My husbands WONDERFUL new health plan and how it may cost ME my job!

[Robyn66]

My husbands WONDERFUL new health plan and how it may cost ME my job!

My husband’s company was bought out last year. He always had pretty low pay but we had a FABULOUS Blue Cross Blue Shield medical plan paid for 100%! By the company!

No one expect this to stay the same when the new company took over a year ago, but we didn’t expect THIS.

There was NO discussion about what kind of plan we were going to get all year. It was kept very hush hush.

Well the bomb dropped Monday.

There are two plans

A PPO and a Consumer plan, the consumer plan is such a disaster and huge expense I don’t want to talk about it. The PPO is what we are going to do but it is no dream either. It’s under united health care.

The highlight is this

If you have a life threatening situation and need a second opinion, the company has kindly given you access to the Cleveland Clinic WEBSITE!!!

When I had cancer, I went to Dana Farber for a second opinion. It was NECESSARY for them to re-do the tests and it turned out that they had MISDIAGNOSED the type of cancer I HAD!

But that’s ok because I am being DROPPED from my husband’s policy anyway. You see if there is medical coverage AVAILABLE at your employer YOU ARE REQUIRED to take it.

BUT I can’t get covered until next year because I opted out and received a stipend. So in their kind hearts I will be able to receive coverage if the Town writes a letter telling them I

can’t get coverage until July of next year.

Here is where it gets really ugly.

I have been an “affordable” employee until now. When I take the Town insurance, the cost of me being on the payroll will go up, especially because I am bringing the family with me because the insurance is MUCH better. This puts a HUGE target on my back.

Our town is in its third default budget with a budget advisory committee that WANTS to have a reason to cut someone. Well who would be a better choice than someone who just joined the medical plan. My boss says not to worry about it but at this rate NOTHING would surprise me.

I certainly hope this Health Care Reform helped SOMEONE! Because its doing NOTHING for ME!

I guess we can be glad we don’t have to worry about being taxed for our “Cadillac Health Plan”

[Coyote_Bandit]

1. Everyone should have meaningful access to affordable healthcare

As bad as your situation is you are still far, far, far more fortunate than millions of folks in this country.

Don't think so? Try paying a premium you can barely afford using fully taxable dollars to have a policy that carries a $10,000 deductible, carries a co-pay and doesn't cover doctor visits. Or go without any medical care or medical insurance for decades.

Healthcare "reform" is actually going to put me in a worse financial position - while not giving me better access to healthcare. But the insurance companies are going to fare well.

[zipplewrath]

2. I would be hesitant to jump to conclusions

I'm no fan of the Health Insurance Industry Stimulus Package, but your employer would want to be careful about laying you off because of the insurance. Between lawsuits and regulation changes, that could bring on changes they don't want.

[AndyA]

3. I don't think the Health Care Reform is helping anyone yet, not really.

Most of it hasn't gone into effect. I think there were some things like students being allowed to stay on parent's policies, and things like that which go into effect sooner, but the majority of it hasn't hit yet.

I would guess this is an act of the insurance companies trying to increase their profits as much as possible while they can. :( It's not the health reform, it's unchecked, unregulated corporate greed, brought to you courtesy of the Republican Party!

[aquart]

7. We carefully allowed no check whatsoever on rate increases.

So jawboning from the White House is a big laugh for the insurance companies.

Are we still listing how many Americans are dying because of our wonderful health care?

[pnwmom]

4. Why will you be worse off than any other Town employee who takes their insurance?

And how do you know that your benefits under your husband's merged company would have been any better before health care reform? It sounds to me that what happened to you -- as regrettable and worrisome as it is -- is typical of what always happens when companies merge. The whole company moves to the lowest common denominator in terms of employee benefits.

What will be different for you is if you find yourself without a job for whatever reason -- there will be more options available to you and your children than there are now.

[Robyn66]

6. I know that there are millions FAR worse off that we are

I am just SO frustrated that my husband went from a crappy paying job that he is paid salary for and gives away about 20 hours a week for free used to be ok because we had great insurance. NOW he has a job where he busts his ass, gives away 20 hours a week and has crappy insurance. This was all with no prior warning or discussion. It was all just dumped on us. I know that it is worse for others but every time it costs more for you to work for the town there are people who look to cut you. Its just a fact. I am a one year breast cancer survivor, have a daughter with Asperger's syndrome and have another daughter with breathing issues that I have to wait to take to the doc until this insurance thing is settled so she doesn't have a "pre exixting condidiotn" before the insurance takes effect in August

[indy_thinker33]

8. Your husband should look for a new job

If the pay is bad and now you say the HC benefits are bad why doesn't he try to get another job?

[Robyn66]

10. Because he has been there nearly 20years

And is an optical engineer which is a very narrow field. He likes what he does in spite of what he is paid but there are not a lot of companies out there that do it. I have wanted him to leave many times but he is loyal and devoted to this company and has been with them since there were 18 people working there. SO I can't get him to even send out resume's

[saracat]

12. Do you seriously think there are jobs out there? I am sure this man is lucky to find a job!

And you think "better ones" may be out there? You think we have choices? My husbamd and I both can't find jobs and you don't even wanna know what we have to pay for insurance.

[RockaFowler]

13. Must be nice to just get a new job

:crazy:

My husband's still looking for a job. Who's to say that her husband can even find another job??

[hobbit709]

14. Spoken like someone who doesn't have a clue about the job market.

If halfway decent jobs, paying a livable salary were that readily available, the economy wouldn't be in this mess.

And don't even get me started on United Healthcare.

[prolesunited]

16. LOL

Yes, the solution is just that easy, especially with a 9-10% unemployment rate.

[pnwmom]

15. Robyn66 -- I feel for you. We are also just one job away from insurance hell.

But I'm not blaming Obama for this situation -- it's always been the case that mergers and lay-offs put people at great risk. As much as I was hoping for some version of a public option, I still think the reform bill will give us more choices than before.

[Robyn66]

20. Oh I am not blaming Obama!

There are PLENTY of places to place the blame for the lack of a public option!!!! The LEAST of which I believe is the President!

[ejpoeta]

17. and that's the problem. a lot of folks with great or decent health insurance somehow think they

will still have that insurance tomorrow or next year and this health insurance bill will hurt that. the fact is that as long as we keep hitching insurance to employment, we are going to continually see the erosion of benefits to the most inane and costly products so that in fact we are worse off than the unemployed. i say this because someone with no access to insurance can maybe get on a state plan or if they end up in the hospital can apply and probably qualify for some sort of assistance. my daughter's bill from the hospital was wiped out completely (thank god!) because she had no insurance when she was born and by the time i could get her on child health plus they wouldn't go back that far and by the time we got the mess fixed for cost of the insurance to the medicaid she should have been on in the first place it was beyond where they would go back. uggh. but sometimes having crappy insurance is WORSE than having no insurance. I mean that in the sense of the high copays and deductibles you have to pay and if you have access to this crappy insurance then you can't get the state plan. we were lucky that we qualified, just barely! and if bob gets a raise at all we are screwed. so i can't go get a job and he cant get too much overtime or a raise. i am not blaming obama or the healthcare bill though.... i do blame campaign finance and the corrupt congress. i blame the people out there who open their mouths and don't know anything about what they are talking about who spout the faux news talking points. i blame the fact that people don't seem to care that they are ignorant and don't know about what is going on.

[ejpoeta]

18. dupe

will still have that insurance tomorrow or next year and this health insurance bill will hurt that. the fact is that as long as we keep hitching insurance to employment, we are going to continually see the erosion of benefits to the most inane and costly products so that in fact we are worse off than the unemployed. i say this because someone with no access to insurance can maybe get on a state plan or if they end up in the hospital can apply and probably qualify for some sort of assistance. my daughter's bill from the hospital was wiped out completely (thank god!) because she had no insurance when she was born and by the time i could get her on child health plus they wouldn't go back that far and by the time we got the mess fixed for cost of the insurance to the medicaid she should have been on in the first place it was beyond where they would go back. uggh. but sometimes having crappy insurance is WORSE than having no insurance. I mean that in the sense of the high copays and deductibles you have to pay and if you have access to this crappy insurance then you can't get the state plan. we were lucky that we qualified, just barely! and if bob gets a raise at all we are screwed. so i can't go get a job and he cant get too much overtime or a raise. i am not blaming obama or the healthcare bill though.... i do blame campaign finance and the corrupt congress. i blame the people out there who open their mouths and don't know anything about what they are talking about who spout the faux news talking points. i blame the fact that people don't seem to care that they are ignorant and don't know about what is going on.

[Nite Owl]

5. Good luck and

I hope you stay well. This 'reform' is a nightmare, there are so many loopholes and as time goes on people are going to realize how bad it is. I don't know how it will affect me yet, won't know until December. I talked to the person in charge though and she said next year's increases are going to be big as this year they pulled money from a special fund to keep it down. I have yet to come across anyone who feels that this new reform is going to help them.

[berni_mccoy]

9. That should be easy to solve: Medical Coverage IS NOT Available at your employer

as you opted out *before* the new plan at your husband's became available. So there is no conflict in you honestly saying it's not available. You should be covered under your husband's plan by default. NEXT YEAR, you will likely have to opt-in to your own employer's plan.

However, I doubt that they can seriously enforce that.

[Robyn66]

11. I have to get a letter from my employer for this year

to tell them I missed the sign up date. This company monitors MY accessibility to medical insurance. I don't know how or how it can be legal but they say in the paper work if you are on the plan with your husband the company will reevaluate the plan available to YOU at YOUR employer and decide if you are still eligible.

Next year the whole family is going on the town insurance because it is just a better plan. WHICH I bet the company is depending on anyway.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. This is so crazy. I hope you get covered soon.