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Topic: Please Help, Need new Health Insurance soon
| Author | Message |
| write2 | Posted – 6/26/2008 3:16:56 PM | show profile | email poster Hi. How do you handle your health insurance? My Cobra is about to run out and I need to find a new plan. I was in a bad car accident a few years back and I'm worried about being denied health insurance. I'm looking for a group plan. I don't have a spouse, so I can't use that option. I've heard taking out a plan with a high deductible, supplemented with a HSA (Health Savings Account) might be the best option. I'm looking for suggestions quickly, since my COBRA plan runs out Aug. 1. I love freelancing, but I need to find a viable insurance option for the Chicago market. I'd appreciate any help. |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 6/27/2008 5:28:29 PM | show profile hmmm. being in ny, I have healthy ny..from aetna. I used to pay 120/month. now pay 250/month with no additional services. best advice...don't get sick. if you do, self-medicate. everyone has the same issue you have. sorry |
| mytype | Posted – 6/27/2008 5:50:58 PM | show profile have you looked into this? it's for people who have been denied insurance b/c of preexisting conditions. it's expensive, but it's something. http://www.cobrahealth.com/statehighriskpools.html |
| westsidestory | Posted – 6/27/2008 6:28:12 PM | show profile look into a high-deductible plan with an HSA. I have one of these and they are good if you are generally healthy. Illinois has several, you might try hsafinder.com |
| fiddlestix | Posted – 6/27/2008 9:14:44 PM | show profile Find out if NY is one of the states that requires your COBRA insurance company (not the administrator) to continue coverage after the current benefits are exhausted. You have 63 days after expiration to apply, and you'll need a letter from your plan administrator demonstrating continuous coverage. The coverage will be retroactive to the expiration. I'm in the same boat: a car accident causing near constant migraines unless medicated was enough for me to be denied by any reasonably priced coverage in Oregon. Luckily bleeding-heart liberalism = BCBS has to take me. When I was in NY I had Healthy NY, you have to qualify for their low income requirements and they are a massive headache to deal with but the coverage is decent. Good luck! |
| cornfrost | Posted – 6/28/2008 12:15:10 AM | show profile My understanding is that if you have health insurance, you will not be denied new insurance, but if you let it lapse, you might be denied it or subject to the pre-existing condition exclusion. Try mediabistro's avantguild. Look into ehealthinsurance.com. Whatever you do, do not let it lapse. |
| Tee Poole | Posted – 6/28/2008 12:38:45 AM | show profile | email poster I've got BCBS's individual plan, which runs me about $190/month for health and dental, with a $3,000 deductible. But that deductible does NOT apply to regular office visits (about a $20/copay) or emergency room visits, which are completely covered after a $100/copay. I've been pretty happy with it. Not sure if it's available in all states. ------ Tee Poole Writer, Editor, Communications Geek tee@teepoole.com Media Bistro Profile: http://www.mediabistro.com/teepoole |
| hawkmail | Posted – 6/28/2008 11:36:29 PM | show profile You can also check into group coverage through alumni associations, your local chamber of commerce, and any other group you may belong to. Many offer it to their members. |
| Jen480 | Posted – 6/30/2008 1:31:22 PM | show profile Try Unicare. I got it after graduating college while I was working P/T at the local paper. It's a great option. The price was low (I think I paid about $150 for health + dental). Here's the site: http://www.unicare.com |
| infojunkie | Posted – 6/30/2008 3:24:58 PM | show profile Know How You Feel I was in the same boat as you. My Cobra was $1000 a month and most people out of a job cannot afford that. BCBS has a number of options. I am on a plan that is about $100 a month with a $500 deductable. It doesn't cover preexhisting conditions but it covers everything else and it counts as nonlapsed insurance for when you get a new job. I hope this helps. |
| web | Posted – 7/3/2008 5:53:50 AM | show profile | email poster was in your boat myself ... From the car accident to cobra. I always wondered why in Chambers of Commerce there were so many individual members. I learned last year! They join to get the group medical benefits! Organizations (especially national/international ones) have a good potential of offering healh insurance to it's members, too. I did research, you don't have to start from scratch: http://www.CoachMaria.com/articles/healthinsurance.html I really liked two of my drs so I asked them both what plans they accepted. I found a few they both accepted. I purchased one of the plans that was appproved by my state. |
| chucho | Posted – 7/3/2008 6:32:05 AM | show profile __ I was in the same boat as you. My Cobra was $1000 a month and most people out of a job cannot afford that. BCBS has a number of options. I am on a plan that is about $100 a month with a $500 deductable. Egads! What would it be with a $1,000 deductible? $12,000 a year for individual health insurance is cray-zee! Web: Do you have to be employed to be an individual member? If you're self-employed, do you have to be incorporated (which is a chunky tax burden, apparently, for lowly self-employed freelancers)? |
| rhino writer | Posted – 7/3/2008 1:15:53 PM | show profile At the Chambers of Commerce in my state, you can be a sole proprietor and join. Don't have to be incorporated. Shop around if all you're interested in is the health insurance, because C of Cs in different towns have different membership fees, anywhere from $100/yr to $250 and up. |
