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Health Insurance Premiums Going Up: How to Get Some of Your Money Back

Cost of Health Insurance

Retired
Retired
Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:49 AM

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$499.99 is outragious to pay for BlueCross and Blue Shield. Plus the deductible.

Why are you people afraid to choose an HMO. The cost is so much lower and NO deductible. I can go to almost all of the same doctors under your BCBS. Are you people not checking out the other insurances or are you just afraid to change.

I have had them all and the HMO's or the best and I feel BCBS is trying to run them out of the business because that is all that is pushed for the Retired and talked about.

Paying your preimum plus a deductible is costly you much have a good pension.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Federal
Employee
Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:11 AM
Its my understanding that these rates are for the HMO of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

worker
fed
Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:14 AM
I agree that the cost is bad. However, I will not go to an HMO. I do not like the idea of a general practitioner telling me whether I can see a specialist or not. I know they used to have incentives not to send you to a specialist. Is that still true?
Additionally, I may want to pick my own specialist within the PPO. In an HMO, you are very restricted within the system.
I know there may be a financial penalty for staying in a PPO. I am not sure as my premiums are about $185 every 2 weeks or about $4800/yr. I cannot say where the writer got his numbers. I do not know Keystone's costs.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Retired HR Spec
Interior bureau
Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:28 AM
I would love to go to an HMO - went to Kaiser for years and was very satisfied. But they moved out of my geographic area, and there aren't any others available under FEHB in my area.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Admn Svcs
USDA-FS
Mon Oct 19, 2009 11:22 AM
If I had an HMO who would service the area where I reside, they certainly would get fair consideration but....like many in rural areas, I am limited by few choices for providers.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Govt Worker
DOD
Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:49 PM
To Federal Employee: The rates in the article are for BCBS only. Their HMO prices are different. Look at OPM website and you will see them.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Govt Worker
DOD
Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:50 PM
Fed Emp: Sorry, I read your response wrong. I believe the rates are not for their HMO but for the regular BCBS.

Fed Health Insurance Options Dwindling

Not Retired Yet
DOD
Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:36 AM

Post Reply

Retired: I AM in an HMO and both HMO options that were available to me are no longer offering plans to feds in my state. I have been in an HMO since 1990.

Fed Worker: Two false statements - "I do not like the idea of a general practitioner telling me whether I can see a specialist or not." In an HMO, you are very restricted within the system.

Being a federal employee for 31 years and having taken full advantage of Open Season, I have been in HMO plans, and, for lack of a better term, "regular" plans. I have not been restricted, and my primary care physician refers me to a specialist whenever I want and need (even when I don't feel the need) to be referred.

Unfortunately, I will have to go back to Mail Handlers or BC/BS. A step backward in my opinion.

Re: Fed Health Insurance Options Dwindling

Govt Worker
DOD
Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:44 PM
When I was in an HMO my physician was very reluctant to refer me to a specialist, even when it was needed. What I wanted was of no consequence to him, and his reasoning was that he got in trouble with the insurance company if he referred too many patients to specialists. He told me that the insurance company threatened to throw doctors out of their plan if they did not do what they wanted. I eventually switched to BCBS and the problem was pretty much eliminated.

Cost of Health Insurance

Retired Drone
DCMA
Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:47 AM

Post Reply

Let me see if I got all this right!!!! NO COLA for SSI, NO Retiree COLA, Health Insurance cost is going up!!! OH these changes we can believe in are so wonderful, Thank You President Obummer. And don't forget our union suggested and did support BHO in the last election. I guess that I just am to stupid to know what's good for me. The truth is that I heard the POP of my head coming out of that dark spot and I realize what a mistake some of us made by voting for the junior senator from the land of corruption called Illinois. In a little more than 1200 days I and a lot more folks can correct this mistake.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Retired Drone
DCMA
Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:49 PM
To clarify a point as of 3:50 P.M.CST on Monday Oct 19.2009 we now have 1188 days and afew hours until the BHO mistake is corrected and yes some of us are counting!

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

Just passing by
Treasury
Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:37 PM
Give it a rest, Drone.
I'm not sure exactly what it is with the people in this country that blame everything on the President - especially one in office less than a year. I'll just chalk it up to ignorance.

And keep counting. Who knows - maybe another one of the Bush clan will be running and you will have your hero.

Incorrect Info

Product Specialist
DLA
Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:57 AM

Post Reply

Your article contained incorrect info about BCBS hearing option changing for 2010. Actually we have coverage NOW in 2009 policy which will be better than 2010. Now, 1K per ear per hearing aid, 30% out of pocket if not a preferred provider. In 2010, same 1K per ear per hearing aid; however 35% out of pocket for non PPO. Need to check your facts.

Re: Cost of Health Insurance

specialist
VA
Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:12 AM

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I've had an HMO for years, and really like it. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer available to my agency in my location. There was only one last year, and I've been notified that it is going away this year.

Family versus Self rate increases?

Manager
DOD
Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:36 AM

Post Reply

"These plans will have increases that are higher than average: 12.4 percent for families, and 15.1 percent for individuals."


Wow, that seems fair - NOT. I guess the only way to make sense out of this discrepancy, in "per person value," is the first individual pays the overhead of the administrative costs of these private insurance plans - including the $100 million annual CEO salaries.

Health Insurance

Flunky
HUD
Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:59 AM

Post Reply

You still didn't clarify what digital amplification is. I have a hearing impairment and BC/BS and haven't any idea to what you are referring.

Re: Health Insurance

DA Analyst
Army
Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:37 PM
As I understand it, digital amplification is the new method used for some hearing aids. It's the difference between analog and digital sounds, like for music.
Total Comments: 43
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