health insurance

**pinecone** · 08-31-2011, 11:18 PM

I would love to hear how others cope with no health insurance. I was told that our premiums will be going up 25%.

Needless to say I almost fell off the chair.

piney

**Contrary Housewife** · 09-01-2011, 12:02 AM

Who told you that? Our premiums don't change when we don't have health insurance, never have.

**OOwl** · 09-01-2011, 09:07 AM

Insurance is scary, huh? When you don't have it, it's frightening, but having it is scary, as well. Long gone are the days of $5 co-pays and $1 Rxs. Now (same company) our family deductible is $5000 a year; then they pay 80%. The premiums that the company used to pay as a worker benefit now are SHARED between employee and employer. We have an HSA and that does help but it's still a huge chunk out of our budget. I consider myself lucky to still have that benefit offered at my husband's company. My company ceased offering its employees health insurance benefits about two years ago. Those that didn't have secondary insurance had to go out and TRY to obtain single coverage. If you had ANY issue (high BP or diabetes), it was almost impossible to find insurance. The state offers a program to assist those high-risk people, but the lady I know that obtained that coverage is paying over $200 a WEEK for herself alone. So, while the 25% seems high, it's still better than not having anything. One event can wipe out all savings.

**MissSeetonFan** · 09-01-2011, 10:37 AM

The few times I did desperately need a doctor but had no insurance, I found out all sorts of things.

Such as, doctors offices will often work with you (regardless of having insurance or not) on the payment of bills. No insurance, but can pay the office visit right off, you may get a discount of up to 20-25%. ASK!

Most of the doctors also gave free samples of medicines to last until they knew that a diagnosis was confirmed. I got free inhalers to see if it helped my breathing but he was nice enough NOT to DIAGNOSE me with asthma unless he knew for sure because if he did and then I got insurance, it would be a preexisting condition.

Doctors won't refuse to see you if you need a surgery or medical procedure without insurance. The hospital may require a down payment on it and then a payment plan worked out ahead of time. (This works with insurance too when it is an expensive treatment.)

I also had a doctor see me on the side. He said don't go to the front desk. Just be here at X time and the nurse will call you back. Thus, I avoided the office visit copay and he wrote off the actual procedure he did which was something to do with sticking probes into and onto my leg to listen to my muscles and see how my nerves reacted to stimulus. (This happened more than 15 years ago so I can't remember all the details.)

**Contrary Housewife** · 09-01-2011, 10:52 AM

Ok, I re-read your post and you can just ignore my comment above. I thought you were talking about auto insurance. That'll teach me to visit FV when it's late at night.

MissSeeton has the gist of it. You'll become a 'self pay' customer and there's a surprising number of them these days. Ask if there is a 'cash' discount for paying when you check out, sometimes it costs them less for you to pay straight up than it does to bill an ins co.

For long term prescriptions we went with canadadrugs.com. It's roughly half the cost of buying in the US without insurance, and the service was good. I had very few problems with customs.

Doctors can give samples, again something to ask for. And again something more and more people are taking advantage of so there's less to go around.

They can't legally refuse to treat you if you cannot pay, but they can delay you, shunt you off to other doctors or hospitals, and give you crappy treatment. I watched a friend of mine die slowly during two years of this kind of treatment.

Some hospitals have free or low cost clinics. Often the way those work is they tell you to show up at 8am and you get in line and a doctor will see you at some point during the day, first come first served. When I needed an MRI last year when we thought I had a brain tumor it took me two weeks of calling every morning at 8am sharp to get in.

**Josephhgoins** · 09-01-2011, 11:32 AM

I tell you what I did, when I moved. I got my own personal policy talored to ME!

I don't go to the DR. that often and didn't need much. For $140 a month I get 2 visits a year for $30.00 and then everything else I pay the standard and customary until I meet the $500 deductible then it is all 70/30.

It fits me perfectly.

I suggest you check and see what you can get it for. If you are in the older less healthy bunch where you work you may pay more, but if you are in the younger more heathly bunch, you will pay less for sure.

Good luck!

**craftypam** · 09-01-2011, 02:13 PM

I have never tried to have an ins policy tailored so I'm not quite sure how it works, but my suggestion is; if you cannot afford to get a standard policy, check to see if you can get something with $5000/10,000 deductible. Might sound awful to have to pay something like that, but I had a kidney transplant; it cost$111,000. $5000 or $10,000 could be paid over time; the $111,000 would haunt you the rest of your life!!

**Josephhgoins** · 09-01-2011, 04:48 PM

btw, mine pays 100% after we hit the $5,000 mark.

Just saying that a call to an agent and you may be able to save you some money and get a policy that better fits you.

The policy your work place has is designed to fit a great number of people. Mine had all sorts of extras (like mamograms) that I couldn't take advantage of.

**mommynurse** · 09-01-2011, 09:14 PM

I'm a Nurse Auditor in the business office of a large hospital system. Seeing the prices of procedures, etc is enough to make you cringe! We write off 75% of the bill for patient's who have no insurance, but that can still leave a HUGE amt of $. I would suggest a high deductible plan before going without. All it takes is one catastrophic event (serious car accident, massive heart attack resulting in open heart surgery) to lead to bankruptcy. I'd recommend checking ehealthinsurance.com to see what's available.

**Greebo** · 09-01-2011, 10:01 PM

oops wrong thread

**pinecone** · 09-01-2011, 11:20 PM

Oowl, I wish my premium was 200/wk. Right now it is over 900/month. DH and I for the year is about 18K and he will be going in to the next age bracket. Combine that with the raise in rates and we are looking at 22K and that is with a high deductible.
Craftypam and mommynurse, I hear you on the medical expenses, my mom spent 4 months in the hospital back in 1996 and it was scary back then. Dad was just in the hospital for 4 days in Jan. The costs haven't gone down any.
We have talked with our agent about different plans and companies but they all are frustratingly high.

Thanks all. (I started to "thank" everyone but with dial-up it took forever so I will just do it here).

piney

**NikoSan999** · 09-02-2011, 06:28 AM

We have private. We were notified in July that the August payment would be going up $180 bringing it to $1135 a month. We're a case of "insurance poor".

That's a $5000 deductible each, no co pay, no prescription, no dental, no vision. After the deductible is met out of pocket it is 100%. The prescriptions and doctor, hospital, etc ARE reduced as in example....a med that is $150 may be $120...a doctor visit that is $100 may be $75. I've had tests like MRI's done that were reduced $100's of $ as long as in the network.

This is also with a few things ruled out for each of us. They won't covers his Barretts ...pre-existing. Won't cover my high cholestrol...pre-existing. etc.

Can't search around cause we've had this policy for years. Since then I've got high blood pressure, he's got diabetes etc. They would be pre-existing also on a new policy whereas they aren't now. I've raised the deductible once and we discussed raising it again to the next level of $7500 but it dosen't lower the payment much at all.

He has I guess 1 year till Medicare ( if it's still there ) but even then without the supplement you're screwed, so even with dropping him off you just drop one to pick up another.

**lisaflex** · 09-02-2011, 09:17 PM

i am an insurance broker...i do NOT suggest ehealthins.com....the rates you see will be "street rates" which are truly misleading. find a reputable broker in your area and be honest and they will help you find the right insurance for you and your family that will work for your needs.

**sinopa27** · 09-03-2011, 01:14 AM

Do you have a community health center in your area?

**pinecone** · 09-04-2011, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by NikoSan999

We have private. We were notified in July that the August payment would be going up $180 bringing it to $1135 a month. We're a case of "insurance poor".

I've raised the deductible once and we discussed raising it again to the next level of $7500 but it dosen't lower the payment much at all.

I hear you about insurance poor and yes, it is frustrating that going to a 7.5K deductible doesn't budge the payment very much.

Sinopa27, there is a clinic but it is a 50-60 minute drive. There is a much closer one but it is for "female" issues.

piney