SWA Pilots healthcare
08-16-2018, 07:01 AM
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,424
Originally Posted by saab2000
I use the HSA. Premiums are just $13/month for me as a single guy. I got a thorough physical and some age-appropriate testing done (I'm 51) and paid nearly nothing.
The money I save into the plan is my money to be used for qualified expenses, of which I have had none yet. It is tax-advantaged savings and capped at $3400 for me annually plus the company's contribution. It is obviously higher for a couple.
This is not the same as the Flexible Spending Account or whatever it is called, where the money must be used or it is lost. The HSA money is yours and can be invested or kept in the account.
I'm saving it for medical expenses in retirement.
I'm not dissing the Regular Plan but at least research HSA plans to be educated on their benefits and negatives, which I think are very few.
The money I save into the plan is my money to be used for qualified expenses, of which I have had none yet. It is tax-advantaged savings and capped at $3400 for me annually plus the company's contribution. It is obviously higher for a couple.
This is not the same as the Flexible Spending Account or whatever it is called, where the money must be used or it is lost. The HSA money is yours and can be invested or kept in the account.
I'm saving it for medical expenses in retirement.
I'm not dissing the Regular Plan but at least research HSA plans to be educated on their benefits and negatives, which I think are very few.
Agree. In your situation, HSA is probably the better option. If you have kids or use health care a lot, I would say the RP is probably the best option unless you rely on one of the few things it does not cover that the choice plans do.
I have tricare and decided to use the RP as a well researched experiment this year. It has been really good overall since the two insurances complement themselves nicely. The only annoying thing for us has been using Optum RX for maintenance med refills. It is a real pain and is not as seamless as it should be.
We blew through our out of pocket max (covered by tricare) in the first 5 months and SWA has picked up everything 100 percent since that happened. All we have paid this year is our family deductible of 300.
08-16-2018, 07:59 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,842
Been on the RP since I was hired.
No premiums. Low deductible. Low max out of pocket.
You can afford a ton of preventative care by saving on all that. Get shots at the local health clinic for cheap/free. Pay for kids yearly at the cash price. Anything else shop around like you would when buying something expensive.
HSA has a $1500/$3000 deductible with a max out of pocket of $6000/$12000. $13/$33mo premiums for single/family.
Choice plans have lower deductibles/max OOP but you pay significantly more in premiums.
Regular Plan costs you nothing. You lose preventative but that’s easily fixed by doing homework. $200/$300 deductible and max out of pocket of $2500.
If you won’t use it at all, the HSA might make most sense since you’re out the least but bank company money. With kids and me getting hurt every year doing mountain sports the RP is excellent.
No premiums. Low deductible. Low max out of pocket.
You can afford a ton of preventative care by saving on all that. Get shots at the local health clinic for cheap/free. Pay for kids yearly at the cash price. Anything else shop around like you would when buying something expensive.
HSA has a $1500/$3000 deductible with a max out of pocket of $6000/$12000. $13/$33mo premiums for single/family.
Choice plans have lower deductibles/max OOP but you pay significantly more in premiums.
Regular Plan costs you nothing. You lose preventative but that’s easily fixed by doing homework. $200/$300 deductible and max out of pocket of $2500.
If you won’t use it at all, the HSA might make most sense since you’re out the least but bank company money. With kids and me getting hurt every year doing mountain sports the RP is excellent.
09-06-2018, 03:12 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,424
SWA Pilots healthcare
3 fills at the pharmacy of your choice for any single medication and then it is a maintenance medication and must be filled in 90 day increments by OptumRx. Generics are free. Everything else is 80/20.
Optum is a pain to get started, but once it is going, it’s easy.
I am the family “administrator” for our health plans, and I probably spend an hour every month or so calling and faxing stuff. It is worth it for the savings and choices, though.
Optum is a pain to get started, but once it is going, it’s easy.
I am the family “administrator” for our health plans, and I probably spend an hour every month or so calling and faxing stuff. It is worth it for the savings and choices, though.
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