My Medical ins - Premium nearly doubled !!!

[StephN]

This notice from my Regence Medadvantage plan was a shock.

My monthly premium is rising from $149 per month (with prescription coverage) to $262 for the same coverage. Actually a few slight coverage adjustments, but should not much affect my out-of-pocket or doctor visit co-pays, which remain at $10.

This is in ADDITION to the over $100 for the Medicare portion that comes out of my social security check each month. Adds up to almost $400 per month now for my medical coverage!

Anyone else had a "bad surprise" like this?

My husband has an HMO (which I had years ago for a short time) and his monthly premium is changing from $225 to $208 per month. Dental going up $10/month. Go figure.

[Cal-Gal]

Dear Steph,

I am so sorry--I don't have any answers except that I know that something needs to be done.

I am on COBRA at the moment--(lost my job due to breast cancer diagnosis) and I am very thankful for the Obama stimulus plan.

My COBRA payments are $170 a month for the first 9 months--if I am still unemployed at month 10--my payments will be $500 a month----which is what I would be paying now without the stimulus--

I do not know how I will be able to afford that--but being under treatment--I do not have an option--I continue to pray everyday for health care that is affordable and that is quality care for all of US and for EVERYONE--

--and I continue to pray that my house (in another State) sells (on the mkt a year) and that I get a job here in Southern Cal---

Be well and again, I am so sorry to hear about this---

[Mary Anne in TX]

My last month of insurance will be about $550. I've never been so excited to have a birthday...#65 in January!
Each year since diagnosis my insurance went up almost $100. The last 9+ months I had to pay $700. per treatment for herceptin to keep getting it. Not much money left, but I am alive!
They're like man eating fish! Someday it will change. Maybe we need a web site for "I" stories! ma

[Rich66]

Steph,
Medicare advantage plans may be premptively raising rates in light of proposed fed subsidy cuts.
I know when my folks had option to transition from HMO supplemental, numerous "in the know" folks advised going with traditional medicare and adding supplementals to that.

$400/mo doesn't sound so bad when I consider I am 43, extremely healthy and my HMO is 270/mo without prescription coverage or dental.
I am investigating higher deductible plans and health savings account which can change premiums quite a bit. Might make sense for others.
Your husband's HMO sounds like a steal..or a typo;) Ok..must be a Medicare supplemental?
Mary Anne,
Did you have to pay for Herceptin from the beginning? Did you talk to Genentech about support?

[Lien]

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this s**t on top of your medical problems. It shouldn't be necessary in the richest country in the world to not be able to afford medical treatment. I can't believe it hasn't been sorted long ago.

Despite all the negative publicity about "socialized medicine" I am very happy with our system. I pay about 370 dollars a month for our whole family. That includes dental care and all kids under 18 are free. We get to choose our own doctors, all hospital bills and all registered meds are paid for and all complementary medicine up to 1000 euro's is included as well. Our co-pay is 223 euro's a year for my husband and I, none for the kids.

We get very good care, I think, and I'm very happy with the system. I will never have to fear not being able to pay for our medical care. Unless ofcourse some meds one of us desperately needs aren't registered yet in our country. Usually meds are registered a bit earlier in the US than in the Netherlands. But so far it's only been a couple of months later.


Jacqueline

[Rich66]

The typical view of "socialized medicine" doesn't seem to pertain to the Netherlands:
http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2009/05/what_is_healthcare_like_Neth.php

Yes, please. Sounds like a better model than public option/consumer option or competitive option..whatever the name is today. Looks more like what Fed employees have or what the rest of us could have if ins plans were offered across state lines with conditions.

[StephN]

Thanks for comiserating, everyone.

Rich - hubby's plan IS a medicare supplemental.

I am not yet 65, but got on Soc Sec disability due to brain mets and stage IV. They can review at 5 years, and since I have not had more disease, I am afraid they could kick me out of my current status if I remain "stable". Review should be in 2012 and I will not yet be 65 then.

I am saving what I can against a time I may have to pay even more or for treatments! I feel whiplash coming on in trying to follow the proposed "reforms."

[Cal-Gal]

Amazing that so many of us look forward to turning 65.....I am 11 yrs away from that and know something needs to be done for all of us---and many others---

[Brenda_D]

Maybe you can look at some other providers? Was Regence the lowest priced in your area?

I just got my Part D info today and it's going up slightly. I'm thinking of dropping it all together since I can get my current meds for way less on Walmart's 4$/10$ program, than I'm paying for my part D premiums.

Hubby just lost his insurance. He could have went on Cobra but it would be over 700$ a month for him, and $500 for me. He can't use the stimulus cobra pay help program, or they will go back and rescind everything they paid for me since April because I started on Medicare in June. I've had 2 MRI's, a pet/ct, Onc visits, and about $1000 worth of dental since April, so that's not even a option. So he's going to the VA and I'm on Medicare part A, B and D until the end of the year, then I'm up for review on SSD.
On your's, since you're stage 4, I doubt they will do more than send you a short form to fill out. I've been reading on another forum that SS is so swamped with work that they aren't bothering too many in depth reviews.
The closer you are to 55, the less they look at taking you off disabilty. It's considered "advanced" age and you are considered less able to adjust to a new line of work or training.

[hutchibk]

Steph - I pay $320 per month for my govt (medicare)/private (medigap and part D) blend of coverage. I was paying $450 per month for my BCBS coverage when I canceled it a couple of years ago. Still waiting 18 months later for medicare to make good on a brain MRI that they should have paid for and we have appealed 4 times. With the way things seem to be headed, I want out of Medicare so bad I could vomit.

As I like to say: I am for enhancement and refinement, not "deform" which I fear is where we will end up. Rich, you are square on target my friend.

Lien - The dutch system in the last few years is leaps and bounds better than it used to be when it was government controlled, one that was crumbling in the last decade to one that shifts much of the financial burden to private insurance and mandates that you purchase it. Yes, your premiums are cheaper, but your taxes are much higher. However, it is hard to imagine that even though our taxes will increase, our premiums will decrease... things just aren't adding up to something smart and visionary with all of the proposals we are being pummeled with. http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/Postcard/2009/netherlands-healthcare-system.aspx

[Jackie07]

Looks like I'm paying the most expensive one - our (COBRA)premium just went up to $899 (for the two of us) a month (starting December) from the current $749 because the school system switched the carrier from our hospital system to BCBS. There are PPO options that are much cheaper but will not cover pre-existing conditions. (Looking forward to the health care reform that hopefully will balance the bill a little better when everyone's pre-existing conditions are covered.)

We've been with the same HMO since 1991 after my first brain surgery. I had sent an e-mail to the President about our health insurance premium. I told him that back in 1991, our (my husband and I) insurance premium was a little less than 1/4 of my monthly unemployment insurance benefit. By 2003, it was more than 1/3. And now, it's more than 1/2. (No, I did not collect unemployment compensation for the whole 18 years. But every time the economy is down, I'd have major surgery and then lose my job after the one year that is protected by law.)

Being chronically ill, I know I've always consumed more than what we have put in. And our illnesses have had nothing to do with either our life style or health habits. We both were on college sports teams and have always enjoyed outdoors. One of our early dates were on the tennis court and basketball court.

One of my Church members who visited me last Sunday had commented that "Everybody's got aches and pains..." I think the hardest part on this journey is that 'Nobody knows...' the magtitude of the problems we are facing besides just aches and pains...

[DanaRT]

My husband and I have private insurance. It is very expensive and I worried a great deal about the increase due to my cancer. I was assured our premium could only go up a certain percentage per year- state mandate. $100. must be a magic number.

Ours has increased by $100. This March is will probably increase again.

It is a 13% increase.

Love,
Dana

[Laurel]

Jackie, this thread was kinda depressing me until I read your last line about the "aches and pains!" Oh ain't it the truth!!!! Thanks for the chuckle!

I have no idea what to think of health care. I only hope the bozos in Washington do not screw it up worse than it is!

[Ruth]

Steph:
I hate that it went up on you...it is so hard. I am now off COBRA but thank goodness I live in GA so I could get a conversion policy or else I wouldn't have any coverage at all because of the BC. I am self employed. I pay way too much for a huge deductible; no dental; vision or prescription drug plan (only goes against deductible) but I'm thankful I have some coverage. If I was in active disease, I would need in cash over $10k every year just to meet deductible, premiums and co-pays. Crazy!! My extended family lives in Germany and they can't believe how much we pay.
Hugs ~ Ruth

[Cal-Gal]

Hi Ruth-
What you said here is so true--people that do not have a major illness have no idea that yes you would need $10K++++ just to cover what you mentioned--

Does your policy cover pre-existing? my experience when I was SE was that it did not--did you find one that covered pre-exist?

Thanks--

[Ruth]

My policy does cover it but only due to me not having a lapse in coverage of over 60 days...GA insurance law. I had to apply and get into the high risk pool and was picked up by BCBS's high risk policy. Huge deductible and co-pays and only covers me, not my husband (who is also self employed) or the kids. Some states have this option. However, almost all states have ways of getting coverage if you are self employed. You need to incorporate your business and have one other employee (officer..usually husband/wife) on payroll and then form a group policy. You need at least 2 employees of the business to form a group policy. You will be rated, but, you can get pre-existing coverage. I am over the 5 year mark but still got quotes back being rated in the group plans. I ran the numbers and even if my husband and I decided to do a group policy his insurance premium which is ridiculously low now would cost us more with us forming a group policy than what I am doing now unless I get sick again and then we are pretty much in trouble! I deduct my premium payments and opened an HSA to help.
Hugs ~ Ruth

[Cal-Gal]

Thanks Ruth,

I am single and am going to stick to finding a full time position (currently unemployed-lost job due to dx) w/benefits-to suit my financial requirements--

I am still in treatment w/Herceptin until next June-and was just diagnosed 11 months ago--so a long road to travel down---like most everyone here, my out of pockets huge and I just cannot add the stress of a huge--

Congrats on 6 years NED!!!!!

Hugs back to you---Coral

[Jackie07]

We have the so-called 'Texas Risk Pool' here for those who have run out of COBRA. We were on it for a couple of months in the early 90's and more than a year in 2004-2005.

[Chelee]

We are paying $555.10 per month for insurance under my husband's last employer, which was Caltech. It's Anthem Blue Cross. He could get insurance from his current employer but I don't like what they offer and it seems to be more expensive. Seems to be quite a difference in prices for all of us.

Steph...so far no big surprise...our premium has remained the same. However open enrollment for us is in November...so it may be coming soon. That's quite a big hit you took Steph...it's not right.

Chelee

[suzan w]

Hi Steph...the reason "moved" from Poulsbo to by cabin in New Mexico was INSURANCE. Summer of 2008 my premium (Regence WA Blue Cross) went from $380. a month to almost $600. That was with $2400 a year out of pocket. I am self-insured and do not work...small teacher retirement income. In NM I qualify for low income...and with a 'pre-existing condition' qualify for the high risk insurance pool. In WA I could not get insurance at all with my cancer history. This insurance business has us all hostage!!

[hutchibk]

The insane federal regulations that prevent us all from shopping across state lines have us hostage.

[Jaimieh]

Steph I am sorry to hear about your premiums sky rocketing. We went from $8.00 (it's not a typo) a month to $262.00 and we have a $4000.00 deductible. I shouldn't complain though because they offered a BCBS HMO option but it was horrible for a frequent flier like me. So we are sucking it up and paying for the PPO....sighhhh.....

[Joan M]

For those with 401(k)s, withdrawals before age 59 1/2 can be made to pay for COBRA, without penaly. The plan manager will issue a Form 1099. However, you can complete a tax credit form when you file your taxes to let the IRS know that you are exempt from paying a penalty due to a medical hardship. You still have to pay taxes since 401(k) contributions are made with pre-tax dollars.

Joan