[mckilljoy]

Obviously everyone's health situation differs, but my health insurance experiences have been similar to MMM's. For an 'average' person/family, health insurance shouldn't be breaking the bank (e.g. $200-300 per month).

I've heard of some realistic pre-existing health conditions that required $600+/month for specialty meds, but if that $7000+ per year is enough to make the difference in your 'retirement', it wouldn't be too bad to get a part time job to cover your cost.

[wwweston]

> For an 'average' person/family, health insurance shouldn't be breaking the bank (e.g. $200-300 per month).

Let's play dueling anecdotes.

$300 a month was right around the cost of my COBRA premium for a group plan covering myself only, circa 2006.

$150 a month was what I paid as for an individual plan in my mid 20s circa 1998, and that was for a plan with relatively spare coverage and high deductibles. Perfectly healthy (arguably above average), living in a community that was also arguably above national averages for health statistics and below national average living costs.

I'm very skeptical of the truth of any claim that one could cover a family at $300 a month. Especially in 2013.

Heck, I'm somewhat skeptical that there are people out there nowadays who've been able to buy reasonable coverage on the individual market at all. I know people who don't have to worry much about money but who've still found it a hassle to get insured.

[chadcf]

You can, but it's going to be a high deductible plan. I just did a quick search on e-healthinsurance, for a family of 4 with 2 kids I could get coverage for $265 a month. Of course, the catch is that has a $7500 deductible and then 30% co-insurance after that... At $400 a month I could get a plan with a $10,000 deductible and then no co-insurance after that.

[hemancuso]

A modest HMO that covers a family cannot be had for less than $1k/month sticker price. If you don't want co-insurance it's at least $1200. At least in Massachusetts. Family of 3, no pre-existings. Good plans with a $25 co-pay on popular corporate providers (tufts/Harvard pilgrim) are nearly $1500/month, blue cross is close to $1800.

Expensive. No way around it.

[scarmig]

His family's insurance cost comes to $237/month.

It seems low, but not that low, at least relative to how much I pay as a 20-something guy scaled to three people.

[jonknee]

Because it features $10,000 per person deductibles (and then you still have to pay a portion up to $3k). If his kid breaks his leg riding his bike to school in the snow the family income could be cut nearly in half. Better than nothing, but definitely not great. That's a symptom of the US more than it is his lifestyle though.

[dnr]

No, the point is he has $600K+ in the bank as self-insurance. If he has to pay $10K in one year for medical expenses, he would do something like reduce the amount that his family draws by $1K a year for the next ten years, not cut the draw rate in half for one year. The self-insurance bet is that he won't have to do that more than once every ten years on average. Given their healthy lifestyle, he's probably going to win that bet.

[duck]

I live in Maine and have 4 kids. We pay $535 a month. The key is setting your deductible high and forgoing co-pays. As long as you have some savings in place (which is easier to do when you pay less) and be smart about visits, it works really well and yet your covered for anything serious.

[hemancuso]

Having shopped it recently nothing like that can be had in Massachusetts for a family.

[anywhichway]

Check again in October when the health care exchanges go live. Maybe you will see some doesn't prices there.

[hemancuso]

We have had those for a while. Same prices on mass health connector.

[logn]

I have a plan for two people (wife and I), includes $20 office co-pays, $50 specialist co-pays, and $10-50 prescriptions. Max out of pocket per year is $5k/person. $200/month total.

[rquantz]

Decent health insurance for a healthy person in New York is at least $600. My aunt, a cancer survivor in Middland Texas, pays several thousand per month for an individual plan.