A MM WWYD/hypothetical

short+sassy · May 2016

When I graduated from college, they had just changed (I think) the law...or it could have been my mom's insurance company...to parents being able to keep their kids on their policy until the children were 24. Before that, I think it was 21 or 22 and only if they were in college full-time.

I stayed on her insurance for two years before I finally got a good, established job AND had already waited my one year before my group insurance would cover my pre-existing condition. I realize that is no longer a thing with the ACA...but it SURE was before that.

At any rate, although she paid the premiums (for which there was no additional cost for me), I paid for everything else related to my healthcare. Primarily copays for dr. visits and Rxs, but I also had a minor outpatient surgery where my cost was $400.

KatieCutie05 · May 2016

Well Its hard for me to judge considering my husband and I have been on our own for 6 years and married for 3 years - and we are both still on our parents Cell phone plan. We planned to get on our own plan when we got married but then we got on the DR plan and adding 80/month to the budget just for the sake of "independence" was dumb. Now ofcourse we both pay our parents for our portion of the bill. We were thinking about getting our own but again to add 70/month to the budget is just dumb.

Before I got my own health insurance and auto insurance i paid my parents for my portion as well. I was paying for car insurance just for the privelidge to drive my parents car when i got my license at 17 so nothing in life was handed to me- if their bill went up to add me then i paid the difference. Health insurance i got my own plan 3 months after i graduated college when i started my job. I think this was right before that law started and at the time i had to come off hers because i was living in a different state.

So long as these ppl are still paying their own bills and arent getting hand outs from mom and dad when they are married/ living on their own - then i see nothing wrong with it. We just pay our parents instead of the cell phone company.

LillibetteV · May 2016

When we have kids our policy won't change and the premiums will remain the same (we're TTC and I've gone over every inch of our policy with a fine tooth comb and triple checked with the insurer lol). My husband's employer considers 2 people a "family". Unless something changes we would tell them to stay on our plan as long as possible - I wouldn't want them wasting money on a policy when they're already covered!

cbee817 · May 2016

LillibetteV said:

When we have kids our policy won't change and the premiums will remain the same (we're TTC and I've gone over every inch of our policy with a fine tooth comb and triple checked with the insurer lol). My husband's employer considers 2 people a "family". Unless something changes we would tell them to stay on our plan as long as possible - I wouldn't want them wasting money on a policy when they're already covered!

The only way it will change is if the employer moves from a 2 tier rating structure (single, family) to 3 tier or 4 tier. 3 tier is Single, 2 person, Family. 4 tier is Single, Emp + Spouse, Emp + Child(ren) and Family. There are also premium factors usually tied to these rates. For example, a 2T Family rate may be 2.8x Single, but a 4T family rate is 3x Single. It varies by heath plan- so even if you are part of a 2T family plan, have a child, and the employer moves to a 4T plan, it may end up costing you even more now that you're considered a 4T family. In your current situation, if the employer moved to 4T, you and your DH would be Emp + Spouse (which is usually only 2x Single rate). The only reason I know the specifics on this is that I worked in the Actuarial Dept of a health insurance company for years and would have to file rates to our state.

LillibetteV · May 2016

cbee817 said: LillibetteV said: When we have kids our policy won't change and the premiums will remain the same (we're TTC and I've gone over every inch of our policy with a fine tooth comb and triple checked with the insurer lol). My husband's employer considers 2 people a "family". Unless something changes we would tell them to stay on our plan as long as possible - I wouldn't want them wasting money on a policy when they're already covered! The only way it will change is if the employer moves from a 2 tier rating structure (single, family) to 3 tier or 4 tier. 3 tier is Single, 2 person, Family. 4 tier is Single, Emp + Spouse, Emp + Child(ren) and Family. There are also premium factors usually tied to these rates. For example, a 2T Family rate may be 2.8x Single, but a 4T family rate is 3x Single. It varies by heath plan- so even if you are part of a 2T family plan, have a child, and the employer moves to a 4T plan, it may end up costing you even more now that you're considered a 4T family. In your current situation, if the employer moved to 4T, you and your DH would be Emp + Spouse (which is usually only 2x Single rate). The only reason I know the specifics on this is that I worked in the Actuarial Dept of a health insurance company for years and would have to file rates to our state.

That's really interesting! I was actually thinking more along the lines that in 27 years we just might have universal single payer health care in this country, but I should keep in mind that employers can change their plans too.

Healthcare is so expensive and I live in Massachusetts so certain things aren't even as bad for us. Friends in other states have asked us how much IVF is going to cost and I'm just baffled that they have to pay $10k to try and have a baby - Massachusetts insurers, by law, have to cover those treatments for me.

vlagrl35 · May 2016

LillibetteV said:

cbee817 said:

LillibetteV said:

When we have kids our policy won't change and the premiums will remain the same (we're TTC and I've gone over every inch of our policy with a fine tooth comb and triple checked with the insurer lol). My husband's employer considers 2 people a "family". Unless something changes we would tell them to stay on our plan as long as possible - I wouldn't want them wasting money on a policy when they're already covered!

The only way it will change is if the employer moves from a 2 tier rating structure (single, family) to 3 tier or 4 tier. 3 tier is Single, 2 person, Family. 4 tier is Single, Emp + Spouse, Emp + Child(ren) and Family. There are also premium factors usually tied to these rates. For example, a 2T Family rate may be 2.8x Single, but a 4T family rate is 3x Single. It varies by heath plan- so even if you are part of a 2T family plan, have a child, and the employer moves to a 4T plan, it may end up costing you even more now that you're considered a 4T family. In your current situation, if the employer moved to 4T, you and your DH would be Emp + Spouse (which is usually only 2x Single rate). The only reason I know the specifics on this is that I worked in the Actuarial Dept of a health insurance company for years and would have to file rates to our state.

That's really interesting! I was actually thinking more along the lines that in 27 years we just might have universal single payer health care in this country, but I should keep in mind that employers can change their plans too.

Healthcare is so expensive and I live in Massachusetts so certain things aren't even as bad for us. Friends in other states have asked us how much IVF is going to cost and I'm just baffled that they have to pay $10k to try and have a baby - Massachusetts insurers, by law, have to cover those treatments for me.

Yeah I have a friend that fosters 1 kid and adopted another baby. Before fostering they tried IVF but only for a short amount of time because they didn't have the money to afford it and health insurance here I believe doesn't pay for it.

A MM WWYD/hypothetical

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