Some Health Insurance advice.....

[BlackVelvet04]

I was paying $585 last year for my husband and myself with a $5,000 deductible per person. Last month I was advised it was going to $747 a month. No way could we afford that.

I called an insurance broker and he told me that it was the "pool" we had been thrown into that was making it so expensive.

He reworked our insurance, put my husband and I into different pools. My husband has a $1,000 deductible. I have a $3,500 deductible with well visits and prescriptions not subject to deductibles. The cost for both plans is
$360 a month.

BTW, the new plans are with the same company we had.

[Fridays Child]

1. Who's your broker?

[BlackVelvet04]

2. He's a local independent broker......

I got his name from my homeowner insurance company. They don't have health coverage so they referred me to him. I think I love him. ;-)

I was seriously worried that we would have to become one of the millions who have no health insurance. I have 2 metal rods and 6 screws in my back and insurance companies don't like me.

My husband is a good bit older than I am and the broker also warned me that medicare supplemental insurance is a rip off. There is something called Medicare Advantage that you can have without cost and unless you have big ticket prescriptions or believe you will have a lot of hospital stays is more than adequate. The most a doctor's visit can cost with the Advantage plan is $30 and the most a hospital stay can cost is $600.

I really hope this information can help people who are being ripped off for health insurance.

[BlackVelvet04]

3. .......

:kick:

I really want people to see this so they can get help if they need it.

[Habibi]

4. Interesting!

Are you and your husband self-employed?

[BlackVelvet04]

6. I'm unemployed and his employer doesn't provide

health insurance because 95% or more of the employees are part-time.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. I am one of the lucky ones

My employer pays my premiums.

[BlackVelvet04]

7. I remember those good old days....

I used to work for the federal government and had great insurance.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. They are coming to an end for me.

I am retiring soon.

[BlackVelvet04]

10. Be sure to talk to someone knowledgable before

getting rooked into one of the medicare supplemental plans. The guy I talked to was great....he gave me all kinds of info and advice.

[knitter4democracy]

8. Those health insurance guys know their stuff.

I talked with one when we were trying to hire our priest and needed some prices. He found some really good deals I didn't know about at all.

[BlackVelvet04]

11. Absolutely....

when I applied directly with Anthem BC/BS I just took what they gave me. DUH, that was pretty dumb and has cost me dearly for 6 years.

[Habibi]

12. Okay, I'm a little confused.

If you're unemployed, what type of insurance do you/your husband have? Is it a Cobra-related type from your last employment? Is it Medicare?

I'm self-employed, but I get a group rate from the employee benefits company that provided me insurance when I was a contractor at Kodak. It's still helaciously expensive ($311 for just me, with some high co-pays for specialist visits, otherwise decent coverage). If I had to go looking for my own health insurance without this company, I think I'd be screwed.

[BlackVelvet04]

13. We have a private policy through

Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. PLEASE CALL AN INSURANCE BROKER TO HELP YOU. $311 for one person is awfully high. I've had major back surgery and am rated a 3 out 4 risk factor and mine is only $233 a month for me.