Individual health insurance policies????

[cheferson]

Anyone have any advice on individual health insurance?? Just got my monthly premium, went from to $240 to $540 through Cobra for just me!!!!

WTF!!

[piemma]

Originally Posted by cheferson

Anyone have any advice on individual health insurance?? Just got my monthly premium, went from to $240 to $540 through Cobra for just me!!!!

WTF!!

It's crazy. I pay $1080 per month for my wife and myself also under Cobra

[luds]

That blows. Chances are if you leave cobra you might be able to find a cheaper plan but it will most likely not have as good of a benefit package as you have now. I might be wrong but I'm fairly certain the only benefit that you are getting through cobra is a group health insurance rate.

Definitely decide what you need(routine/preventative, non-emergency rx, out of state coverage etc.) and then start looking.

[PaulS]

Contact your state DoI for a comp. that are licensed to sell individual coverage.

[cheferson]

Doi???

[ProfessorM]

Wife works for BCBS she says do the above, individual coverage.

[luds]

Originally Posted by cheferson

Doi???

division of insurance

[PaulS]

Be careful if you see the words "association" or "trust" in the application. If you you have to join either of those two to get the policy, be careful.

[cheferson]

Looking into BCBS. There priemiums look to be about $198 with $400 deductible and max out of pocket of $2500. Even if i had to pay the full deductible and the $2500 i still would be ahead seeing im paying $565 a month now!!

[luds]

Originally Posted by PaulS

Be careful if you see the words "association" or "trust" in the application. If you you have to join either of those two to get the policy, be careful.

Most health insurance companies that are part of "associations" have much large provider networks for what I can tell and typically health "trusts" have lower premiums and better benefit packages because a trust is just a way of grouping people together to negotiate lower rates. If those definitions are correct I couldn't disagree more.

[chris L]

man Im glad I work where I do .

[Saltheart]

i believe that with trusts or associations , you could get stuck for lots of money if the association or trust exceeds its budget. As I remember , Paul S is an expert at this stuff , best to listen. maybe he will elaborate a little.

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by luds48

Most health insurance companies that are part of "associations" have much large provider networks for what I can tell and typically health "trusts" have lower premiums and better benefit packages because a trust is just a way of grouping people together to negotiate lower rates. If those definitions are correct I couldn't disagree more.

A trust or an association is a group of people of like mind who band together to get insurance and do other things - think of an union group. However, some associations are formed solely for the purpose of getting insurance (think of the air breathers association whose only requirement to join is that you breath air).

If the group is large enough, they will "self insure" (that is hire an administrator to admin. the policy and pay claims on behalf of the company). With a union group or a true employer it is not a problem. Those groups collect premiums from the members and will also put in some $ themselves. If the groups claims exceed the premium (either collected from members or contributed from the company/union) the company or union will put in the rest.

However, if it is not a true group or assoc., and the claims exceed the premium, who is going to put in the extra cash?

[luds]

Good point. Fortunately I have not seen that happen but self insured groups' benefits are usually also more strictly enforced by the health insurance companies that they often pay to administer them. Probably exactly for that reason.

Fun stuff to talk about. :-(

[reebok]

Chef I think the only company approved to sell individual plans here in Rhode Island is BCBS of RI. It's not cheap. Where did you get those numbers you mentioned?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by luds48

That blows. Chances are if you leave cobra you might be able to find a cheaper plan but it will most likely not have as good of a benefit package as you have now. I might be wrong but I'm fairly certain the only benefit that you are getting through cobra is a group health insurance rate.

Definitely decide what you need(routine/preventative, non-emergency rx, out of state coverage etc.) and then start looking.

Good advice. But remember, my understanding is once you leave an employee sponsored Cobra plan, you cannot be re-admitted to that plan. That's the way it works for us in my wife's Cobra plan.

[cheferson]

Originally Posted by reebok

Chef I think the only company approved to sell individual plans here in Rhode Island is BCBS of RI. It's not cheap. Where did you get those numbers you mentioned?

Got those from their website. Thats the premiums for someone my age for their 400/800 plan.

[cheferson]

Originally Posted by piemma

Good advice. But remember, my understanding is once you leave an employee sponsored Cobra plan, you cannot be re-admitted to that plan. That's the way it works for us in my wife's Cobra plan.

Yeah , i know. Decided to roll the dice and go without coverage for january and pray like hell the underwriters at BCBS dont deny me. Think i should be all set, young, quit smoking, no preexisting conditions. If not , im screwed. If all gos well , ill save a bundle!

[reebok]

Originally Posted by cheferson

Got those from their website. Thats the premiums for someone my age for their 400/800 plan.

Oh, I forgot how old I am. Age discrimination! And I remember too maybe they don't take you on if you are eligble for a Cobra plan.

[cheferson]

Originally Posted by reebok

And I remember too maybe they don't take you on if you are eligble for a Cobra plan.

If your not on cobra or cobra has expired they have to take you. If you are enrolled or denied cobra benefits they do not have to take you on. You must first answer 12 or 19 medical questions and get approved by the underwriters. I banking on still being young, nonsmoker, no big med probs in family history, and no prexisting conditions will be good enough to get me approved. i hope!

[Clammer]

I had to go get my own >>.because under the group plan thry good neighbors it went to around 900 ;

& I was hurting the rest on the group rate

I went & got a individual /BCBS &

its around 460 P/M with a 3000 deductable & alot of stuff that was including in the coverage I had is now excluded ;;;;

[Nebe]

See guys. All of you should vote for Hillary and all of these problems will be gone