It’s week 2 of our new article series based on real-life cost-saving stories from Knew Health Community members.
We began this series to answer the two most frequent questions we get from people considering medical cost sharing:
#1: how much is this going to cost me? AND
#2: how much can I save?
And while individual cost savings will vary, these stories will give you a good feel for what is possible when you make the switch.
This Week’s Story Features Knew Health Community Member, Kristina Cole
Kristina is 45, active, fit and healthy, and her family of 4 lives in California.
She has been staying in a corporate job she doesn’t like in order to keep her health insurance benefits—a predicament many Americans find themselves in these days.
But even with her company’s help, Kristina was still paying a premium for conventional insurance. Here’s what she had to say:
“The cost of my current high-deductible, corporation-subsidized insurance policy is $642/mo for a family of four (the total cost is $1200 when you add in the corporate contribution to my portion of the cost).
“This is for a high deductible health plan, so aside from the monthly cost, there is a family deductible of $4200 that must be paid before coverage begins. That’s an important factor to bring into account, because it’s not just the monthly expense, but also the need for this ‘cushion’ of funds for medical needs up to $4200.
“I pay an incredible amount. And we hardly ever go to the doctor! My expenses before having any benefits or use is ridiculous.”
How Kristina Discovered Cost Sharing
Kristina, like so many others, was tired of paying so much money to an industry she’d lost faith in for coverage she rarely used. In her own words:
“Expensive ‘what if’ coverage is hard to justify. I believe the current medical system is unsustainable, over burdened and focuses on sick care versus well care.”
And Kristina had another motivation for seeking alternatives: in addition to her corporate job, she also runs a practice as a functional medicine Health Coach.
She discovered Knew Health after attending her local Functional Forum events, and learned about cost sharing through the KNEW Vision Tour this past summer.
What Made Her Feel Good About Making the Switch?
In order for Kristina to feel confident about switching her entire family to cost sharing, she had to do some research.
“My main concern was really just getting an understanding of how the cost sharing model works, so I can trust we’ll have a reliable safety net when a need arises For example: What do I do if my family or I need to see a doctor?” Says Kristina.
To get answers, she did her own research by signing up for our emails and combing through the FAQ section on our website.
“These tools gave me the answers I needed to feel more secure about the decision.”
In the end, Kristina discovered the Medical Cost Sharing model was an ideal fit for both her budget and her family’s health lifestyle.
How Much is Kristina Saving Every Month By Switching to Medical Cost Sharing?
- Kristina had been paying $642 per month/$7704 annually. And that was after her company’s generous subsidy of her high-deductible plan!
- With Knew Health, she’s now paying $496 per month/$5952 annually
That’s a cost-savings of nearly $1800 annually!
When asked what her family plans to do with their monthly savings, Kristina said they will put it back into fun activities for the family to do together, and also prevention methodologies such as massage, exercise, and organic foods.
And The Best Part? Kristina Can Finally Leave Her Corporate Job to Pursue Her Passion…
Kristina shares: “If one of the concerns holding you back from pursuing your dreams is healthcare coverage, an option is finally available to provide you savings you can apply to well care, access to the types of health workers you want to see and the security of financial support.
“My husband has his own business and as my practice is growing, I’ll soon be able to leave my corporate job won’t have to worry about health coverage.”
Finally, she offered this advice to anyone considering making the switch to medical cost sharing:
“If fear of not knowing how this type of plan works is holding you back, check out the resources to learn more at Knew Health. As we change the paradigm from sick to care to well care, this is the type of model that will help everyone attain sustainable and effective health care.”
Discover If You Could Save As Much as Kristina (or even more)
If you’re ready to join Kristina and many others like her in this community of wellness-minded individuals, start with our savings calculator to see how much YOU could save and browse the FAQ page to learn how it all works.
Until then… thanks for joining us in this movement!
-The Knew Health Team
