KidsHappen Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) We have a high deductible plan, $5000 which incidently is how much we can put on our flex card. We thought this would work out great. However, since the beginning of the year we have found out that we have to pay 100% of our prescriptions until we meet our deductible (we previously had a prescription plan and were under the impression we would still have this benefit). Dental & vision are seperate plans that don't count towards our deductible or out of pocket max. My pdoc doesn't accept insurance. Then today I just found out that chiro and message therapy won't be covered anymore either. This is basically all of our health care! By the end of Feb. we will have already maxed out our flex card with dental and our first three months of prescriptions. After that prescriptions will be free (Thank goodness!) but we will have to pay out of pocket for any additional dental plus vision, mental health, chiro and message therapy. My chiro/message therapy alone will be about $300 a month. We don't have this much room in our budget and it is my most effective method of dealing with my pain. I will also have to pay for my pdoc which is about $150 every three months. Then we have to pray we don't have any additional dental or vision costs. Edited February 1, 2011 by KidsHappen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jld Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I am so sorry. :( :grouphug: There really isn't much of a solution for people with disabilities or long term issues. I would try and see if you can apply for medicaid. That is what the hospital was telling me to do. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 We have a high deductible plan, $5000 which incidently is how much we can put on our flex card. We thought this would work out great. However, since the beginning of the year we have found out that we have to pay 100% of our prescriptions until we meet our deductible (we previously had a prescription plan and were under the impression we would still have this benefit). Dental & vision are seperate plans that don't count towards our deductible or out of pocket max. My pdoc doesn't accept insurance. Then today I just found out that chiro and message therapy won't be covered anymore either. This is basically all of our health care! By the end of Feb. we will have already maxed out our flex card with dental and our first three months of prescriptions. After that prescriptions will be free (Thank goodness!) but we will have to pay out of pocket for any additional dental plus vision, mental health, chiro and message therapy. My chiro/message therapy alone will be about $300 a month. We don't have this much room in our budget and it is my most effective method of dealing with my pain. I will also have to pay for my pdoc which is about $150 every three months. Then we have to pray we don't have any additional dental or vision costs. :grouphug: I'm sorry. That's insane that you would have to pay that much on top of your premiums, too. Everything you listed is covered in my basic provincial health care, with the exception of the chiro & massage therapy, which would be covered under referral care if I had 2 physicians refer it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Drinking probably is not covered either. :tongue_smilie: I understand. We pay enough in medical expenses to claim them on our taxes. This year, we're planning to save every OTC item that counts too. I hate that whenever my kids want to do anything (sports, or anything unusual), my first thought is, "What if they get hurt, and we have to meet the deductible and then 20%?" (or whatever we have to pay). I took for granted all the years we had great insurance coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 We tried a high deductible plan with an HSA once. We don't even go to the doctor nor buy prescriptions and we hated the HSA. It's really a ridiculous plan (if you can call it a plan). Sorry to hear that. Will you be able to switch next year? Yes, provided they still offer the other plan. However, each year our options have been getting worse and worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 Drinking probably is not covered either. :tongue_smilie: I understand. We pay enough in medical expenses to claim them on our taxes. This year, we're planning to save every OTC item that counts too. I hate that whenever my kids want to do anything (sports, or anything unusual), my first thought is, "What if they get hurt, and we have to meet the deductible and then 20%?" (or whatever we have to pay). I took for granted all the years we had great insurance coverage. I know what you mean about taking it for granted and no drinking isn't covered either but at least it is cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) Welcome to my world, and I'm truly sorry you have to be in this situation (((hugs))). We went 7+ yrs. w/o dental or vision coverage b/c they weren't included, and as for chiro/massage, there was a clause added to last year's benefit book leaving no loopholes or question about their non-coverage for those, not even if medically prescribed. :( While they reduce coverage, premiums have been steadily going up, with the sharpest increase the last 2 years. I know Kaiser in SoCal has a wider range of coverage; do they have that where you are? Edited February 2, 2011 by Annabel Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Peach Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 :grouphug: I'm sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Geez, what is the purpose of insurance if you can't use it! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Geez, what is the purpose of insurance if you can't use it! :grouphug: As ABC News put it: In the midst of a deep economic recession, America's health insurance companies increased their profits by 56 percent in 2009, a year that saw 2.7 million people lose their private coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Will the flex total be lowered with your plan? Ours was due to the new bill, and I do.not.like.it.one.bit. We are also hit with the prescription reg... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiebird Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 :iagree: it really sucks. We've never had dental or vision or coverage for massage therapy, chiropractor care, OT, PT, etc are all out of pocket. Basically it's a 2K deductible and 80% afterward and $30 co-pays for all of it but your one annual a year. All for the low low price of $1200/month! I hate health care in this country. People would tell us it would be good for my husband to be a teacher because of the benefits, but that's basically if you get into the 3 or 4 districts that actually have a decent heath plan. Anywhere else though...blech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I have to say we used to have a high deductible and HSA plan and it was the best insurance we ever had! We met our deductible in about 4 months. My prescriptions alone were almost enough to make $5000 in that amount of time. Those months were hard the first year, but after that we had left over money in the HSA (from what we had to chip in the first year) and the insurance paid 100% of everything! I know it is difficult to adjust to this type of plan, but if you have high medical expenses it really does benefit you. You also benefit with low expenses. The only ones who don't come out well are those who almost meet their deductible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 What I find aggravating is that our insurance payments have gone through the roof even as we were moved to a high deductible plan. I don't find it surprising that medical costs have gone up, but THAT much? In just a few years? Somebody's pockets are getting lined with gold. But I suspect that in a few years, the insurance companies may figure out that these high deductible plans are actually costing them money. People wait and wait to see a doctor because they don't want to have to pay out of pocket. Then they end up in the hospital with something that could have been fixed with a simple office visit, but it went too far. And THEN the insurance kicks in. So both the patient and the insurance company end up paying a lot more. Course, this may be easily solved on the company's end by just raising rates. Again. So the high deductible plans may just end up driving health care costs more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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