Health insurance help please?

[against all enemies]

Will be losing health care coverage at the end of the month. I'm about to start looking for coverage. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm in my early twenties, healthy, and need medical insurance for a year, till a new job opens up.

Don't know if this is the right forum, but if fellow Democrats can't help with Healthcare ideas/suggestions we are in big trouble. Thanks

[Master Mahon]

1. Your employer's health plan is required to offer you

continued coverage for, I think, 2 more years.
Of course you have topay for it.
I think it's called COBRA but it's federal law.

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm

[LostinVA]

3. It's called COBRA, and it's very expensive

You might be paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars of month... check with your HR department.

[Orangepeel]

5. COBRA

It applies if your employer has at least 20 employees. I guess the time varies, but for Florida State employees (for example), it is 18 months.

You pay both your part of the premium and your employer's part, so it can be expensive. But at least you can't be denied and it allows you to have continuous coverage so you won't have pre-existing conditions when you do get new insurance.


http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan.

COBRA generally requires that group health plans sponsored by employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage (called continuation coverage) in certain instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end.

COBRA outlines how employees and family members may elect continuation coverage. It also requires employers and plans to provide notice.

[Dr.Phool]

2. I'm losing my insurance at the end of the month also

But, I guess I'm "lucky" and we can buy in with my wife's employer for over $500 per month.

We're in our 50's, so we've got to have it. If you're young enough, I'd take my chances.

[SoCalDem]

8. Taking chances can be devastating,..A car accident (not my son's fault)

created a need for spinal surgery, loss of a good job, but we helped him keep the COBRA in effect..His medical expenses for the year have topped $385K, and he's still not released for full work duties..

Even young, helathy people cannot afford to be without good insurance..:(

[Dr.Phool]

20. You're right

It's almost suicide to be without health insurance today. I got away with it a couple of times when I was younger. But, as other posters have said, COBRA is insanely expensive.

If I could right now, I'd take a job for health insurance only. No wages.

[Divernan]

11. Not with the new bankruptcy laws, which do not forgive medical bills.

As per my post below, those bills will follow you to your grave. Also, as many know, hospitals and physicians will accept far less as payment in full from insurance plans(they call it "adjusting" the bills), whereas the uninsured get hit with the highest possible costs.

[antigop]

27. $500 PER MONTH??? Who can afford that?

Seriously...

$500 per month? How can people afford that?

Another serious question....

If at some point I lose my health insurance, can I somehow request ahead of time NOT TO BE TREATED if accident, injury, etc....?

[knitter4democracy]

4. Call your insurance agent or one out of the phone book.

Most areas only have one or two health insurance agents. Find that one by asking other insurance agents, and then ask that one to do a quote for you. They'll do it for free, and then you can compare rates and coverage with Cobra coverage and all. Make sure you at least have catastrophic, so if you get in an accident, you're not paying for it for years. It the hospital bill that can knock you out financially more than anything else.

[Corgigal]

6. you can look online

I purchased my two kids plan from Blue Cross and Blue Shield this way. See what they say...

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/ehi/Alliance?allid=Goo18811&sid=QUOTES+042106+1

[Divernan]

7. Go to ehealthinsurance.com

There's a one page article in the June, 2006 Continental in-flight magazine concerning what a family can do when a kid "ages out" of the family plan.

First, check COBRA. Check with the benefits office of your old plan. Federal law requires that companies with 20 or more employees let former employees remain on the health plan when they leave the job. This applies to children "aging out" of the plan also. You have to pay the full cost of the coverage which can range from $400 to $800 a month, depending upon which options are chosen. The plan can last from 18 months to 3 years.

LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS

SHORT TERM POLICIES
These usually last 6 months to a year, after which you can reapply as long as you remain in good health. A 6 month policy with a $1,000 deductible and 20 percent copay (the insurance company picks up 80 % of the bill after the deductible is paid), for a 22 year old woman in Ohio would be $48 a month.

LONGER TERM
Consider an individual policy with a high deductible. For a policy with a $2,500 deductible, a young male smoker would pay $60 a month in Chicago, or $119 a month in Gainesville, Florida.

I repeat, go to ehealthinsurance.com to compare costs and coverages of multiple companies.

Given the new bankruptcy laws, any inpaid medical bills will follow you to the grave, so do get coverage for at least catastrophic costs (the high deductible policy).

[SmokingJacket]

9. If I were young and healthy, I wouldn't spring for full coverage.

I'd get a catastrophic policy in case of accident or major illness, and just pay for my healthcare out of pocket for the next year.

My husband and I did have been doing this for several years -- now, with a family, it's becoming unfeasible, but it worked for a while.

[Hoyt]

10. At your age, you should be able to get an individual policy . . . .

at a reasonable monthly premium-- $100/month or so depending upon where you live, deductible and stuff like that. Personally, I'd go with one of the larger health insurers -- all other factors equal. I'd probably consider a high deductible to keep the premiums low too.

Don't put it off, it's good that you are thinking about it. You can probably get it over the internet by answering some health questions.

Some older or people in poorer health often have to go the COBRA route until it runs out, then they are in trouble.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future we'll have some form of national health insurance so that people -- particularly in poorer health or much older -- don't get caught in a tough situation.

Good luck.

[against all enemies]

12. The cobra amount was $350.00 a month. That is

pretty steep and was thinking about finding a less expensive option. It's like playing Russian Roulette with your life. Too little health care coverage and you're in trouble. Don't get me wrong, I know many don't have coverage and I feel badly for them. I'm just trying to find some reasonable coverage for a reasonable cost. With healthcare such a diaster how is it that it is nt a larger consideration when people are voting?

[bleedingheart]

15. did that include prescription benefit...

because just plain health insurance might be cheaper...

[theboss]

17. Individual plans can be fly by night propositions

I deal with insurance companies daily. If you buy some sort of temporary individual policy, they are going to drop you like a bad habit the first time you submit a claim for more than $2K.

And you receive no protection from pre-existing denials. If you maintain coverage, you can never have an excluded service.

[against all enemies]

18. Is this true even with major carriers?

[theboss]

28. You will have insanely high deductibles with major carriers

And you won't be able to claim them as prior creditable coverage in the future.

[RB TexLa]

13. What state are you in?

[against all enemies]

16. Connecticut.

[RB TexLa]

23. OK, can't help, but

at your age I would say find a high deductible individual policy. This will give you protection against major accidents or illness and probably a $50 or so co-pay to see a doctor should something come up. Depending on the annual deductible you could have one of these for next to nothing until you get back on a group plan.

[theboss]

14. Take COBRA

You will have the same coverge, except you will be paying the premiums. It's the easiest, safest thing to do.

[Wisconsin Larry]

21. I agree. Especially since you do not have much time. And

I think that you can opt out for another plan at any time. It will seem very expensive but any plan that actually covers catastrophes is. And you do not want any gaps in coverage -- for your own peace of mind and for reasons I do not recall, the insurance companies do not like gaps and will penalize for that.

[Divernan]

26. Yes - Cobra is month to month - you can drop it at any time.

nt

[Wisconsin Larry]

19. Couple of ideas, one get a proof of coverage statement

from your current insurance company. Any company that you go with will ask for it.

Second, if you are or can be a member of any professional organization, they often offer coverage under a group plan. For example, I am self-employed and have coverage now under a plan offered by the electric engineering association that I belong to.

Or if you are self employed or even have a hobby business, you most likely can join a Chamber of Commerce group, many of whom offer group plans for their members. I do not recall the specifics but do not think the bar to joining is very high. I tried that as well for a few years.

Consulting an insurance agency representing multiple plans is a good idea as well. Been there done that as well.

Check to see if your state like Wisconsin has minimum requirements for group plans. If you go for an individual plan, having it conform to the state minimum for group plans means that it will at least cover something.

Best of luck. It is a jungle out there. ;)

[against all enemies]

22. I appreciate all the suggestions and will be researching them ASAP

It's hard to believe with the disaster concerning healthcare, that we can't make some hay out of it during the elections. Would it be a wise move for the Democratic Party to provide some sort of help about this kind of stuff? Not everyone knows how to use the DU information resource helpline. Thanks, it's pretty scary and I'm sure it effects millions.

[Autumn Colors]

24. Try Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield

My husband and I are both self-employed and after paying almost $1,000 a month for the two of us for 5 years through a "group plan" through our Chamber of Commerce, my mom told me Anthem has individual coverage that seemed a lot cheaper.

Sure enough, we checked it out and switched over. We now have PPO coverage (no PCP required and no "referrals" required to go to specialists) and it's about $520/month for the two of us ($260/month each) -- and I'm in my forties, my husband is in his fifties. I'm sure the rates for you would be cheaper. What we got is called "BlueCare Direct" with the 3-tier prescription coverage.

http://www.anthem.com

[melnjones]

25. This might be helpful...

I heard on another board here that this is good http://www.yourdrugcard.com/ . It's not insurance, but it's free and at least something to help with drug costs.