye care and life insurance. This is a group policy through my employer. I am also collecting social security and eligible for Medicare, but I wouldn't have the same coverage. I'll just save Medicare for when I retire, whenever that happens, as I can't afford to right now.

[dysfunctional press]

27. i have medicare.

it's alright- but it could and should, be MUCH better.

[L0oniX]

30. $365 ....I could afford that easy ......if I lived in the street!

[DU GrovelBot]

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