duuudewtf ([info]duuudewtf) wrote in [info]walmart_employe,
2009-10-12 03:31:00
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health Insurance

has anyone else received their open enrollment information in the mail and noticed it has gone up and covers alot less? I know it is different by state, we used to have the value plan with a $500 credit, now the most you can get is $250. $500 worked perfect for me, this now is going to limit me to 2 Dr. visits before i have to pay out of pocket. Thought things would get better, guess i was mistaken....Again.

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  • 23 comments

[info]sanityangel

October 12 2009, 12:55:42 UTC 2 years ago

Two years ago I got hit with massive medial bills. So o course last year I signed up for insurance, but since I was still paying off the medical bills from the year before I could only afford the cheap insurance.

One ER visit and four normal doc visits later (Two with tests) and...my insurance hasn't covered a penny of it, an doesn't really cover my medsso I pay cash and use my 10%. Wondering what the point of insurance is if it doesn't cover anything. the ER visit I figured I'd have to bit the bullet on but...normal doc visits??

[info]popsiclesuicide

October 12 2009, 13:02:43 UTC 2 years ago

I was actually told up front that it would not cover doctor visits, so it seems like they pick and choose what to tell some people. I was told I'd only get a few trips to a place like Quick Care out of it (not sure if that is only a local place or what...but you can probably get the idea). I'm wondering why I ever signed up for it in the first place...I plan on canceling it though.

[info]faminewing

October 13 2009, 03:19:31 UTC 2 years ago

My ER visit last november was partially covered on walmart insurance. I paid 70 dollars.

[info]sanityangel

October 13 2009, 04:49:45 UTC 2 years ago

Nope, ER visit with xrays and I paid the full 600 + 25 xray. I jsut looke at the HMO plans and...they take almost a full quarter of mycheck.

[info]vinorojo

October 12 2009, 13:58:44 UTC 2 years ago

i am struggling on what to do. we want to increase our family, well, just found out we are increasing our family... i get usually get the best of the worse of the insurance. the deductible is going up, and the credit is going down, and the premium is going up too? the HMO insurance is to much money. my husband cant afford to put me on his. he can with the new baby. so in a sense i feel craptastically screwed.

[info]bethzombie

October 12 2009, 17:40:32 UTC 2 years ago

The "insurance" they offer us is usually a joke. It covers almost nothing and the deductibles are insane. Then I heard the story about the walmart associate who was in a near-fatal car accident that completely took away her quality of life. Left her in a wheelchair, unable to speak and remember anything short term. Walmart insurance asked for their money back.

That's one reason I don't bother with it. They have it in small print that they could ask for their money back at any time.

Here's the follow-up story on it: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=4566641&page=1

And IMO, most health insurance companies only care about their money, and need to be crumbled to the ground.

[info]kristy2078

October 12 2009, 20:43:51 UTC 2 years ago

I have been wondering whether the new plans cover just preventative care. I remember there was a list of covered services and exclusions last year, but none this year. What about specialized services? I go to the endrocrinologist and orthopaedic. I do suppose this statement...

Diagnostic exams and services beyond what are listed are not Covered
Expenses for the preventive care benefit

...is an indication that specialized services are not convered. That is a major consideration.

[info]kristy2078

October 12 2009, 21:37:58 UTC 2 years ago

I sent an email to Arkansaw BlueCross BlueShield for such a list of services and exclusions specific to Walmart associates.

[info]kristy2078

October 12 2009, 21:56:08 UTC 2 years ago

Well, the Walmart Benefits Team is quite useless when it comes to specific questions (i.e. "will the new plan cover endocrinology and orthopaedic?". The phone rep directed me to call Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield for specific questions.

If anyone wants the number to call about their specific needs, it's 1-866-823-3790.

[info]fadeaway100301

October 12 2009, 23:35:05 UTC 2 years ago

i signed up last year and didn't go for anything until earlier this year. my husband and i went for regular checkups. the checkups were mostly paid for by the credits but we had to pay for the tests at a lab because the lab wasn't covered by the insurance. when i was looking at the booklet for this year, i was thinking about it like you did...costs more and gives you less. i guess "save money, live better" doesn't really apply to employees, does it? *sigh*

[info]aisforapathy

October 13 2009, 01:54:26 UTC 2 years ago

i guess "save money, live better" doesn't really apply to employees, does it?

It certainly doesn't. Applies only to capital-c customers and Mike Duke, Fidel...er, Eduardo Castro-Wright, and the rest of those corporate-level boozers.

[info]mikadosok

October 12 2009, 23:38:18 UTC 2 years ago

I'm honestly thinking of just not having insurance.
I only go to the doctor when its something that won't go away, like if my winter cold hangs on until august or something. In fact, last time I went, was for my back two years ago.

Anyway, my doctor isn't in their 'network' anyway.

[info]kristy2078

October 14 2009, 04:35:52 UTC 2 years ago

You could consider a catastrophic health care for emergencies at least. That kind of plan can still cover emergency surgeries, hospital stays, trips in the ambulance, etc.

[info]jwood614

October 13 2009, 01:35:42 UTC 2 years ago

I know I'm still debating with what I want to go with. My family learned the hard way that going without is not the way to go.

Almost 2 years ago, my husband had to have emergency gall bladder removal on New Years Day, but didn't have insurance (I was only part time and couldn't carry him, and his insurance at work is like $300 every 2 weeks for just him).

So now I get the craptastic, pay a small fortune deductible, just in case something like that were to happen again.

[info]faminewing

October 13 2009, 03:23:30 UTC 2 years ago

I am curious to see if they will show a comparison from what you had before to what you can get now, or if they just show you what's availible now.

This woman at the meeting was so pissed about the benefits, but she blamed it on Obama. I cut in and tried to say that there is no bill passed yet so it is not Obama's fault, but the store manager cut me off and basically said "There are a lot of changes, but I encourage you all to sign up for insurance." and basically repeated that throughout the whole meeting.

[info]kristy2078

October 14 2009, 04:41:04 UTC 2 years ago

Yeah, I noticed there wasn't a list of covered services (just preventative care) and exclusions. These are important to me, as I go to a couple of specialists and have just started physical therapy for my back.

There is one advantage to insurance offered through Walmart--there's no pre-existing condition exclusion. I have been denied on private insurance on the basis that I could qualify for Medicare (which I don't anyway, not without having received SSI payments for two years), so some people need to carefully consider their choices.

[info]bigedsr

October 13 2009, 04:10:06 UTC 2 years ago

While it's true what jwood said, the reverse is also true. 8 years ago I had a mild heart attack. I had their insurance, and wound up paying 1600 bucks. What they didn't tell then was if you had family coverage, you had to meet a deductible for each covered member. With a $500 deductible, I think you get the picture. Walmart is a self insured entity. BC-BS is just a middle-man. Everything paid in premiums goes to the bottom line. Don't think so? Just read the paperwork sent out during their voting for board members. It is all in black and white. Just ranting.....

[info]jwood614

October 13 2009, 14:20:37 UTC 2 years ago

Back in 08, I met my deductible, my son didn't. After I met mine, they covered all the rest of my stuff at the 80%. So from my understanding, each person's deductible is their own.

[info]bigedsr

October 14 2009, 14:23:47 UTC 2 years ago

It might be now, but it wasn't then. I still had 400 to go to meet mine. It still burns my buns about that to this day.....

[info]philmr

October 19 2009, 02:22:21 UTC 2 years ago

Let me tell you about Wal-Mart insurance

Yes it cost a lot this year. I can use medicare. Let me tell you about medicare, the part to pay drs. cost $80 a month. The suplement to cover what medicare does not pay and what Wal-Mart insurance pays for dr, hospital, and meds. will cost me $310 a month. I pay Wal-Mart $180 a month. Guess what it pays me to work for Wal-Mart even though I could retire. Five years ago I started having a heart attack. I went to the dr. and they stopped it with no damage. BUT I had to have open heart to repair 5 valves. It would have cost me $350,000. I wound up owing $2,500. Then they paid my medicine for the rest of the year and all my dr. bills. Do I think Wal-Mart insurance is worth it - you are damn right I do.

[info]bigedsr

October 19 2009, 19:02:04 UTC 2 years ago

Re: Let me tell you about Wal-Mart insurance

I'm glad it worked out for you, but alas, you are in the minority. For every one that is like you, there are about 500 who have the audacity to stay healthy, and not needing to use the insurance, and if they do, it is for something minor, dr. visits, meds, etc. Myself, I have paid in more than $15,000 since I've had their insurance, and they have had to pay out a whole $39.00. Not too bad if you ask me. I'd give 39 bucks for 15 grand any day. As if that wasn't bad enough, I had the stupidity to get married and adopt a daughter, who I put on my insurance. The payback? My coverage for the rest of the year went up 250%! Ain't that a kick in the ass. No good deed ever goes unpunished, I guess.

[info]philmr

October 19 2009, 22:00:02 UTC 2 years ago

Re: Let me tell you about Wal-Mart insurance

I have been in the hospital once in the last 5 years. I visit the doctor once a year for my heart. That with all the test usually cost about $1500. My point in the first post was that even though I had paid insurance for over 8 years; what I paid compared to what they paid was nothing. I don't understand some of the post. My insurance went from $49 a pay period to $79 a pay period. That was a big % but not big bucks. I pay $2,054 a year for insurance and the insurance pays at least $1,000 in medical bills. My medicine makes up for at least $500 more a year. So I pay $500 a year to have insurance, and if I have a problem (pneumonia) that puts me in the hospital for 4 days - Well the hospital bill would be for over $7,000 and I would pay 20%. To me I am still saving money.

[info]bigedsr

October 20 2009, 08:58:57 UTC 2 years ago

Re: Let me tell you about Wal-Mart insurance

I'll try this again. Yes, as you said, it is a great benefit for you, but not for all. It is at best catastrophic care coverage, not health insurance. If it is used for check-ups, etc., it isn't worth a damn, as you will be paying in roughly 5 to 10 times what you will receive. Let me use me as an example. I have went for my yearly visit, with no complications. For that visit, I paid $300, counting the tests. Now I have paid in about $1350 as of my last stub, so as I see it, I am getting the royal screw. And with the addition of my family coverage, that will only increase accordingly, roughly 4 and a half times what was taken before the life change. So as I said before. It works for some, but for the majority, it isn't worth what is being charged as so called, health insurance.
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