Lee Loader

My dad retired on a civil service medical . His ret check is $236 less than it was in 1982 ,after insurance etc . It's value is about 25% .

As a working class stiff , since 1995 my wages have increased, by round estimate , 96% . Based against net cost of living , gas, food , house , utilities I'm making .0063 times more money .
My out of pocket is the same as it's been for some time but in 95 it was a 500/1500 deductible 100% for emergency services and 80/20 to 5k out of pocket including deductible. Today it's 1500/5000, 80/20 for all services after deductible up to 5500 out of pocket after deductible . My cost through my employer has only gone up about $100/mo . Costs to me are almost 5x though ...... If you lie about the insurance the provider bills at a lower rate for your payment then forward that billing to the insurance company to apply to the deductible . It was over $1000 difference on a double greenstick fracture . $150 for annual visits .

This is depressing it reminds me of alimony ....... Its the screwing you get for the screwing you got , only in this case you just get screwed twice .

Fyodor wrote:Just for my overseas understanding: Is the 75$/month a realistic number in the US?

this is a "rough" guide and there are variables....
If you're asking about medicare, no, that 75 bucks isn't even close. Medicare part A and B (you must have A, and you're stupid if you don't have B also) and that runs around 100.00 bucks a month per person. These will only pay about 75% of medical costs if you go to the Dr. or hospital. You can purchase a plan F from different vendors. A plan F will pay whatever medicare A&B doesn't pay. These plans will vary in cost depending on vendor. The Missus and I BOTH pay 160 a month for our plan F. You also have a plan D. This is for prescription drugs and these plans can vary a lot in cost depending on co-pays, how many prescriptions, and the type. They can run anywhere from 15 bucks a month upwards to a hundred. If you don't take any meds, you don't have to purchase a plan D, but if you choose not to and then a few years down the road are prescribed something or many somethings so a plan D is necessary, you will be "fined" for all the years that you didn't opt for a plan D. And that is a MONTHLY fine that never goes away. I take no meds, but I do have the cheapest plan D I could find. So bottom line is the Wife and I both pay right at 300 bucks a month EACH for our medicare insurance which really isn't to bad.

Well, that sounds a bit complicated, but it seems to be fair.

Over here I pay about 450 per month, and my employer additionally pays the same amount for me. The numbers depend on your actual income, but employer and employee always pay the same amount by law. Whatever medicine I need costs me at least 5 EUR per package, max 10, no matter how much they really are. Going to the doctor is free of charge, but since he only gets a flat charge per visit no matter what brings you there, they aren't interested in serving you for "small" sicknesses. So usually you end up with a prescription for Aspirin and a "yellow vacation slip" worth three days off, and that's it. When it comes to bad teeth, it get's really crazy: You need to go to precaution visits once a year for at least ten years to get a max of 30% backing for tooth replacements.

Of course you can add a "private" insurance to get better treatment, but they are cheap as long as you are young and healthy, but you don't get out easily when they start to drain you.

Our system is way less complicated, because it's a flat rate system. But in my case the system gets paid about 900 $ per month. A private insurance would be much cheaper, but the flat rate system is required by law. The money gues off my paycheck before I receive it.

The cost of the healthcare premium seems reasonable but when you get almost a "$00.00" increase in Social Security payment, it isn't fair. The S.S. increase is based on COLA (cost of living adjustment). Seems cost of living has gone up a lot considering health insurance, food, property taxes, cable etc.
Gov'ts calculator seems to be missing something.

Poppop wrote:The cost of the healthcare premium seems reasonable but when you get almost a "$00.00" increase in Social Security payment, it isn't fair. The S.S. increase is based on COLA (cost of living adjustment). Seems cost of living has gone up a lot considering health insurance, food, property taxes, cable etc.
Gov'ts calculator seems to be missing something.

Yep, a lot of stuff we need to buy is left out of the calculation.

Make smoke,

My premium is almost four digits before new increase. Deduct per person is north of 5K, family deduct is well into FIVE digits. Scripts don't kick in until 300. I'm 80/20 now but increase changes to 70/30, ER is 75 now, will be 150.

75 buys me two days of insurance.

If hillary wins they will probably start processing us and feeding us to the border crossers.

Steve wrote:If hillary wins they will probably start processing us and feeding us to the border crossers.

Maybe that won't be so bad for us instead of putting up with the torture of her reign as queen

GasGuzzler wrote:My premium is almost four digits before new increase. Deduct per person is north of 5K, family deduct is well into FIVE digits. Scripts don't kick in until 300. I'm 80/20 now but increase changes to 70/30, ER is 75 now, will be 150.

75 buys me two days of insurance.

It IS time to drain the swamp and then, so that stuff doesn't grow again, spray lots of DDT and Chloridane then Napalm

Chloridane, now there was an insecticide that seriously worked. As a kid one of my chores was to spray around the house once as month. Did it barefoot. Maybe that the reason for a just a few of my issues.