Reply #2: Your plan sounds like a lousy deal [View All]

[frazzled]

The average plan for a single individual (I assume that is what you are) currently (in 2009) costs $4,824.

Your plan is admittedly stingy ... and at a yearly total cost of $5,520 is above average. Yet I'd say it has below average benefits.

But don't confuse it with this "cadillac plan" issue. I assume that your mom and pop employer is getting bad deal insurance because it is a small business, and possibly a very small business. Frankly, it's great of them to be offering it to you and paying half. Because I know how small businesses struggle here. They are probably exactly the type of business that will able to get insurance for their employees on one of the exchanges--and get a much better plan at a better rate, because of the larger pool leverage that will occur.

I wish I could tell you what our insurance costs, but I can't since my husband can't figure out what his employer's contribution is. We only know what we pay. That said, I know it's not a cadillac plan, even though (since we switched to the HMO version) we have no deductibles if we stay within the network. We do have copays, though more like in the $30 range. But our insurance is through a much larger employer (a college), so we get a better deal. Let's hope that your employer will be able to get onto the Exchange and find a better deal that will cost you less and put you less at risk financially.

Stay well ...