Health insurance question
 

I'm single and a self employed artist in rhode island...

How the heck do I go about finding an affordable health insurance plan??? I can't sleep at night knowing that if something happens to me, I'm screwed....

Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks :)

self employed...

repeat after me...

I AM SCREWED :wall:

Find someone with good insurance throught their work and tie the knot. Dont marry for money, looks or character. Just insurance!











Sorry but you DID ask for suggestions!

I used to get mine through blue cross blue shield when i didnt have it through my employer. What about the chamber of commerce , I think someone said that they have some health insurance co-op?? ALso being self employed you should be to deduct all your health premiums off for taxes.

Move to Mass. because it is a law in Mass. to have affordable health ins. for everyone, thank Ted for that. Wife says call your BCBS of RI and see what they can do for you. She is not real sure on their plans. Sorry she could not offer you more info. for that state, she works for Ma. and says no two sates are the same.

When i went through bcbs , they had quarterly enrollment and also had to fill application first. Hopefully you dont have any pre existing conditions.

YA KILLIN ME!

BCBS AFFORDABLE in MA is $1400-1862 PER MONTH :rotf2::rotf2::rotf2::rotf2::rotf2::rotf2::rotf2:

yeah, I hear ya, thats cheep

Eben, look into joining a small business association and then join their pool. I did it for 2 years until my wife got her new job and now I leach off her.:uhuh:

NONE of the small business assoc are ANY cheaper than what you can buy from any of the hmo's directly. sbsb, nbt etc.

I'll get back to you on that when my wife gets home. I am not going to get in a pissing contest with you about something I have no knowledge of. I do know our insurance when up a good amount this year too so its not like I get free insurance. Who knows that could be cheap compared to other states.

No pissing contest. I'm self employed for over 20 years now Paul. I been around this insurance racket for many years now. Those rates are current rates for policies effective 12/1/09. I know this because this is all I have been doing this week is researching this stuff.

I believe I posted a jpg image somewhere this week with the Commonwealth Choice ripoff plans. Same prices across the board that you can get by buying directly from any of these guys be it bcbs, tufts, nhp, fallon, etc etc. Only difference I have found in 30 hours so far is that there are some plans you can buy direct from the hmo's that are not on the state roster...but they're not any cheaper either.

BCBS is the highest out of any of the hmo's out there. If you can get me family rates cheaper than what I posted then send me the info cuz I'd sure like to see it.

btw all ma insurance went up 18-22% across the board this fall. You can thank these %$%$%$%$%$%$%$s in Congress for this...it's the hmo's jacking up the rates in anticipation of being forced to lower them...lets them make more money longer. I posted an article on this sometime recently too.

Yup, Annhual Enrollment is not fun this year, Higher prems, and deductibles.

So much for affordable reform, eh.

best deal in ma right now is harvard pilgrim best buy plans. Don't know if they can help you in RI Eben but I think it would be worth asking.

Of interest is that all of these hmo's had started referring people to these small business bureaus for individuals also, now they are back to allowing you to buy directly from them.

Single???

get a hold of redlight, he might be able to give you a suggestion or two.

yup... The mrs and I parted ways back in May..
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You read like a good candidate for the public option.

Eben get a job as a prison guard. They have great bennys

Is it Nebe or Eben who is a felon?

Neither... :)

I couldn't be a prison guard.. I'd hurt someone :hihi:
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QUOTE=#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&;722435]btw all ma insurance went up 18-22% across the board this fall. You can thank these %$%$%$%$%$%$%$s in Congress for this...it's the hmo's jacking up the rates in anticipation of being forced to lower them...lets them make more money longer. I posted an article on this sometime recently too.[/QUOTE]

Don't the rate increases have to be approved by the Mass. dept of Insurance? I believe that they do and the only way an increase can be allowed is if the dept's. actuaries determine that the increases are "actuarially justified".

dunno Paul all I can tell you is my existing plan went from 660 to 796 on harvard pilgrim via Comm Connector...and my Dad's bcbs did the same thing..

Of course they're justified...they only went up 12% last year...

btw check the health insurance post in the political forum I posted an article there re the rate raises and also the current hmo rates for Ma which have already gone up $20 per month in the last week!

Salty, I'm sure your rates went up that much and it sucks. My company sponsored insurance went up 32% this year and the deductible was increased from 2,300 to 2,400.

I just refuse to believe its all the insurance comp. fault though. Take away their expenses and profit which I would guess stay about the same % every year and the increases would be about the same. If you look at what a dr/hospital charges and then look at what the insurance (included your share) ends up payings its about 50%. W/o that discount/cost control, a broken finger in the hospital would cost us over $1,000.

If she covered your ins. before then she should still cover it now.....I think:confused:

yea Paul it's not all their fault... My kid broke his leg this summer 2 days out of school. Cost me $3500 in co-insurance and copays.

Ortho guy takes an xray and says "it's healed so well he has a hard time seeing the break now". Then says after he wants a followup appt "to make sure it's fully healed" with another xray. YA RIIIIIIIIGHT that was cancelled...Especially since the kid was walking normally on it for 2 weeks :smash:

Last summer I got something in my eye. I call my pcp and the receptionist says I got to go in to see the doc- I was calling to find out if this was something that he could address in the office or did I need to go see the eye doc. Says we don't know until you come in...I said no way I'm paying for a $150 doc visit for him to tell me to go see the eye doc...ask the doctor if he has the ability to take out a foreign object....comes back and says no you would have to go see the eye doc. :smash: 3 rusty steel slivers yikes.

The problem is everyone got their hand out... As I said in the other thread the system is broke. Nebe I won't hijack your thread anymore :grins:

Hijack away... This is how we all learn.
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nebe this was last week's state rates here. I just signed on harvard pilgrim on a plan that's not on the state thing and the rate was about $20 more than they quoted me last week.

http://www.#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#.../healthins.jpg