I found out yesterday my crappy insurance is even crappier. I needed to pick my home medical office. The only doctor I've seen in 10 years is my OB. Couldn't choose her office. Called and was told that I needed to find a family doctor (no one is accepting new patients) pay for a new patient exam and get a referral to have my physical done with my OB that is due in July. I'm paying $475 a month for insurance that has a 13K deductible that has to be met before the insurance covers anything. The reason the insurance company switched to this new policy is to lower cost. DD & I have same insurance. They won't pay for after hours clinic or urgent care but will pay for ER visit but I first have to meet my 13K deductible. Why would I pay $$$ for and ER visit when I can get an after hour office visit. It makes no sense and I'm thinking about dropping the insurance and paying the $1500 penalty for 2018. My yearly premiums are $5700 + the $13K deductible. This doesn't cover vision or dental which I pay out of pocket for. It also doesn't cover any chiropractic or alternative medicine so I pay for that out of pocket too.
I'm I insane for dropping my insurance? DD didn't go at all last year as her well baby kept getting cancelled so I said screw it and scheduled it for her 7 year instead. I only saw my OB for my physical.
Post by justcheckingin73 on Feb 9, 2018 12:01:16 GMT -5
That is a lot, 186momx. I would be nervous dropping insurance but it seems like it would be cheaper for you to do so. I don’t know enough about it to give you a qualified answer but it’s one of the reasons I will always carry the insurance for our family. DH’s insurance is awful. They carry dental for the kids only but it was actually cheaper to take advantage of the discounts my dentist offers for those without insurance than it was for their company insurance.
My FWP was yesterday. Our maid service called to change their arrival time from 11-12 (which was perfect) to 2-4 (which was not perfect). I pick up my son at 3:15 and then we had to head to the middle school for DDs basketball game. I called them and said I’d have to leave around 3 and they assured me they’d be there by then so I kept the time. 3:15 comes around and they’re still not here. I called them back and they said they went to the wrong address and they’d meet me there. So I had to go “all” the way back home (I realize I’m being a bit overdramatic here), let them in and then go to the middle school. Plus I wasn’t real psyched about leaving them in my house without me there but I knew I couldn’t schedule for today because of the pending snow storm and they’ve been here enough I trust them.
So, all in all, it was fine, it got done but still these ladies have been here before! What about GPS? Or phone maps?
Oh! On top of that, I noticed DDs friend at the basketball game. She’s the one I’m always driving to and from places because her Mom works downtown and doesn’t get home until 7ish and her Dad works odd hours in retail. They never reciprocate. So I ended up taking her home. Again, it ended up not being a big deal and I kind of feel bad for her since she seems to be home alone a lot. It was just one more thing.
186momx that is painful. But I also feel the need to remind you that insurance is invaluable for catastrophic stuff that you can't plan for and it doesn't matter if you're healthy now. Say you get (God forbid) diagnosed with cancer. Or your kid gets diagnosed with a brain tumor and needs surgery twice (to the tune of close to a million dollars).
My FWP is my house situation, obviously. I'm terrified that we'll have this house sold and end up having to buy something new that is basically the same size but not as nice and the only plus side we'll have is better schools. Because we're not talking about a house that's $100k more, we're talking about a house that's $400-500k more. And I can pay for private school for two kids for a lot less than that.
If it was just the schools that were pain points with our house, I wouldn't even have considered moving. But when we thought we'd get something bigger and in a nicer neighborhood AND have better public schools, it seemed like the right choice to make.
Post by traveltheworld on Feb 9, 2018 12:09:39 GMT -5
186momx, wow, that is a lot to pay for premiums for a crappy plan.
My FWP is that I don't know what to do about our real estate. I mentioned in another post that we'll be selling one of our rental properties (a condo), and out of curiosity, I asked our real estate agent to price out our old house (which is also being rented). She gave me a value that is almost $100K higher than what I expected. The other advantage for selling now is that my company will pay for the selling cost, which would be significant. DH and I had originally planned on giving that up for future capital appreciation as the house is located in a very desirable neighborhood. DH is also very opposed to selling because we built that house and love it, and would go back and live there if we ever moved back to that city....but...
It also annoyed me when DH said "oh so what if it's $100K higher, what are you going to do with that money anyway?" UMM....there are a million things I could do with that money!!! DH's complete lack of appreciation for money drives me crazy sometimes.
My FWP is my house situation, obviously. I'm terrified that we'll have this house sold and end up having to buy something new that is basically the same size but not as nice and the only plus side we'll have is better schools. Because we're not talking about a house that's $100k more, we're talking about a house that's $400-500k more. And I can pay for private school for two kids for a lot less than that.
If it was just the schools that were pain points with our house, I wouldn't even have considered moving. But when we thought we'd get something bigger and in a nicer neighborhood AND have better public schools, it seemed like the right choice to make.
k3am, being a totally risk-adverse person, that'd frighten me too.
Given that it seems like you don't have any problems selling your house, could you hold off on selling until you've found something? Worst case, you don't sell your current house quickly and you end up paying for two mortgages for a few months, but at least then you aren't worried about a $400 - $500K swing?
186momx - one ER trip without insurance for DD would have been 7k. For three hours and one IV. For real. So if you had a real emergent issue (car accident, broken bone) I would be terrified to know the cost - well over 13K I would assume. It’s worth it, but if you want to drop, look into catastrophic policies at minimum. My girls were cheap when little but with puberty and sports we have had at least 6 MRIs. It adds up fast.
Post by erinshelley21 on Feb 9, 2018 12:13:13 GMT -5
What k3am, about health insurance 186momx. As with most insurance, you don't WANT to use your insurance but you also don't want to find out what life is like without it. There is a fine line between having enough insurance and being insurance poor, which it sounds like you're falling on the poor side of it.
If you aren't doing this already, have you and your dad considered becoming a "group" and looking at a group plan? My brother and I tossed around the idea about 6 years ago because individual plans are outrageous and it only takes 2 policyholders to be a considered a group. Group health insurance plans are WAAAAY cheaper. Might be worth looking into.
FWP - I don’t know what to stream. I’ve watched all the mindless drama I can find on Netflix and amazon - so I have downloaded the Lifetime and MTV apps. I’m bothered by being bored while working. At home. In my private office. Overlooking a creek. For pretty good money.
And our maid is here so I don’t want to make lunch while she’s cleaning the kitchen but I’m kind of hungry right this minute.
justcheckingin73, my FWP is that I don't want to be in the house when the cleaning service comes. I feel so awkward, like what am I doing here that I can't clean my own house.
My FWP is that I don't ever get a lunch break or me time during the day because all of my "breaks" are spent pumping. I try to catch up on work emails or prepare for meetings while I'm pumping. Feel like I'm always running on empty.
My FWP is my house situation, obviously. I'm terrified that we'll have this house sold and end up having to buy something new that is basically the same size but not as nice and the only plus side we'll have is better schools. Because we're not talking about a house that's $100k more, we're talking about a house that's $400-500k more. And I can pay for private school for two kids for a lot less than that.
If it was just the schools that were pain points with our house, I wouldn't even have considered moving. But when we thought we'd get something bigger and in a nicer neighborhood AND have better public schools, it seemed like the right choice to make.
k3am , being a totally risk-adverse person, that'd frighten me too.
Given that it seems like you don't have any problems selling your house, could you hold off on selling until you've found something? Worst case, you don't sell your current house quickly and you end up paying for two mortgages for a few months, but at least then you aren't worried about a $400 - $500K swing?
We can't hold off on selling until we've bought something because we can't make an offer that would be accepted without selling since we don't have $200-$300k for a downpayment without selling first. We put our first/only/not accepted offer in with no contingencies because we're confident this house will sell quickly and at or above list price.
186momx my bill for my appendix was $20000. Thankfully that wasn't out of pocket. You nevery know when those suckering are going to go.
FWP I'd really like to sell the land I own with my brother and pay off most of my house. We have college coming up in a few years and I would also just like to free up cash. I am extremely risk adverse, so knowing that an emergency or job loss wouldn't risk my home would be peace of mind. I believe all of this has been brought on by donating to the homeless shelter near work. I just wonder, how does someone get there? Bad luck, bad choices, both, starting life way behind? I am constantly adding up all of our money to reassure myself we will be ok and could handle anything, but the mind is not always logical.
k3am - is it worth asking for a contingent contract? They usually flow the OTHER way (will buy IF current home sells) but I assume a good RE attorney could draft language that asserts that the home will convey upon completion of a sale contract and subsequent inspection by k3am for the new k3am family residence.
k3am - is it worth asking for a contingent contract? They usually flow the OTHER way (will buy IF current home sells) but I assume a good RE attorney could draft language that asserts that the home will convey upon completion of a sale contract and subsequent inspection by k3am for the new k3am family residence.
It would be worth trying?
Hm....... none of the real estate agents we've talked to have brought this up as an option. I'll bring it up when we meet with our agent tonight.
Post by covergirl82 on Feb 9, 2018 13:11:34 GMT -5
186momx, that is awful. I would check around to see if you can buy an individual plan for cheaper.
My FWP is that my mom asked me what restaurant I would like a gift card for, as that's what she and my dad want to get me and H for Valentine's Day. It legit took me a whole 24 hours to decide, because the only places we really go now are kid-friendly. And we're losing babysitters to aging-out, so we don't even go out very often now. (My parents live 45 minutes away, so they could babysit, but it's not convenient for them unless it's on a Friday, and I don't trust MIL alone with the kids.)
I got paid for that side job I did. It's a physical check so now I have to go to the bank. I hate going to the bank.
Your bank probably has a remote deposit feature in its app. I haven't stepped foot in a bank (besides the one I work in) for years and years and years. If yours doesn't, get a new bank.
I got paid for that side job I did. It's a physical check so now I have to go to the bank. I hate going to the bank.
Your bank probably has a remote deposit feature in its app. I haven't stepped foot in a bank (besides the one I work in) for years and years and years. If yours doesn't, get a new bank.
oh it does...says it takes 1 business day. I wish I'd noticed that last night.
Ok, you guys all made good points on why I need to keep it. It just crushes me to have to pay so much when I don't end up using it. Talk with my insurance lady (next door) she suggested I call up and talk to a couple of the OMG offices and see if they can assign me a doctor without needing to see them for new patient and explain the reasons behind.
erinshelley21, my dad is on my mom's health insurance. They pay $300 a month for both of them pre-taxed and have co-pays. He is also 60 so group for just the 2 of us has always been way more than individual plans. I'm hoping they bring back the catastrophic health plans for 2019.
mustardseed2007 , the processing time may depend on the size of your check. My smaller checks are usually available within an hour or two, even though it says it takes a day. It's usually not much longer than how long it would take for funds to be available with a traditional deposit. (The risk is in the issuer placing a stop payment on funds, not the method of deposit. I'm not sure the regulatory guidelines for how long those funds can be recalled, but I know that in the corporate world, they usually take a day or more to clear.)
k3am, we checked into it when DD was born and it was $400 to add her 6 years ago. DH's boss pays 100% of DH premium but spouse/kids are very expensive and come out of his check. Plus I can't even get the $ info out of his boss before renewal as his boss waits until the last second to do anything. Small employer with 4 employees everyone other than owner/boss is single except for DH. His insurance is slightly better co-pay of $100 but only allowed 2 visits per year, referrals for specialist, prescription coverage is co-pay for generic only. No dental/vision which is okay since DH is scared of both. Health insurance drives me crazy and the biggest downfall to being self-employed and working for mom and pop places.
Booking vacations is hard and time consuming. We are doing two amazing trips this year and the planning is taking forever. I also have done no research into one destination so everything seems so up in the air now. So if you have any suggestions for Nice France for three days I’ll take them.
The other is Aulani in Hawaii and we’ve been to Oahu before so that seems easy now that it’s booked.