Healthcare Question

[Andrew Pinkham]

Hi everyone,
I'm in need of healthcare (no longer technically a student), and wanted to poll other freelancers about who they had healthcare with, and their experience on that front.

Does anyone have a policy provider they really like?
Are their any I should absolutely avoid?
Is there a good resource for figuring this stuff out?

This would mainly be to cover accidents, but eye-care would be nice.

Thanks,
Andrew

[Eric Leversen]

Hi, Andrew.

I've got a high deductible plan that is designed to cover people who are generally healthy but want some insurance, especially against catastrophic bills. Its through Assurant Health which is is owned (or maybe operated) by Aetna which makes it a hassle when I'm trying to figure out who to actually talk to about coverage.

Two days ago I got a letter saying they were raising the price by 22% for the coming year. HFS!
So I'm looking for a new provider. I would love to hear what others have to say. If they reply off list, can I ask you to forward to me?

Here's a couple links
http://www.texashealthoptions.com/ - general health insurance info for Texas
http://www.healthytexasonline.com/ - small business health insurance thru the state. Looks like a good program for company with 2-25 employees



Good luck!



Regards,

Eric Leversen
er...@webchronicconsulting.com

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[Prashant Sheth]

I bought mine earlier this year and had a family friend help me through this, his rates were great for me :-) Have recommended him to several friends as well and all have been pleasantly surprised.  His service is also excellent.

Please contact: Sudhir Mathuria  email: sud...@financialsolution4you.com  Phone: (713) 771-2900

He will get your custom info and have you an online option quote that covers major providers.  If any questions/issues/delays he calls you immediately and is also accessible to you,

He has also helped a LOT of retiring folks with other paperwork and I've appreciated his gesture :-)

Enjoy and good luck

Prashant

[Prashant Sheth]

I had the wrong personal email please use: ez4...@yahoo.com

[Kate Spencer]

If you've been uninsured for more than six months, you should look into the plan developed by the Affordable Care Act, PCIP.
https://www.pcip.gov/
You can qualify for the plan if you have any type of preexisting condition (including relatively minor issues such as high cholesterol). It's an excellent plan and much less expensive than comparable plans on the private market.

FYI, Healthy Texas is no longer open for enrollment due to state funding limitations.

Good luck.

[Susan Lahey]

Andrew,
I got on ehealthcare.com. They list a bunch of different programs with various premiums and requirements. You can compare plans, too!

Susan

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[Susan Lahey]

Nope wrong. There is ehealthcare but I used ehealthinsurance.com sorry.

[Brandon Kraft]

Blue Cross Blue Shield had a policy that works well for me. As far as the "big" insurance companies, at the time, they were the least expensive option for comparative coverage and suitable network of doctors. They recently refunded me via the new healthcare law (only spent 71% of premiums on healthcare instead of the required 80%, so I got a refund to make their 80%) and then lowered my premiums

With any individually-purchased plan in Texas, do be aware that it may be different than what you previously had and read the contract closely. The biggest difference (that impacted me) was that maternity coverage is not currently covered on individual plans in Texas, so until 2014, anyone planning on starting a family should keep that in mind.

Cheers,

--

Brandon J. Kraft
Coffea Web Services

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@kraft · @coffeaweb

Tel: 512-476-3761 · 877-563-2467 

SMS: 512-696-0411

[Judi Radice Hays]

Freelancers Union has information on their website:

https://be.freelancersunion.org/benefits/plans/golden-rule/2012/health/

Check into AFLAC. They provide supplemental insurance that might be sufficient for your needs. I have one specifically for accidents. Each year I get a $60 check back from them to cover the cost of a wellness visit. Nice!

JUDI RADICE HAYS

Ph: (512) 694-5277

judi...@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/JudiHays  |  @askjudihays  |  facebook.com/judi.hays

[Wendy Faulkner]

I have a blue cross high deductible HSA plan.  Its for catastrophic mainly, but I opened a health savings account any money I put in there is pre-tax.  So it's a good way to save for unexpected but minor issues.  I've been happy with it.  

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 7, 2012, at 4:41 PM, Brandon Kraft <b...@kraft.im> wrote:

[Adrian Nye]

+1 BCBS, high deductible plan.   you'll end up paying less out of pocket before the deductible is met because they have negotiated rates with just about every doctor.   It is pretty affordable.

[Jon Lebkowsky]

Assurant Health, mentioned earlier in the thread, is not owned by Aetna, though they evidently contract with Aetna for some services. Assurant is a limited plan - they pay very little.  Everything's capped. It's an insurance plan for someone who doesn't expect to use insurance.

Last time I looked, good individual plans ran around 800-1200 per month with companies like Aetna, BCBS, etc. Hopefully there'll be changes with Affordable Health Care legislation.

~ Jon L.

Jon Lebkowsky (@jonl)

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Work: Polycot Associates: Advanced Internet Solutions Twitter | Facebook

Blog: Weblogsky.com: Smart Thinking About Culture, Media, and the Internet

[Andrew]

Hi all,
Sorry for the delay in following up on this.

I ended up calling a couple hospitals in the area and talking with the financial departments. Turns out, the big three appear to be United Health, Blue Cross, and Cigna.

Given the prices and some of the emails, I opted for Blue Cross.

A note for anyone who may end up in my situation: BCBS took 3 weeks to process my application and actually get me covered. If you're just getting Texas insurance, don't wait!

Thanks for all the input,
Andrew