nikon858 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Just wondering if there are any helo pilot organizations that give some sort of discount on health insurance. It would cost almost $500/mo to add me to my wifes insurance, which I can't afford. My current health insurance doesn't allow any doctors visits and has a $2500 deductible, which is really hard to swallow. Both of my jobs I'm considered a sub-contractor or self employed so no luck through work. So who do you guys use? I check aopa, they don't seem to offer anything to members. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 That is the best you are going to get in this country. $500 a month is typical, mine is $400 per month with an 8,000 deductible. You might find something cheaper but if your health really hits the fan you will find out where that savings comes from. Where do you live? Some states have programs that might help, Cover Colorado etc. If you income is low enough you can try for Medicaid, but be prepared to apply multiple times and not have access to quality doctors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trans Lift Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Ahh, medical insurance. Such a ridiculous expense. I don't have any right now. I guess if I needed something bad I would fly back Ireland, it would be cheaper!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karl Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Just wondering if there are any helo pilot organizations that give some sort of discount on health insurance. It would cost almost $500/mo to add me to my wifes insurance, which I can't afford. My current health insurance doesn't allow any doctors visits and has a $2500 deductible, which is really hard to swallow. Both of my jobs I'm considered a sub-contractor or self employed so no luck through work. So who do you guys use? I check aopa, they don't seem to offer anything to members. ThanksDo your research. My Eskrima Master's cut rate health insurance paid $50 on a $1,500 ER visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 My Blue Shield PPO plan has increased 51% in the last 5 months. I haven't been to hospital ever, and my only doctor visits are for my flight physical. I don't even run that through my insurance since they wouldn't cover it anyways.... After a few irate phone calls the only explanation I could get was to combat increases in their expenses. It's sickening. At this rate, I won't be able to pay for it in another 5 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary-mike Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 The Military offers great insurance. Full coverage for me (free), $31.72 for family dental, $45.65 for medicare, $27.00 for $400,000 worth of life insurance (me) $5.00 for family life insurance for the family (don't remember the exact amount they are covered for). After retirement these benefits follow, not all free any more but still affordable. I am not a recruiter, just think if you can do it, it is another option to considder. And looking at the options outside opened my eyes to what I have and pushes me more towards sticking it out 8 more years for the retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romanweel Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I truly and deeply distrust and dislike health insurance. Instead, I'm paying myself monthly into a savings account what I would otherwise have paid in premiums. It more than covers my OTC stuff and once-a-year doctor visits plus I'm building reserves (and earning interest) for the day I need the ER, a root canal, or cancer care (which has not manifested in my family tree at least). I really REALLY wish there were a Health Savings Account you could use without having to buy whatever bogus insurance plan they attach to it, but I haven't been able to find any such thing. Oh, and doctor's offices tend to like the cash method...they're getting ripped off by the insurance companies too, so when you say "I'll be paying cash today," they often give you close to the same discount they're forced to give the insurance company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I truly and deeply distrust and dislike health insurance. Instead, I'm paying myself monthly into a savings account If you ever get the wrong kind of chronic illness or cancer that money will last you a month before you declare bankruptcy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romanweel Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 If you ever get the wrong kind of chronic illness or cancer that money will last you a month before you declare bankruptcy. I have two friends (one with cancer, the other with multiple expensive, non-chronic problems) who, when the proverbial crap hit the fan, were STILL unable to keep up with the deductibles, premiums, and fees, and finally dropped from their insurance and had to declare bankruptcy anyway. Sounds like a lose/lose to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trans Lift Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I think you're on the money Romanwheel. Unfortunately here in MA, it is mandatory to have health insurance. I still don't have and will probably be fined at the end of the year although I'm not eligible for the cheaper stuff. I can't afford the 'good' insurance. Paying the fine is cheaper than paying for it all year. It's such a bullshit system. I think the american government need to look at how it is done in other countries and follow suit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I have two friends (one with cancer, the other with multiple expensive, non-chronic problems) who, when the proverbial crap hit the fan, were STILL unable to keep up with the deductibles, premiums, and fees, and finally dropped from their insurance and had to declare bankruptcy anyway. Sounds like a lose/lose to me. Sounds like a terrible insurance company or his plan was 80%-20%. With Aetna after the deductible they pay for everything no matter what it is or where, and I've never seen a fee of any kind. Pretty much you can either buy the best or use nothing, average insurance companies will find a way to drop you, clerical errors on your application, lifetime caps, pre-existing conditions, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomer Pylot Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Health insurance companies are evil money-making machines. If it were up to me, they would all be out of business tomorrow. They make money by denying coverage they promised, and then pay obscene bonuses to top management. Dropping cancer patients from insurance plans isn't unusual, it's the standard business model. Happens every day. Every other civilized industrialized country in the world provides healthcare through the government, and the US should do it too. Unfortunately, bribing politicians is legal here, as long as you call it a campaign contribution, and the insurance companies have bought enough of them to insure a single-payer system like the rest of the world has won't be coming to the good old US of A. We're screwed, pure and simple. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam32 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Nevermind. Edited January 13, 2011 by adam32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Guardian Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 If you're a person of "faith" there are various faith specific health care sharing pools available. This one: http://mychristiancare.org/medi-share/ has been around since 1993 so they must be doing something right. While I am not religious the whole idea of shared pools as an alternative to traditional for profit insurance companies seems like a very interesting one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klas Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 ... the insurance companies have bought enough of them to insure a single-payer system like the rest of the world has won't be coming to the good old US of A. We're screwed, pure and simple. Ahhhh, Gomer how long have you been a member of the Communist Party? Not all countries have true single payer systems, even those that you think might. Have you checked into Singapore's system? Do so, then let us know what you think. It provides health care for all, but is not government single payer - wonder how they do it? Or do you just like government single payer? Or, check out Trader Joe's health plan. Would you like that kind? Finally, who would rather have provide the money for research & development in the health field? Government or private industry? Before you answer, keep in mind that, (1) government budgets are at their breaking point, & (2) private profits are for the most part what finances research & development today, more so than any other government that provides single payer. So much so, that the quality of health care is GENERALLY more advanced here than in other countries - witness all those people that come HERE for life saving care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klas Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Too bad people can't buy health care plans over State lines - imagine the competition that would result!? Wonder why people are against that in the Congress?? Huh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Have you checked into Singapore's system? Singapore, where chewing gum was illegal until 2004. It's not even close to a private industry system. They deduct from employee payroll, have nationalized emergency care, provied heavy subsidies, and price fix. Their system works because of the small county size and extreme political stability. I can't think of a single good healthcare system that doesn't use massive government intervention. As to people coming here for "good" healthcare I've never met such a person. Myself and several of my friends have been deep in the system for a long time and I can tell you the quality is mediocre at best, unless you are having erection troubles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomer Pylot Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 The government provides almost all the R&D in the healthcare field, other than what Big Pharma does looking for profitable drugs. Lots of corporate money goes into drug research for male pattern baldness, erection disfunction, acne, etc, and even some into drugs for serious illnesses that might return big profits. Not much else, though. Scientists wanting to do basic research mostly rely on government grants, which give good return on investment, overall. Investing money in basic research with no obvious immediate financial return is good business, because it can give unexpected results, and eventual big payoffs. I'm not completely set on a pure single-payer system, but what we have is criminal. Costs are out of control, mostly because of exorbitant profits and bonuses. Government needs to do the things that citizens can't do for themselves, not what makes money for corporations. Taking care of its citizens is why we have government in the first place. Do away with government and you have anarchy, or more correctly plutocracy, where the rich control everything. Corporate profits should never be more important than the lives and health of the citizens. It's backward now. Expecting the government to do its job, taking care of things too difficult or expensive for individual citizens or local govenments, is not communism, it's just basic civics. Citing Singapore for anything is disingenuous. Singapore is not a major country, not in size, population, or anything else. It's an aberration if anything. But we do need to look at western Europe, Canada, Japan, etc, and find a better way of doing things. Even Sarah Palin admitted going to Canada for healthcare, where it was better and cheaper than Alaska. It's better and cheaper almost anywhere. We're number thirty-something in quality of healthcare, while spending more per capita than any other industrialized country. Far more. Our healthcare system is badly broken, and desperately needs fixing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelliBoy Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 You're right; what we have IS criminal. However, more govenment control of the private sector is not the answer, its the perpetrator. Your assertion that the cost of healthcare is driven by corporate profits is false. Insurance company profits are around 4% of revenue. In contrast, microsofts profit margin is in the neighborhood of 25%. The Healthcare overhaul, as it currently is written, is not designed to reduce healthcare costs or to 'fix' our system. Its designed to collapse our private insurance system and lead us to single payer and is obvious in this intention based on it most touted tenent: Gauranteed coverage for prexisting conditions. Not allowing people who pool risk to eliminate customers who pose too great a risk to the pool is not insurance. Its wellfare. People wont buy insurance until they need it, and when they do their risk will be 100%. The supposed safegaurd in the legislation against this is the 'penalty' for those who dont buy insurace. Despite the fact that this provision will most likely be overturned in the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, the 'penalty' is capped at a much lower percentage of income than would be spent by that person on an actual policy. The people who cant afford any insurance in this country have Medicaid, the people who dont have insurance in this country choose not to buy it. They'd rather have a nice car, apartment, cable TV, cell phone, ipod, etc, etc.... When the government inserts itself into the private sector (healthcare represents 1/6 of our economy), it invariably leads to disaster. Look at the current housing apocolypse. The government persuaded, cooerced even, mortgage lenders to give loans to people who could never repay them under the auspices of the Affordable Housing Act. Because of the politcal dream that everyone should be able to own a home, banks, under threat of penalty for discrimination, gave out junk loans by the trillions and in trying to protect themselves from being left holding the bag, bundled and sold those loans with other mortgages that were strong in order to reduce the percieved risk of the bad loans. They cant be blamed for protecting themselves and their customers, after all the money you have in your bank is loaned out, from the inevitible crash. The problem became cyclical and because more loans were going out, more people could buy a home and naturally home prices skyrocketed, meaning the loans got bigger and bigger. So in the name of a political dream that would never have happened in a free market, our entire economy was nearly collapsed. Healthcare is no different, only now the collapse is the goal. The Healthcare system could be fixed very simply: Elimination of State Mandates- "Why should I pay for your sex change?"Portablility of Policy- "Um, but I like that policy for sale in the next state over..."Tort reform- "Your medical malpractice insurance costs WHAT?"Medicaid/Medicare reform- "Why am I paying more than him for the same procedure?" And I dont know where you're getting your facts regarding R&D but your assertion is laughable. There are four major funders of medical research in the United States; drug companies, universities, the NIH(govt), and private citizens. 36% of funding for medical research comes from the government. Hardly 'almost all' as you said. And the blood pressure medication you'll need when Obama looses in 2012 wont be the product of government research. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GAURANTEES OPPORTUNITIES, NOT OUTCOMES."You'll find no charity in the Constitution"- Ben Franklin. If you think everything I've just said is right wing propaganda I'll suggest a starting point for you to do your own research by posing a question and challenge you to come to a different conclusion about our system of medical care. Here it is: When and how did medical insurace come into existence in America, and what did people do before that? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 The people who cant afford any insurance in this country have Medicaid, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GAURANTEES OPPORTUNITIES, NOT OUTCOMES."You'll find no charity in the Constitution"- Ben Franklin. Uh not to be rude but it's pretty obvious you have little experience being very sick and navigating the healtcare system. Medicaid is very hard to get, being poor alone does not merit coverage, good doctors won't take it, there are gaps in service, and the income cap is very low. Maybe when you or a family member is dieing without insurance you can give them that quote on a card. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelliBoy Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Uh not to be rude but it's pretty obvious you have little experience being very sick and navigating the healtcare system. Medicaid is very hard to get, being poor alone does not merit coverage, good doctors won't take it, there are gaps in service, and the income cap is very low. Maybe when you or a family member is dieing without insurance you can give them that quote on a card. You're right, I havent been sick, but I still pay alot of my income towards insurance. Thats what insurance is. Maybe I should just decide to cancel it and buy a car...If you get sick and your insurance sucks or you dont have any at all, that is your responsibility. Dont blame me and the 'system' because some people dont think they should have to pay for what they want. Sure its heartbreaking but Obamacare is not the answer, my insurance rates went up 73% on Jan 1, and its not because of profiteering. Its me paying for people who didnt want insurance until they were sick. So much for controlling costs, and making insurance affordable. A heartbreaking anecdote can be cited as a reason to do just about anything. Newsflash-life is tough and unfair. Shredding the Constitution wont change that. Your loved one will go from dying because they didnt have insurance to dying because a beaurocrat decided the return on investment wasnt worth givng them the care they needed. We live in a country that was founded on limited and eneumerated powers of the federal government, Im not willing to flush that because something bad happened to you. Im sorry for the pain you suffered and I think we can fix it but more government control and beaurocracy is never the answer for anything. And the reason you can't think of a single good healthcare system that doesnt use massive gov't intervention is becuase there arent any left. I would be interested to hear an example of a 'good' heathcare system by your standards. I dont think there are any of those left either. Socialist Scandanavian Petro Economies excluded of course. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 If you get sick and your insurance sucks or you dont have any at all, that is your responsibility. Dont blame me and the 'system' Wow I know people who have died because of insurance issues, to say it was their fault because they wasted their money on toys.... I can't even... I use the best company there is and I still have major issues. Auto insurance is single payer, doesn't that "shred your constitution"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelliBoy Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Comparing auto insurance to health insurance is comparing apples to oranges, and saying auto insurance is single payer is just plain ignorant of the debate we're having. Auto insurance is bought by you to protect other people from your negligence. Health insurance is bought by you to protect you from huge medical bills. Single-payer in health insurance is the govt pays for everyone...I have no idea what you're talking about when you say that car insurance is single payer. And its "your constitution" too buddy. You may be willing to surrender control of your life to a govt beaurocrat but Im not. So you know people who have died, you say becuase of insurance issues, but it IS their fault for not having or bothering to understand the implications of their coverage. Who else's fault is it??? Mine?? Because in your perfect healthcare dream I'll be the one paying for it. Your making this argument based on emotion instead of facts(which apparently arent important enough for you to detail in your response), just like every big government liberal. You want everyone to feel sorry for you and your sob story to get them to agree to something that you cannot otherwise convince them of. If rejecting that kind of argument in a serious debate makes me a heartless jerk then so be it. I live in the real world where the consequences of these decisions go far beyond the crying towel. What part of Obamacare would have saved your loved ones from the evil insurance companies? Why dont you detail what happened to them (honestly) to win this debate and prove me wrong? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 Who said anything about Obamacare? Heliboy, even if it makes you revisit your position, I sincerely hope you never develop a serious medical problem. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomer Pylot Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Heliboy, you watch waaayyy to much Faux Noise. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.