Biglaw and Health Insurance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. The firm let me stay on its group health care plan when a left around a decade ago provided I keep paying the entire premium, which for my spouse and me is $1400 a month for a high deductible plan that includes both medical and dental. When I left the firm they were still heavily subsidizing associates though. Things must have really changed.

Lower ranked firms really don’t have the revenue to justify matching V10 associate salaries, so they have to cut compensation any way they can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. The firm let me stay on its group health care plan when a left around a decade ago provided I keep paying the entire premium, which for my spouse and me is $1400 a month for a high deductible plan that includes both medical and dental. When I left the firm they were still heavily subsidizing associates though. Things must have really changed.

shocking to me. I never worked in biglaw but I worked in regional firms and now am a fed. My firm paid full tilt for associate health insurance, and it was excellent insurance. I was single then so I did not have dependents but I believe the firm did not pay for family coverage except for equity partners.

Now that i am a fed they pay what they pay now matter what plan you pick.

[Anonymous]

One reason why firms are able to cheap out somewhat is that I think there are less and less people actually using their insurance, epsecially once they get to the stage in life when they're married and have families. A good number of midlevel and senior associates, counsel, and partners have spouses with the types of jobs that are more flexible and have good health insurance. The days of the biglaw partner or senior associate with a stay at home wife are dwindling and instead it's the biglaw partner/senior associate with a spouse with a flexible job with great benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. The firm let me stay on its group health care plan when a left around a decade ago provided I keep paying the entire premium, which for my spouse and me is $1400 a month for a high deductible plan that includes both medical and dental. When I left the firm they were still heavily subsidizing associates though. Things must have really changed.

shocking to me. I never worked in biglaw but I worked in regional firms and now am a fed. My firm paid full tilt for associate health insurance, and it was excellent insurance. I was single then so I did not have dependents but I believe the firm did not pay for family coverage except for equity partners.

Now that i am a fed they pay what they pay now matter what plan you pick.

No firm pays for family coverage for equity partners so you’re wrong about that. By definition equity partners are owners of the firm and are on the hook for all expenses themselves

[Anonymous]

It really varies by firms. And by a lot. Coverage also varies. I have been at three firms and two were top notch PPO bcbs plans. One was an ok but a lot less high deductible plan. That was a good firm. The other two are top firms.

Parters pay entire premium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early retired Biglaw partner here. The firm let me stay on its group health care plan when a left around a decade ago provided I keep paying the entire premium, which for my spouse and me is $1400 a month for a high deductible plan that includes both medical and dental. When I left the firm they were still heavily subsidizing associates though. Things must have really changed.

shocking to me. I never worked in biglaw but I worked in regional firms and now am a fed. My firm paid full tilt for associate health insurance, and it was excellent insurance. I was single then so I did not have dependents but I believe the firm did not pay for family coverage except for equity partners.

Now that i am a fed they pay what they pay now matter what plan you pick.

No firm pays for family coverage for equity partners so you’re wrong about that. By definition equity partners are owners of the firm and are on the hook for all expenses themselves

Well, this is what I heard through the grapevine at my firm. I was never a partner (equity or otherwise) so I don't have firsthand knowledge. Again this was not Big law so it may not work the same way, or, its possible that the firm was organized differently than how biglaw firms are organized.