Health Insurance

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

As a Canadian, I'm completely overwhelmed by the health insurance system here and the more I look into it, the more infuriated I become. Co-pay, HMO, PPO... grrr... It all makes me dizzy. We have to find a "civilian" plan until my husband starts a new job that has a plan. We'll probably only need coverage for 6 to 8 months - after that he'll have it from his employer.

Do any well-seasoned Canadians or USC on here have any suggestions/ words of wisdom for finding an "idiots guide" to health insurance or resources to find a good plan for my husband and I?

I really miss OHIP

[Lona.C. 16]

As a Canadian, I'm completely overwhelmed by the health insurance system here and the more I look into it, the more infuriated I become. Co-pay, HMO, PPO... grrr... It all makes me dizzy. We have to find a "civilian" plan until my husband starts a new job that has a plan. We'll probably only need coverage for 6 to 8 months - after that he'll have it from his employer.

Do any well-seasoned Canadians or USC on here have any suggestions/ words of wisdom for finding an "idiots guide" to health insurance or resources to find a good plan for my husband and I?

I really miss OHIP

I know here in Mass everyone must have health insurance , ( am on my husbands insurance plan )

but from what I know around here people who dont have insurance provided at work ,

most sign up with blue cross , its supose to be prety avordable and good coverage too ,

good luck

[Delicia 1]

You can just contact your insurance broker and ask for a bridge policy. Its mostly a major medical policy, high deductibles and low premiums, but unless you have major health needs, or see there is a potential for some medical expenses during this transition time it might be enough coverage for the time being. Most insurance agents (independents, state farm, all state, etc) should be able to offer you quotes.

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

You can just contact your insurance broker and ask for a bridge policy. Its mostly a major medical policy, high deductibles and low premiums, but unless you have major health needs, or see there is a potential for some medical expenses during this transition time it might be enough coverage for the time being. Most insurance agents (independents, state farm, all state, etc) should be able to offer you quotes.

It's funny you mention that... I was just looking into a bridge policy after I posted this.

Thanks!

[DeadPoolX 9]

While I don't have anything specific to say about health insurance (each one is different), here's a few pointers on plans themselves...

First thing is treat speaking to health insurance providers the same way you would as customs -- in other words, never volunteer information. They will be writing down everything you say and they lack a sense of humor, so don't waste time with a joke or two. While you don't need to outright lie, you don't need to tell the absolute truth either. The reason for this is that some ailments will prohibit you from being covered.

You'll need to "spin" the truth a little sometimes. Again, you may not want to lie, but perhaps make the situation sound better than it is or leave out a few key points. The less the provider knows about you (and your health) the better.

Another thing to consider is if you're already taking any medications. Some providers won't cover prescriptions that you're already on before coming into their plan. So you have the choice of telling them about your medication and paying for those drugs out-of-pocket or "omitting" the information and later getting the prescription filled as if it were brand new. In the latter case, the provider won't know the difference, but your conscience will, so it's entirely up to you.

Try to get all of your information ready before contacting and applying the health insurance company. They will call you at some point for an interview (sometimes more than one) and often times they'll make mistakes, so you'll need to correct them. They will not, obviously, call anywhere in Canada for this information. In fact, you'd be lucky if they'd call anywhere outside the current state you're living in, to be honest. If there is incorrect information on your record, it could affect your application and/or plan's rates. So you'll need to have that taken care of, should there be a problem.

I'm sure there's other stuff I'm forgetting, but I have no clue what it is at the moment.