“in my time on CC talking about health insurance, yours is the first positive comment I’ve seen about Anthem.”
Count me as another one who has had zero issues with Anthem. We’ve had them as our insurance provider for the past 4 years and have had no issues at all although, fortunately, our needs have been fairly minimal.
Exactly. Moreover, self-insured plans are subject to ERISA and are exempt from individual state insurance commissioners – and related premium taxes. For example, the HI insurance commissioner tacks on a 4.2% fee onto each and every policy sold within the state. 4% may not sound like much, but when the family premium is $20k per year, that’s an additional $800 paid per family for by the purchaser – individual or small employer.
HI is an extreme example, however, since it has the highest premium tax. Most states are in the 2% range, but Utah takes 0%.
The feds also charge a 3.5% fee to run the marketplace, which is built into the cost of individual premiums. Self-funded ERISA plans are excluded.
Regardless, all the fees/taxes adds up…
I believe I have had out of state claims processed by Anthem for our BCBS (we were notified upon the breach and got “free” monitoring after breach. We were happy with the way most of our claims were processed and only had to disputed a few over the years.
My kid does not have auto payment for his health insurance. He gets a monthly email bill, and pays. On time.
He was told his January payment would be posted in two weeks…but that was three weeks ago.
Maybe they will just send the bill at the regular time but with the new amount …which is at the end of the month, for January as he is a continuing customer?
Opinions?
He is trying to call Ambetter.
Obviously, self-insurance moves the risk of unexpectedly bad loss experience from the insurance company (which is now just doing claims servicing) to the self-insuring employer. Of course, the bigger employer has less risk of this nature, since claim / loss risks become more predictable at larger numbers of employees, and a single large loss has little effect on a large pool compared to a small pool.
Ditto – well almost, as I did have one issue three years ago, but that was really their outside medical contractor who pre-approved my MRI but then could never get around to approving Anthem to pay for the exam after it was completed. Took a few months for their systems to ‘talk’ to each other.
We also never had issues with Anthem. Neither kid had issues with Anthem. I now have an Anthem BC/BS PPO Medicare advantage plan…and have had no issue with that either.
Now…want to talk issues? For us, put United Health Care at the very top of the list of PITA companies. Lots of issues with them. Their first answer to almost everything they covered was…NO. Major PITA.
For most people, enrollment closes in five days. Whatever your choice, time is running out to get covered.
If I had ANY questions about whether my loved ones are covered, I’d be slaking cyst over service now and get full names and contact info and written confirmation that said loved one IS covered for 2910.
For whatever it’s worth, this Wikipedia article does not state that the fed govt is self-insuring medical but explains the FEHB plan with 250 private insurers.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Employees_Health_Benefits_Program
I’ve seen nothing supporting the assertion that the fed govt self insures fed employees for medical.
@HImom is your post directed at me?
My loved one is an adult, and I have no right or access to his health insurance information…nor should I.
But to update…he talked to the company today and the payment invoice should be coming any day.
@HImom if a company self insures, this is very invisible to the subscribers. My former employer self insured…and really…no one would have ever known.
The federal government is not self insured for health plans.
Not directing my post to anyone in particular. Just puzzled as to how anyone can determine if there is self-insurance or notcand regular caveats about protecting oneself.
Not directing my post to anyone in particular. Just puzzled as to how anyone can determine if there is self-insurance or not and regular caveats about protecting oneself.
@deb922 is very convinced that the fed self-insures. How can that conviction be confirmed? I’ve never seen anything that supports the assertion.
Read what @patsmom wrote. She knows what she is talking about.
You can easily phone the administrators of your plan…and ask them if your employer self insures. They can tell you.
I’m trying to figure out how people know whether the federal government self-insures their health plans. I would assume they did, because it would be insane not to, but I want to know on what basis people are saying they do or do not self-insure.
I do not want to derail this conversation. I do not have personal knowledge as to what the federal government does for its employees health insurance.
What I was trying to say that instead of the reason that an employer would have better rates is not because they have better bargaining power. But because they self insure. It’s very common for large companies to self insure. Like someone said they also avoid some taxes when they do.
Would it surprise me if the federal government self insures its health care, no? It does surprise me that it doesn’t. I only know that my H’s large company self insures and that’s why our costs are less than people who are self employed. I feel as if the health insurance that I have is very different than what this thread is discussing. For that I actually feel bad, I feel that we have a two tier system here in the United States.
But please, don’t let this derail this. I am sorry. I am wrong. Ok?
Well, more than two tier, but some tiers are much better or worse than others.
Back to 2019 open enrollment.
Hoping folks found plans. Hoping my son gets his bill this week as promised.
Glad this will soon be over for…this year…but disgusted that we have to go through this year after year after year.
In my field, UHC and Cigna are at the top of the “they stink to high heaven” list. BCBS has been ok to deal with for the mostpart, until last year. Then they were and absolute nightmare. Its fine if they don’t make a mistake, but when they do-- be prepared for months of challenges.