Healthcare Increase!

[LordMortis]

Today was the beginning of October and my COBRA runs out at the end of October. I applied to the ACA at healthcare.gov (being the site said that's when my window opened) and was promptly turfed to medicaid. So medicaid it will be. This will be the least expensive healthcare I've had since my parents had me covered. It will also be the most inconvenient healthcare of my life. None of my existing physicians take it, so I need to get my diligence going quickly.

[Kraken]

I got a letter on Friday from my dentist of 25 years. He said that he is dropping the contract with my provider (Cigna) on Jan 1. According to him, they have not increased payouts to providers in over 4 years, and provide the lowest reimbursement (and the most difficult) of all the insurance companies they work with. Funny how my premiums have still raised significantly every year though.

So now me and the dental catastrophe that is my mouth have to try to find someone new...awesome.

Cigna is the worst insurance I've ever had.

Our dentist dropped out of the Delta network a few years ago for the same reason. Our visits there are still covered, but at a lower out-of-network rate. Since we max out the $1,500 annual benefit every year anyway, it doesn't really matter much.

Wife's employer is holding the line on premiums this year while improving coverage -- no more need for referrals, supposedly! Gods, I hate getting referrals.

[coopasonic]

I got a letter on Friday from my dentist of 25 years. He said that he is dropping the contract with my provider (Cigna) on Jan 1. According to him, they have not increased payouts to providers in over 4 years, and provide the lowest reimbursement (and the most difficult) of all the insurance companies they work with. Funny how my premiums have still raised significantly every year though.

So now me and the dental catastrophe that is my mouth have to try to find someone new...awesome.

Cigna is the worst insurance I've ever had.

Our dentist dropped out of the Delta network a few years ago for the same reason. Our visits there are still covered, but at a lower out-of-network rate. Since we max out the $1,500 annual benefit every year anyway, it doesn't really matter much.

Wife's employer is holding the line on premiums this year while improving coverage -- no more need for referrals, supposedly! Gods, I hate getting referrals.

We had the same issues with Delta two years ago and hey, the last time I saw a dentist was two years ago. Finding a dentist... that's a thing I should do!

[Zenn7]

ICK... just went through enrollment.

Medical Premiums going up 13.4%
Vision 6%
Dental 5%

That'll be nearly $100/month.

[Kraken]

Our plan is going up by 0.00% next year and co-pays for routine stuff are going from $20 to $15. This is because Wife's employer has raised its already generous contribution. And because they're going to a true PPO, referrals will no longer be necessary (neither are primary care physicians as gatekeepers) and specialists will be covered, albeit at higher prices, as long as they're in the network. There are deductibles to meet for fancy stuff like specialists and tests and imaging, but they're reasonably affordable. Also, the network is going national rather than state-based, so now I can get sick or injured anywhere!

Beyond those general strokes, it gets crazy complicated in the longstanding tradition of American healthcare.

[LawBeefaroni]

Vision up, dental up. Medical even.

Overall, with all the same benefits (Life/AD&D, legal aid, accident, critical illness, pre-tax spending accounts, etc), my per-paycheck is about $7 less.