Is all Med School Health Insurance Sexist?

[ruraldocmom]

So, my schools mandatory (or apply for a waiver) Health Insurance costs about $120 a month for me. Plus $340 a month for my spouse. Plus $340 to cover 2 or more children. (I'm not doing it. I'm getting better health insurance coverage for all of us now. So, waiver will be applied for.)

Here is my real problem. Why the disparity between me and my spouse? I asked the insurance guy at my school and he said (with an implied, oh, you poor little girl, let me give you some condescending advice from my fount of knowledge. Grrrrr), it is because this plan is designed to cover spouses having children. Hmmm... So, my student policy is designed for males, and the spouse policy for females. So you are saying Med school is designed for Males? Awesome.

Am I just encountering some backwoods health insurance, or is every school like this? Wouldn't a "family policy" or a "maternity benefits" add-on get rid of the sexism? Suddenly I feel like I've been time-warped to the past...

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[Phlame217]

All insurance is this way.

An individual policy signals a single person, but if they ask if you're married they might jack up the rates anyways.

For me (male) it was $90/mo and to add my wife it was an additional $180. Even then, that was w/o the maternity rider; to add that was an additional $50/mo.

Honestly, what we decided to do, was to get the basic comprehensive plan. We pay $270/mo. She is a school teacher and I am obviously a student. We meet the state poverty levels and qualify for state medicaid if/when we get pregnant until I am in residency; therefore, if it comes to needing maternity benefits we will elect for that option seeing as its free to us (and seeing as I've busted my but through college and paid my share into the system and will definitely pay more than my share when I am an attending.)

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Well, women always cost more to insure. That is just the truth, whether women in general cost the insurance companies more in reality, is a different thing... They view us as more likely to have health problems and pregnancy is expensive. Additionally, it is possible the jackass who told you this was just wrong. I read your comment and it sounded to me like the school gets/gives a discount for you (student) but not for your spouse/kids. Similar to an employer, my employer may offer insurance for me for 140/mo, but it may be 350/mo for my spouse. I wouldn't read too much into it... Jackwagon is probably a backwoods clod hillbilly, and likely has no clue what he's talking about... Even if the guy is your insurance person, he still may not really know what he's talking about...

 

[Scottish Chap]

So, my schools mandatory (or apply for a waiver) Health Insurance costs about $120 a month for me. Plus $340 a month for my spouse. Plus $340 to cover 2 or more children. (I'm not doing it. I'm getting better health insurance coverage for all of us now. So, waiver will be applied for.)

Here is my real problem. Why the disparity between me and my spouse? I asked the insurance guy at my school and he said (with an implied, oh, you poor little girl, let me give you some condescending advice from my fount of knowledge. Grrrrr), it is because this plan is designed to cover spouses having children. Hmmm... So, my student policy is designed for males, and the spouse policy for females. So you are saying Med school is designed for Males? Awesome.

Am I just encountering some backwoods health insurance, or is every school like this? Wouldn't a "family policy" or a "maternity benefits" add-on get rid of the sexism? Suddenly I feel like I've been time-warped to the past...

This is typical. At my med school. the single person insurance was expensive, but there was a disproportionate increase to add my wife and then a small increase again for family. I sat on the med school health insurance committee for four years - it didn't make a difference. Every company we approached knew they had a monopoly in the region, and really stuck it to us. Better to pay is than have your family uninsured....

 

[katiemaude]

Does anyone here already use Medicaid? I meet the poverty guidelines but I'm not sure if I qualify because I'm single with no dependents. Does that matter? I can't get health insurance through private means (tried and failed, which makes it impossible to qualify with anyone else) and my student insurance runs out in August. If I can't get a job with benefits by then, I'm going to have to enroll in a university just to get student benefits again or get Medicaid if I can.

If you have it, what's it like? Is it hard to find doctors who take it?

 

[Scottish Chap]

Does anyone here already use Medicaid? I meet the poverty guidelines but I'm not sure if I qualify because I'm single with no dependents. Does that matter? I can't get health insurance through private means (tried and failed, which makes it impossible to qualify with anyone else) and my student insurance runs out in August. If I can't get a job with benefits by then, I'm going to have to enroll in a university just to get student benefits again or get Medicaid if I can.

If you have it, what's it like? Is it hard to find doctors who take it?

It depends on the state. New York state (where I attended medical school) has a cadillac program for those with low income in order to get insurance (through medicaid, family health plus, and other schemes). Check with your current physician who can refer you to the agency that screens you for free or reduced-cost healthcare. Many states have this but don't advertize it.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I live in MN, and it doesn't matter if you have children or a spouse, and individual can qualify for medicaid. Ask the clinic you normally go to if they take it, many larger clinics do, smaller ones, maybe not... Best of luck!

 

[LifeTake2]

This is normal, it has NOTHING to do with gender or medical school.

Almost every group insurance plan charges more for the spouse. It is customary for then 2nd person to cost more than the first. It is based upon historical costs. It just is the way it is.

 

[ruraldocmom]

Interesting, I didn't know that it costs more to add a second person, regardless of gender. Darn military health care... not preparing me for the real world.