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Discussion Forum

Health Insurance

scott1q1 | Posted in Business on September 5, 2007 11:52am

Doing some shopping for my small business and was wondering if anyone had used either the Nari or Home Builders health programs.

If so, any comment on the plan or prices?  The worst part of looking is trying to compare plans. Its tough to understand the plans and compare apples to apples.

I read here a few weeks ago chambers of commerce may have good group plans, but in my area they told me lately members have been saying the plan is overpriced.

Having a slight distrust of the insurance industry in general isn’t helping, any info from personal experience would be great!

 

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  1. User avater
    jocobe | Sep 06, 2007 12:12am | #1

    If it's just insurance for yourself (and your family) you may want to check out an HSA. I had BCBS for years and was nervous about switching, but am glad I did.

    .

    View Image
    1. User avater
      EricPaulson | Sep 06, 2007 01:45am | #2

      Plase tell us some more about your HSA and your provider please.[email protected]

       

       

       

       

      1. User avater
        jocobe | Sep 06, 2007 02:08am | #3

        The provider is Golden Rule. Basically it's a low monthly premium with a high deductible. You have a savings account you can deposit tax free funds to use for medical expenses, even stuff that isn't covered by the policy. Like braces for my son, dental visits, even aspirin from the drug store. Anything medical related can be charged against the tax free account. Once you hit the deductible, they cover EVERYTHING. My deductible is $5,200.00. I've never hit it. But if I was ever out of pocket the entire deductible, plus the monthly premiums, at the end of the year it was still a couple of thousand dollars less then BCBS.I think even BCBS has an HSA now. If you have any preexisting medical conditions they may not be covered for a couple of years..View Image

        1. scott1q1 | Sep 08, 2007 03:42am | #4

          Thanks for the replies. The hsa looks good, but sorta looking for a higher monthly payment that has really good coverage right now.

          I guess in this case no news is not good news, if noone uses those groups for insurance the programs must not be very good, question answered :)

          1. calvin | Sep 08, 2007 06:16am | #5

            Give it some time scott, 4 hrs of answers isn't very much.

            Especially on the start of a weekend.

            Best of luck.

             

             A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

            Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

            http://www.quittintime.com/

             

          2. User avater
            EricPaulson | Sep 08, 2007 02:41pm | #6

            This is one of those topics that comes up often and never seems to gain much traction.

            I believe that many of us eithe r don't have insurance, and are too embarrassed or frustrated by that fact to talk about it; or they are gettting benfits from their spouses.

            Insurance of all types should be a hot topic here in my opinion.

            I'm as curious as you are as to why the board goes silent evrytime the topic comes up.[email protected]

             

             

             

             

          3. User avater
            BillHartmann | Sep 08, 2007 03:55pm | #7

            The other thing is all health insurance (and most, if not all others) is state based.And any plan offered by a group won't be available in another state and that group in another state might offer health insuracne.
            .
            .
            A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

          4. User avater
            EricPaulson | Sep 08, 2007 04:52pm | #8

            I realize that.

            But; there are more than fifty of us here living in individual states and many plans overlap adjoining or other states.[email protected]

             

             

             

             

        2. Hackinatit | Sep 08, 2007 05:18pm | #9

          BCBS has an HSA. One big benefit is you pay the doctor what BCBS has negotiated... to the tune of 70% discounts on some procedures.

          It really is insurance... you pay for health care and are protected from huge liabilities.

           Troy Sprout

          "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should also have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." -- George Washington

  2. TLE | Sep 08, 2007 08:19pm | #10

    Over the years I have priced out a lot of different policies.

    Just trying to cover my family (not employees) I decided on a major medical plan.

    The one I started with while I was still in my 30's had a $1,000 deductible with a 20/80 copay for the next $8,000 then full coverage after that.

    It really didn,t cover much -  it was primarily so that I wouldn't lose my house over some major operation/illness.

    20 years ago it cost about $450 a quarter, but got up to $680/month this year.

    I just switched to a BCBS major medical policy that had roughly the same coverage, but only cost $375/ month

    As nice as it would be to have full coverage (docter visits, meds, etc.) I could not justify it.

     

    Terry

    1. scott1q1 | Sep 09, 2007 12:46am | #11

      The hsa's do sound like the way to go, will probably end up going that route.

      Been insurance-less for awhile and am a pretty healthy person, the only medical attention needed since my last covereage ended is a couple trips in for stitches.

      Have zero exsisting conditions, so thought about getting a high dollar policy for a year or so to get checked out then switching to a hsa.

      On a separate insurance note..got a message from my agent friday nite saying that the premium on the liability policy I paid for about 10 weeks ago is actually twice as much as she quoted me per year. I pre-paid for a year..now she's saying we can get about half that back and swap to a different company with a better rate.

      I feel like her company should at least prorate my refund based on the amount they quoted me, and then go from there. How can it take over 2 months to realize the policy was priced wrong? Never had any claims btw, the rate change is strictly a mix-up between her company and the carrier she said in her message.

      1. Cabinetguy45 | Sep 09, 2007 01:22am | #12

        When looking at HSA's be sure to read the fine print. Some of them if you don't use all the money that you put into it by the end of the year, you lose it. The company that I work for has an hsa and this is what was explained to us, so they said to only put in as much as you would use.

        Edited 9/8/2007 6:23 pm ET by Cabinetguy45

        1. User avater
          BillHartmann | Sep 09, 2007 01:33am | #13

          "Some of them if you don't use all the money that you put into it by the end of the year, you lose it. The company that I work for has an hsa and this is what was explained to us, so they said to only put in as much as you would use. "Are you sure that you don't have a cafitera plan?With a true HSA the HSA part of the plan is YOURS.It is basically the same as a deducatble IRA, dedicated to medical expenses..
          .
          A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

          1. Cabinetguy45 | Sep 09, 2007 01:37am | #14

            Maybe I am wrong but I thought what hte poster was describing was what they call a Health Savings Account. Where you put money into it on a regular basis, in our case weekly, and then turn in receipts to get paid out of the account.

          2. User avater
            BillHartmann | Sep 09, 2007 01:58am | #15

            If you had options for using the money for childcare or other usages then it is a cafeteria plan, not HSA.There might be some other type of plan that you are in."As an employer, do I own my employees’ HSAs? Can I control how they spend the money in them?
            No, you do not own your employees’ HSAs. The employee fully owns the contributions to the account as soon as they are deposited, just as with a personal checking or savings account to which you would deposit their compensation."http://www.treas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/faq_employer-participation.shtml.
            .
            A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

          3. Cabinetguy45 | Sep 09, 2007 02:06am | #16

            Bill, If I remember the meeting right we were offered savings accounts for both child care and health care. Maybe that makes what I have totally different than what was being discussed 

            Now maybe I missed something in a rule change or something for this year that allows the money to continue to ride in the account.  I'm not sure.

            Edited 9/8/2007 7:09 pm ET by Cabinetguy45

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