Just a quick question which will no doubt start some inflammatory discussion but thats not my intention.

I was wondering how much it would cost to get reasonable health care for someone who was 21 years old while resident in the USA. Also would it be significanly more for someone around 41 ?

It looks like I'll be moving to NYC with a group of people (a band) in march 2007 and would appreciate any ballpark ideas.

Currently I'm paying $50 a month for full medical (not dental) in the UK but I imagine it will be many times more that amount when I get out to the USA?

Cheers

M

Just a quick question which will no doubt start some inflammatory discussion but thats not my intention.

I was wondering how much it would cost to get reasonable health care for someone who was 21 years old while resident in the USA. Also would it be significanly more for someone around 41 ?

It looks like I'll be moving to NYC with a group of people (a band) in march 2007 and would appreciate any ballpark ideas.

Currently I'm paying $50 a month for full medical (not dental) in the UK but I imagine it will be many times more that amount when I get out to the USA?

Cheers

M


I'm not sure about 21 year olds, but our 2 year old son is about $175 a month, no dental or vision. The deductible is $500.

I'm 26, not insured, but if I decided to get insurance, it would be about the same. We also live in Indiana. I'm not sure if that reflects on it.

You might want to check http://www.ehealthinsurance.com
That's where we got our son's insurance from. :)

Thanks Jessica

I'm so used to having the NHS in the UK that its only just dawning on me that I need to look into this.

By the way - hi to everyone. I've been away a long long time working with a new rock band but have been following the debates here when I've had a chance

:)

M

Thanks Jessica

I'm so used to having the NHS in the UK that its only just dawning on me that I need to look into this.

By the way - hi to everyone. I've been away a long long time working with a new rock band but have been following the debates here when I've had a chance

:)

M


No prob. :)

I remember you from back in the day. And wasn't your birthday two days ago or something? :D

Just a quick question which will no doubt start some inflammatory discussion but thats not my intention.

I was wondering how much it would cost to get reasonable health care for someone who was 21 years old while resident in the USA. Also would it be significanly more for someone around 41 ?

It looks like I'll be moving to NYC with a group of people (a band) in march 2007 and would appreciate any ballpark ideas.

Currently I'm paying $50 a month for full medical (not dental) in the UK but I imagine it will be many times more that amount when I get out to the USA?

Cheers

M


Are you paying 50$ or 50 pounds? Rate of exhange would make 50 pounds more like 80-90$.

Most plans here have some dental (and eyes) included. All will be more than what you are currently paying, unless you get benefits through a good company job.

I haven't checked in a while, but I don't think a 41 year-old will pay a significant amount more than a 21 year-old for the same insurance.

A ballpark idea would be 200-250$ a month for a decent insurance plan (i.e., low deductibles, low co-pays, higher limits, flexibility in who you see, etc.).

No prob. :)

I remember you from back in the day. And wasn't your birthday two days ago or something? :D


Yeah I noticed that it was on Christmas day.

It depends on your health plan.  If you're insured through your company, it's much cheaper.  There are so many different plans and so many different co-pays that it's hard to say what you can expect.  It also depends on how many dependents you have and so forth.

The co-pays for my company plan are pretty good, but that's the only time I miss being on the state medicaid program!  Medicaid requires you to prove you are not only very low income, but that no other health plan is offered on your job.  And of course, the dental plan under medicaid was tie a string to your tooth and the other end to the doorknow and slam the door, like in "Tom Sawyer."  My company dental plan is $4.00 a week plus whatever co-pay the procedure requires.

One thing's for sure, unless you're rich, you pay more for less as an American, and ten times more for administrative costs.

Our healthcare system is a trainwreck and it only gives an advantage to rich people and insurance company administrators!
::)

Of course, the GOP pundits would accuse me of "class warfare."  Yeah, and guess who started it!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/tophat.gif

REALITY CHECK.  If you have a job you will be able to buy into health insurance through work, but if you are not employed with a company that offers health insurance then you may end up spending in the area of $650 a month(that may be conservative).  My sister lost her job but was able to extend her insurance, but had to pay the full monthly premium and that is what it was.  The only way any insurance is affordable is to be wealthy, or to have a job that offers medical benefits, there are many that don't, and sometime you have to be a full time employee to take advantage. 

REALITY CHECK.  If you have a job you will be able to buy into health insurance through work, but if you are not employed with a company that offers health insurance then you may end up spending in the area of $650 a month(that may be conservative).  My sister lost her job but was able to extend her insurance, but had to pay the full monthly premium and that is what it was.  The only way any insurance is affordable is to be wealthy, or to have a job that offers medical benefits, there are many that don't, and sometime you have to be a full time employee to take advantage. 

Both my sister and brother-in-law are now independent contratctors.  The don't work for a company.  My brother-in-law says he's paying $1200 a month for the two of them and my niece.  He worked for a company until last May.  $1200 is actually not bad for a family of three.  It's still rough going for them.  He asked me about Masshealth (our state medicaid program) because I used to be on it.  Yeah, but when I was on it, I didn't have two nickels to rub together!  So my sister's family wouldn't qualify. 

Whatever happened to "the ownership society"?

The Right claims to encourage entrepeneurship, yet when regular folks try to be entrepeneurs, they find themselves saddled with prohibitive health care costs.  If you come down with a severe illness and you survive, you come out of the hospital to find your premiums quadrupled.  Oh, and the the tax codes do not favor independent contractors.  Those politicians and pundits who b*tch about taxes are all millionaires.  They don't know who really takes it in the shorts!
::)

He asked me about Masshealth (our state medicaid program) because I used to be on it.  Yeah, but when I was on it, I didn't have two nickels to rub together!



In Corporate Rawk Haws case he is not a citizen and even though he may have a work permit the ability to buy into a government program may not be extended.

I'm not sure about 21 year olds, but our 2 year old son is about $175 a month, no dental or vision. The deductible is $500.


"America has the best healthcare delivery system in the world! America has the best healthcare delivery system in the world! America has the best healthcare delivery system in the world!"

--Bod Dole, 1996

My younger brother will be paying $97/month for almost the exact same benefits he receives through his employer at $300+/month.  He can't "opt out" of his insurance until the end of January, but he already has it lined up.  Hubby is currently paying $247/month for all 5 of us to have medical, dental and vision....but he works for a large corporation.  The thing with company sponsored health plans is that the premium is based on the size of the company, type of insurance, etc.  If you work for a smaller company, the premium is higher and it is lower for a larger company.  The big mistake many people make when getting private insurance is they go through a "broker", which increases the "premium".  Like Jessica said, if you go through someplace like ehealthinsurance or any of the other ones online, your premium is SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than you would pay than if you went to an "insurance agent".  Your premium will also increase if you smoke, are excessively overweight, etc.

Exactly.  We don't have a healthcare system in this country, we have a mess.

Those conservatives who would call themselves friends of the entrepeneur and the small business have no trouble pricing entrepeneurs and small business employees out of affordable healthcare.

My husband is a contractor through a tech company, and our insurance is roughly $360 a month for the both of us. 

Exactly.  We don't have a healthcare system in this country, we have a mess.

Those conservatives who would call themselves friends of the entrepeneur and the small business have no trouble pricing entrepeneurs and small business employees out of affordable healthcare.
I agree.  I used to work in the insurance industry and it's amazing how much they will "give" when it comes to a HUGE corporation in regards to benefits/premiums, but if you're Joe Schmo with 100 employees, don't expect much negotiating to take place.  Also thrown into the "premium game" is whether or not your insurance is self-funded or fully-funded, but that's getting a little too in depth for here....