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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Apologies if this is not the right forum, but ultimately I'm looking for financial advice.

I am switching jobs and looking at the new health benefits. I am currently a fed, and my family is on my plan (BCBS basic). I would prefer a plan that allows both in and out of network, which is one of the options. That has the highest bi-weekly employee contribution. The high deductible plan is a lower bi-weekly payment, and of course, a higher deductible. My current insurance has no deductible, so I'd love some advice in how to make this choice.

We're relatively healthy, I go to a primary care physician, dermatologist, and gynocologist. Kids have a regular pediatrician, a fairly typical amount of sick visits, and each have seen specialists for discreet issues but nothing long term.

Any thoughts or advice is welcome!  It's hard to leave the benefits provided by federal service.

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We’ve had a high deductible for about 10 years. It is a huge mental adjustment to constantly be out of pocket for all healthcare that isn’t preventative. We save more in premiums than we typically spend, but it still stinks. Rx drugs have surprisingly been mostly affordable (other than epinephrine) but doctor visits are typically $120-$150 and that’s assuming they don’t do some sort of minor procedure.

Happy to answer more detailed questions you have. [/quote]

Just so I'm clear, are you paying out of pocket for regular annual physicals?  Or just all the other doctors' appointments that pop up in between?  With little kids those are a lot.[/quote]

We paid nothing for regular annual physicals for the entire family and also once a year OBGYN exam and a mammogram.  I think colonoscopy after a certain age is covered too, but I am not sure, because I did mine after we already met our deductible.  I think they heavily discount colonoscopy after a certain age if done according to the approved schedule.

But every other appt and scan and minor procedure is out of pocket and goes to your deductible.  This means urgent care and minute clinic for kids.  Our bills are usually around 200 per kid to go to urgent care for a strep test and antibiotics.  Our bill for pneumonia xray and antibiotics was about 300 per kid.  You will need to budget for all these appointments and also this makes you ration care and not run to the doctors for any reason.  Frankly, this caused some tension between me and my spouse who is rather cheap when it comes to this because he thinks that I am running to the urgent care with my kids too many times wasting money (we rarely meet our deductible, so it's all out of pocket).

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