Health Insurance DURING residency

[buckley]

Hi! I would just like to ask your opinion if you would go Humana EPO or PPO? and why

I was thinking since I am really not familiar with the place (I will be moving) and I don't know any doctors apart from residency, EPO would be the better deal. BUT...searching around, it seems PPO is the more popular choice.

Also did you guys go for the optional vision plan? At my program, it's 10 USD per month, and that seems quite pricey to me. How much are contact lenses and glasses in the US anyway?

Thanks!

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[Winged Scapula]

Also did you guys go for the optional vision plan? At my program, it's 10 USD per month, and that seems quite pricey to me. How much are contact lenses and glasses in the US anyway?

Thanks!

Depends on what the $10 gets you.

You can probably get an eye exam yearly for $50-$75. Glasses can be $200 and up (you'll see ads for $99 but that generally doesn't include lenses or special ones, tints, etc.). So if your plan is $120 a year, and you get a free pair of glasses per year and a yearly eye exam its probably worth it although you could just save the money and pay for it yourself IF you need it.

 

[Shalom77]

Hi! I would just like to ask your opinion if you would go Humana EPO or PPO? and why

I was thinking since I am really not familiar with the place (I will be moving) and I don't know any doctors apart from residency, EPO would be the better deal. BUT...searching around, it seems PPO is the more popular choice.

It's hard to answer that question without knowing the specifics. Usually there's a cost vs. choice trade off with PPOs offering more choice. It depends on any health conditions you might have, etc. And it also depends on the differences in out of pocket costs that you will pay.

If your only physician choices in the EPO are the physicians at your institution - it can sometimes be difficult to maintain privacy in that situation.
Being able to see doctors outside the system can be helpful.

EPOs usually operate under the gatekeeper model which means you have to see a primary care doctor who then makes the decision about whether to refer you to a specialist. This is not always a problem - but it certainly can be.

There's no one right answer - since it really depends on your health status, prefences, etc. Personally I'd probably go with the PPO even if it meant paying more - but not with doing an estimated calculation of the price difference between the premiums, estimated out of pocket costs, deductibles.) At some point the extra cost becomes too burdensome compared to the benefits and at that point - the EPO might win out. On the other hand - if I knew I needed to see a doctor who is not in the EPO network then the calculations could show that the PPO is actually the cost saving option - but it doesn't sound like this would be the case with you.

 

[buckley]

Thanks I actually decided to go EPO based on the advice of a senior who told me I would not have time to go looking for a doctor anyway....and if I really wanted somebody special, then I should just pay for it when the time comes. Something like that. Maybe after internship, I'll go PPO....hahaha