Biglaw health insurance, actual numbers Forum

[Anonymous User]

I searched through the forums and it doesn't seem like there's any specific information on what health insurance coverage looks like for associates. Since this could potentially be a big part of total comp, it might make sense for people to share what their plans look like anonymously.

If you would like, please post:

Firm
Monthly Premium
Deductible
How many family members are under the plan.
Any additional add ons that the firm provides, ie vision or dental.

I know I would have found this useful when deciding between firms, since it seems a bit presumptuous to ask recruiting about full time benefits when you don't have a full time offer yet.

[KM2016]

You have way too much time on your hands.

Generally, Biglaw health insurance sucks. The only decent benefit in Biglaw is monetary compensation.

[Anonymous User]

You have way too much time on your hands.

Generally, Biglaw health insurance sucks. The only decent benefit in Biglaw is monetary compensation.

thank you for your valuable contribution.

[favabeansoup]

Are you asking for premium /deductible numbers?

[RaceJudicata]

Complete novice to health insurance (always been convered by parents or school). If my fiance (will be wife by time I start) has a good policy/benefits from her employer (public company, good benefits), can I opt out of mine and get on her policy? Or how do people typically handle this?

Sorry if this is an idiotic quesiton.

[WhiteCollarBlueShirt]

You have way too much time on your hands.

Generally, Biglaw health insurance sucks. The only decent benefit in Biglaw is monetary compensation.

thank you for your valuable contribution.

TBF, a lot of students and prospective students do not consider/know that biglaw firms skimp on benefits (e.g., health insurance, 401K matching, loan repayment programs, etc.).

[MrT]

Complete novice to health insurance (always been convered by parents or school). If my fiance (will be wife by time I start) has a good policy/benefits from her employer (public company, good benefits), can I opt out of mine and get on her policy? Or how do people typically handle this?

Sorry if this is an idiotic quesiton.

You can likely qualify as a domestic partner and be added to her insurance. Because you have missed the boat on open enrollment, you'll need a life event to get added of schedule. Life events are pretty flexible and could be getting a new job or getting engaged.

Most likely, her benefits will be much better than yours in biglaw.

[RaceJudicata]

Complete novice to health insurance (always been convered by parents or school). If my fiance (will be wife by time I start) has a good policy/benefits from her employer (public company, good benefits), can I opt out of mine and get on her policy? Or how do people typically handle this?

Sorry if this is an idiotic quesiton.

You can likely qualify as a domestic partner and be added to her insurance. Because you have missed the boat on open enrollment, you'll need a life event to get added of schedule. Life events are pretty flexible and could be getting a new job or getting engaged.

Most likely, her benefits will be much better than yours in biglaw.

Getting married over summer - wouldn't need coverage until then anyway. Assuming marriage is a qualifying event. Thanks.

[drs36]

Marriage is a qualifying event. Companies sometimes tack $ on to premiums when, in your case, you are eligible for health insurance through your own employer but decline it in favor of enrolling with spouse's company's plan. Take a look at whether that's the case. Even if it is, I'd be surprised if it was more expensive than your firm's plan.

[Anonymous User]

Employee + Spouse is generally a very high premium -- nearly the same as Employee + Family. Definitely check your spouse's plan as it may be better.

Most likely, your biglaw firm is going to give you a high deductible plan or a PPO. If you're young and healthy, enroll in the high deductible plan, max out the HSA, and re-evaluate next year when health insurance and your personal needs have a bit more context. The industry will probably be drastically different next year anyway.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Sorry - no reason that should have been anonymous.

[kellyfrost]

You have way too much time on your hands.

Generally, Biglaw health insurance sucks. The only decent benefit in Biglaw is monetary compensation.

thank you for your valuable contribution.

+1

[Anonymous User]

Are you asking for premium /deductible numbers?

Sorry, yes I probably should have specified that in the OP. I will change.

[Anonymous User]

You have way too much time on your hands.

Generally, Biglaw health insurance sucks. The only decent benefit in Biglaw is monetary compensation.

thank you for your valuable contribution.

TBF, a lot of students and prospective students do not consider/know that biglaw firms skimp on benefits (e.g., health insurance, 401K matching, loan repayment programs, etc.).

Yeah this is definitely true. This forum already has several threads stating that law firms skimp on insurance. However, many law students (and associates) have no idea what "good" or "bad" insurance even looks like so we have no context to evaluate statements like this in.

ETA: a word

[Anonymous User]

Since no one else is atually biting, I will. V20.

Prices are single/single+1/family per month:

Cheapest plan is 310/655/990
HDHP is 360/757/1140
1700/3400/5100 deductible is 620/1250/1870
Zero deductible is 1020/2045/2990

Nationwide PPO coverage.

Dental (relatively decent coverage) is $29 single, $61 single +1, $86 family.
Eyemed vision - $8.59 single, $16.31 single +1, $23.95 family.

I opted just to take the cheapest HDHP off the exchange and max out the HSA. My spouse and I never go to the doctor, so even paying premiums pre-tax the firm's HDHP plan wasn't worth it for us.

[Anonymous User]

Firm: Lit boutique in Texas, pay matches Cravath scale
Monthly Premium: We pay $32.68 a month, firm pays the rest (I have no idea how much that is).
Deductible: $1,000
How many family members are under the plan: Just me.
Any additional add ons that the firm provides, ie vision or dental: Dental at no cost to us, vision at no cost to us.

[Npret]

I searched through the forums and it doesn't seem like there's any specific information on what health insurance coverage looks like for associates. Since this could potentially be a big part of total comp, it might make sense for people to share what their plans look like anonymously.

If you would like, please post:

Firm
Monthly Premium
Deductible
How many family members are under the plan.
Any additional add ons that the firm provides, ie vision or dental.

I know I would have found this useful when deciding between firms, since it seems a bit presumptuous to ask recruiting about full time benefits when you don't have a full time offer yet.

My understanding is that biglaw plans are basically the same. Don't decide which firm to go to based on health insurance, which changes annually anyway. If you have multiple offers there are bigger concerns like location, practice group and fit that matter much more than small (if any) health insurance differences.

[Anonymous User]

I'll add some numbers:

single associate costs:
- health insurance premium fully covered if you pick the basic plan or the HSA plan. it's $60 a month if you want the premium plan. National coverage, think Blue Cross Blue Shield-type network. max deductible is like $600 with $200 co-insurance.
- dental - around 12-13 per pay period for single coverage.
- vision - $3/month

+spouse
- around $500/month for health insurance premiums, varies a little depending if you pick basic PPO/HSA or premium plan. Max out of pocket is like..$2500, i think?
- dental: around $34/pay period
- vision $6/month

[Anonymous User]

I'll add some numbers:

single associate costs:
- health insurance premium fully covered if you pick the basic plan or the HSA plan. it's $60 a month if you want the premium plan. National coverage, think Blue Cross Blue Shield-type network. max deductible is like $600 with $200 co-insurance.
- dental - around 12-13 per pay period for single coverage.
- vision - $3/month

+spouse
- around $500/month for health insurance premiums, varies a little depending if you pick basic PPO/HSA or premium plan. Max out of pocket is like..$2500, i think?
- dental: around $34/pay period
- vision $6/month

That seems like a really good plan. Do you mind my asking where you work?

[Johann]

can a mod just confirm the anonymous poster was not kellyfrost looking to sell some insurance to massive employers?

[patentlitigatrix]

Marriage is a qualifying event. Companies sometimes tack $ on to premiums when, in your case, you are eligible for health insurance through your own employer but decline it in favor of enrolling with spouse's company's plan. Take a look at whether that's the case. Even if it is, I'd be surprised if it was more expensive than your firm's plan.

Relatedly, It costs less than a third of what is would cost for a single person to be on my biglaw firm's cheapest, shittiest, HMO plan for my entire family to be on my husband's employer's plan.

[Serett]

can a mod just confirm the anonymous poster was not kellyfrost looking to sell some insurance to massive employers?

Please be what this topic is

[cavalier1138]

Since no one else is atually biting, I will. V20.

Prices are single/single+1/family per month:

Cheapest plan is 310/655/990
HDHP is 360/757/1140
1700/3400/5100 deductible is 620/1250/1870
Zero deductible is 1020/2045/2990

Are those your actual payments or just the total price of the plan? Because no matter how bad the health plan is, $310 a month sounds way off (especially compared to the more reasonable/expected prices quoted elsewhere).

[Npret]

Since no one else is atually biting, I will. V20.

Prices are single/single+1/family per month:

Cheapest plan is 310/655/990
HDHP is 360/757/1140
1700/3400/5100 deductible is 620/1250/1870
Zero deductible is 1020/2045/2990

Are those your actual payments or just the total price of the plan? Because no matter how bad the health plan is, $310 a month sounds way off (especially compared to the more reasonable/expected prices quoted elsewhere).

I paid ~$567 a month for two people on United Health Care including Delta Dental with a cap of a couple grand and EyeMed which gets you an eye exam and heavy discounts on 2 pairs of prescription glasses.
Be aware that the payment is out of your check so it doesn't line up with a monthly amount exactly.

[Anonymous User]

Since no one else is atually biting, I will. V20.

Prices are single/single+1/family per month:

Cheapest plan is 310/655/990
HDHP is 360/757/1140
1700/3400/5100 deductible is 620/1250/1870
Zero deductible is 1020/2045/2990

Are those your actual payments or just the total price of the plan? Because no matter how bad the health plan is, $310 a month sounds way off (especially compared to the more reasonable/expected prices quoted elsewhere).

I know of a firm whose cheapest plan costs more than $500 per month for one person. My firm's plan costs less than half that, so it's more money in my pocket annually though the firms' base salaries are the same.