medical insurance

[firedreamer]

good afternoon all, when we retire and move aboard in 2ys, 7months and 27 days, we will be on a little bit of a tight budget the first 3 years until my wifes kicks in so we are wondering what your thoughts are about maybe buying some kind of "catastrophic" medical coverage until we get her retirement. If you have any company names that would be great too. Thanks

[Maynard Rupp]

It all depends on your age. If you are 65+ then medicare becomes your primary provider. I pay an additional $109.00 for a Blue Cross suppementary policy. In 3 years and some serious hospital stuff for my prostate cancer, I have not spent a penny of my money for medical services.

If you are not 65, you are screwed!

[firedreamer]

It all depends on your age. If you are 65+ then medicare becomes your primary provider. I pay an additional $109.00 for a Blue Cross suppementary policy. In 3 years and some serious hospital stuff for my prostate cancer, I have not spent a penny of my money for medical services.

If you are not 65, you are screwed!

OH do not even tell me that!...LOL We both will only be 55yo so theres nothing out there ?

[GJH]

Where are you?

We went with Blue Cross of Texas, pretty high deductible, kind of a quasi-catastrophic policy. Runs around $700 a month for the two of us mid-50's types. Wife smokes a little and has some "histories", so we pay up a bit.
Our legal residency is in Texas, and I was with BC in my last job, though apparently the two divisions (personal vs. corporate plans) don't share info at all; I had to connect the two. Some states, like Texas, have laws that give you a better shot at getting covered on your own if you have been covered in the immediate past, at work then through COBRA. Remember, COBRA goes for 18 months.

[whaler23]

My dad's a retired state farm agent, they have quite a few options that would probably fill your needs, give an agent a call for the details.

[saltshaker]

It really depends on what state you live in. I have a business associate who has has pretty much the same plan as I do. Same Ins. co., similar coverage. We both are about the same age and have the same number of dependents. He pays a bit over $600 per month in CT. and I pay almost $1500 per month in NJ. In NJ and several other states, you can no longer get catastrophic coverage because the insurance companies convinced our Legislature that "if you only have catastrophic coverage, you won't seek medical attention until you are very sick." I guess they feel its better to have no coverage at all. I would gladly take the 1K per month savings and pay for my doctor visits and the first 5K of any major event.

[thoward]

It really depends on what state you live in. I have a business associate who has has pretty much the same plan as I do. Same Ins. co., similar coverage. We both are about the same age and have the same number of dependents. He pays a bit over $600 per month in CT. and I pay almost $1500 per month in NJ. In NJ and several other states, you can no longer get catastrophic coverage because the insurance companies convinced our Legislature that "if you only have catastrophic coverage, you won't seek medical attention until you are very sick." I guess they feel its better to have no coverage at all. I would gladly take the 1K per month savings and pay for my doctor visits and the first 5K of any major event.

Actually they are going more towards catastrophic coverage. The vast majority have been increasing deductibles at an alarmong rate over the past 4 years.

[Canuck Dennis]

I can't believe the cost of a doctor visit down there, cut my finger pretty bad, went to emerg, 8 stitches, one hour total time, hospital charge 450.00, doctor charge 700.00 totally out of whack for time invested...I guess an appendix op would be catastrophic at those rates...

[SportFishCruising]

I can't believe the cost of a doctor visit down there, cut my finger pretty bad, went to emerg, 8 stitches, one hour total time, hospital charge 450.00, doctor charge 700.00 totally out of whack for time invested...I guess an appendix op would be catastrophic at those rates...

Don't you have extended Canadian Health Insurance for that? You coulda flown to Ontario, got it done for free, back to FL and still saved money; but...lol...not bleeding to death...is priceless!

[SKYCHENEY]

I can't believe the cost of a doctor visit down there, cut my finger pretty bad, went to emerg, 8 stitches, one hour total time, hospital charge 450.00, doctor charge 700.00 totally out of whack for time invested...I guess an appendix op would be catastrophic at those rates...

Yeah, health care is one of the most subsidized, mandated, restricted, and regulated markets in America. No wonder it's so inefficient and costly.