12/15   Which one of these do you like?  (it's enrollment season again):
        Blue Shield: ..
        Kaiser:.
        \_ I love Blue Shield: they paid for DNAA testing for something I
           was diagnosed with 20 years ago (turned out I don't have it),
           and their HMO plan has been generous with the specialists my wife
           and I have needed.  However, I'm insured through CalPERS, and they
           jacked my premiums up $75 per person-- what I'm saying is, go
           with Blue Shield only if your work covers most of the cost.
        Kaiser:.
        \_ If you're generally healthy, Kaiser is the way to go. No paperwork,
           short waits for appointments, and no/minimal co-pay.
           \_ No paperwork is nice, but short waits for appointment is not my
              experience.  They couldn't find me a schedule for a physical
              within the next three months.  I'm switching to PacifiCare
              starting January.  My coworkers have PacifiCare, and they never
              had any trouble with getting an appointment.  It doubles my
              premium, but it's only $13 more per month for me.
           \_ I second this. For my bouts with poison oak or infected wounds,
              Kaiser has been the best medical plan I've ever had. Their
              policy on seeing specialists is awful, though. You need a hole in
              your eardrum to see their ENTs about ear trouble, for instance.
              \_ This sounds like my experiance with Kaiser.  If you're a
                 normal case, everything is great.  If you fall outside
                 their definition of normal, everything goes to hell.
           \_ If you're generally healthy it doesn't matter which plan you
              choose.
                \_ Not at all. First of all even healthy people need to
                   see a doctor occasionally, for whatever reason
                   (including simple things like the cold, flu, etc).
                   Perhaps even more importantly, if you're healthy and
                   want a simple annual physical exam or any other sort
                   of preventative doctor's appointment, Kaiser will
                   provide that with no hassle; go with Blue Cross or
                   most PPO's, and they won't cover routine visits.
                   It's quite shitty.
                   \_ why would you go to the doctor for a cold?  they
                      can't cure it can they?  or even a flu.  i think
                      i'd only go to the doctor if i ripped out a tendon -danh
                      \_ I pretty much agree, and I avoid the doctor at all
                         costs myself, but I think in principle it's a good
                         idea to go when you get the flu because of all the
                         more serious things that look exactly like the flu.
                         Going to see a doctor for the "flu" will save your
                         life if you have the flesh-eating virus, for instance.
                         Of course staying the *fuck* away from a hospital
                         can also save your life.
                         \_ inject the heroin into a vein, not the meat,
                            and you won't spread the flesh eating
                            bacteria. - danh
                   \_ Wow, you people actually see a doctor when you get a
                      cold? WTF.
                      \_ You must be an undergrad, enjoy it while you can. :)
                         \_ huh?
                   \_ I am sorry, but almost every health plan on the
                      planet covers routine visits. Health plans prove
                      their mettle when you have something bad go wrong.
                      If nothing bad ever goes wrong then they are all
                      pretty much the same - even the worst of them.
                      \_ As pp below says, you're wrong. If your health plans
                         all have, then goody gumdrops. I have had two so far
                         that didn't. I don't know how those performed in
                         emergencies because I never had one.
                   \_ Don't be sorry, because you're wrong. My current
                      and previous health insurance providers (both
                      PPO's) have not covered routine annual visits.
                      They provide tons of coverage for cancer,
                      God forgit I get that, but not for my yearly
                      physical exam. I'd agree with you, but unfortunately
                      that hasn't been my experience.
                      \_ What providers were these? Certainly none on this
                         list. I had one of those 'catastrophic' providers
                         and the only things they covered were major
                         surgery/illness *and* routine visits. Health
                         insurance knows it is worthwhile to cover routine
                         visits as a preventative. So please name the
                         providers of these Mickey Mouse plans and the
                         employers who provided them. Routine medical
                         visits are not a 'perk' of Kaiser. They are
                         typical of all plans. Hence, the wording 'almost
                         every'. You must have had a really, really, bad plan
                         and shitty employer. Knowing who it is will help
                         others avoid it.
                                \_ Yeah in theory that's true, but it
                                   isn't always like that in life. Come
                                   on, health insurance is among the
                                   worst systems in this country; knowing
                                   that, it's very fitting that they don't
                                   (or might not) cover routine visits.
                                   Regardless, the experiences I've
                                   alluded to were through BC and Aetna,
                                   both through schools (neither were
                                   Cal).
                                   \_ BC and Aetna (I've had both) do
                                      cover routine visits. Perhaps your
                                      plan did not, since it was a student
                                      plan.
        Aetna:
            wow. seriously NONE of you people have had a good || bad experience
            with Aetna at all?  Anyone even heard of Aetna?  They're horrible
            back east.
            \_ I know people who work there.  I'm not going to say anything
               real specific, but that company is *really* fucked up.
               Expect a major corporate scandal in the not-too-distant
               future.
            \_ Yes, I had Aetna and it was okay. I'd take it over Kaiser,
               but not over Blue Cross.
                \_ All I know about Aetna is the lousy coverage they
                   "provide" during emergency and serious illnesses,
                   which is close to none.