Affordable Health Insurance?
 

My husband may soon have to leave his current job because of severe pay cutbacks. He has another job lined up, but because it is construction type work, it will not offer health insurance. I'm sure we can probably keep the insurance we have now for a few months through something called "Cobra."

Does anyone know of an affordable health insurance out there that we can look into? It's just me and my husband....I'm 51 and he's 53...both non smokers and non drinkers in relatively good health. I will appreciate any info that I can look into.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

The least expensive insurance is probably going to be Cobra. You all can stay on Cobra for 18 months. It's tough to get individual insurance. The underwriting is strict. You have to be in almost perfect health. Your age would make individual insurance high also. I would advise you to take Cobra.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

I am totally uninsurable at 51 because of a heart flareup five years ago that doesn't even bother me now at all. If I'm not on a group plan, I cannot get insurance. Our church group plan is good, but my premium just went up to over $1700/month for just me, Eddie & Zac. It's unbelievable. We are in the process this week of looking for a new group plan, because everyone's went up 50+%.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

Do you use an insurance broker? If so, he/she should try to get your rates down. We (my boss and I) just had a group with a 40% increase and we talked the insurance company down to 14.2%.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

Has anyone heard about "icanbenefit.com ? I heard about it on TV, checked their website out (but... ain't too smart in the insurance depart.) Website: http://icanbenefit.com/

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

Yes, I guess Cobra will be our choice if he does decide to take the other job. Thanks.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

Wow! That is extremely expensive! I don't blame you for trying to look for a new group plan.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

I'm not too smart in the insurance dept. either! lol....

I'll check that website out though, thanks!

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

I am afraid this does not exist. Part of the reason is that employers subsidize part of the insurance premiums in the vast majority of cases and the rates are lower due to spreading the risk over a large pool of employees.

When you set out to get it on your own it is very expensive if it is good insurance and not a scam. Beware of a lot of scams out there offering low cost insurance.

I have a self employed relatiive who pays around $700 per month for health insurance for himself and his wife (kids are all grown and married).

The best bet might be if your husband or you are a member of some kind of associatoin or group that might offer a group plan.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

I guess that's why there are so many uninsured folks huh? Seems like our government could do a "group plan" for all folks like a regular employer would? Where we all would pay a percentage and them the rest. :roseglasses

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

It's difficult, because the unemployed are often the most sick. The saftey net is in place for low-income parents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities through Medicad.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

My husband just started a new job that did not offer health benefits. He knew a health insurance broker through a networking organization that he belonged to and we used this broker to sign up for individual coverage.

We have 80%/20% coverage with a $2500 deductible and additional $2500 out of pocket maximum per year plus dental coverage through Humana for $489 a month for my husband, me and our 2 young children.

Doctors visits are not subject to the deductible, only a $35 copay for primary dr. and $50 copay for specialists.

I was really surprised that we were able to get it that affordable. From all the stories I had heard, I was really expecting to pay closer to $900 per month.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

That's the Democratic plan. I'm a government employee and know quite a bit about it. It's all through private insurers managed by YOU just like your current insurance. It's just the government does what an employer would do. Since cost will be spread over millions of individuals the cost will be rather low. The industry doesn't like the idea....because then they'd have to compete with it, that means they'd have to lower their costs.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

My pastor uses
http://www.alliantinsurance.com/
It is a consortium for clergy or small businesses.
I think you have to have a minimum of 2 employees which you could list you as one and your husband as a second employee.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

I'm a government employee and our program is through UHC. Our family has an HSA plan with an annual $4000 deductible and the government front loads it with $3000 every year (tax free by the way). After the deductible is met we have 100% coverage. Since it's an HSA the account is managed as a line of credit. We plan on using at least $700 of it for Christmas money. Of course since it's not health care related we have to pay taxes on what we spend.

Cost...$40 a month.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

One sure thing... The Government plan costs far more.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

Actually it doesn't. Cost analysis was already performed and it's actually quit inexpensive compared to most plans available on the private market. I will give you this much...the traditional package was VERY expensive as far as cost to the government. But the HSA plan is actually reducing costs as we shop for care and treatment. And don't get me on the OPERS retirement program. I'll be set if I retire as a government employee.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

And essentially....thats the plan....treat you all like employees spreading the cost over hundreds of millions of people minimizing the cost to all.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

That is called socialism. I dread the thought of the Federal government providing health care for all. It will be run like everything else the government does - inefficiently and with employees that don't give a care about customer service.

I think you have to weigh in the cost of health care insurance on your own as part of your total compensation when considering jobs. If the job without insurance is not paying at least a few hundred dollars per month more than one with insurance it may not be worth it.

I work for a company with around 65,000 employees and even with that kind of group buying power my PPO plus premiums were about $360 per month so this year I moved to one of those health savings account programs combined with health insurance with a high ($2500) deductible. My company gave my wife and I $1500 in a health savings account towards that $2500 deductible and paid 100% of health care until we depleted that $1500 (actually $1700 because they gave us an extra $200 for doing a health survey). We have to foot 100% of the $1,000 gap ($800 in our case) between the money they company gave us up front for medical care and that $2500 deductible then the insurance takes back over covering 90%.

Just a few short years ago my PPO covered 100% after my small co-pays!

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

Yes, that's what we are mulling over. The newer job most definitely would pay a few hundred dollars more each month, but considering the cost to have to pay several more hundred dollars extra each month for health care, I just don't know if it's worth the job change.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

You did the "health survey"? ....oh boy. You guys have no idea. If any of you get on a plan like this and they offer you ipods or money to take the survey....DON'T DO IT. Keep your cards close to your chest in regards to your health. The more information you give them the greater the possibility they'll deny coverage and argue that a condition was "pre-existing". I've seen it happen. Just use wisdom guys. They don't just "give money away" for a survey. They plan on using those surveys to make that money back and then some by using them in their efforts to deny claims. When they asked me to fill out the survey and register to win a new ipod...I just laughed and said, "Thank you." Then I put the little survey promotional in the shredder. lol

Most are not very big on social programs. However, the options are rising costs and more uninsured and higher death rates for treatable illnesses or....some form of government involvement.

I work for the government as an account and budgetary reconciler. Of course...I don't think that government funding or negotiating something is necessarily "socialist"....the police aren't socialistic....neither is fire....water....street maintenance....wastewater treatment...and the list could go on. If the government were to take over and manage hospitals and insurance companies, making doctors government employees to treat citizens in government clinics....that would be socialism. But essentially allowing Americans the "option" to purchase insurance from a private insurer based on the group rates secured by the government negotiations with the insurance company....that's more like the government contracting for lower cost to you, the consumer. You still would reserve the right to buy insurance as a single individual if you desired and could afford it. The market forces that would generate would be "huge" as insurers find they have to lower their costs to compete. So in the end...even those not wishing to participate in the system benefit from it's effect on the market.

Don't think of it as "government health care"...because it's not. Think of it like government contracting with the private insurance industry as a business partner (like they do so many of your favorite construction companies) to provide you lower rates.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

IMO the newer job paying more money would not be worth giving up health insurance benefits. The cost of insurance is only going to go up. You probably will not be able to get your own insurance.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

OH BOY is this an area DESPERATELY needed to be part of every pastors counselling ESPECIALLY of young people!

I live abroad so some of my information may have different applications in the United States, BUT....

The COST of health insurance in the country I live in is dependent on the AGE as well as other factors (weight, pre existing conditions etc) of the insured at TIME of insuring them. As you get older (here) the ONLY way that your monthly fee goes up is if the company raises the fees on EVERYONE straight across the board, and then may only do so within government set parameters.

I can honestly tell you that in my youth and even into adulthood, I NEVER had ANY counselling either on insurance, savings or investing! So when I found myself required to have health insurance to gain residency abroad, I found myself saddled with a monthly bill of 700 us dollars a month.

Now it is not ALL bad news for me because should i NOT avail myself of the company I am then refunded 27 per cent of what I have paid in at the end of each year.


Had I purchased health insurance when I was say twenty one or even twenty five, It would be a mere pittance! Now though it's a major part of my income each month.

To all young people out there, ESPECIALLY if you are contemplating marriage, GET YOURSELF HEALTH INSURANCE NOW DON'T WAIT!!! ALSO GET LIFE INSURANCE, AT LEAST A HALF MILLION -TWO IF YOU HAVE ANY WISDOM.


Pastors, you ABSOLUTELY MUST brush up on some of this stuff, your young people are so many times WITHOUT solid home lifes and parents with any concern for their kids future, and it will stand you in good stead all the way around to develop or at worst case scenario, BRING SOMEBODY IN t oteach on these responsibilities!

I look back at the foolish spending of my youth and realize without a doubt that had I been investing each week a portion of my pay check in just normal mutual funds and diversified those funds, I would indeed be a millionaire many times over today instead of the current financial position I find myself in. (Which thank God isnt bad, its just NOT what it could have been!)

P.S. The feeling I had of security immediately after obtaining health insurance is indescribable! I had never even considered it before, but after I got it, the sense of well being and the knowledge that no matter WHAT comes my way in the health department, I have the knowledge of being well cared for. That feeling is priceless.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

TCSQ, health insurance would be high for you even if you'd had it when you were younger. It's not like auto insurance that will stay low if you don't have accidents. Health insurance is very expensive, and if you are paying $700 a month, you are about average.

Luckily, through my employer, I will be paying just $60 a month for me and my children. Much cheaper than I'd expected.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

If McCain implements his plan, the tax write-offs businesses get for providing insurance will be terminated so that individuals can be given a tax credit (I think $2,500) to put towards buying their own individual plan. Essentially, his plan moves everyone toward having to buy their own insurance as individuals.

Enjoy insurance through your employer while you can. Because if they find it too expensive without being able to write it off, they'll terminate the plan you're on and you'll have to buy your own on the open market.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

If the goverment would make it hard for people to sue hospitals and doctors, then back away, the free market would drive the prices down. The free market always works, it is what made America so great.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

You're right, that would cut costs a little. I like Europe's system....they don't handle health care issues in court.

Re: Affordable Health Insurance?
 

hi....
I would like to know about this Affordable health insurance.Can anyone explain about this because i am in need of explanation about the process...
Thanks....
...............