Insurance question

[spencersmommy]

For the first time, we will be without insurance in a month!!! Yikes! I am declining my job's plan b/c I'll be PT starting the middle of August (I teach) and the premiums will be almost 1/3 of my paycheck. DS doesn't have a plan at work right now. We're planning to get just insurance for the 2 boys, and add us on later (DS is looking for a new job, hopefully one with insurance). I am feeling a bit freaked out since I've always had insurance...but my questions are: Does anybody else do a plan and can recommend one? What are prices like? I know they are probably different depending on where you live, but I have no idea. Thanks in advance for your help!

[LD92599]

I'm sure it depends on the state but i have one company as a single person and have DH and DS on another company as parent & child/ren. It's cheaper that way instead of a family plan. Also, go for a higher co-pay if you go w/ an HMO. Our premiums are about $1100 per month w/ a $30 co pay - we're in NJ. The difference in premiums for the $20 vs $30 co pay are ALOT - so unless you're at the Dr a million times a month - makes more financial sense to go w/ the $30.

Laura
mom to William

LKibala at optonline dot net

http://lilypie.com/pic/050530/616a731.jpg[/img][img]http://lilypie.com/baby3/030305/1/2/0/-5/.png

[rorycam]

A couple of years ago, we used a short-term policy to cover us between on-the-job coverage. It was through Fortis insurance, though I think there are a couple of others that offer short-term policies, and it was about $100/month for the two of us (no baby then) with a very high decuctible of probably $2500, though I don't recall for certain. As I recall, we could have it for anywhere from 30 days to 6 months, then after the 6 months you could have one more 6-month period of it. I would highly recommend it--we applied online, could have it in effect by the next day at midnight if we needed to, and they were fine to deal with, though thankfully we never had to use it. I would not be able to sleep at night if I did not have health insurance, and this was enough that I knew if something terrible happened, we would not owe thousands and thousands of dollars and we would be covered and able to get care anywhere. You can get quotes online and see--this might be a good way to go to give you some time for your DH to get a job with insurance. It is inexpensive as far as insurance goes, and you would never have to be without coverage. It does not cover pre-existing conditions, but definitely better than nothing, IMO. HTH.

[jd11365]

There is a way to do this...I did, but can't remember specifics. Talk to your insurance person.

It was something like. I had like 30 days to officially "sign up" for Cobra, and they allowed 45 days to actually pay the first month's premium. But I didn't have to pay because by then my new insurance kicked in. Does that make any sense? Sorta working the system, but hey...sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

HTH!

[nd93]

It depends on how much you guys are making, but each state is supposed to have a plan to help kids without insurance. When my husband was in grad school we had no income so we were able to get our daughter on, but even people with incomes may qualify. As a family of 4 you'd be surprised how high the limits might be (sometimes self imployed people use it). You could do a Fortis plan or something like that for you and DH and get the kids on the state plan. We did it in Illinois and it was a godsend. The kids were covered for everything, and because we were no income we had no copays. What state are you in?

[HannaAddict]

I am so sorry that the premiums for insurance are so insane. But you must at the very least get a catastrophic plan, one with a high deductible ($5,000 to $10,000) that would only come into play if you or your children had a serious medical condition. I would be absolutely terrified to not have insurance in this day and age, especially if I had children. You could be wiped out financially if something happened, or worse, not be able to get even life saving care that you need. It is a myth that you will be able to get life saving charity care if needed. You might be able to, but you might not. And if you or your children were diagnosed with something while uninsured, good luck ever getting coverage for it. With the new bankruptcy legislation passed by the Republicans, you can't discharge your medical debts in bankruptcy either. And hospitals gouge the uninsured with much higher rates for care than those "negotiated" by insurance plans. Yes, the uninsured subsidize insurance companies.

Are you in California? If so, KaiserPermanente offers child only plans (we don't have this in WA) and family plans with up to a $1,500 deductible. The monthly rate for a family (subscriber, spouse and one or more children) is $258 if under 30 years old or $333 if 30-39 years old. The child only policy is only slightly cheaper for two children including an under one year old, $296 a month. And if your uninsured, you will be spending $200 a month for well baby visits (you will pay the premium rate since uninsured) anyway. It might make financial sense to get a lower deduc
tible plan because of the well baby visit fees.

http://www.kaisergrouphealth.com/site/896491/page/399339

There is also a site through the drugstore RiteAid that will quote several plans, including temporary coverage and BlueShield of California rates.

http://www.quotit.net/raid/iframe.htm

You might be able to find an even cheaper plan through Costco, your teaching association/union, or look online. If you have a job and your husband does too, I doubt you will qualify for state subsidized health care (but I could be wrong). Our state's program for children is facing cuts and there is a wait to even get enrolled.

Good luck. It is a scary situation.

Kimberly
DS 3/18/04

[tiapam]

I would not decline your job's plan until you have new insurance in place. Can't you always drop out of your job's insurance when you get new insurance? I know enrolling can be more controlled, but I should think you could leave the plan at any time. I may be wrong about this.

-Pam

Charlotte born October 2004

[pritchettzoo]

I would call an insurance agent (find one you trust--get referral from friends or from your car/home insurance agent) and ask about FORTIS or that type of health insurance plans. You do NOT want to go without insurance for any amount of time. Once your DH finds a job, it could be a number of days before the policy kicks in and then you will be subject to all manner of exclusions for going uninsured (if you go a certain amount of time). It's a huge PITA. Our FORTIS plan for the three of us was $140 per month for the in-case-we-get-hit-by-a-bus plan ;). Basically you're paying so you can get good insurance coverage later.

ETA: DH and I looked into getting individual coverage when we started our law firm. I'm so glad we called an agent because we were just going to go with a Kaiser or Blue Cross individual plan through calling one of those places directly. If we had done that, we probably would have been turned down for insurance because of a minor health condition DH has that he was randomly hospitalized for in the previous year. If the insurance company rejects you, it's a huge black mark on you for the rest of time. We wound up incorporating and have our own group health plan now which is actually cheaper than an individual plan would have been. One of the benefits of group health plans is you can't be turned down. Anyway, we would never have known that just randomly applying for insurance could have been so bad.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

[spencersmommy]

Thank you so much for your advice, everyone, and Kimberly, for the websites!!! I just went to kaiser's and then to the Rite Aid site and got quotes that are so much lower than my work. THANK YOU!!!
I appreciate everyone's advice and agree, yes, we NEED to have insurance. I can't imagine being without it....

[August Mom]

As PPs have said, definitely do all you can to get insurance coverage. If you let your coverage lapse and then try to get insurance later, this can be a problem. There shouldn't be a problem with group insurance, but there can be an issue with private insurance.

I had short-term individual coverage for awhile through Guardian Insurance Company. It provided versatile coverage (not an HMO). However, you couldn't be pregnant or expect to be pregnant. Make sure you check those kind of restrictions.

[kijip]

Kimberly (Hannaaddict)-

Isn't if awful how VERY little we have in WA state in the way of individual insurance plans? Until very recently you could not even get insurance in WA state as an individual subscriber- you had to be part of a group through work etc. That is why so many HAVE to use the Basic Health plan but now of course the state is cutting that way back and the list is long...Gregoire is really afraid IMO to be seen as too liberal and is going very cautiously into her term what with the whole Rossi suit. Sad that kids without insurance will have to suffer because of political concerns. Just wanted to commiserate about the lousy situation in WA state. If my husband lost his job our ONLY option would be COBRA since individual plans are so few and far between. Health insurance is the only reason my husband stays at his job- otherwise he would be home full-time instead of part time.