i pay about $550 a month including dental - for a family of 4. We are out of state and can't use an HMO so we are stuck with the more expensive PPO. Way too expensive I think.....
Ya think? Holy smokes...one can only hope you guys are addressing this in the negotiation process.
As you may know, most airlines choose to cover your medical costs themselves, only using the larger medical company as an "underwriter". SO, this means you guys are getting hosed by your company; they aren't even close to competitive.
I'm with my second airline that's about a fourth of the size of AirTran and my medical costs (for my son and me) never came close to that amount.
As an option (if you guys haven't reached a TA on this subject yet), my current company offered an option (I believe it's called an EPO option; paperwork's at the crashpad) that allows me to choose whatever MD I wish. I am also encouraged to negotiate for a better price. The cheaper the better; I'm alloted a bank of $5000/yr for each of us to pull funds out of (I can use all of it on one of us, if needed). And, just like Cingular, I've got rollover money--what I don't use goes into next year's bank. There are less exclusions, too; I'll be able to use the money on lasik and a hysdirectomy.
Sure, there are greater risks; if one of us gets really sick then it could cost more. However, the total out-of-pocket is around $1500/yr for each of us, so it works out.
The cost? A hundred bucks a month for both of us. Heck, that's a $2400 raise!
gator
