anybody have individual health insurance?

[MonkeyMama]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

I thought I read somewhere that Starbucks allows part-time workers to buy into their health insurance plan. Can anyone confirm?

I have heard that too.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Ima, your good health will indeed hang in there--up to the point it doesn't. You might want to plant for the event.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Oops, I meant plan for the event.

[Ima saver]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Well, I have never been sick or been to a doctor (except twice) so if I can hang on 3 more years i should be ok.

[katwoman]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Well, I have never been sick or been to a doctor (except twice) so if I can hang on 3 more years i should be ok.

Every time you post about not having any health insurance my heart jumps!

Please do me a favor: ask your other friends and bankers for a insurance broker referral. Heck, get 2 or 3 names. Then explain your thinking on this matter to each broker. Listen to what each has to say. Just listen, that's all. Sure, a broker makes money by selling you policies but a really good one will take into account your tolerance level (or lack thereof) and present you with a product that suits you. In your case, you just may find that a policy for hospitalization only + a high medical payment option on your auto policy may be a cheap yet secure option.

I know that you've spent major money on insurance in the past but even so I can't understand your resistance on this matter. :

[katwoman]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Oh, back on topic....I have individual insurance through BCBS. $225/mn. with a $2500 deductible but 100% coverage after that. Includes wellness which covers mamograms and pap tests.

After reading a thread on FW about the "death spiral" I called my broker to discuss newer options. He agreed that now would be a good time to sign up for a new policy with BCBS for the new policy discount and especially since I'll be turning 45 in Nov which is when BCBS raises its rates. Doing this will shave off a little money each month over my present rate.

Point is you have to stay on top of this stuff even if you are happy with your provider.

Here's the FW link to the thread:

http://www.fatwallet.com/t/52/650193

[kristinecfp]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Those of you have individual policies - are any of you using health savings accounts?

[disneysteve]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Well, I have never been sick or been to a doctor (except twice) so if I can hang on 3 more years i should be ok.

Being a physician, you can imagine the stories I can tell on this topic. Just from a personal note, my 42 yo wife was in perfect health until September 12 this year when she suddenly developed severe abdominal pain. It turned out to be her gallbladder which was subsequently removed on September 15. WITH insurance, our bill was $4,300. After some review and negotiating, we got it down to $2,100 and consider ourselves lucky. Without insurance, the bill would have topped $25,000.

I'm wishing you all the best, but I have so many patients who came to the doctor for the first time in many, many years thinking they were fine only for me to discover something serious like high blood pressure, diabetes, or worse. I certainly wouldn't want to see anyone, particularly a more mature individual, going without health insurance.

[pearlieq]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

Every time you post about not having any health insurance my heart jumps!

Me too! I keep thinking what about mammograms, pap tests, cancer screenings, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol checks?

Many of the basic screenings really aren't that expensive, and many doctors will discount the price if you pay cash at the time of service.

You've got a lot to offer, Ima--take care of yourself!

[saver25]

Re: anybody have individual health insurance?

At the very least you will want to have health insurance if, God forbid, something major happens - like a surgery or worse to the tune of 6 figures or more. Sounds doom and gloom but with health care costs the way they are and not getting any better anytime soon it pays to be careful.

Choose a health insurance plan from a reputable nationwide company and be very careful about getting mixed up with an association or other fly by night company (Hint: just google "discount health plan warning" or search ripoffreport.com for NASE [National Association for the Self Employed] or the Mega Life Insurance Company to get an idea of companies to avoid).

If you are self employed then a good article to read is Self Employed Health Insurance - What You Need to Know Before You Make the Jump

[KellyJef]

Just reviewed this thread I posted in 2007 complaining about my premium jumping to $630.

Well, I just got the increase for 2010 and it is $1,138 a month

Insurance in NY really sucks. We only have 3 companies to choose from. I have Univera (the $1,138 a month). Independent Health wants $1,148 a month and BC/BS is even higher. And remember, we're talking about coverage for ONE PERSON -- not a family

I went back to work last year part-time to help pay for my medical insurance, but my salary doesn't even cover my premiums. Unfortunately, since I'm part-time, I can't get insurance through my employer.

I'll be 63 in February so I have two more years until I can get Medicare.

Anybody else actually paying this much for individual, direct pay insurance? I bet there isn't.

[KTP]

We wanted to retire in ~8 years at age 46 to do some things that are easier before you are in your 60s (sailing around the world for one). Health insurance is a big worry for me then...I have no idea how to budget for it.

Do you think the changes going through Congress now will have a huge effect? I am on the fence about them...right now I know it will mean more taxes or some downside for us since we are moderately high earners with the "Cadillac Plan" they want to tax. But on the other hand I sympathize with people like the OP who are paying such high premiums. I also am a bit self serving since I would like to take advantage of these hopefully lower rates in a few years when/if we get to retire and lose our company plan. (lets just hope they base things on income and not assets

[Scanner]

Going through a divorce, I am shopping for an individual health insurance plan.

I found one through Health Insurance - Affordable Health Insurance Quotes, Individual Health Insurance for $240/month that covers prescriptions and whatnot for a 41 year old healthy male, with 1 year exclusion pre-existings.

That being said, I can see there are a lot of exclusions - the main one being that they only cover $500/year in diagnostic tests (lab and x-ray). I have had a discussion regarding this with with my primary care provider - that he/she/they (it's a group) can't just order tests "willy-nilly" anymore.

I don't want them to be gun-shy - but to just order a CBC if I have no signs/symptoms of infection/anemia just to be "routine" has to be out. Or thyroid if I have an extra 15 pounds on and no other signs/symptoms has to be out.

But it could be pretty easy to run that part of your bill up but maybe that's a smart move on the ins. co. - attacking defensive medicine.

Other exclusions involve:

50% coverage for diabetes benefits, $2500 /year max
Higher copay on name brands
Durable medical equipment - $2500 per year 50% max
$500 copay for hospitalization (every 90 days)

So. . .I have concluded no matter what, I will have to have a "health care account" with around $5000 just sitting in 6 month CD's or something to offset uncovered costs - uncovered medical, dental, chiropractic, optometric, etc.

I think everyone should be moving towards this, even state employees and others usually excluded from these discussions.

[MonkeyMama]

I posted 3 years ago that our rates were jumping to $900/month for our family.

I have personally been committed to keeping private insurance. When I worked for a large employer I was offered really crappy insurance. We have mostly worked for very small businesses (which generally don't offer insurance - ineligible for any group rates, etc.). A lot of people don't understand that those of us with small employers are about the same as self-employed, when it comes to insurance. We tend to shop around every year, but feel extremely comfortable with our private HMO. The prices have settled down a bit in recent years - with the advent of HDHP plans. Sure, I have a few thousand laying around for a deductible. We pay have been paying $500-$600/month the last 2 years - with the HDHP option. My gut feeling is they have made the HDHPs pretty sweet to get people to switch. Then they may "stick it to you." Our out-of-pocket did double for 2010 - not terribly surprised since I Assumed the deductibles and such would increase massively with time. It's just been a nice breather in between.

Anyway, For us, we have gotten GOOD use of our insurer. The more I read, the more I like our insurer. The thing is - the average person - most of whom I know have BIGGER incomes - think it is insane that we pay so much for private insurance. For us, we have certainly gotten our monies worth. As my spouse faces a medical emergency in the following months, I feel extremely grateful we have stayed the course. I don't even mind the insane premiums, since we will save $500k-ish on treatments for my spouse - this year alone. Basically, private insurance will continue to remain a priority in my household. What is a little hard on the pocketbook on one income will be a no brainer when my spouse returns to the workforce (likely in the next couple of years). I used to count down the days until he returned to work and we could get cheaper insurance. Now I count down the days he returns to work so it is no longer so expensive (as % of income) to keep our private insurance. I have no plans to settle for employer or government insurance, unless I have absolutely no choice.

The kicker this year is my 57-year-old father had a stroke and aheart attack. His employer laid him off due to his health problems. He faces potential uninsurance from age 60-65, unless he is able to find a job. He is lucky COBRA lasts 3 years in California. Turns out he has options when he turns 60, maybe. BEfore this he was considering retirement, but couldn't figure out how to afford the private healthcare. He was quoted $30k per year with his "pre-existing conditions," which were *nothing* before all this. I suppose he is forced to retire after all. This has swayed me to stick with private insurance. My insurance doesn't have anything to do with my employment - unless I Can't pay the bills I suppose.

[gamecock43]

I had Golden Rule for 2 yrs at $250 a month for just myself. ($1000 deductible then everything covered 100%)I was very happy with them.