Does anyone buy their own health insurance? Suggestions? Recommendations?

[traces7]

We are considering going out and buying our own health insurance, but it seems so confusing to me. I've found some plans on ehealth.com that are cheaper and seem better than what we have now.

Can anyone give me advice on how to choose which company to go with? What to look for when choosing health insurance? I know to look at the copays, deductibles, out of pocket expenses, etc. I'm just concerned that they will raise the rates once we have joined or that it sounds to good to be true.

Also can anyone recommend a good company?

We currently have health insurance through my employer which is getting very expensive and I'm sure it will go up again this year. Our open enrollment is April 1, so I'll find out then.

Thanks for any advice!!!

 

[CowboyCO]

I use Anthem Blue Cross. It's called Smartsense 5000. It has a $5,000 deductible, but it has three $30 co-pays per year for primary care visits. Generic prescription coverage and has an HSA attached as well. I've had it for two years and being a generally healthy family, it is a perfect coeverage for not too much money - about $400 per month.

 

[Marionnette]

We are considering going out and buying our own health insurance, but it seems so confusing to me. I've found some plans on ehealth.com that are cheaper and seem better than what we have now.

Can anyone give me advice on how to choose which company to go with? What to look for when choosing health insurance? I know to look at the copays, deductibles, out of pocket expenses, etc. I'm just concerned that they will raise the rates once we have joined or that it sounds to good to be true.

Also can anyone recommend a good company?

We currently have health insurance through my employer which is getting very expensive and I'm sure it will go up again this year. Our open enrollment is April 1, so I'll find out then.

Thanks for any advice!!!

I think that you are going to find it very difficult to find comparable coverage for less than what your employer is offering. In all likelihood, your employer is kicking in part of the premium cost. Plus, they also have the bargaining power that an individual will not.

But if you want to venture out on your own, try sitting down with an insurance agent in your neighborhood. They will be more familiar with the average costs for individual policies in your area. They can help you navigate the differences between coverages and determine what suits your need the best.

Some companies are better than others, in some areas. Since insurance varies from state to state, what I think is a good company here may not be such a great company in your state.

 

[traces7]

I use Anthem Blue Cross. It's called Smartsense 5000. It has a $5,000 deductible, but it has three $30 co-pays per year for primary care visits. Generic prescription coverage and has an HSA attached as well. I've had it for two years and being a generally healthy family, it is a perfect coeverage for not too much money - about $400 per month.

This was one of the policies that I saw. It's a lot cheaper than what I pay now with my employer - for pretty much the same benefits (except only 3 copay dr visits per year, right now we're not limited, but we all only go about once a year anyway).

Have you been pretty happy with it? Does the premium stay pretty much the same price, or does it go up every quarter or year?

 

[rvchat]

This was one of the policies that I saw. It's a lot cheaper than what I pay now with my employer - for pretty much the same benefits (except only 3 copay dr visits per year, right now we're not limited, but we all only go about once a year anyway).

Have you been pretty happy with it? Does the premium stay pretty much the same price, or does it go up every quarter or year?

3 30 payfor well care or ? do they offer this all over the usa or is it just in your area?

 

[traces7]

3 30 payfor well care or ? do they offer this all over the usa or is it just in your area?

It's for any visits to your primary care physician. I'm not sure about well care.
I'm in Wisconsin, I think it does vary all over the US

 

[rcraw45425]

My husband is a self employed ER doc so we pay for everything ourselves. With private policies you don't have a lot of freedom or forgiveness. I pay $600 a month for coverage with 10K deductible. The older the male gets the higher the yearly premium. There are riders for pregnancy, if I get pregnant it doesn't pay. As others mentioned. You'll be hard pressed to get as good a plan as your employer provides any cheaper as your employer probably is subsidizing the employees premiums as part of your benefits package. When DH was in private practice that was a big chunk of our monthly overhead, employees premiums. If you're serious about buying your own make sure you'll bE happy with the results