Pretty close to my plan with an HSA, and I'm a family of 3. I pay 100% up to $14K. My annual premium is over $15K . The perils of being in a small business.
Its really hard to tell the Republicans from the Democrats on this thread.
My main cost is Dr visits and prescriptions. Probably 3 visits a year. No idea how much the prescriptions are at full price but don't think they are too costly. Even so, if I figure conservatively about $20 each/month that is about $80/month between the 2 of us. Dr visits might be about $100 each? So figure about $1200-1500/year that I would have to pay out of pocket under the 2 HSA's we were offered. The HSA's were $840/month for the $3000 deductible and $660/month for the $5000 deductible. Under each of these I would have to pay out of pocket for almost everything until my deductible is met. The price difference between what I went with and the $3000 HSA is only about $250/month ($3000/year) but I would also have to pay the first $3000 out of pocket so if I used my deductible it's a wash. We have never used up our deductibles but I am probably going to have hernia surgery this year so it is worth it at least for this year. I may drop it down next year when we re-up. But anyway, so at a minimum I would be spending $9200 with the cheapest plan and my deductibles for Dr visits and prescriptions. Under the plan I went with I will spend at least $13200/year in premiums plus my co-pays on Dr and prescriptions, which is only going to be about $200/year. So probably a $4000/year savings if we do not use our insurance at all going with the cheaper plan but 1 broken bone or surgery and we will be further ahead with the better plan. The HSA's covered $0 of anything until deductibles were met. And the price difference between the $3000 HSA and the plan I went with was only about $2000/year. After paying for our minimal stuff we would be almost even anyway. But yeah, you are right, if we hardly use it the HSA might be better and I may switch to that next year after I have the surgery.
Nice! Will check into that. I get all mine from the local Rite Aid
I had something in my ear that was bothering me for a couple of weeks. Finally went to Med Express and they found a dog hair wedged in there that was rubbing my eardrum. I was literally in there for 5 minutes with the Dr/nurse and that includes the time the nurse spent with me taking my BP. Dr got a pair of tweezers and pulled it out. Bill was a little over $500. I called Med Express and complained that they were billing me about $10,000/hour. They did reduce it to about $250 but it was still ridiculous. I will never go to Med Express again. And the shocker, I had to pay that $250 out of my pocket. But a 'freeloader' would have not paid a dime.
