I've had Blue Cross for years and years and absolutely loved the PPO health insurance option but last year, my health insurance plan went up about 100.00 so I switch to a higher deductible and a higher copay to help lower cost at 287.00 but then I turned 40 and my new higher deductible/higher copay plan went up almost 400.00, geez, I switch plans because of the cost, I wasn't planning on paying double for higher deductible/higher copay. And its not like when I go to the doctor, my health insurance even covers it 100%, I usually end of getting a bill from my doctor for about 50% of the treatment which Blue Cross didn't cover and didn't even applied to my deductible either for that matter. So what is the point of health insurance exactly? Seriously if I'm going to pay 400.00 per month for health insurance, then I want 100% coverage - sounds fair right? Not that I'm going to pay 400.00 per month when my deductible is 500/year - that sounds crazy too right? My prescriptions are only 50% covered because I need a brand name drug for my psorasis, although its defintely better than paying 187.00 for a tube. So what did I do? I cancelled my Blue Cross health insurance plan - you're probably thinking I'm crazy but here's the plan, that 350.00 per month that I was paying Blue Cross for minimal coverage that really didn't cover very much anyways, I mean out of pocket max was 5000.00 a year, that 350.00 month is now going to go into a business savings account and when I need to go to the doctor, the money will come from that account and I'll ask my doctors for discounted cash rate, looks like some doctors offer up to 15% discounted rate if you pay cash and also I will ask for prescription samples, alot of my doctors used to give me samples when I didn't have health insurance.
I'm not entirely crazy, I'm applying for Blue Shield Insurance, same coverage, I'm still 40 and no deductible and the rate is 202.00 per month, so that extra 150.00 per month still will go into a business savings for extra health expenses not coverage by insurance such as alternative health treatments. And if I'm denied health insurance from Blue Shield, its a possibly, then 350 to a savings account or 4200/year to use for health related issues
The business savings is not a HSA plan - personal opinion, I think its stupid. And my health insurance guy kept trying to talk me into a high really high deductible which I just don't understand, I don't go to the doctor that often, so I would never spend enough to reach a 5000.00 deductible, think about it. You go to doctor 4 times a year, lets say your insurance covers only 50% of the visit and its 500 per visit and you pay 350/month for coverage. You have now paid 4200/year + 1000.00 for visits and you still haven't met your deductible. No wonder so many people don't have health insurance, its crazy.
And now the health insurance companies are upset about a government plan because they are afraid that the government will out drive them out of business. Maybe they should, level out the playing field again. Maybe we should go back to when doctors were paid cash for treatments. Is Health Insurance saving you any money?
Although after writing this out, thinking seriously about just not getting Blue Shield at all, I can put 4200 a year into a savings account and use that and potentially get discounted rates from my doctors for paying cash - maybe I should call my doctors and see if that's an option first.
10:41:14 PM
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