Medical Insurance & Costs

[SV THIRD DAY]

Run-away dinghy in La Paz, Mexico...
Cruiser tries to help...
Foot gets cut off....

Story details here:
Very bad news | Eagle's Big Left Turn

And an example of why having at minimum a high deductable "**** hits the fan plan" is a good idea.

[highseas]

Let it run.

[bobconnie]

Im lucky. I still have my MM papers and of course Im coverd by the VA, Ive used a Marine Hospital over the years, for broken bones and a burn once! But really Im old but healthy! and Connies an RN, so Im sleeping with my primary care giver !! Can't beat that ! I get the few meds I use from the VA

[Azul]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Not me but a guy I trust and believe. 58, diabetic, $30k income level got an Obama care plan for $1,000 per month, with a $1,000 per month reimbursement, so it ends up costing him nada.

I'm 63, wife 61, daughter is 23. I have a gold plan at work. I took a sabbatical and had to pay out of pocket to stay in the plan. $2,450 per month. Ouch.

I carry DAN divers insurance for when we travel.

The real story (I'm 57) with Obamacare for the Bronze (cheapest) plan for someone that doesn't qualify for Medicaid- for example unemployed but own any assets worth over $2000:

$7800 per year.
At least $5000 deductible, some states $5500.
60% covered up to another max $6350 out of pocket.

Total possible yearly out of pocket: $19,650*****

For my sons in their late twenties the yearly out of pocket is about $13000 when I put them through the "calculator" on Healthcare.Gov.

Terrible provider network, for example in Ohio the Cleveland Clinic does not accept Obamacare and recently laid off 150,000 workers stating it was due to Obamacare. Basically as bad as Medicaid, meaning you will get to see the doctor in town that sees 9 people per hour (which according to Medical Economics magazine is what the government expects doctors to start doing.) It is hard to get details of any of the provider networks without actually paying for the policy. Many people are finding out they have no out of state coverage or their local hospital doesn't accept Obamacare. This can be a nightmare for someone getting radiation treatments etc three times a week.

This is why the nonpartisan Central Budget Office still predicts 30,000,000 uninsured people in the US after full implementation of the AFA.

Good news is if you are an illegal alien, uninsured etc you cannot be refused care at any US hospital, for example if you get your foot cut off chasing down a dinghy. Also, if you impoverish yourself (if you actually try and are not completely disabled is it possible to have under $2000 in assets?) life is good because you qualify for all sorts of handouts including Medicaid.

The bad news is that 57 year old sailors will have to budget another $1637 a month for healthcare or stay healthy.

My GF's company (over 150 employees) currently pays about $8900 per year for each employee for health care insurance that has a $45 copayment, $500 deductible etc. If her company decides to drop private insurance coverage on the employees, there is only a $2000 fine per employee. One wonders what most companies will do if the current rates continue to increase, which will almost certainly happen- it is the way the law is designed ie to force everyone into a single payer system eventually.

It will be nearly impossible to get an affordable catastrophic policy (which is basically what the bronze plan is IMO) in the private sector anymore as the plans must now meet the criteria for the ACA, ie provide obstetric coverage etc. And in a few years "gold plated" expensive employer provided plans are scheduled to be taxed as extra income.

Once the young people the govt is expecting to chip into the AFA decide not to enroll but instead to take the 1% of total income fine/tax expect yearly costs to skyrocket. The expected percentage for this scheme to work was 40% people under 34 but so far it has only been about 25%.

See for yourself at Obamacare Bronze Health Insurance Plans

[carstenb]

Hey guys,

This thread is supposed to be about medical costs/insurance while cruising. Whilst Obamacare etc sure are interesting, let's try to keep the thread on track.

The above was said as my personal opinion, not as a Mod

[Azul]

The problem is that every US citizen's health care costs will be affected by Obamacare. And those costs are not at all predictable based on what people's plans cost or cover today.

Hearsay information was stated that was incomplete and misleading.

The OP asked to avoid rants. I provided amplified information with a minimum of personal opinion that is valuable for anyone considering this issue.

[sailorboy1]

My intent was not to discuss health insurance costs, but to discuss health insurance costs for CRUISERS. Cruisers spend time in places others that the USA.

So there has to be people here on CF who aren't in the USA with health insurance that covers them where they are traveling. And having a plan that only covers you once you fly back home isn't a plan, you get hurt or sick you aren't getting on a plane a lot of times.

[belizesailor]

ObamaCare, Medicaid, Medicare don't pay outside the USA so really not relevant to most cruisers.


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[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Azul

Terrible provider network, for example in Ohio the Cleveland Clinic does not accept Obamacare and recently laid off 150,000 workers stating it was due to Obamacare. Basically as bad as Medicaid, meaning you will get to see the doctor in town that sees 9 people per hour (which according to Medical Economics magazine is what the government expects doctors to start doing.) It is hard to get details of any of the provider networks without actually paying for the policy. Many people are finding out they have no out of state coverage or their local hospital doesn't accept Obamacare. This can be a nightmare for someone getting radiation treatments etc three times a week.
Good news is if you are an illegal alien, uninsured etc you cannot be refused care at any US hospital, for example if you get your foot cut off chasing down a dinghy. Also, if you impoverish yourself (if you actually try and are not completely disabled is it possible to have under $2000 in assets?) life is good because you qualify for all sorts of handouts including Medicaid.
The bad news is that 57 year old sailors will have to budget another $1637 a month for healthcare or stay healthy.

This is the usual rhetoric I hear from the right side of the Isle. First, it is mandated that health care providers have to except Insurance from the American Health care act.
Of course the hospital states that it's Obamas fault. It's an easy scapegoat. US doctors are the highest paid in the world. US hospitals charge the most in the world. Health care in the US is ranked 37th. ( World Health Organization ranking of health systems in 2000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) I would like to see how one clinic laid off 150,000 workers. Here is the real report. It was 3000 people and it was Fox news that blamed "Obama care"... Fox Blames Obamacare For Fictional Layoffs At Cleveland Clinic | Blog | Media Matters for America
Here's another fact for you...prior to the American Health care act and after, no one can be refused in the US of medical care. I'm an example of that. I was unemployed when I had a $70,000 major event....and yes...I paid it off over 5 years. So relax, I didn't steal any of your beer and hoagie-dog money.
If the accident about the person getting his foot mangled was the La Paz, Mexico incident, that was John Spicher, an American. Not an illegal alien. And true, like most cruisers...no Insurance. But many funds have been started with significant contributions from the cruising community here in La Paz. So again, your safe from President Satin dipping into your pocket.
You see, most people have empathy for their fellow man. I don't want to see anyone suffer. True the system is rife with abuse. That does need to be dealt with.

[sailorboy1]

I get the feeling all hope on this thread is lost. The world of cruisers doesn't care about ObamaCare and the US health care system. Hell even I don't care a lot.

Can people please control themselves to NOT continue that debate and go back to discussing health insurance for CRUISERS?

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I get the feeling all hope on this thread is lost. The world of cruisers doesn't care about ObamaCare and the US health care system. Hell even I don't care a lot.

Can people please control themselves to NOT continue that debate and go back to discussing health insurance for CRUISERS?

I doubt that would ever happen being such a hot topic in the US itself. It's like Rocna vs CQR, Cat vs Mono and so on.

[sailorchic34]

Agreed in the US, Medical is a big topic of discussion even for cruisers.

[winterbuoy]

So how many of you out there cruising have none? Is this the norm while cruising? Just wondering as we are Can and we spend winter in the US, not cruising. We buy snowbird insurance in Canada for the winter here but have always wondered how many people have coverage while cruising. The prices most of you are talking about are just crazy. And yes I'm in the 2000 or less a month club as you can tell.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Navicula

In Canada (Ontario) we have OHIP......and Ohip will cover us to the amount that it would cost here in Ontario....anywhere in the world...this does not cover evacuations....However this would not be enough coverage in the USA

I sympathize with my American friends, but I would like to probe the question from a non-American perspective (if that is possible). What good options have people found to manage their healthcare risks while traveling through the US Specifically, I'd be interested in hearing from my fellow Canadians on this issue. When traveling through the US, what coverage do you carry, and at what costs? Name companies please.

For the record, healthcare costs appear manageable just about everywhere else in the world. I have plenty of friends living and travelling in other parts of the world. Many have no insurance, and simply pay for services as needed in the countries they are hanging out in. It's only in the US where relatively minor event could economically cripple us for life.

[sailorboy1]

I just did a web search and found a site that gave instant quotes. For a couple 55-59 with a $5000 deductible it gave:

world wide - $5131/yr
excluding US (and Canada or Asia, was same price) - $4104/yr

So on a quick look at the issue if I decide me have to have medical insurance I need to work an additional year to save the money just to cover the cost of insurance (extra year of working becomes $36k additional savings into the cruising kitty and $36k for not having cruised for a year with no income).