Health insurance options for our family?

After reading over this thread, I remembered reading an article pertaining to insurance a while back. Article is titled "Affordable Health Care on Horizon for Small Businesses in Virgin Islands" (October 2012)

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/index.php/582-news/2012-10-news/8269-affordable-health-care-on-horizon-for-small-businesses-in-virgin-islands

www.bcbsusvi.com

Yah. Soon come. Heard that one before.

I suppose I should add that Medicare/Medicaid also pays for once a month injections of risperidone. It costs somewhere around $1200 per injection.

I have never had trouble finding doctors who takes medicare/medicaid.

I've been deeply involved in the healthcare field for decades and I'm with you MsInformation.

I suppose I should add that Medicare/Medicaid also pays for once a month injections of risperidone. It costs somewhere around $1200 per injection.

I have never had trouble finding doctors who takes medicare/medicaid.

This depends on what sort of doctor you need and what sort of meds/tx they want to rx. My own personal experience, both in the states and in the VI is that is very difficult -- nay, impossible -- to find a doctor who will take Medicaid for my health care issues. So Medicaid is nothing but a useless mess of red-taped hoops to jump through only to find a cliff to fall off after the last one.

Just like AAA contractors push you down to the end of the list when you call in with a road emergency, he who pays least, gets service last. If at all.

This depends on what sort of doctor you need and what sort of meds/tx they want to rx. My own personal experience, both in the states and in the VI is that is very difficult -- nay, impossible -- to find a doctor who will take Medicaid for my health care issues. So Medicaid is nothing but a useless mess of red-taped hoops to jump through only to find a cliff to fall off after the last one.

I very rarely have to seek medical attention but quickly discovered that the same problem exists with Medicare. Unfortunately that situation isn't limited to the USVI but the relatively few options we have here really complicates the situation.

This depends on what sort of doctor you need and what sort of meds/tx they want to rx. My own personal experience, both in the states and in the VI is that is very difficult -- nay, impossible -- to find a doctor who will take Medicaid for my health care issues. So Medicaid is nothing but a useless mess of red-taped hoops to jump through only to find a cliff to fall off after the last one.

I very rarely have to seek medical attention but quickly discovered that the same problem exists with Medicare. Unfortunately that situation isn't limited to the USVI but the relatively few options we have here really complicates the situation.

OMG. We agreed on two things in one day. Isn't this one of the signs of the coming of the apocalypse?

In the St Croix Source today,

the territory does not have an insurance mandate like the mainland states.

According to McDonald, the territory's insurance regulator, it appears only sick people want to buy insurance and this would make it difficult for insurers to keep premiums and co-payments affordable.

On the territory, only sick people want insurance. So is this their reason to put the funds into Medicaid?

I'm worried there is not going to be a health insurance exchange at all here.

What would a family of four be willing to pay in insurance premiums? In your opinion, what is a reasonable premium/copayment/deductible?

McDonald obviously doesn't understand the meaning of the word "insurance". I seriously doubt USVI citizens are equally a stupid.

This is the article: http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2013/04/29/ranks-vi-uninsured-swell-almost-1-3

To clarify, this is the only part that honey quoted (without quote marks):
"the territory does not have an insurance mandate like the mainland states"

The rest of honey's posting is honey's words/comments/questions.

Thanks for the clarification. The original post was misleading.

i can say that almost half of your take home pay per pay period for insurance is too much. it feels like i am only working for my insurance and nothing else. the co pays are fair as are the prescription prices. i know that the people ( who work at our parent company ) in the states pay about 100 per pay period less than we do .

I wonder what the government employees pay for Cigna insurance and if that is affordable.

Speedy, Why do the parent company employees pay less? Is it because the charges are higher here, or the utilization. We don't have as many facilities so the utilization should be lower.

i think it is because they have a bigger pool of people to insure. they can also "group together" with other employees of other companies. We just dont have the pool of people here that they do. i pay 350 every two weeks for insurance for hubby and me. i have always found it odd that h/w pay more than someone and children because you can always have more children and your price stays the sames. so if you are a mom with ten children you pay the same as mom with 1 child which is still more than h/w

I got a quote from a Blue Cross dealer recently for my wife and I, 53 and 50 respectively and it was approximately $1200 per month.

There's no way I would pay that much for health insurance.

What proportion does your employer pay Speedy?

I pay $105 a month for medicare part B. It is a crime that all Americans...(all ages)... are not offered the same option. We need a single payer health insurance program.

Actually we need a universal healthcare program....now

i do not remember but it is like 350 a pay check which is bi weekly

I got a quote from a Blue Cross dealer recently for my wife and I, 53 and 50 respectively and it was approximately $1200 per month.

There's no way I would pay that much for health insurance.

Yup that's about right. $688 @ month = female 50 (non-smoker) + two dependents.
Two kids in private state side colleges.
75% of monthly budget goes to tuition and insurance.
Gotta love the USA!

I got a quote from a Blue Cross dealer recently for my wife and I, 53 and 50 respectively and it was approximately $1200 per month.

There's no way I would pay that much for health insurance.

Yup that's about right. $688 @ month = female 50 (non-smoker) + two dependents.
Two kids in private state side colleges.
75% of monthly budget goes to tuition and insurance.
Gotta love the USA!

My sympathies for such a cost. 🙁

I will say you are a great parent for paying for your childen's tuition. I salute you!!!!

Good evening!

Just to offer some perspective - I'm a 40-something, professional health care provider with Pre-existing health concerns. I accept third-party reimbursement (insurance, worker comp) in my practice. By choosing to accept insurance reimbursement, overhead costs to run a practice are astronomical and my reimbursement rate is 24-40% of what someone with my training and experience earns who is "out of network". (I still accept third party reimbursement because I believe it's ethical to provide access to care to as many as possible.)

Essentially, most of my income as a self-employed practitioner goes to paying taxes and then to paying monthly premiums to a state sponsored BCBS pool. The premium cost for self-employed health insurance is approx $1k/month here in Maryland.

Most of my colleagues in medicine or allied health care (self-employed) can only afford catastrophic / high deductible Insurance for themselves. And those who can afford to hire support staff (medical, dental offices) generally cannot afford to offer insurance to staff.

It's a regretful mess ... yet rest assured, it's neither the patient/client nor the provider that's the big winner.

I regret to learn about the costs and difficulties posted here. Rest assured, you're not alone. Similar problems exist stateside (surely, words that are not consoling, yet it perhaps offers a unique perspective). And to think, I live in a state that's actually progressive and proactive in this area!

Cheers, savings and wellness,
John

[PMV completed, discerning a future on STX]

Here's an article I just came across:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/05/01/how-to-get-obamacare-health-insurance?cmpid=tpnews-eml-2013-05-04-student

St. Croix Avis, Saturday May 4, 2013 "Task Force considers insurance exchange, looks at market trends."

"John McDonald, the director of the Division of Banking and Insurance, chaired the meeting on behalf of Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis. He reminded the group (Healthcare Reform Task Force) that one key consideration in the health care insurance exchange decision is the size of our current private insurance market and the impact of the lack of an insurance mandate like in the mainland states. In the absence of an individual and small business insurance mandate, companies would be subject to adverse risk selection, thereby making it difficult to keep plan premiums and/or co-pays at an affordable level.
Data under review by the task force also will help to determine if Medicaid expansion could provide a better option than an insurance exchange for the territory. The task force is awaiting the final reports of the private market analysis before it makes a recommendation about the health insurance exchange to Gov. John deJongh, Jr., according to Government House. The territory must make a decision about the health insurance exchange by Oct. 1 and anticipates release of the final report by the end of May."