Medical Plans

[Superfly]

What kind of medical insurance do you have, and why?

[MercutioATC]

1. I answered "HMO", but it's also a government plan...FEHBP.

...the same program Dean wants to expand to help cover more Americans. I'm generally happy with it.

[GOPisEvil]

2. We used to have lots of choices...now we have 2.

PPO or an HMO with no doctors located within the city limits. :grr:

Every time the State runs short of funding, they decide us employees cost too damned much, so they cut out benefit choices. But hey, at least we have jobs with SOME insurance.

[Another Bill C.]

3. I just got my medigap bill

It's $1428 for the year. I expect Medicare will go up in January, too.

[haele]

4. I've got a PPO now, but when I'm 60...

I'm eligable for the DOD's Tricare/Champus medical and dental services - which are currently still damn'd good programs for military, dependants, and retirees.
I retired honorably as a Reservist over 20 years service - which means no "retirement" retainer pay or medical benefits that the Active Duty "retiree" recieves until I'm 60...and many Guards and Reservist coming back and retiring or are injured and subsequently "retired" for those injuries are discovering this out for themselves.
Three years ago, they were talking about expanding it to Reserve retirees and dependants when the retiree reaches 55 - but that's since been kiboshed.

Sorry for sidetracking.

To get this back on track, other than a universal single payer (like Tricare) health care, Blue Cross PPO rules!
Even if you do pay for some costs an HMO won't charge you, the overall coverage and quality balances out much better for the costs and deductables than they do with any other employer provided insurance plan - including HMO's I've ever had to deal with. If you have several PPOs that your employer provides in a cafeteria menu, go with Blue Cross. They actually went down in cost this year.

For Dental, I'd recommend MetLife.

Haele

[FlaGranny]

6. My parents had Champus - I wish I were eligible.

That is one of the very best you can get.

[FlaGranny]

5. Actually, on another thread I said I had a PPO, but that is

not true - I used to have a PPO, but now I have a POS plan, in reality, very little different from an HMO.