I'll be paying lowest $1200+ to $1600+ per month for health insurance coverage for a family of 3 starting May 
We did not have to pay premium at all with DH's job, but we will lose eligibility for that soon. I work for a small company so rates aren't that low.
There is no point to this.. Just want to cry!
pomelo / 5298 posts
Ouch, that's steep. Sorry. I hope it's at least some pretty good coverage for that price.
pomelo / 5298 posts
Another thought, doesn't have NY have child insurance available that you could consider? I feel like I've seen others talk about it before (maybe @regberadaisy).
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@regberadaisy: Meaning this?
https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/child_health_plus/eligibility_and_cost.htm
pear / 1593 posts
I want to cry for you!!! My work changed their policy awhile back, and it made premiums for family pretty bad ($900 for DH and DS - work covered mine), and there were only 2 people on family plan, so they had us talk with their insurance broker individually and find more affordable plans via the health market or whatever it's called
pear / 1558 posts
I feel your pain. When I quit to SAH I lost great health insurance coverage & to go onto DH's would have cost us the same as yours. He works for a family-oriented organization, too! I ended up putting LO & I on one of the health exchange plans with a huge deductible. Not a good long term solution, I don't think, but for this year it had to do. Hopefully DH can find a new job with better benefits in the next year or so.
persimmon / 1129 posts
@snowjewelz: It sucks! I'm sorry.
I'm working more hours at my job than I would really like to just so I maintain my health insurance. My husband carries our daughter on his and it's like $500/month for the two of them which is already insane, but to add me onto it would make it $1800 a month! We just both happen to work for small employers with pretty bad rates.
pear / 1961 posts
Have you researched whether it would be cheaper for DH/dependent to get insurance through your state exchange? I know sometimes employers charge an exorbitant amount for spouses and/or families, especially, to discourage enrolling them on the employer plan. There's rules about subsidized exchange enrollment (e.g., it's not subsidized at all if you are turning down "affordable" employer coverage through your spouse), but it might be worth looking into! "Affordability" is based on the premium cost & your wages...
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@My Only Sunshine: that just makes no sense how adding 1 more person almost triples the rate?!
@KayKay: yeah, I'm looking into it now...
honeydew / 7283 posts
That is horrible. I don't know much about the specifics of the ACA and state exchanges, but I hope there's a better option for you guys!
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@snowjewelz: @MamaG: Yes! It's a state funded child health insurance. It is NOT Medicaid. Pretty much everyone qualifies and your premium is income based.
DH & I are on a employee + spouse plan through my work and we keep both girls on Child Health Plus. It's a REALLY great plan and super affordable.
@snowjewelz: does your employer have a employee + spouse option? When does your current insurance plan end? Wall me if you want more deets! 
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@regberadaisy: Yes. This would help. Just us too our premium at work will be approx $880 and it SEEMS like I'll be another $15 or $30 for K (pretty sure we're in the $15 bracket..)
Did you compare insurance between your work and marketplace at all? I just looked and it seems like obamacare plans are comparable too
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@snowjewelz: I did compare the marketplace and my employer plan. There were cheaper premium options on the market place. But they were with carriers I haven't heard great things about. The price difference wasn't big enough for me to deal with the marketplace again. They are SUCH a pain in the ass!!!!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@regberadaisy: I'm barely seeing much of a price difference! Tho I haven't figured out how much they'd subsidize...
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@snowjewelz: I'm sorry. We have really cruddy premiums and really bad deductibles on top of it. I know how it feels so I'm commiserating. We don't have any options like NY offers either for subsidized child health care. I also know how it feels to read unhelpful comments that just make you feel worse when posting a thread like this. Hugs.
grapefruit / 4045 posts
@snowjewelz: Oh no! Is that the obama care insurance? I know lots of people who are being charged so so much for it. But I also know a single mom who doesn't work and she pays next to nothing for it. My own work insurance went up a bunch too so I will be needing to move to my husband's insurance soon.
ETA: I'm doing dave ramsey's financial classes and I'm already dreading the insurance class. When is insurance ever fun?? 
grapefruit / 4235 posts
@snowjewelz: you might also be eligible to get insurance from a private broker. I know in my state sometimes they are cheaper than the exchange plans.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@agold: Yeah, it was "bad enough" that DH's insurance went up and became a high deductible plan, but we won't be eligible for that for much longer so I had to switch us over to mine employer's which is sky high. I'm hoping I can apply for the child one that NY offers and then just do me and DH on my employer to lower it a bit!
@dagret: Thanks! I'm def going to check it out too!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@agold: I wonder what they are going to tell you! We had an open enrollment Q&A at work today, and the guy's basically like look, times have changed, you really have to take charge of your insurance and question everything and don't pay anything until you know exactly why and what it's for.
grapefruit / 4045 posts
@snowjewelz: That particular class isn't for a couple of more weeks. So I will send you a message on your wall when I get to that point. And yes, I think times are just changing. I wouldn't have ever thought that a working person would need to consider government insurance. My husband and I are going to be considering changing our budget to accommodate what we hope will be a better insurance. But again, its just so expensive so I don't know that we can make it work. But since we will be having a baby we have other priorities than just being two adults who (pray!) don't get sick often.
pomelo / 5298 posts
@snowjewelz: Unfortunately your guy is right. We've been preaching this for 5+ years here at my work and people don't get it until they have to. Until they are socked with a big medical item do they finally pay attention. I work closely with our plan and the decision makers. They are so frustrated that behaviors haven't changed and employees aren't taking charge the next step is the sky-high premiums. There are no great answers that are low cost anymore.
grapefruit / 4997 posts
I am so sorry and know how you feel! This year is the highest our insurance premiums have ever been and we are constantly getting bills or disputing charges with the insurance because they aren't paying our healthcare providers. I don't understand how there are loopholes around the affordable healthcare act where the insurance companies are increasing costs and covering less for the middle class.
pomelo / 5298 posts
@agold: @snowjewelz: I would expect Ramsey to talk about how insurance is meant to be catastrophic in nature. And that you should try to minimize your overall cost through high deductibles, low premiums and shopping around.
Sorry, this is a really large soapbox item for me. I don't mean to come down on you @snowjewelz: It really does just suck.
grapefruit / 4045 posts
@MamaG: My husband use to have what I think was called catastrophic insurance for years before we were married. But I didn't think you were allowed to get that anymore once obama care went into affect. And yes, I imagine that is what Dave Ramsey will say, too. I doubt he's going to tell me that I should rearrange my overall budget to accommodate a concierge doctor who will come to my house. 
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@MamaG: Yeah, he's like listen don't be frustrated at your employer or the insurance carrier haha. But one thing that is frustrating is that everything takes forever re: filing claims, timing of bills, etc. Doctors def do shady things to try to get money from you even when it's not warranted and also make you sign shady forms!
@agold: I know.. I'm just making sure DD has the correct coverage since 99% we're at the dr for her anyway. But I think we need all preventives covered since so that we can remain healthy. I have no idea how to make it work, but we'll have to!
@MamaG: No! I don't feel that way at all. Your comments have been so helpful. Unfortunately I know this is just the new normal and we just have to find some way to move forward with it.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@snowjewelz: FWIW, DD1 has been on CHP since 2012. She has been to the ER once and urgent care at least 3x! Obviously countless sick and well visits. We've yet to pay a dime on top of our monthly premium. I would be very surprised if you don't qualify for CHP. 
And oh, dental and vision coverage as well. So consider that on top of what your employer plan is. I know mine does not have vision or dental.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@regberadaisy: Yeah, I read about it and it seems like it has great coverage! Hopefully her dr now will still be covered too. I am not understand why I'm not eligible.. I gotta call back to ask! Our monthly income def does not exceed their eligibility bracket...
eggplant / 11861 posts
That is awful I am so sorry! In FL we have Florida Kid Care, it is based on income ....hopefully NY has something too?!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@FaithFertility: Yes it does! So I'm looking into it now. Def will somewhat help...
clementine / 756 posts
@snowjewelz: & @MamaG: I work in healthcare and I tell the patients the same thing -to look over their charges and make sure things are legit. But when I tried to do it, myself, after my son was born it was almost impossible.
I got a bill with a charge for "IV medications" but I never got any meds through an IV. So we requested a breakdown of the charges. What we received was CPT codes for everything. So I could see what CPT code was charged but that CPT codes is associated with any number of different things and there was no way to know what it was actually being charged for. I got so frustrated we just paid the damn bill. I just couldn't figure it out. And I work in healthcare. The system isn't set up to be able to track these sorts of things well.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@JenGirl: I still remember pouring through those hospital bills too.. I had called someone to go over them, but at the end of that I was still like... ???? And I read that sometimes they fudge the codes to make it what they want it to be?! It's crazy!
clementine / 756 posts
@snowjewelz: It is crazy. As a healthcare provider, I will say I never ever try to cover things up or code things the wrong way, but there are many times I'm just as clueless about billing as my patients. Medical providers aren't educated about medical billing, so most of us don't really understand it very well. I don't know what the solution is, but something needs to change.
pear / 1697 posts
I'm really bummed your insurance costs have gone up so much, but I'm so glad to see all the helpful information you're getting!
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