From a friend: CIGNA health "insurance" rates to double

[villager]

from a friend's email earlier this evening:


I don't know how many of you have Cigna health insurance, but I
do. Today I got a letter from TEIGET (the parent-group holding the
insurance) and they said that Cigna has basically doubled
their rates, as of Jan 07, and that you must reapply to get the
insurance next year, because they've changed the coverage, and rates,
and your insurance will just end after Dec 30, 06 if you don't.

The TEIGET people are protesting the rate increase, and asking the
individual Cigna subscribers to protest too, but there's no guarantee
that this will bring the rates down. As it stands, I will owe over
$11,000/year in '07.

Anyone have a good lead on other health care plans? I've had cancer
before ('87 with no recurrence) and have been refused three times by
Blue Cross and Blue Shield. I am desperate.

[aquart]

1. No American should have to write a thing like this.

I feel such white icy rage. They are letting us die while they live high.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

2. Exactly... we need national health care.

Our government should be ashamed.

[Horse with no Name]

3. We are changing carriers in 2007

To Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee.
Everything has increased except our coverage. Our premiums and our copays and out of pocket are all higher.

[Rosemary2205]

4. From an HR professional - A bit of advice

I'm guessing you are on an individual policy.....

My state insurance commissioner's office publishes a list of every health insurance carrier license to sell in your state. My state has a website where I can put in my zip code and select what type of insurance I am looking for (home car health whatever) and it returns a list of all carriers with their contact information.

Take the list to your existing doctors/hospitals and the office staff can tell you which plans they take and which are good to deal with. After that you can contact the favorites and check coverage and rates.

By the way, my company operates in 6 states and even for the same carrier we have different coverage in different states. Your state laws will affect how insurance operates in your state. We also canvas local medical associations and hospitals to find out what the track record of insurance carriers are with the providers. We don't want our employees to have difficulty getting medical care because no providers want to put up with the antics of the ultra cheap insurance carrier we contracted with.

And yes, as an individual it's just silly that getting decent coverage is that much legwork just to make a choice.

[villager]

5. thanks... friend and I are in Cali... can pass along this advice...

n/t

[puebloknot]

6. Health Ins.

Hi.

I'm a former insurance agent in California, currently living in New Mexico.

Your best bet is to find a group plan you can join because they definitely make it harder if you choose an individual plan.

Pre-existing conditions clauses still apply even with most group plans, but at least they'll cover you after you go through a waiting period. But...it can be six months to two years. And they can put a permanent rider on *any* policy for a serious medical problem.

There are a couple of things to think about. National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) has a plan. Not self-employed? You can be. You can start you own rose-sitting service, or your own Bush-impeaching advisory service. You can join an MLM and you might get rich, and you might not, but you might get health insurance. There's another association for self-employed, called The Alliance (something like that). Get a business license if you need to, and start some kind of business. It might help.

I heard that the Chambers of Commerce in some places offers group coverage.

Here in NM, they have created health insurance for small businesses. Two to xxx employees. They have a plan with no questions asked about prior health problems. Great, huh? (It's only $950 a month and up.)

I heard that the State of Maine is progressive and trying to cover all their people. San Francisco has just passed legislation for universal coverage.

And, there's always Canada, and don't think I haven't thought of it for that reason alone.

I don't mean to be flip here. I could share my own horror story about my situation over the last two years.


Years ago, I met a young woman from Israel, who became my closest friend. We were both selling medical insurance at the time. She said one day, "It is ridiculous that a country as rich as the U.S. cannot organize itself to take care of the health of its people."

I remember that it struck me as *so* odd that she would say that, and I also remember having this feeling that I had *never* considered it my right to have health insurance. She woke me up that day. I'm still awake! And I'm pissed that we all have so much to worry about!!!!


Judy Barrett

[villager]

7. thanks, Judy!

n/t

[City Lights]

9. We have NASE and they SUCK!

I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy. The coverage is minimal and their premiums are high.

[smirkymonkey]

8. Damn - I have Cigna through my company and it's already

expensive. Greedy bastards.

[knitter4democracy]

10. Cigna and Aetna are two of the worst.

Docs and hospitals hate them with a passion, and more and more are dropping them entirely.

Where does your friend live? In Michigan, per our constitution, BC/BS is not allowed to deny anyone, regardless of past medical history. One of these days, they'll be the only carrier in the state. They're not stellar on their reimbursements, but even doctors are on it (all the docs in our area are in a group, and that's what we're on--with $30 co-pays and $40 prescription co-pays but decent coverage other than that).

Is there a health insurance agent in your friend's area? I've used them before. They know the system and can find the best solution.

[Ino]

11. I talked to an NASE rep

She scribbled a chart showing what's covered, different copays, different deductibles, arrows, writing all over the pg, barely legible, talking so fast. I asked if I could have a copy of the book she kept referring to - she said no. I asked to keep the scribbled chart to study & compare with what I had - she said no!

so I said no. I felt it was all a scam. Make an important decision like that w/o anything in writing? nuh-uh

Who can one talk to about ins problems? someone unaffiliated w/ins company, confidential, sympathetic??