Right… we think net earnings after inflation will be less than 5%… Although inflation is fairly low these days, it still needs to be considered.
Okay, since you guys helped us settle on an insurance company (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) in California for my son, maybe someone in the SF area has a recommendation for a doctor? Most everyone accepts BC/BS, but I’m looking up doctors and a lot of them seem to work at UCSF Medical Center. He’s just looking for a primary care provider, but it’s good to go with a practice that has multiple doctors, in case yours isn’t available. Does anyone have a practice they can recommend? It’s hard to just pick out a name, and a place, online, for something so important. I’ve had terrible doctors, and I’ve had great ones.
Lest anyone think this doesn’t relate to retirement, I assure you that my kids health (plus getting them off our insurance), directly relates to our ability to retire!!
There is a blue cross/blue shield insurance company in Cal?
There is Anthem Blue Cross.
There is Blue Shield Ca.
His company goes through TriNet, and one of the options that they have listed is Blue Cross/Blue Shield, so I assumed that was it. Right now we have Anthem, but since that is not in our area they always bill Premera. Will have to get more specifics of his plan options when I see him soon. Just trying to line him up with a doctor who takes our insurance for a physical, then keep the same doctor when he ages out and has to select his own policy. UCSF seems to accept everything.
Ok. Good luck.
I’ve had one visit at UCSF for lung issues. Their system is pretty spread out, depending on the type of doc you need. The doc and nurse were nice, but parking was very high ($8 for 1.5 hours or so–no validation) and if we had needed to see other providers at UCSF, I’m not sure where they were located. I’m likely transferring my lung care to UCSF, so will likely learn more about their system over time. My visit was BCBS, and we THINK it was covered except for my tiny co-pay.
Thanks, HImom. It seems like they have a ton of doctors there. Good wishes coming your way for your lung issues!
My relative did his ophthalmology medical internship and residency there and my son to be nephew in law is there for his pathology residency. They have excellent docs there, but it IS teaching hospital, with all it entails. Yes, they do have LOTS of providers there and do tons of research.
Hmm, I don’t know if I’m so big on the teaching hospital concept. Maybe we’ll just look for a smaller clinic. Then again, going to a primary care provider, I wouldn’t think you’d have students working with you. Kind of brings to mind my military maternity visits. Here you were in a compromising position, and they’d bring around a group of students to take a look. Embarrassing, but that’s military health care for you. Then again, maybe they weren’t groups of students…, 
Well, I’ve been treated at several teaching hospitals–National Jewish, Stanford and UCSF. Most of the time, it was just me and the provider. Our kids were treated by a pediatric resident/intern when we were at NJ, but he was excellent and closely supervised by an excellent pediatric allergist. Once, when my Pulmonologist was doing a procedure on me which he didn’t do that often (as he often delegated it to his younger protégés), they asked and I consented to a gallery of viewers (no idea how many and it didn’t bother me at all). Most of the rest of the times I have not had students participating or treating me or even speaking with me, including at UCSF. I did have one other allergy resident work me up at NJ before conferring with his supervising allergist.
When my dad was recently in our local teaching hospital, the hospitalist brought in about 6 Med students with him. They were able to ask questions and observe. It didn’t seem to bother dad–he seemed to thrive on the extra attention.
UCSF is known through out the medical profession as the finest medical school in the US. ONLY the smartest med students are accepted there. And the medical research done there is known world wide for breakthroughs.
The most complicated cases are often sent to the DRs at UCSF from all over Calif/ the West.
I wouldnt worry about the quality of care you will receive at UCSF.
One advantage of teaching hospitals is that they do tend to attract top talent in medical personnel. I have received outstanding care at the teaching hospitals where I was seen as a patient. It is indeed very competitive to be selected to train at the best teaching hospitals. My future nephew in law was very attractive to the Med centers and opted to list UCSF as his 1st choice instead of Stanford because he liked the less formal and less hierarchical culture there.
So my son ended up with a doctor from UCSF, but apparently they have these clinics all over SF, that you can join, that are connected. Seems like a very good deal, and a huge practice, since you can use others in the system. It’s called one medical. I hope it’s good, at least!
His company did not offer Blue Cross/Blue Shield, I think they just put that out as generic information on some of the nationwide insurance policies they offer. But he selected a Blue Shield PPO plan, and holy crap, it’s really expensive. His company pays $440 per month, but he will have to pay $500. Insane. For a 26 year old? The total price is more that my company and I pay for a policy for me (old) and two kids (they make my husband buy his own). My son will be paying more than double of what I pay for the three of us, and I have a better policy. Kind of shocking. I really question whether his company is paying a penny for that policy!
We have a great PPO BCBS policy. Sounds like your S has high premiums.
H’s former employer pays 75% of premiums. We pay less than your S’s portion but can’t recall exact amount right now.
It seems really, inappropriately high. When I total up both his premium and the companies, it’s almost double the price of a Blue Shield Platinum PPO plan, that they are offering in California. I got the quote when I thought he might have to purchase temporary insurance for himself. So how is it that buying an individual plan for yourself is half the cost of a group plan? I thought the group plans were supposed to be the good deal.
There are a number of factors going on that have S’s insurance cost high, some may have to do with allowing so many choices and the company not being big enough, that BC/BS is not giving a very good deal - or they (BC/BS) have claims experience to know that they may get higher claims experiences when they get people cherry picking their plan. Insurance companies are also protecting themselves (so they make money, not lose money) and the elimination of pre-existing conditions wait periods is a new wrench in their cogwheel.
The best thing to do in all of life is to do healthy things, pay attention to all that you can do to maintain your health/family health, pick the best options on medical providers and insurance coverage to your situation, and be aware of paradigm changes and adjusting accordingly.
But that doesn’t explain anything about why BS offered reasonable premium insurance to an individual, but virtually the same insurance is being offered at almost double the price on a group, company plan.
All I can think is that maybe Trinet (who administers the choices) is charging a massive fee.
And what really confuses me, is that my company will let him continue the policy he had on Cobra for $606, an even better policy than the platinum. I thought Cobra was supposed to be crazy expensive in comparison to getting your own policy.
Sounds like a weird anomaly @busdriver11 . What does company HR say?