How do you do it?
Most companies have their employees register for benefits like Insurance plans choice etc either in November or somewhere in early year.
What factors do you consider before making a choice for that?
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
Jiski monthly fee affordable ho jaisay obama care… 
Premium cost, deductible , doctor’s visit cost, lab work.
Your health situation. If you are helthy… and rarely see doctor… high deductible. 
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
Is obama care offered by companies yet?
My company had BCBS and just now switched to Cigna.
Previously i had Cigna, Aetna etc.
Its always a pain to pick the right plan as you gotto know the fine print detail.
I like Consumer80 better because its a negotiated price with no immediate co-insurance and later you can pay thru your FSA.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
I took the high premium, low deductible plan. We use Aetna. Coming from Medicare/Medicaid for most of my life, it was....a little painful to accept the chunk taken out of my paycheck. Still better than marketplace though!
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
No, obama care is not offered by companies. You can search obama care plan from https://www.healthcare.gov/
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
I took the high premium, low deductible plan. We use Aetna. !
Same here. Aetna, high premium, low deductible. I know that Life insurance is questionable by some (dont know why), but I added supplementary to my Employee sponsored Life insurance.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
I think if one has dependants, it makes sense to add more life insurance. I heard Term Life insurance may be better. If I recall you are insured for the term. And pay less premium.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
I used to go with the lowest premium for insurance. Then paid more for PPO because it was easier than HMO.
Came back to HMO because some needed coverage was better under it.
Now I evaluate programs based on specific needs and costs. Decided to go with my wife's insurance plan because it had better coverage for some ongoing needs
This year I am also wading through ACA since my parents moved from UK to US so have to get their insurance. That adds more complexity because they can sign up in one of three states. Regular vs multistate plans etc.
The amazing thing is that not many people who need to insure recently immigrated parents even know that ACA will cover them. Everyone I asked said its not possible it when I searched myself, I found the correct info.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
PPO High premium, no deductible. $400 maximum out of pocket cost. $20 doctor/Specialist visit. Never had a better insurance plan than this.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
PPO High premium, no deductible. $400 maximum out of pocket cost. $20 doctor/Specialist visit. Never had a better insurance plan than this.
wow 400 max out of pocket is really low. Your employer is good im sure.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
wow 400 max out of pocket is really low. Your employer is good im sure.
How many Berkshire Hathaway B shares in 400?
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
I had a pretty good plan till I decided to go to another company. I used to have no deductible with no out of pocket. Since moving to the new company I have a 1200 deductible and 4000 out of pocket.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
PPO High premium, no deductible. $400 maximum out of pocket cost. $20 doctor/Specialist visit. Never had a better insurance plan than this.
We enjoyed this plan for years as well with my husband's former employer. He was at the same company for 14 years. Last year switched to a startup, in the same field (he is in a very niche area of his field) and even though he's making a heck of a lot more money with a handsome bonus, the insurance sucks! It's one of those Aetna plans where you don't have a copay...just pay a contracted rate until you meet the deductible..which is $6500! Out of pocket, we're paying $980/mo for our family of 5. Last month I had bronchitis and went to my doc twice, had to get a steroid shot and antibiotic shot. I got a call from them yesterday reminding of my yearly well check and I was told I had a $325 balance due for those two appointments. FML. It's ridiculous. My doc said their discounted cash rate for patients with no insurance is $80 a visit. We are seriously considering doing away with insurance all together and just taking the tax penalty. It's going to be less then what we're paying out of pocket right now. God forbid something happened and someone had to be hospitalized, it would be cheaper to set up a $200/mo payment plan for the rest of my life lol.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
I had a pretty good plan till I decided to go to another company. I used to have no deductible with no out of pocket. Since moving to the new company I have a 1200 deductible and 4000 out of pocket.
Yes it happens often when we make a switch. I wonder if we can ask for the benefit plans detail upon joining? I never tried. Any idea?
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
wow 400 max out of pocket is really low. Your employer is good im sure.
Yup! It is ranked 15th on Fortune 500 list. It is the best company I have ever worked for.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
We enjoyed this plan for years as well with my husband's former employer. He was at the same company for 14 years. Last year switched to a startup, in the same field (he is in a very niche area of his field) and even though he's making a heck of a lot more money with a handsome bonus, the insurance sucks! It's one of those Aetna plans where you don't have a copay...just pay a contracted rate until you meet the deductible..which is $6500! Out of pocket, we're paying $980/mo for our family of 5. Last month I had bronchitis and went to my doc twice, had to get a steroid shot and antibiotic shot. I got a call from them yesterday reminding of my yearly well check and I was told I had a $325 balance due for those two appointments. FML. It's ridiculous. My doc said their discounted cash rate for patients with no insurance is $80 a visit. We are seriously considering doing away with insurance all together and just taking the tax penalty. It's going to be less then what we're paying out of pocket right now. God forbid something happened and someone had to be hospitalized, it would be cheaper to set up a $200/mo payment plan for the rest of my life lol.
That is ridiculous! Do keep in mind the penalty increases each year you go without insurance. The plan you are explaining is similar to the one I had with my previous employer. It sucked! Still have medical bills to pay from last year due to the stupid insurance and high deductible. It was pointless paying nearly $400/month just for medical insurance. Now, I pay around $300/month for a much better plan. It is medical + vision + dental. Yeah!
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
Agree with Theorist. The penalty will be a percent of your AGI going forward. That could be substantial. If you have a high-deductible plan, then look into HSA, preferably one that rolls over to next year.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
Is obama care offered by companies yet?
My company had BCBS and just now switched to Cigna. Previously i had Cigna, Aetna etc.
Its always a pain to pick the right plan as you gotto know the fine print detail.
I like Consumer80 better because its a negotiated price with no immediate co-insurance and later you can pay thru your FSA.
Obama care is not insurance like Medicaid / Medicare, but just subsidies which you won't qualify for if you are working and your company offers plans.
This is the reason that I don't like Obama here because he pretty much gave it away to the insurance companies. The PPO plans that match the "bare minimum" for companies doesn't really change things except for one of his minority base that don't work at all.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
Yes it happens often when we make a switch. I wonder if we can ask for the benefit plans detail upon joining? I never tried. Any idea?
I tried. When I saw the deductible mentioned on the joining brochure they gave me I freaked out. I asked them about it and was told that there is nothing to worry about. we have the best benefits package in all of oil and gas. The first day when I came to knew the details I told them right there that I had it better before. She was like, Really? That is the first time I heard about it.
Nonetheless, my old company is going to have the same deal now starting from January 1st so I don't feel so bad.
Re: Benefits choice enrollment in your company
We enjoyed this plan for years as well with my husband's former employer. He was at the same company for 14 years. Last year switched to a startup, in the same field (he is in a very niche area of his field) and even though he's making a heck of a lot more money with a handsome bonus, the insurance sucks! It's one of those Aetna plans where you don't have a copay...just pay a contracted rate until you meet the deductible..which is $6500! Out of pocket, we're paying $980/mo for our family of 5. Last month I had bronchitis and went to my doc twice, had to get a steroid shot and antibiotic shot. I got a call from them yesterday reminding of my yearly well check and I was told I had a $325 balance due for those two appointments. FML. It's ridiculous. My doc said their discounted cash rate for patients with no insurance is $80 a visit. We are seriously considering doing away with insurance all together and just taking the tax penalty. It's going to be less then what we're paying out of pocket right now. God forbid something happened and someone had to be hospitalized, it would be cheaper to set up a $200/mo payment plan for the rest of my life lol.
Man. I feel a lot better about my plan. I pay 185/2 weeks for family of 4 and 1200 deductible with an FSA plan credit card so I dont have to pay and get reimbursed.