Our Health Insurance Decision
A few weeks ago I wrote about our health insurance dilemma. We were paying more than I was comfortable with for our insurance, and we were exploring health insurance alternatives like Samaritan Ministries International. A lot of factors came into play, but we finally made a decision. Here’s how things went down.
We haven’t had the time to fully research Samaritan Ministries International. We needed to make a decision by the beginning of May, and shortly after I wrote my post on Samaritan Ministries International, my mother-in-law passed away. Needless to say, research was put on hold.
In the meanwhile, the company that employs my husband was also looking into alternatives. In the end, they found a plan that costs us a little less than we’ve been paying every month. Our co-pays are more, but with as little as we see the doctor, we save money with the lower premiums. I’m not ruling out a change in the future, but for now, this new insurance plan will work for us. I’d rather pay a high premium for another year than rush into a decision that’s not right for us.
And we’re already putting our new insurance to the test. Yesterday our new insurance cards came in the mail. Then last night, my son smacked his lip on the edge of the countertop in the bathroom, and we were off to the emergency room for his first stitches. While I’m not thrilled about the $250 emergency room copay, I’m glad we had insurance to cover the ER visit. Hopefully that will be our last emergency room experience for a long time!
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By Lynnae McCoy, on May 12, 2010
I'm Lynnae, wife of one and stay-at-home mom of two. I'm committed to getting out of debt by being frugal with my choices in life.
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Ouch! Poor little guy. And “ouch” to your pocketbook, too, but as you say, it’s a good thing you didn’t have to pay the whole bill.
It doesn’t take a catastrophic illness to put you in the hole. A kid falling out of a tree and breaking an arm could end up breaking the bank once you add up costs for ER intake, ER doc, X-rays, orthopedic specialist to look at the X-rays, cast, sling and a follow-up visit somewhere.
But catastrophic illness *can* strike out of the blue. In my family’s case, it was a rare neurological disease (Guillain-Barre syndrome) that felled our college-age daughter and paralyzed her right up to her eyeballs. She spent 21 days in the ICU (ka-ching!), a couple of months in a long-term respiratory care hospital and then two weeks in a rehab center learning to walk, etc. If it hadn’t been for our very good health insurance we would have gone bankrupt.
Now I’m divorced and paying for my own health care (an HMO), which costs close to $300 a month; it will go up about $15 in July. But I feel lucky to have it.
Health insurance sucks. It’s such a pain to have to deal with. I wish it was easier!
I’m glad you figured out something. So sorry to hear about your son :(
Medical care is getting a bit out of hand, my husband broke his ankle at work and thankfully we didn’t have to pay the bill, but it cost over $20,000 for two nights, plus surgery and a plate in his leg. They charged $2,900 for a 6 inch metal plate!! I keep asking my husband what it feels like to have $3,000 in his leg!
I have a high copay on my insurance for ER visits and found out (through a similar scenario with a bike riding son who needed stitches in his chin)… there may be a way to save money on stitches but you have to know your insurance. I have a high co pay on ER visits. However, I have a $35 co pay for an urgent care visit. If I had known about the urgent care Co-pay and known where the urgent care centers are, I’d have save myself about $200 bucks. Live and learn… But I now know where those urgent care centers are and know their hours too…
Some grocery chains (like HEB here in the South) have minor care clinics in them that have extended hours compared to regular doctor’s offices and are often lots quicker to get an appointment (or possibly walk in.) If your insurance is excepted (worth checking) they aren’t any less expensive than a regular doctor’s co-pay, but they may save you time off work/school for simple things like ear or sinus infections.
Curious Canadian here… will the new health care reforms change anything for you in the future? Will you still have copays? Could a serious illness or injury stil lead to bankruptcy?
Paying for healthcare isn’t even on my radar and doesn’t get a mention in our budget. When we go to the dentist we pay upfront and our employer provided plan reimburses about 95% of the costs. When we go to the doctor or hospital there is normally no charge at all. We show our government issued card and that’s it. There are a few services which are considered optional and you pay for those. If you need a doctor’s note for an absence from school or work they normally charge you $10-20 to provide it. Same to provide you with international travel related consultations/innoculations. If you call an ambulance to your home rather than driving yourself to the hospital they’ll send you a bill (not sure if the fee applies if your injured elsewhere and the police call the ambunce).
My husband had a stroke nearly 8 years ago. The drugs he got when he arrived at the hospital brought him back to normal within 20minutes but he spent 2 weeks in hospital for monitoring and various testing. Total cost for the entire thing was $45 for the ambulance I called to the house. Delivery of our two children – $0. Stitches for assorted minor injuries over the years – free. Last night I spent 4hrs in emergency when I had an alergic reaction to shrimp for the first time, again $0.
No system is perfect, ours included. Getting everything free here doesn’t always make up for those times when you must go on a wait longer than you’d like for a non-urgent test or procedure. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to buy your way to the front of the line when you feel it’s important.
I hope that the reforms in the US ultimately mean fewer people are left vulnerable because they cannot afford the care they need.
Always, always double- and triple-check your hospital bills. And call in to ask for clarification. And challenge charges. I got a bill in the mail for almost $2000 after I had my ACL reconstructed and eventually paid about $250. You may have the best doctor in the world but if their billing department is inept/dishonest, you’re likely to get screwed. Don’t trust billing just coz your doctor is a saint.