How much do you pay for healthcare?

1. 73

   E. A. Wrightposted 15 years ago

   About how much does health care (insurance, out of pocket expenses, prescriptions, fees, taxes, etc.) cost you each month? Is it worth it? How much more would you pay?

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   1. 0

      Lady_Eposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      We don't pay anything in the UK - except prescriptions and even that is cheap with a lot of people also exempted from paying for it.

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   2. 67

      rsmalloryposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      My health insurance is free, but I pay a $30 co-pay for office visits, $75 for ER, and $30 for RX. My employer pays nearly $200 per month for my insurance and it is counted as part of my salary.
      
      I have to pay for my husband and son. It cost $294.53 every two weeks from my paycheck pre-tax, so it is $580 per month. The office visit, Er and RX prices are the same.
      
      On average I spend about $700 per month on healthcare. Ouch!

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2. 38

   getpaidtopostposted 15 years ago

   we get for free in the UK

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   1. 60

      nicompposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      No, you don't get anything for free...
      
      "The NHS is funded from taxes, and it spends more than £42bn every year - £779 for every person in the UK. But it is not a bottomless pit of funds and some treatments have to be restricted."
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/251988.stm
      
      It's not as social as you might think...
      
      "Kidney cancer patients denied life-saving drugs by NHS rationing body NICE"
      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic … -NICE.html

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      1. 80

         LondonGirlposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Firstly that's the Daily Mail, not exactly a top or rational newspaper.
         
         But the headline in itself is more than a little misleading. These drugs not approved by NICE aren't in any way a cure or "life-saving", they are "life-prolonging". As the article says half-way down, "Sutent, also known as sunitinib, can double the life expectancy of patients, to 28 months, compared with standard interferon treatment. It costs around £24,000 a year."
         
         That is the drug which has been approved, 3 others have not.

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      2. 74

         Eaglekiwiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Yikes!
         
         In New Zealand , we have a mix of Public Free System ( like the U.K) that is covered in Taxes and also Private Insurance , which can be a mix of care, covering basic health to more expensive policies covering more i.e Cosmetic, Dental,Phsychology.
         They also use the USA model particularly using some Hospitals as Training and Research as well as A&E
         
         Employers offer insurance ,although less are paying the full amount now as they have begun some new savings plan ( for retirement)
         
         
         
         Welfare or below poverty line income earners are eligible for a CSC card, which is a Govt subsidy for medication etc ( and discounted fees from other medical providers)
         
         Even so , it has flaws and most New Zealand doctors and nurses end up going overseas( after all training) to earn more money ,and then NZ has to hire Foreign doctors to fill their places.
         
         Doesnt that remind you of that song
         
         God is Great
         Beer is Good
         People are Crazy 
         
         Im inclined to think the Netherlands ,Sweden and Finland have better healthcare systems.

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3. 80

   LondonGirlposted 15 years ago

   Ditto, nothing.

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4. 0

   pgrundyposted 15 years ago

   I can't afford health care. I'm self employed and ineligible for insurance due to a preexisting condition. The last quote I got (when I was eligible) was about $800-$900 per month (for insurance). That was with a $2500 deductible and 80/20 coverage (I pay 20% after deductible).
   
   The last time I went to the doctor I paid $80 for a note saying in his estimation I would not croak at my part-time job, a requirement of getting the crappy job. You'd think I had leprosy or something but no, I'm just 56, that's all. Normal weight, normal person, too damn old.
   
   We don't go to doctors unless we're about to keel over and sometimes not then either.

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5. 61

   Ron Montgomeryposted 15 years ago

   I think hubpages should provide a comprehensive medical plan to anyone with a 95 or higher rating.

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6. 0

   pgrundyposted 15 years ago

   I don't know... I'm kind of scared of doctors at this point. They're overworked, confused, and half the time I'm not even sure they know what the hell they're doing.
   
   Unless you're really, really sick you're better off staying clear of the whole system right now.

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7. 70

   Maddie Ruudposted 15 years ago

   If I didn't work for a company that provided medical benefits, I would not be able to secure coverage individually, because of ongoing illness as an adolescent.  As it was, my parents had to sue their insurance company to get them to pay for the treatment I needed to save my life.

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8. 60

   Ivan the Terribleposted 15 years ago

   It's free in Spain.  No cost, nada.  Great coverage, great service too!  Thanks for asking the question.

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9. 67

   Make Moneyposted 15 years ago

   It's free here in Canada too.

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10. 0

    girly_girl09posted 15 years ago

    I have been without any form of coverage for about a year and a half as all my mother's benefits only cover children that are under 18 or are FT college students (up to age 25). I currently pay 100% of whatever the doctor/pharmacy charges me...which is a lot!!!
    
    As of now, my actual medical costs are more than what actual insurance would've cost, but I never got around to applying as I knew I'd be returning to college soon.
    
    Thankfully, I will have full coverage again when I return to college full-time this fall.

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11. 0

    Ghost32posted 15 years ago

    Pay none, got none.  That is, I'm good (i.e. healthy for  now) but (a) wife needs boo coo meds and (b) local doctors are refusing to take her on as a patient.  Complicated case, self pay, guess she's one of those "five cent keywords" in their book.  Not to mention we've no cash to dash to the pharmacy anyway.
    
    But no, we still wouldn't move to Canada or Spain for the free health care.  Glad you folks have it, but we're just plumb  attached to this Arizona desert, maybe all too literally "to die for", but hey.

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12. 67

    lrohnerposted 15 years ago

    I'm with PG and Girly_girl. Been without health care coverage for quite some time. Cheapest rates I would find were similar to PG -- just under $1,000/month, and with high deductibles and everything. I make too much to be eligible for any kind of program, but not enough to afford regular doctor visits. Go figure.

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    1. 60

       nicompposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Just curious... what's the monthly charge for your cell phone?

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       1. 67

          lrohnerposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Just to satisfy YOUR curiousity, I do not have a cell phone. My extra money goes to my college student daughter who is a diabetic so that she can purchase insulin, see her endocronologist, etc. because her insurance rates were through the roof so I have to fund it all.
          
          You just might want to ask questions before you get rude.
          
          Oh, but I do pay for my diabetic daughter's cell phone. You know, just in case she's starting to go unconscious and no one else is around...minor stuff.

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13. 80

    kerrygposted 15 years ago

    We lost our employer provided insurance when my husband quit his job to help his brother's small business. We got private insurance, but we were paying more than triple the price of the employer provided insurance for less coverage and couldn't really afford it since he also took a pay cut at the same time, so we cut our coverage even further and now pay merely double what we used to.
    
    It's infuriating, and personally I am praying that we get a public insurance plan within the next couple years. In between the copay and the highish deductible, it's like paying twice over for the same care anyway - I'm not sure that it wouldn't have been cheaper just to drop our insurance entirely. Thank God our daughter has finished all her boosters and stuff - my husband and I are healthy people (and he's a doctor by training, if no longer by profession), so we can probably do without physicals for a couple years until our finances stabilize again and/or we can get a decent rate, whichever comes first.

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14. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years ago

    We pay $448 a month per person for a plan with prescription drug benefit. It varies by age and where you live in the state. Cape Cod with alot of older people is most expensive. We live in Massachusetts so we are required to have it. But they can't say no because of pre-existing conditions, and can't cancel us. And the plans have to meet certain standards.
    
    Because of our income level we don't qualify for any subsidies, but we're happy with it. This way we can both be self-employed and have health insurance.
    
    Before mandatory insurance was put in place, the state worked with several insurers to make sure there were affordable options available. I wasn't so sure the rates were that good. But after hearing what was available in other states, it seems they did a pretty good job.

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15. 53

    kmackey32posted 15 years ago

    I dont have any insurance......

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16. 72

    iyoung03posted 15 years ago

    I pay about $60 to $70 (can't remember the exact amt.) for health dental and vision through my employer.  My brother is not insured and I am shopping around for an insurance policy for him -- right now it looks like it's going to be about $120 a month.

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17. 77

    N. Ramiusposted 15 years ago

    So what did people do before health care plans were offered? Health care wasn't always a universal, must have thing.
    
    When I begin my work next week, I'll pay about ~80$ a month but I visit the doctor only a handful of times of the year. For the past 6 months I've had no insurance and been to the doctor once which cost $65.

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    1. 80

       LondonGirlposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Died, stayed ill, suffered, a lot of the time.
       
       When the NHS was set up, doctors found that for the first few years they were often fixing horrendous, painful problems which people had just put up with, such as badly prolapsed wombs.

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18. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years ago

    Well when my sister was born in 1956 with a clef palate, my mother went back to work for $2,500 to pay for the operation to fix it.
    
    Try having a heart attack, stroke or cancer and going back to work to pay for it now.
    
    That's alot like saying how did people pay for college before student loans. When I graduated from UPenn in 1978 it was about $6,500 a year and I was able to save up $12,000 before I graduated from high school. I didn't need loans to pay for school, and I graduated debt free. Try saving up for two years at that school now before you graduate from HS, probably can't be done.

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19. 63

    Greek Oneposted 15 years ago

    being Canadian, I only pay through my taxes...
    
    and as I hide all my money from the government, I pay nothing

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20. 0

    dennisemattposted 15 years ago

    My husband works seasonal jobs, and so does not qualify for employer provided healthcare. We cant get it on our own, its way too expensive. Honestly, even if it was reasonable, we couldnt afford it. We pay about 80 or 90 dollars a week to pay for the state's "medical insurance", meaning, other people get to go to the doctor with our money.. We have a tin, with cash saved in it. 20 bucks a week, when I can afford it, and we pay for Dr. visits as needed. Where I live, is working on making it mandatory for everyone to have insurance. All employers must provide insurance. OR ELSE... they will pay fines. So, if my husbands boss, who owns a small businiess and is a very good man and does all he can for his employees but simply can not afford insurance, doesnt get it, he will pay fines. Most likely, this will ruin his bussiness. There goes hubbys job.. If we dont get the provided insurance, we will pay fines. Its a mess...

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21. 74

    Eaglekiwiposted 15 years ago

    Nothing at the moment , just not enough money to do it.
    
    Hosp bill will have to wait , Im not going hungry or living in the street to keep some rich fat cat driving two vechicles and taking another vacation!

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22. 71

    lanetoddposted 15 years ago

    $95/month, $5000 deductible, $2500 out of pocket, grand total $7500.  And guess what....just had kidney stone, total about $15,000, I end up paying for half.  I guess its better than paying for it all...but still don't quite have the $7500 either...so.....I think it boils down to you get what you pay for.

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23. 68

    Michael Willisposted 15 years ago

    I have no insurance either. And the last company I worked for did not offer to help pay for insurance because it was too high for them to pay their part also. But what they would do to attract applicants initially was to "say" they offered insurance after 30 days. Then when the 30 days was up...you got like a 30 page booklet with insurance options to choose from.----->>>The "Catch-----You paid the full premium!!! They offered! You pay!
    
    
    And the last company I worked for that had coverage...they kept changing policies every 6 months trying to get the "company" pay part down and that in turn hurt all the employees. We never had a chance to meet a deductible!!! And then the employee pay out kept rising as well. The company would keep seeking plans with more opt out of coverage policies to save on their part.
    
    It is getting to the point where "insurance and decent medical treatment" is a Luxury in the U.S., not a necessity according to the Industry.
    
    I read an article the other day where the Insurance, pharmaceuticals and medical industries are pushing the government for it to be "mandatory" for everyone to have to buy insurance. Of course they use the scheme of it helping to pay for the costs.
    
    But what will happen...is there will be No control over how much they will Raise the costs after that happens. And it will happen if it becomes a law. They are also pushing for stiff penalties for those who do not purchase insurance.
    
    If they get this passed...guess they have found a way to "get blood from a turnip!" lol

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    1. 54

       My Downtown Viewposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       If they "get it passed" a public option will force down prices. Passing reform means to fix what's broken. If they DON'T pass reform, it will keep getting worse. Women in the US pay 40% more for health insurance because having a uterus is considered a "pre-existing medical condition". That's not a joke. If they pass reform, insurers wont be able to turn down people based on medical history or charge higher premiums. Mandatory health care is not a way for the private insurers to force you to spend more, it's a way to stop them from denying coverage to anyone who needs health care (read: diabetes, overweight, women, age, allergies, etc, etc, etc). And it wont ruin small businesses - the goal is to help protect them by offering subsidies and savings on coverage. Small businesses lose more money when people have to stay home sick or leave their jobs from illnesses that could be prevented (and cost less) than coverage. Plus there will be additional tax cuts (on top of the rebates and subisdies) for employers who provide health care.

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24. 59

    blue dogposted 15 years ago

    no health care coverage. 
    #1 - can't afford it
    #2 - can't support the lifestyle afforded those who sell us health care coverage, or auto care coverage, or home care coverage, or any other kind of coverage that the industry deems worthy of insisting we have coverage on. (perhaps this should be #1).
    
    i personally know 5 insurance agents (not agencies) and, in addition, my ex-in-laws are all heavily involved in the business of selling various forms of insurance.  i find the lifestyle afforded these people at the common person's expense to be a bit at odds with my interpretation of life.

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25. 81

    Whitney05posted 15 years ago

    I pay on about 10-15 a month on full coverage healthcare, dental, eyecare, cancer, and hospital intensive care, with riders on some of the plans. Because I'm single and the company pays my healthcare, dental, and cancer policies. I get money back for medical tests that test for cancer and even more if the test is positive for cancer, and a $5000 deductible.
    
    And about $10 in prescriptions a month.

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26. 61

    goodfriendiamposted 15 years ago

    I don't have health insurance, I have a preexsiting illness, I fell off a 5ft ladder, and injured my back. When I called blue cross blue shield for a price they told me if I wanted insurance starting the first day of the next month, it would cost me 1600.00 , if I wanted their other plan which would start at 1250.00 it would start in three months, but would not cover, any of my back problems till a year was up. The other program was 900.00 and that did not give me anything for one full year, except doctor visits for sickness, and such. By the way I my back is fine, I went to physical therapy. And it helped alot.

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    1. 84

       donotfearposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, they (BC/BS) also excluded benefits on a couple of things on me and my husband back in 2004.  But after the waiting period, we are now covered.

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27. 69

    Beth100posted 15 years ago

    Health care in Canada is a shared responsbility amongst all Canadians.  We receive it at no extra expense to ourselves and no one is ever turned away when seeking medical attention at a hospital.  Life is good. 

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    1. 61

       goodfriendiamposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       where I am from in the US, we are not turned away from the hospital either.

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       1. 84

          donotfearposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I've never seen anyone turned away from the E.R.

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28. 59

    hd1912posted 15 years ago

    My insurance for family of 4 is 40 bucks a week or about 2000 dollars per year.  Medical,Dental,Vision and Prescription.  I have Blue Cross Blue Shield Anthem.  Great insurance and very affordable IMO. I choose my doctors.  Its not one of those HMO deals or government run programs.

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29. 84

    donotfearposted 15 years ago

    Well, through my employer, which is a state funded organization, I pay nothing for major medical insurance benfits for myself. Pay about $12 a month on dental, vision care is less. It's not that great of coverage, but I'm happy to have it!  I also pay an out of pocket premium for BC/BS Health Insurance on myself and my husband. It's $500 per month!  and a $2,500 dollar decuctable plus I get prescription coverage wihich really helps the most.  So I'm out of pocket about $550 per month, which is difficult. I'm afraid to drop the BC/BS extra coverage in case I lose my job or something, I'm afraid our funds could be cut. AT least I'd still have a back-up policy!!  I feel blessed to have coverage and thank God that  BC/BS approved us for an individual policy!!! (after much testing).

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30. 79

    sunstreeksposted 15 years ago

    my health/dental/vision is free for me, $22.50 a month for my daughter through my work.
    
    but, my last 2 day surgeries (one in 2007 and one in 2008) out of pocket were about $2k each

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