https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 01 Jun 2026 03:57:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934979 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 14:50:13 +0000 gingerbebe 1934979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: I missed the part where the coverage is identical. The only thing I can think of is tax savings because your premiums would come out of your paycheck as pre-tax dollars, whereas deductibles and out of pocket costs would be post-tax dollars. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934859 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 14:05:28 +0000 MamaG 1934859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: The benefit to the high plan is people who struggle to run numbers like you did. Your analysis while simple is spot on what I would do. Most people have a fear of numbers and money, and therefore think something along the lines of, I'd rather have a set amount come out of my paycheck to protect me later. So they pay the higher premiums to save on the deductible. But in the long run, it's really not a savings :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934780 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:34:55 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: what's he benefit of the high plan, though?</p> <p>I'm so confused right now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934766 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:30:25 +0000 gingerbebe 1934766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The other thing is, this is just for one year. If you guys take a hit next year in health care issues, just bump over to the high plan during open enrollment next year and in the meantime, put more in savings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934664 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:56:22 +0000 PurplePumps 1934664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LindsayInNY: sent! enjoy lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934639 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:42:11 +0000 LindsayInNY 1934639@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: Done!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934632 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:36:06 +0000 catomd00 1934632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To add, I personally only choose the higher premium (lower deductible) plans if I know I'll be using it (e.g., pregnancy, have a surgery I anticipate). If I am not expecting to use many services outside of preventive care and maybe some random sick visits, I go for the lower premium (higher deductible) plan.</p> <p>Your two options are so close, it wouldn't be financial ruin if you had an unexpected health event under option B vs option A. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934617 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:22:24 +0000 lawbee11 1934617@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: I can't imagine a scenario where it would be more cost-effective to choose Plan A. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934613 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:15:04 +0000 PurplePumps 1934613@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <br /><p><i>This comment has been deleted by the original poster.</i></p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934611 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:13:41 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here's how I've been doing the math - I'm making up premium numbers bc I don't fe comfortable sharing those </p> <p>Plan A<br /> 6,000 yearly premium<br /> 1000 deductible<br /> 6000 OOP max<br /> -500 healthy incentive<br /> -------------<br /> $11,500 total out of pocket maximum expenses</p> <p>Plan B<br /> 3,600 yearly premium<br /> 1500 deductible<br /> 7000 OOPmax<br /> -500 healthy incentive<br /> ------------<br /> $10,100 total out of pocket maximum expenses</p> <p>So plan B is definitely the better option, right!?</p> <p>@Mrs.KMM: the coverage and benefits are identical, it's a matter of choosing a high plan or a standard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934594 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:02:26 +0000 lawbee11 1934594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.KMM: But the OOP max for Plan B is only $1K more than Plan A, and she'll save more than that in premiums. Unless I'm completely missing something... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934589 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:01:11 +0000 catomd00 1934589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Standard plan. The 20% coinsurance only matters up until the OOP max which is only $1000 more than plan A. So, you're saving $1400 a year in premiums ($2400 savings minus the $1000 difference in OOP max). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934586 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:00:05 +0000 Mrs.KMM 1934586@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly - I'm always a proponent of having the most insurance coverage you can afford. People here are commenting about Plan B being better if you don't expect more than $XX in medical bills but who expects something big to happen?</p> <p>DH had to have an emergency appendectomy this year. Boom - over $26K in medical bills. It also looked for a while like he might need a meniscus repair. You never know when something big might strike that would make your medical bills for a given year way more than typical. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934564 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:53:20 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: thank you!! I got it ! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934377 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 10:44:15 +0000 LindsayInNY 1934377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: THAT.IS.AMAZING!! Care to share?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934251 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:31:38 +0000 PurplePumps 1934251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: Sent! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934246 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:27:48 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: ooh, can you email me your spread sheet? It would be very helpful!</p> <p><a href="mailto:Jumprope@hellobee.com">Jumprope@hellobee.com</a></p> <p>Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934222 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:14:26 +0000 PurplePumps 1934222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I literally just finished my spreadsheet to figure this out, so I plugged your numbers in. If I got this right, B is actually the better choice unless you anticipate more than 21k in medical charges.<br /> The graphs are plots of billed amount for services vs total cost (plan cost + out of pocket). I don't know your plan cost, so I just put in a random number with a difference of $2400 between the plans. It would scale linearly, so that's unimportant to see the relationship between the two plan curves. </p> [attach=2644/14/neoalv.600x285.Capture1.JPG] [attach=2644/14/neoalw.600x447.Capture2.JPG] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934215 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:10:45 +0000 MamaG 1934215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would go with the standard plan based on the premium savings vs the increased deducitble and OOP max. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934202 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:02:40 +0000 Eko 1934202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say really think about how much you really need health insurance for. I agree with lawbee11 that between your deductible and meeting OOP costs, it is only $1500, so the standard plan is actually saving you money. However, with the standard plan you would have to 'spend' about an extra $4,500 after meeting the deductible to meet the yearly premium you would pay for the higher plan. So, do you really think you would spend over $13,000 for the year in health insurance? I know anything can happen, but if you think generally no, than go with the standard plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934189 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:55:23 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just reread the brochure, and they changed the incentives to $500 for family plans-- so we'd be paying $1,000 out of pocket for the deducible with the standard plan and $500 for the high. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934176 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:51:23 +0000 looch 1934176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: Yeah, the insurance options are weirdly regional...we have a choice among United Healthcare, Cigna, and something else, I can't remember.</p> <p>I apply the approach that if it aint broke, don't fix it, I probably wouldn't switch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934166 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:47:12 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1934166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: i definitely think in a lot of cases the buy up plan is well worth it for the peace of mind of being able to have more options! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934163 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:46:05 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1934163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are currently on the buy up plan, but after this baby is born we may switch to high deductible, as long as all goes smoothly and she is healthy. Dh's company throws in $1000 per year to our HSA if we go that route, and that money never expires. We can spend a year or two paying our HSA instead of the premiums we are used to and have a huge pile of cash to cover expenses. The premiums for high deductible are like $50 per month for our family instead of $450, so its a huge savings each month as long as we are relatively healthy. Well care is covered 100%, and sick visits are about $80 at our ped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934160 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:45:49 +0000 lawbee11 1934160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: I would go with Plan B then since the difference in deductibles and OOP max is less than what you'll save in monthly premiums. And the co-insurance is higher, too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934157 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:44:34 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: yes, that is correct. </p> <p>@looch: that's a good point. Health care is pretty monopolized here. We have UPMC which all the doctors and hospitals around here accept, so we'd never have to worry about out of network costs or anything like that. Everything and everyone around here is UPMC. We wanted to switch to Highmark but most doctors won't accept their insurance anymore! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934146 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:41:51 +0000 looch 1934146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had to look beyond the math to make our decision, reason being is that our son is in speech therapy and the particular therapist that we use is affiliated with one company, which happens to be the most expensive plan...but when I see what she charges to the insurance company, it absolutely makes sense for us to use this option....plus, we can take our son to almost any specialist we need to, which is where the rubber meets the road for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934145 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:41:29 +0000 lawbee11 1934145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: Is Plan A the one you're on now and Plan B is the standard plan? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/insurance-options-1#post-1934130 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:35:11 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1934130@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's open enrollment for us, and we need to let my husband HR know our decision by December 8th. </p> <p>We've been on a High Option plan for years now; it made the most sense when we were doing IF treatments because it had the best coverage. </p> <p>Options have changed drastically, and now that we are 99.9% sure we are done having kids we are considering dropping to the standard option. But, I can't figure out the math to decide if this is a cost effective option.</p> <p>Plan A:<br /> $1.000 family deductible<br /> $6,000 OOP max<br /> 10% co-insurance once deductible is met<br /> Prescription coverage kicks in once deductible is met<br /> (We pay 100% everything until deductive is met)</p> <p>Plan B:<br /> $1500 family deductible<br /> $7,000 OOP max<br /> 20% co-insurance once deductible is met<br /> Prescription coverage kicks in once deductible is met<br /> (We pay 100% everything until deductive is met)</p> <p>There is a $200/difference in the monthly premiums, saving us $2,400/yr if we switched to the standard plan. </p> <p>Looking at our past bills, we spent roughly $1800 OOP in 2014, including prescriptions and medical bills. Our insurance company has "healthy incentives" where you can complete online activities to earn "money" that is put toward your deductible, up to $1,000, which we earned the full amount of last year. </p> <p>The 20% coinsurance trips me up for some reason. Otherwise it sounds like a no brainer to me. </p> <p>Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks! </p>