Health Insurance

[Miss_USA 0]

hello everybody,

me and my husband have some trouble getting health insurance. We applied with blue cross blue shields and they denied us because we haven't been at the doctors in a while. As far as I know that is actually a good sign, because that would mean we are not sick, right? I got my medical done of course before I got here, that was 10 month ago and yes my husband hasn't been at the doctors in a while only if he had a cold...they told us now we should get a physical done and send them the results, but it is 179$ a person so that is crazy to do it even if we are not 100% sure that they will cover us...did anybody of you had that problem before? What health insurance is good for private use...my husband is not insured through work and I don;t have a job yet...

Nina

[GabachaYucateca 0]

I have been looking around in a panic for health insurance, and have come up with a couple off solutions that may work for us. First, every state should have health clinics that will serve low income and uninsured people. I'd start there. When I was looking for civil surgeons for AOS, I found that most of the civil surgeons in our area work for the community health clinic. I wouldn't go to a private doctor for a physical.

Someone pointed me towards einsurance.com, and what cam eup was the only other company in RI other than BCBS, United (only group plans)....it was a chunk of change, but the best option that I've found so far.

[athena_ny 1]

Not going to the doctor doesn't necessarily mean you're healthy. When I didn't have insurance, I didn't go because I couldn't. (Free clinics didn't do primary care.)

Any private insurance for individuals is going to be a good chunk of change because there's no employer to pick up the tab. I looked into individual insurance for my mother in law and while her age is a factor, the cheapest was 340 a month through aetna (she wouldn't qualify anyway, I realized quickly, with no SSN.)

We had local CDPHP where I used to live (restricted area though, central area of NYS) and loved it, and aetna is decent as well (have had them for the last 7 years). I hear good things about cigna as well.

Until you get a job, I'd try to pick up something like that - go to any of their websites and they can give you a quote.

When you can get a job try to get something with benefits is my only other advice.

[Robert and Tanya 0]

hello everybody,

me and my husband have some trouble getting health insurance. We applied with blue cross blue shields and they denied us because we haven't been at the doctors in a while.

Nina

I applied with them too and now waiting for approval, hopefully. I am thinking about getting insurance through my husband but it's very expensive. We will pay almost $500 a month for me.

[Miss_USA 0]

Thanks for all your advices!

500$ that is crazy, I hope you will get approved. I think my husband and me have to get the physical done and I'm sure after that we will get approved, but it is just such a bummer to spend almost 400$ on it...oh well thats life...

[DeadPoolX 9]

I'm sure it's the physical that is prohibiting you from attaining health insurance at the moment. Without it, BCBS has nothing really to work with. They need some medical records, good or bad, to decide whether or not they'll "pick up the tab" later on.

On thing I do have to suggest is that you only disclose what is asked of you. NEVER SAY ANYTHING MORE THAN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! It's like crossing into another country and being at Customs & Immigration -- you don't absolutely lie; you just don't tell them everything unless they ask for it. For instance, if you get migraine headaches but BCBS doesn't ask about that, don't tell them. I know someone who was turned down from BCBS (and every other health insurance provider) for having migraine headaches.

The very last thing any health insurance provider wants to do is pay up. They like clients who never need them, which begs the question, "If I never need them, why would I have them?" Well, I suppose most health insurance providers figure that you're applying in the event of an emergency, but those who might chronically use them are going to get denied.

You'll have to conduct at least one phone interview (I had to do three when I applied to BCBS; I got accepted, by the way) and just remember, they'll be taking notes down on a computer. They will be recording every answer you give, no matter how big or small, so watch what you say and how you say it. Do not try and be a comedian or appeal to their sense of compassion. Just be straight-forward and serious and only answer exactly what is asked of you, nothing more, nothing less.

Remember, any insurance company's job (in their own mind) is to retain money and pay out as little as possible; they don't figure they are there to help you, the client, out whenever you need it. Perhaps that's not a very good way to work things, but that's how it's done at the moment.

[Miss_USA 0]

Thank you for that great information! So did you had to have a physical as well and how much was yours? I understand that they need some information from us...I just wished the medical wouldn't be that expensive...

[DeadPoolX 9]

Thank you for that great information! So did you had to have a physical as well and how much was yours? I understand that they need some information from us...I just wished the medical wouldn't be that expensive...

I didn't need to have a physical specifically for my application to BCBS because I had a checkup and physical several months before applying. BCBS just worked off that information. Although, you need to stay on top of them. They had some of their information incorrect. For instance, they thought I had "high cholesterol." I don't and I checked with my physician, and they said "all the numbers were normal." So I reported back to BCBS with the data and that was cleared up, but if I had let it go, chances are I would've been denied.

My premium (at least the first premium anyway, as I've just sent off the first check and paperwork) was about $115 USD for PPO coverage regarding physician visits and medication. For greater detail, I'd need to pull out my plan and look it over, as I can't really remember all of the specifics.

Unfortunately, medical coverage is expensive. Private health insurance is built that way. Of course, there really isn't a "good" way of doing healthcare, it seems. My fiancee is Canadian and for all intents and purposes, the government covers her in Canada. She's said that government-funded healthcare is nice since it isn't costly, but on the flipside, it also isn't very efficient nor is it funded very well. Besides, my fiancee has told me that for many procedures, the government won't cover the individual in question, so the person wanting to have something done will need to either get health insurance (she thought about applying for BCBS for a time, but didn't) or pay out-of-pocket.

So neither system -- private or government -- really works. Oh well. We have what we have. We've got to make the best of it.

[gcox457 0]

take a look at ehealthinsurance.com. They have just about every major carrier that you can choose from, with multiple plans from each. It ended up actually being cheaper for me to get insurance for the two of us through them rather than through work.

[Miss_USA 0]

I just want to let everybody know, that we get our physical done on monday and it will be only 60$ a person, luckily the one doctor gave me a phone number from a clinic and they do it for 60$...I'm so happy and hopefully everything will be all right so they accept us for healthinsurance...

Please cross your fingers for us...

Nina