Health Insurance

[ah1126]

Does anyone have health insurance that is NOT through your employer? We are looking at the options and wondered if anyone had any advice.

 

[natashag76]

We do. We bought Blue Cross through the internet privately. I have maternity coverage, and the kids have good coverage. We do not have a set co-pay, we pay a percentage after the visit. We have a deductible and all that stuff too. No pharmacy, so I tend to visit Walmart for my $4 prescriptions
It would have been outrageously expensive for us to go through DHs work, and I stay at home. However, when I do go back, I'll look into insurance options that my office will offer. Until then, we cough up a premium every 2 months...

 

[madcat]

glad you asked this question, we are having the same issue. Husband's insurance is going up another 200.00 a month! It is crazy!!

 

[Bdawg]

I sell health insurance in Florida and most of the time you can get health insurance cheaper through an agent than through your spouses work insurance (if you aren't employed). I always tell people if they are employed more than likely your employer pays part of your insurance and it is probably cheaper than you can get anywhere else plus if you get it through your employer it doesn't matter if you have pre-existing conditions and it does matter if you get your own individual policy.

Again if you aren't employed and have your insurance on your spouses insurance, check around you can probably get your insurance cheaper with an individual policy. The same goes if you have your kids on your health policy at work. Check around you will probably be better off with individual policies as long as there is no pre-existing conditions that you need covered. In that case you need to get a job somewhere that offers health insurance because they will cover pre-existing conditions.

We price out 4-5 of the top health insurance providers and then let the individual decide... most of the time they pick the plan that is most like what employers provide...80/20 plan

 

[bjscheel]

We have always had to cover somebody ourselves- sometimes all of us, or just DH, or DH and the kids. Currently just DH. We went to Wellmark/Blue Cross online and did it from there. That put us in contact with a guy at the Des Moines office and it worked very slick. We pay $137/month. His deductible is $1700/year. We pay everything up to that point, then they pay everything. When the kids were on it, the deductible was $3400 for the family.

Since we rarely need to use it, I would rather have a higher deductible that you MIGHT have to pay, than higher premiums that you DEFINITELY have to pay.

 

[Bdawg]

Since we rarely need to use it, I would rather have a higher deductible that you MIGHT have to pay, than higher premiums that you DEFINITELY have to pay.

Exactly!

That is what I suggest to people who don't use the insurance that much because if something does happen and you are admitted to the hospital you can make payments to the hospital every month (as long as you pay something to the hospital they won't report you to a collections) until it is paid off.

 

[ah1126]

Thanks for the info!

 

[bas71873]

Good info for me too. DH wants to go into biz for himself , so I've been checking out insurance options for our fam as well!

 

[luvthatdisney]

Just thought I would add another alternative for those who cannot get traditional insurance due to medical conditions or lack of credible coverage.

Our DS20 has melanoma and you cannot just go out and buy insurance with this diagnosis. He was covered under his father's plan until he was 19. Since he is not a full time student he could not continue this coverage (Obama has ammended this with his new health care initiative, but too late for our DS).

We went with Cobra coverage for about a year, but the cost was very high ($500 a month). I have found that it was actually cheap compared to others on Cobra, but we were having problems paying that. So we looked around and found that many states offer coverage through a high risk pool.

He was just approved for coverage through Inclusive Health, which is NC's high risk pool. We now pay $250 a month, which is very manageable and the coverage is pretty good.

Just another option!

 

[jstbcuz]

I am in the same boat looking for insurance for myself. I found some that was affordable thru Coventry Health, but the problem is that my doctor doesnt accept it. So back to the drawing board............looked and looked. I finally called Cotton O Neil and they said the only insurance they accept is Blue Cross and Blue Shield which is EXPENSIVE here.

Now I am at a loss and not sure what to do.

 

[tinatark]

I believe Florida has a plan you can buy for children - very good coverage at a reasonable price.

Check with the Farm Bureau of FL - the one here (TN) offers coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield at group rates (you would be part of the FB group).

 

[CowboyCO]

Exactly!

That is what I suggest to people who don't use the insurance that much because if something does happen and you are admitted to the hospital you can make payments to the hospital every month (as long as you pay something to the hospital they won't report you to a collections) until it is paid off.

Yep! We have a $5000 deductible on the kids ($30 copay + $10/20/40 Rx) and we have started putting the difference between my company's insurance ($375) and their insurance ($100) and put it in a savings account. Once we have the deductible covered, we'll funnel into an IRA.

 

[3boymthr]

Just thought I would add another alternative for those who cannot get traditional insurance due to medical conditions or lack of credible coverage.

Our DS20 has melanoma and you cannot just go out and buy insurance with this diagnosis. He was covered under his father's plan until he was 19. Since he is not a full time student he could not continue this coverage (Obama has ammended this with his new health care initiative, but too late for our DS).

We went with Cobra coverage for about a year, but the cost was very high ($500 a month). I have found that it was actually cheap compared to others on Cobra, but we were having problems paying that. So we looked around and found that many states offer coverage through a high risk pool.

He was just approved for coverage through Inclusive Health, which is NC's high risk pool. We now pay $250 a month, which is very manageable and the coverage is pretty good.

Just another option!

Actually, it's NOT too late for your DS. When you get to DH's next renewal after October he should be able to add your DS back onto his coverage so long as your DS is not eligible to be covered under another employer sponsored plan.

 

[Dax]

I too am in the market for something...I just cannot afford to shell out $200 a month for it..

I just basically need Dr. visits(3-6 times a year), woman wellness exams, and Rx's paid for with a copay if possible. This is not easy to come by as it seems. I am at a loss, and have been without bennies now for OVER a year, and am 1 migraine attack short of losing my mind!

 

[LaurLaur04]

I am currently paying $277 a month. $250 deductible, $15 pcp co-pay, $10/$35/$50 rx co-pay, and they pay 100% after the deductible is made. Would be a SUPER awesome deal except they have denied 2 of my claims due to "pre-existing conditions" which were NOT pre-existing (still fighting them on that!) and denied my annual physical for some unknown reason. Its CoventryOne through Wellpath.

 

[ah1126]

Thanks!