Insurance, and SOCKS!

[Guest guest]

My hubby & I started our own construction company when kids were 1 &

3. Now we have 3! It's been very stressful at times, but it allows

me to stay home, which is important to both of us. We have to pay

for our health insurance, I shopped like CRAZY. We can get a group

rate, because we're " partners " in the business we qualify as a

group. So we pay $396/mo. It actually went down. The first yr it was

almost $500/mo. I don't know why it went down, maybe because we

didn't have any claims though besides the normal doctors visits.

This yr with the pregnancy & all the club foot stuff..AH! I hope it

doesn't go up again! All I can say is I found there's a HUGE

variation in prices & coverage. I find alot of people around here

(I'm in PA) have Keystone BC & BS -- and comparable coverage with

them would cost us about $900/mo. Aetna is MUCH MUCH cheaper. My in-

laws are having trouble right now because their insurance through

his work just went to $1200/mo. (Keystone) His boss covers it, but

he doesn't get a raise because the ins. keeps going up & up! Can't

live like that forever! If we could make my father-in-law

our " employee " they'd only have to pay about $250/mo. Our

deductibles are *slightly* higher, but not $950/mo. higher!! Sorry--

insurance is one of my hot button topics! I did so much research

when we were looking I could practically be an insurance agent! It's

really obscene what people are charged in this country. There's all

these justifications you hear from the ins. co about the cost of

drugs and blah blah blah, but what it boils down to is they drive

luxury cars to cushy offices and I drive a 6 yr. old minivan & my DH

works like crazy so I can have coverage in case something happens.

Here's something I know everyone can appreciate: When looking for

the *bright* side of things with Ava's club foot, I appreciated that

I never had to worry about matching socks--I only needed one! But

now that her cast is off I need 2--and I can't FIND THEM!!! I've got

a basket full of 1 sock of a pair! I'm going to have to go buy all

new ones!