ASA Insurance Plan debacle!!!

[outtahere]

Well, i figure between the three kids and myself (wife never gets sick), we probably go to the Dr. about 12-15 times per year. Right now the copay is $20.00 for the Dr visit, and $10 for each drug. Without the ppo, the Dr will probably be around $140, and each drug around $50. Just about every year on the CDHP, I would hit my deductable. Seems the PPO would be cheaper for me.

 

[wms]

Thanks for all the info. One more question. Is our dental ins on this same plan? In other words, will the cost of dental visits come out of pocket and count towards the $2400 deductible or is that plan separate?

Dental and vision are still under the PPO, but you can use the HSA for the copays rather than the FSA.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Well, i figure between the three kids and myself (wife never gets sick), we probably go to the Dr. about 12-15 times per year. Right now the copay is $20.00 for the Dr visit, and $10 for each drug. Without the ppo, the Dr will probably be around $140, and each drug around $50. Just about every year on the CDHP, I would hit my deductable. Seems the PPO would be cheaper for me.

Using 15 doctor visits, and 10 drugs, the HSA comes out better with the numbers you provided during the first two years with the $1000 dollars. That comes to about $2600 out of pocket. You have to break $3000 for the PPO to beat it.

 

[sweptback]

You guys are only discussing the family plan. I agree for that the HSA makes a little bit of sense.

For the single or two party plan, unless you're extremely healthy, moving away from the PPO is a step backward.

If ASA/SkyWest was serious about moving us to this plan, they should have given us yearly contributions into our HSA. If ASA paid my deductible every year into my HSA I would switch in a heartbeat!

 

[OCP]

You guys are only discussing the family plan. I agree for that the HSA makes a little bit of sense.

For the single or two party plan, unless you're extremely healthy, moving away from the PPO is a step backward.

If ASA/SkyWest was serious about moving us to this plan, they should have given us yearly contributions into our HSA. If ASA paid my deductible every year into my HSA I would switch in a heartbeat!

Agreed. Even if they had to pay it would still save them money over the PPO. So maybe that will actually happen.

 

[JoeMerchant]

You guys are only discussing the family plan. I agree for that the HSA makes a little bit of sense.

For the single or two party plan, unless you're extremely healthy, moving away from the PPO is a step backward.

If ASA/SkyWest was serious about moving us to this plan, they should have given us yearly contributions into our HSA. If ASA paid my deductible every year into my HSA I would switch in a heartbeat!

I only used the family plan because kids generate more trips to the doctor. You are correct that the numbers are less favorable for the single plan, but generally speaking, younger single folks don't go to the doctor much. If you don't use the doctor much, the HSA is much better than the PPO.

With the single plan, the most you can be out of pocket the next two years is about $2000 dollars each year....That's if something bad happens. If you don't go to the doctor, you have about $6100 in your HSA at the end of the two years.

 

[sweptback]

It's not just about going to the doctor that much. Prescription medication would be the big killer.

Some people could easily spend $100/mo on meds if they had to pay retail prices and not the co-pays.

 

[jonjuan]

I only used the family plan because kids generate more trips to the doctor. You are correct that the numbers are less favorable for the single plan, but generally speaking, younger single folks don't go to the doctor much. If you don't use the doctor much, the HSA is much better than the PPO.

With the single plan, the most you can be out of pocket the next two years is about $2000 dollars each year....That's if something bad happens. If you don't go to the doctor, you have about $6100 in your HSA at the end of the two years.

Bingo-The money becomes yours to store up now and spend when you really need it. It rewards those who don't have kids and take better care of themselves.

 

[JoeMerchant]

It's not just about going to the doctor that much. Prescription medication would be the big killer.

Some people could easily spend $100/mo on meds if they had to pay retail prices and not the co-pays.

If you are on those meds, then you do need to crunch the numbers....A single person who ends up with $100 a month in health care costs ends up about spending about the same either way....PPO or HSA.....

 

[JoeMerchant]

Bingo-The money becomes yours to store up now and spend when you really need it. It rewards those who don't have kids and take better care of themselves.

Exactly. I have about $9000 in my HSA now and don't need to rely on "Obama care"....It's growing tax free and provides a nice safety net....

 

[sweptback]

If you are on those meds, then you do need to crunch the numbers....A single person who ends up with $100 a month in health care costs ends up about spending about the same either way....PPO or HSA.....

Except that under the PPO plan you don't pay anything close to that much with the co-pays... more like $20 for a 3 month supply.

It's all a hypothetical situation anyway, but I just wanted to make the point that doctor's visits aren't the issue I have with healthcare costs.

If I'm going to spend the same either way, I'd rather be on the PPO... but like I said that would change if they kicked some money into my HSA every year (not just a one-time deal).

 

[JoeMerchant]

Except that under the PPO plan you don't pay anything close to that much with the co-pays... more like $20 for a 3 month supply.

It's all a hypothetical situation anyway, but I just wanted to make the point that doctor's visits aren't the issue I have with healthcare costs.

If I'm going to spend the same either way, I'd rather be on the PPO... but like I said that would change if they kicked some money into my HSA every year (not just a one-time deal).

Part of the reason health care costs are so high is because we use third parties to pay for things that really should be paid out of pocket....If we had the same system for our cars, we would be using car insurance for oil changes and routine car repairs...The result would be much higher auto insurance rates, and much higher costs for oil changes....

I suspect we will be able to negotiate improvements to the HSA....as long as we don't have negotiators that tow the AFLCIO line of not liking HSAs in the first place....HSA's are the best shot at meaningful health care reform...That along with allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines would do far more than this boondoggle currently working it's way through Congress.

 

[jegermeister]

Exactly. I have about $9000 in my HSA now and don't need to rely on "Obama care"....It's growing tax free and provides a nice safety net....

Obama care is just that, a safety net. Just as social security is a safety net. Ask any senior who lives off SS alone and I'm sure they wish that they had more to live off of.

I'm glad to see that you guys still have medical coverage at ASA. Having said that, if SkyWest ever pulls the plug on health insurance or if someone finds themselves part of a furlough, a public option is better than nothing.

Jeger

 

[shamrock]

Hey Joe, are you still persona non grata with ALPA? Your views would be helpful over on that web-board.

 

[wms]

Dental and vision are still under the PPO, but you can use the HSA for the copays rather than the FSA.

After reading the Q&A I may be wrong about this. I thought I read something different elsewhere. sorry

 

[outtahere]

All the same, they said that the current deductible is not fixed, so that means that it will increase over time. Sure, the PPO premiums will increase also, but the company has a vested interest in keeping them lower because they pay 70% of those. Our out of pocket expenses they could care less about.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Hey Joe, are you still persona non grata with ALPA? Your views would be helpful over on that web-board.

I'm still not allowed there....Shouldn't be much longer though and I'll be back over on the ALPA boards...

 

[Whydoitry]

Here's my situation. We have a PPO with 10% copay, $5000 max/yr. Baby born 2mo early, wife spends 7days in hospital, baby 10days in NICU (thats very short for 2mo early)Bill for mommy, $47,000ish, bill for baby $130,000ish. Out of pocket $5000ish. How would that work out on your plan?

 

[wms]

$6000 max out of pocket and $165/month or $1980/year less in premiums.

 

[USCtrojan]

Oh yeah.. that's right. The guy with a hundred personalities.

*Skywest is taking over ASA
*ASA is doing better than ever, thanks to Skywest.
*Thanks a lot ASA, you a-holes.
*No seriously, thanks a lot ASA. Keep up the good work.

Which is it today? Tomorrow will be "Wow! how awesome is this preferential bidding stuff?"

Couldn't have said it better!

Trojan

 

[PBRstreetgang]

There is already a $2000 difference in the premiums between the HSA/High Deduct. and the PPO...If the union wins, just look for the PPO premiums to continue to rise.

Looking at the family plan, you are in the hole by $3000 the first year before any doctor visit.

Thats single, family is 6K. Just have your boyfriend/domestic partner, do your prostate exam while you are still gaping. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gaped
PBR

 

[purduej]

I burned the vast majority of my safety net this year with a major health problem. When I did the math comparing what it would have cost using the HSA vs the PPO (Skywest one, so exactly the same math). Including the one time $1,000 addition that Skywest provides and the $890 savings in premiums (single employee plan), the HSA plan would have cost me $2000 more than my PPO did.

However! With the lower out of pocket max, the tables are turned. If you graph the two plans based on expenses. 0 to deductible, deductible paid to max-out-of-pocket, with a baseline of the yearly premiums, the HSA in this case always comes out on top. This was very surprising to me. Now I couldn't include the co pays since that's variable during the year. But those you have to pay anyways plus any test/expenses you incur when going to the doc. The difference is unlikely to put you over. This is only for an individual though.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Thats single, family is 6K. Just have your boyfriend/domestic partner, do your prostate exam while you are still gaping. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gaped
PBR

You're not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you? I was talking about the family plan being 3K in the hole right off the bat....$2000 more in premiums, and a thousand dollar contribution from ASA/Skywest...Math wasn't your strong point was it...Too many PBRs?

 

[HoserASA]

Too many PBRs?

Ahh Pabst Blue Ribbon, still one of my favs! :beer:

Hoser
Roll Tide!

...that's what ya meant right Joe????

 

[JoeMerchant]

Ahh Pabst Blue Ribbon, still one of my favs! :beer:

Hoser
Roll Tide!

...that's what ya meant right Joe????

....Yep....Almost as good as Old Style...

 

[HoserASA]

....Yep....Almost as good as Old Style...

I recall once when I was TDY to Wisconsin in the mid 80s and Old Style was going for 10 cents a glass in the bars! Small glass but still, 10 cents, c'mon! Hit me!

Hoser
Roll Tide!

 

[JoeMerchant]

I recall once when I was TDY to Wisconsin in the mid 80s and Old Style was going for 10 cents a glass in the bars! Small glass but still, 10 cents, c'mon! Hit me!

Hoser
Roll Tide!

I remember $1 pitchers of Old Style in the 80s....Ahh...The good old days.....

 

[HoserASA]

Ever sample 'Linengugels' (sp) up there Joe? A friend (from WI) years ago in the Air Force had his Mom ship his golf bag to him at Moody. When he picked it up, he turn it upside down , clubs, irons all dropping out. And then, TWO 6-packs of 'Linengugels'! :beer:

Hoser
Roll Tide!

 

[JoeMerchant]

Ever sample 'Linengugels' (sp) up there Joe? A friend (from WI) years ago in the Air Force had his Mom ship his golf bag to him at Moody. When he picked it up, he turn it upside down , clubs, irons all dropping out. And then, TWO 6-packs of 'Linengugels'! :beer:

Hoser
Roll Tide!

Oh Sh!t Yah...Don't ya know...Like the Leinies....