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Lets Talk Health Insurance

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by blackbird, Dec 23, 2009.

  1. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    I was hit "Below the Belt" this past month with an esculation in premium costs

    A 30% increase/month that amounts to an over $200 increase/month

    Thats $200/month taken out of my pocket that I can no longer "stimulate" the economy with

    I am now paying over $12,500/year for medical coverage for my family of four at GuideStone

    Thats $1000/month---and even with that--the coverage is to where--I BETTER NOT have a hospital stay over a day or any kind of mamma jamma heart attack and be force to be operated on or its even more out of my pocket in deductables

    I know theres nothing GuideStone can do about costs and I'm not knocking them one bit--I know how they operate---but I am saying this---this costs by health care insurance folks are makeing it to where---its awefully tempting to dive into Obama's Fed coverage----somebody calm me down about that!!

    Mercy----anybody in the same boat as I am?? I'm not talking about "Company Paid" coverage guys----I'm talking about "out of your own pocket" guys---I have no sympathy for guys who get "Company Paid" coverage and yet . . . well you know!!
     
    #1 blackbird, Dec 23, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 23, 2009
  2. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Blackbird,

    There were three reasons I dropped Guidestone like a bad habit:

    One, you just named. ridiculous prices and prohibitive rate increases (more than the industry average).

    Two, they were worse than most regarding preventive care. They'd pay for my son's treatment if he got polio...but not the vaccine. That's stupid.

    Three, they screwed up some medical bills on us years ago. And they were much less helpful and frankly less friendly than companies that did not have a "Christian focus."

    If you are in Alabama, have you considered the Alfa Health plan? It is BCBS insurance. You join ALFA and get their rate. When I joined, my premiums went down by nearly half. And frankly, it's better insurance. PM me if you want more info. (I promise i'm not on commission!)

    I have Guidestone for retirement...but I'm not sure if having their insurance is that much better than being uninsured.


    My guess is, when AmeriKa adopts the fascist medical plan in a few weeks, Guidestone will be one of the first casualties. More churches will have trouble paying it (those that help pay), and with the crazy prices they charge, ministers will be ditching them in droves.

    My wife and I talked: I don't care what happens, and I don't care if they imprison me...if my insurance options go away, I'll do without rather than support the immoral, fascist plan proposed.
     
  3. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    I am so sorry to hear that, blackbird. May God provide for your needs...as He always does.
     
  4. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    From some that have read the plan (radio etc.):

    Couple making 30000 each will pay 12000+ on odrama care. Single man/woman living together making 30000 each will pay 1200 per year.

    Care for illegals.

    Payment for abortions.

    May well be unconstitutional.

    All are required to purchase care or be fined or if you are in the administration "taxed."

    Tanning will be taxed 10%. This PROVES that they will tax/fine any "dangerous" lifestyles since tanning is dangerous and may cause cancer. Can mountain climbing be far behind.

    Of course all this could change when they merge the bills but I would not bet on it.:thumbsup:
     
  5. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    As much as I can appreciate Guidestone and insurance and annuity, I agree with rbell. I have had Guidestone's insurance. I have had other insurance. I have health issues where I would not really want to be uninsured (and what really is under insured??).

    Anyway. I felt sucked dry with Guidestone's insurance, and this was back some 12 to 20 years ago. And I didn't have much health issue back then--a few colds, oral surgery (which they did cover). I moved to Cigna through the workplace, then to United Health care, now to BCBS. Of the four, Guidestone was the most expensive and most stringent--hard to get included unless the workplace includes everyone.
     
  6. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    On the other hand, I have high regards for their retirement plan.

    For only a dollar a month (unless something has changed), you can put into a retirement plan, and become vested in a death and disability insurance that has paid off for a couple of my peoples who have invested.

    They rock on that.
     
  7. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    I said goodbye to GuideStone many years ago. They were too high and were doing nothing, that I could tell, to change the situation. Plus, it hacked me off that I was being charged the same price that a larger family was being charged. I have one child but paid the same price that a faimly with six children would pay. GuideStone was subsidizing the cost of insurance for larger families at others expense. I dumped them quickly when they started that mess and jacked up the prices. I had BC/BS in Alabama and in Georgia and it was much better than GuideStone especially when it came to premiums. However, I am currently with Christian Medi Share which does medical sharing. The costs are much much lower than traditional insurance. When this new bill passes I guess that will go away.
     
  8. John Toppass

    John Toppass Active Member
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    The "guys that have company paid insurance" are paying for it out of their pocket too. Instead of making 30 an hour they make 25. There is nothing free about that so don't hold that against those who have that option.

    I feel for you but I would like to remind you that obamacare will still cost a lot of money (probly more than your paying now) but everyone will be covered by lousy medical care that gives the patient or doctor much choice. Read the bill, if it passes I can hear folks talking about they remember when there was good health care before the govt took over.

    Just remember no country has had an efficient run health care plan run by the govt. It has been tried and it has failed every time.
     
  9. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    All I can do is smile.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  10. SBCPreacher

    SBCPreacher Active Member
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    First off, Guidestone wouldn't insure me - preexisting diabetes.

    I also participate in a medical sharing plan called Christian Healthcare Ministries (formerly The Brotherhood Newsletter).

    Sag38, according to CHM, medical sharing organizations are a recognized substitution in the new Health Bill - you should be OK, but check with the Medi Share folks to be sure.
     
  11. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Guidestone has, for some odd reason, never been able to offer competitive insurance products. Doesn't make sense IMHO. They have a great system for retirement and investments but never anything good for insurance.

    Even when I was in seminary I went without health insurmace for about a year b/c I just couldn't afford it. Never got sick, thankfully. I don't know how some families make it. Really doesn't make sense that they don't offer a good resource here. Sorry your priums wen through the roof.

    Sadly it's part of our horrible system in America. That is why I am so disappointed in this attempt at healthcare reform. It falls so short of what we truly need.
     
  12. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    Can I insure myself against the ultimate illness. Death. Ah yes, it's taken care of :)

    Thank you Lord :)
     
  13. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    $12.5K/year will pay down a very large health care debt in a short amount of time. I'd drop the insurance completely. In fact, I'm dropping my family coverage next month.

    What if? . . . Can't worry about it.
     
  14. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    With the money the government is going to pay for reform, we could literally pay the annual premium of every uninsured person in America and have money left over by going through the private market. This along with passing some laws on tort reform and reigning in excesses of insurance companies would have been a much better and cheaper approach. Also, if we would enforce the laws we have and stop the fraud on unnecessary testing, that would also save a ton. Pre existing conditions could have been priced into the premium.

    It is not about caring about people who have no coverage. For politicians, it is about power and control. What makes the combination so dangerous is control mixed with being inept.
     
  15. targus

    targus New Member

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    I think that health savings accounts combined with a high deductible catastropic illness policy would serve better to bring down health care costs - without involving the government in either more regulation or payment of health services.

    In a free market rational consumers would shop for value in spending their health care dollars - not paying for tests that they do not need and the government would have one less chip to buy influence with.
     
  16. SBCPreacher

    SBCPreacher Active Member
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    That's essentially what I have. My "insurance" is a major medical thing, and I have a line in the church budget for things like meds, tests, Dr's visits, etc.
     
  17. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    I've been paying about $1000 a month for the past year --- and that doesn't include the "Company Paid" portion.

    And they've promised an increase next year.

    My family's shrinking, only one child meeting coverage requirements now but we still pay the "family plan".
    We also have been paying for my second daughters health insurance out-of-pocket.

    Fortunately she is recently employed and in 3 months she will be covered by her employer.

    Yep it's expensive but just wait until next year when we have to begin paying the government for the coverage that won't start for another 3 years.

    Maybe I should become an illegal alien. :BangHead:

    Rob
     
  18. Hardsheller

    Hardsheller Active Member
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    I never understood why Guidestone (old Annuity Board) would draw any line in the sand when it came to pre-existing conditions. Their premiums are so high that they ought to cover any SBC pastors with pre-existing conditions as well as the rest of us who are reasonably healthy.

    What a great witness for the Denominational Insurance Carrier to refuse to insure a denominational pastor.

    Here's an idea. Take your Church's CP giving and use it to pay your health care insurance premium. If you have any left over sent it to Lottie Moon.

    (I know CP has nothing to do with Guidestone - but it is all in the same family!!)
     
  19. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    More Bad News is Coming Your Way...

    I hate to bear more bad news brother, but, if I read the bill right, the Obamacare plan will attach a tax to your health care, because it is more than $8,500.00 a year. :flower:

    It's going to get me too, so don't feel too bad. A whole bunch of us will feel the pinch of this new government health plan.

    Pastor Paul:type:
     
  20. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    Does anyone think something might stop this disaster in the negotiations between the House and the Senate?
     
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