I hate insurance

buddhagouda

I'm trying to find us a better deal on health insurance. There is ONE and only one provider that offers private maternity coverage in our state, and the benefits are crap. I'm so pissed that we're spending this much money for the privilege of still paying out our ass when it comes time to actually have another kid. Part of me wonders if it's even worth it. We could just put the extra $200-300 a month away and pay for the entire birth ourselves, which is pretty much what we had to do last time since the pregnancy spanned two calendar years and two deductibles, and they bill everything they do for the baby to him which brings in a third deductible to have to meet.

There is no solution to this. I'm just venting. 

noisy_penguin

I have no suggestions or words of wisdom. I fuccking hate it too.

saraandmichael

i feel you so, so much on this.

for different reasons, but still the hatred.

 

boxerfan

I just want to add my hate.  HATE.  HATEHATEHATEHATE.

Is BCBS your one option?  We can pick between BCBS and Kaiser Permanente here, but they both suck balls.

buddhagouda

Yeah, BCBS is it. I hate them.

boxerfan

Blerg.  I was so tempted to take the money and put it in savings, instead of getting the maternity rider, but I just kept thinking about what would happen if the baby needed to be in NICU, and I couldn't do it.  In the end I wound up signing up for the wretched plan that my contracting company offers.  $800/month, and it still winds up being cheaper than that horrid BCBS crap.  And this is why my head explodes when people say we don't need health care reform.

crancherry

The only thing worse than Kaiser is Aetna.

boxerfan

crancherry:

The only thing worse than Kaiser is Aetna.

Why?  There's a chance that my H's company might start offering insurance, and if they do it will be Aetna.  Please to be telling me your horror stories.

crancherry

They're total jerk-faces over high-end radiology and I'm pretty sure they just throw away the record of you getting a referral. It's like they take one of their subscribers having pancreatic cancer as a personal insult. And they're my school insurance, it's super-basic and kind of expensive.

For uncomplicated stuff, they're probably no worse than other companies, just make sure you're prepared to do the paperwork four times.

MrsKizdoodle

Buddha didn't you post one time what it cost to have Ethan?  I remember I was completely floored.  Insurance is basically a legal scam.  Blargh.

buddhagouda

Yeah, we paid over $12,000 which is what makes me question whether it's even worth it, but I know we'd want it if something went wrong and we needed an extended hospital stay or surgery.

pdxmouse

I can't figure out how separate maternity coverage is legal there. It's not like you have to have a separate rider for male reproductive healthcare.

Have you guys seen this? I'd be so pissed if I were in a maroon state.  

 

pdxmouse

In regards to the above graph, does that mean maternity care will have to be covered under your regular healthcare in 2014? 

You know, depending on the Supremes and the fall election.  

lisaiesha

Buddha, you clearly have to limit yourself to getting pregnant in January, February or March to avoid two calendar years and two deductibles. I can't believe you had to pay $12K.

.rosenjoe

lisaiesha:

Buddha, you clearly have to limit yourself to getting pregnant in January, February or March to avoid two calendar years and two deductibles. I can't believe you had to pay $12K.

RM was born in early November, and I still had bills that came in a second calendar year (because the hospital billing dept. didn't have its shits together).  We have pretty good insurance through my H's firm, but it was still painful to have to write the check for the full amount ourselves and then file 7,000 forms to have the insurance recognize that the care came as/after we met our deductible for that year and to be reimbursed.  It all sucks.

buddhagouda

lisaiesha:

Buddha, you clearly have to limit yourself to getting pregnant in January, February or March to avoid two calendar years and two deductibles. I can't believe you had to pay $12K.

Oh yes, hence why we will begin the sexing in November or December of this year. 

boxerfan

pdxmouse:

In regards to the above graph, does that mean maternity care will have to be covered under your regular healthcare in 2014? 

You know, depending on the Supremes and the fall election.  

That would be amazing.  And it would make me want to kill things if it doesn't happen.