Health Insurance Help - Non-Employer?

[zenaxe 22]

Oh my God, I'm still in Canada and am paying $57 per month and the thought of these incredible premiums and deductibles makes my stomach sink. I think the American people are getting absolutely and seriously hosed and ripped off by these insurance companies. Obama was on the right track but the public option even, got derailed by the fear mongers and the lobbyists. Most unfortunate. Any one from Canada will suffer incredible culture and financial shock as long as these insurance companies play God and keep their fingers firmly wrapped around your wallet. What a horrible situation. This concerns me.

Ya.

[Sam and Ben 2]

Sorry TM, didn't see your post before. That's incredible discouraging though, that you've looked and didn't find any better.

We're with BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama.

I'm with Huggles on this one - outside of BC, both of us are healthy, not planning on a family, etc. Health insurance coverage that is twice my current car payment is killing us. I'm not of the mindset of "it'll never happen to us" because it very well could... But I'm also of the rainy-day fund... and Heaven forbid something happen, that's what it's for.

I'm definitely going to see if I can't find an individual plan. Much more feasible that way.

I guess this is just totally new territory for me - my parents owned their own business, so we never had health insurance. Once I started working, and for five years after that, I was with a small, independent company, so again, no insurance. I got generics when possible and kept myself healthy. Here, I'm paying insane amounts of money to still avoid doctors fees and prescriptions I can't afford.

It's just.. insane. I don't know.

[Marilyn. 340]

hubby pays about $260 a month for both of us.... no deductible... $15 copay for regular doctor, $30 for specialist, and $75 for emergency room visits... right now they cover about 100% of everything except most lab work unless done in a doctor's office, emergency room visits, surgeries, and hospital stays they only cover 90% of those things which is going down to 80% in June

[trailmix 77]

I guess it's really hard to compare plans because does anyone know what the employer is paying? I think in the case of Sam and in our case, the employer just wasn't paying very much (well they were probably paying a lot but that does not necessarily equate to a lot of coverage).

Sam, i'm not sure if you are looking for just a basic plan or whether you want like hospital coverage, but if you want something fairly low cost, you might look at blue cross blue shield Florida.

For 23 dollars a month they will kick in $50 for each Doctor's office visit, you get discounts on prescriptions, lab services and preventative dental services. They will pay for lab services if you use Quest labs.

Their website is here and the plan I am talking about is individual - GoBlue Plan 90. The stuff I was looking for was for more extensive coverage, I mean I wasn't worried about say, an ear infection, I figure we could always use the walk in at Walgreens for that, I was more worried about someone breaking a leg and having it cost 20k (extreme example )

[ashenflowers 5]

HAH. Both my husband and I are without insurance right now, as some of you know, NEITHER of us has a job. So... yeah. We're in no position to really be able to pay ANYTHING for these stupid insurance policies. We really don't know what to do right now actually. Cause we will struggle to make any monthly payments, and regardless if we have coverage or not, we don't have the ability to cover any co-pays anyway. It's a bit ridiculous actually. This isn't making me any more happy about the U.S. to be honest. lol

And it's not really because we're "young", because I'm 29 and he's 33, and I don't consider that young anymore We've just been dealt a ####### card for the moment, and don't really know what to do... We've been off and on looking at policies for a month or so, and we found one for $70/month but doesn't really cover anything. I just don't even see the point. It's like throwing money away.

Edited April 16, 2010 by ashenflowers

[ScooterMac 2]

I have insurance through Golden Rule...which, from what I understand, will take just about anyone. The major problem I have with them is that it's so dang expensive. I pay ~$320/month for just me. My employer (well, the "primary" employer, the non-profit) is too small to offer insurance, so I have to go throgh private insurance companies. I don't have any prescription coverage, and I pay all my own expenses until I reach my $2500 premium. What that generally means is that I can't ever afford to go to a doctor.

I had a hell of a time getting insurance. I applied to probably 6 different companies before finally getting one to accept me. All of them, at least the ones offered around here, have a "height/weight ratio" requirement. If you don't fit into it, they don't insure you. They also had major concerns about my having ADHD (didn't every kid in the US in the mid 90s?).

[SapphireDreams 71]

Oh my God, I'm still in Canada and am paying $57 per month and the thought of these incredible premiums and deductibles makes my stomach sink. I think the American people are getting absolutely and seriously hosed and ripped off by these insurance companies. Obama was on the right track but the public option even, got derailed by the fear mongers and the lobbyists. Most unfortunate. Any one from Canada will suffer incredible culture and financial shock as long as these insurance companies play God and keep their fingers firmly wrapped around your wallet. What a horrible situation. This concerns me.

Ya.

You know before I moved here and actually used the system, I would've probably had the same feelings. Insurance companies definitely play a large role here. But, the quality of care is pretty impressive to me. The Dr.'s I've seen here seem a lot less stressed, are much more eager to prescribe things (which feeds back into insurance and drug companies, I know) but overall, I'm really beginning to like being able to get into a Dr. very easily, not have to wait AT ALL etc. I mean it was nice having free healthcare in Canada, and it was good healthcare, but with insurance the healthcare offered here is better. So I don't mind paying for it. I still think that it should be a basic right for everyone though.

I have insurance through Golden Rule...which, from what I understand, will take just about anyone. The major problem I have with them is that it's so dang expensive. I pay ~$320/month for just me. My employer (well, the "primary" employer, the non-profit) is too small to offer insurance, so I have to go throgh private insurance companies. I don't have any prescription coverage, and I pay all my own expenses until I reach my $2500 premium. What that generally means is that I can't ever afford to go to a doctor.

I had a hell of a time getting insurance. I applied to probably 6 different companies before finally getting one to accept me. All of them, at least the ones offered around here, have a "height/weight ratio" requirement. If you don't fit into it, they don't insure you. They also had major concerns about my having ADHD (didn't every kid in the US in the mid 90s?).

You make a good point. Getting private insurance also means being approved for it. If there is anything pre-existing that they find out about, they make it very difficult Iv'e heard, that's the benefit to employer coverage... they can't discriminate for pre-existing conditions.

Insurance is paying for the unknown, personally I'm happy to pay for it, even if I don't use it. I feel like too many people think "it'll never happen to me" and then what? Sure you use savings, you figure it out.. but sometimes you never quite recover and I'd rather not risk that kind of thing.

Plus isn't the money coming out of his pre-tax earnings? That counts for something too!

[Sam and Ben 2]

It's funny you should mention BCBS FL, as they just sent us a letter in the mail saying they missed having Ben as a customer. I guess that's who his former employer was with. His current employer has a branch in Alabama, and I guess found "better" rates through them.

I will say that the service I have had here when visiting a doctor, or pharmacy, was better - but my experiences back home were just AWFUL. I lot of that was especially due to my area alone and the shortage of doctors we had, so second opinions and transferring docs wasn't really an option. Here, I just happened to have options.

[Varba 0]

I guess it's really hard to compare plans because does anyone know what the employer is paying? I think in the case of Sam and in our case, the employer just wasn't paying very much (well they were probably paying a lot but that does not necessarily equate to a lot of coverage).

Yeah, price compares only work when you factor in employer costs. If your insurance is through a job, I'm betting that they are paying quite a bit for your insurance Huggles.

One thing to bear in mind especially is the rising rates. Every year at our company this is a painful event, over the past 4 years the lowest increase in price has been 50%.

That might sound exaggerated, but it's really not. My company typically ends up changing insurance once a year because of it.

I honestly do not understand how the rates can keep climbing like that, but I can't find a better deal anywhere else either.

[Sam and Ben 2]

So... even on the same family plan, with what looks to be identical deductibles, etc - except for being $6 more per generic Rx... that's fine - we'd be saving $100/month. If we choose a little less coverage, we'd be saving $200/month.

Wonder if you can drop your insurance coverage at any time? (Realizes this could be a major pita as they just "renewed" [aka - raised their rates])

[SapphireDreams 71]

So... even on the same family plan, with what looks to be identical deductibles, etc - except for being $6 more per generic Rx... that's fine - we'd be saving $100/month. If we choose a little less coverage, we'd be saving $200/month.

Wonder if you can drop your insurance coverage at any time? (Realizes this could be a major pita as they just "renewed" [aka - raised their rates])

That's actually a good point. Most employers only let you in opt in and out of coverage during their 'open enrollment' which is usually once a year. I forgot about that.

[darkchilde794 5]

Sam, I think employees are typically asked if they want to continue with the company's insurance for another year at the end of the calendar year (or maybe the date when the company signed on the insurance company). I dont know if you are able to leave the insurance once youve committed to this year's coverage.

[Varba 0]

That's actually a good point. Most employers only let you in opt in and out of coverage during their 'open enrollment' which is usually once a year. I forgot about that.

There is also "significant life events" that allows you to change. Weddings count, I think most places give 30-60 day windows around these events... if that helps.

[SapphireDreams 71]

There is also "significant life events" that allows you to change. Weddings count, I think most places give 30-60 day windows around these events... if that helps.

yeah, I was assuming they already used the wedding as a life event to add Sam to the coverage plan. Which would then mean she couldn't use the same event to take her off...although you never know until you ask.

[Pauley 2]

That's actually a good point. Most employers only let you in opt in and out of coverage during their 'open enrollment' which is usually once a year. I forgot about that.

There is also "significant life events" that allows you to change. Weddings count, I think most places give 30-60 day windows around these events... if that helps.

These are dependent on whether payroll deductions for your health insurance are made pre-tax or post-tax. If the deductions are made pre-tax, then that money isn't counted as taxable income, but in exchange you can only make changes during annual open enrollment or after a significant life event. If, however, you elect to make the deductions post-tax, then the money that pays for your health insurance gets taxed, even though you never saw it, but you can make changes anytime you like.

Most people, given the choice, have the contributions deducted pre-tax, and so are limited to open enrollments or significant events, but for sake of clarification, that may not always be the case.