I have finally been offered the job of my dreams... the one all my friends have always heard about! So I was all set today to tell my current FT job that I want to be PT so my PT job could become FT-- and I suddenly had that thought== what about health insurance? I can cover myself as a PT employee, but then my hubby won't get covered. So I called him and said-- If I take my dream job, you will get health insurance thru your job, right? and he said NO.

It's too expensive he says, and nothing I say has changed his mind. He still says I can take the job, but that means that my overweight, Pre-diabetic, sleep apnea husband will have no insurance. I can't fathom it. He needs insurance more than I do!! I need him to have insurance for my own peace of mind.

Tonight, I was shopping around online for independant health insurance rates, and catastrophic health insurance rates-- Turns out that those on ehealthinsurance.com are better than what his Job could give him! But I don't know if it's a scam or a steal---

So-- does anyone out there have independant or catastrophic insurance?
I need the job of my dreams!

I don't know if I can be much help or not, but the only time I got health insurance on my own I went through Blue Cross Blue Shield. It was great plan for a decent rate.

I would suggest calling your local insurance agent and they can usually check through multiple providers or they may have another option for you.

I wish I had some good news for you, but my insurance pretty much stinks! We had to go from group coverage to independant when we opened our own business at the begining of the year. My husband barely got any coverage at all - and when I say "barely" I mean it! He has to pay out of pocket for everything up to $3700 anually before the insurance company kicks in anything!! The only thing this coverage is good for is major medical problems. It doesn't even include dental or vision! We have 2 different companies covering our family because several wouldn't take him for ridiculous reasons (they're soooo petty)! So we now have these hideous deductables and copays. I hate insurance companies - they are the !!!! My sister worked for a major insurance company for several years and she even agrees w/me! I'm pretty sure you can get group coverage for companies w/2 or more employees but the premiums for small groups are sky high. They have to give coverage even for pre existing conditions if it's group but the cost can be financially crippling!!! Good luck - I hope you have more success than we did finding a good company. I want to send mine hate mail!!!!!!!

Did I mention I can't stand insurance companies!!!!!

I have a BCBS policy, and had to undergo medical underwriting because at the time I got the policy I was overweight. I did end up with the policy, but my son had a preexisting condition excluded.

I've been pleased with the coverage, but my premiums keep going up, and unfortunately I've hit an age threshold where my premium jumped significantly in addition to the "cost of business" raise.

I certainly understand your reluctance to let your husband go without insurance, I would never go without it willingly. One hospital visit/stay can bankrupt a family.

Could you offer to pay the difference in husbands premium out of your "account"? Would that work?

Good luck, I hope you resolve it so you can take your dream job!

We are self-insured too. The e-healthinsurance site is legit - but keep in mind that the rates they are showing are for someone in perfect health. I almost got denied coverage because I had a small skin cancer removed the year before (nothing major, but I was only 30) and I had somewhat high cholesterol. My rates increased by 50% from what was shown on the website.

We've had coverage with Aetna PPO for almost a year now, and our monthly premium has already increased by $50. Although, I still think we have a pretty good plan and pay $350 a month for a family of 4. We have $30 co-pays for office visits and $20 co-pay for prescriptions. We have to pay for everything else (labs, x-rays, etc) until we meet our deductible. But for my family, who is all healthy, it has worked out nicely.

But, we don't have dental or vision either. Although, I think you can include those with Aetna if you want.

Good luck! I know it is a difficult decision! Maybe you can work with a local agent to find you the best deal?

Have you checked out AFLAC? We have accident insurance thru them and I know they have several different plans.

We had insurance through my husband's work and we paid over 700$ a month for it because he worked for a small company (under 20 employees and several of them have major medical problems) Sooooo.... we had to pay for it. We've now got insurance through my company, and we only pay $60 a month. That's over $7000 a year savings

These insurance companies are ripping us off!!!! They charge more and more and more a year and then cover less and less and less.

Ok, that's my rant for the day


Barb

yeah, so many things to consider... hubby is over weight and was a lot heavier just a yer ago-- back then he was type 2 Diabetic. Now that he's lost all but 100 lbs, he does not think he's diabetic (roll your eyes here) and he won't go to the Dr. Combine that with his family history- and he's doomed.

I called our insurance guy-- the one we have the home and car insurance thru, and his plan had a HIGH deductable and was $120 a month just for him. I'm sstill exploring my options.

INCOMING SHAMELESS PLUG

My DH is a licensed insurance agent specializing in personal lines including health insurance. He is licensed in MD, PA, VA, WV, and DC. If anyone is interested in talking to him, PM me with your name and e-mail address and I'll put him in contact with you. He is registered with LOTS of different companies and can often find a good plan when others can't.

We had insurance through BCBS through my husband's work ... husband's work then decides they aren't able to participate in a corporate plan so we had to go on our own insurance. My husband is pre-diabetic, overweight (though loosing), and has sleep apnea as well. The best rate we could get was with BCBS, but they wouldn't put my husband on the same plan as me and the kids. Both were health savings account policies where we pay the 1st $3,000 with no assistance and after that, they start paying. For me and the kids it was $250/mo and for my husband they quoted $550/mo. After the first month, we got a rate increase letter for my husband ... closer to $800/mo ... and that all of his conditions are considered pre-existing and would never be covered! Needless to say, my husband starts his new job tomorrow and after 90 days we can get on the company plan again -- with group rating, I'm told the pre-existing won't be such an issue. All I know is it's got to be cheaper! It's a shame when your health insurance is more than your mortgage and you can't afford healthcare now if paying for insurance in case something happens later.

Go to ehealthinsurance. com. There are a number of different plans to choose from, from lots of different companies. Im sure you find them helpful.

To anyone who works in the medical field......

Some years ago, a friend's husband had a horrific accident and even tho' they had insurance, they had a TON of medical bills. When she starts calling to work with them on payment plans, she told me she was amazed at how many of them sounded like they were practically encouraging her to file bankruptcy on the bill!! She said, "It makes me wonder if they have some kind of insurance that covers them if someone files bankruptcy on them so they get paid anyway?"

I had never heard of this and it doesn't sound logical. Anyone have any idea?

That's just one of the reasons I pay for AFLAC insurance at work..... In case of major medical illness, It throws 10G my way to help-- not that it helps on a $50,000 tab with a hospital, but it would help me keep the house for a few more months!

I also saw a thing at work about PT insurance coverage, and I have to call them tomorrow AM.... it mentions PT insurance for employee +1--?????? When I was PT before, they didn't offer coverage for spouse-- maybe it has changed?? That would be friggin awesome! To give you an idea of why it shocks me for $$$ on insurance, I only pay $20 a week for both of us!! It's more expensive for PT but still!!

I unfortunately am one of the millions of people out there without health coverage. My dh has it through his workplace for free, but to add just me to his coverage his price each week would be over $200.00!! I would rather just go without and pray for the best .. while I was working I did have coverage and thank goodness I had it while I needed a LOT of expensive testing done .. as soon as I lost my job my health insurance went out the door as well and some of the tests that needed to get done had to get done without coverage and there were some hefty bills rollin through our mailbox each month .. not fun let me tell you that much ... we finally paid off all of my medical bills a few weeks ago but then came a regular doctors checkup and another $120.00 just for a stinkin five minute exam!!!!!!!!!!!! It's rough without coverage ....

We are self-insured through Assurant Health. We got through our insurance agent at State Farm. So far, so good.

OMG.... my job does offer to PT's that they can get insurance for their spouses.... It was the last place i thought to look! Info is coming, and if that;s the case, you won't be able to get that smile off my face!

I carried the health insurance with my job and when I was downsized, we lost that coverage. We can't afford to get it thru hubby's work because it would be over $600 a month.

At another job I had, I worked very closely with the CFO and that included working on our health benefits plan. I was sorely educated in that process .... we had ONE employee (out of over 500) that had ONE child with a severe (!) medical condition that caused everyone's medical insurance to go up.

Now our local paper is citing businesses that are going to not hire smokers due to medical costs. While I TOTALLY understand their mission to reduce costs as much as possible, I wonder when this will lap over to other things, such as they wont' hire people who ski (high accident rate and you can suffer permanent lifetime damage); people who ride motorcycles, people who skydive; people who eat candy bars and french fries, women who are still in child bearing age (wow, what a big medical expense THAT turns into!); people who have more than one child, etc etc.

As with most things, all it takes is one foot in the door before Big Brother is trying to regulate everything you do.

We all are striving for better health and lower medical costs, but as I said in my previous post:

.... it's not just the individual's health condition/habits that are the cause of high medical costs.

Please don't misunderstand ... I am not saying that smoking is good or that trying to make a profit and/or reduce costs is bad. It's a hard balancing act, and I know there is no easy answer for anyone. There's just more to it than the actual "medical" costs.

This thread is very informative.

I am lucky because I have my insurance through my hubby although I could get it through the hospital that I work at but it would be more expensive.
I just see so many people come into the hospital with so many health problems that could be avoided or lessened if they would just take better care of themselves. Diabetes is a disease that can cascase into so many other problems that people don't realize until it is too late. It can cause chf, neuropathies, amputations, kidney failure, poor circulation and many more things. We are gluttons and the more we have the more we want. Yes I understand that some diseases are not someones fault but many are the result of being overweight and unhealthy habits. We no longer get something for nothing like the old days. Everything has its price unfortunately. I wish all the luck to everyone looking for insurance and those that don't have it..

Oh...FYI....if you smoke...it makes you look TEN years older...causes wrinkles and changes the coloring of your skin....

(jumping off my soapbox)....

wOw.... what a sheltered world I live in!

I had no idea that health insurance was so expensive in the States - no wonder so many people don't have it. It makes me sick to my stomach to read this thread and see how all of you suffer so much due to the cost and insanity of insurance companies!

Jesh, I'm single with a good paying job and wouldn't be able to afford an extra $400 + a month for basic health insurance! How do you all do it!

Whose bright idea was it to make medicine a for-profit industry! But it would explain why my nursing friend can make so much money in the states (money they well well deserve!)

I live in Canada and we have public health care and my work has an extended health care that is paid for by them (I get taxed on it though - only on about $50 a month though) and am covered for pretty much everything. Yes we have wait times and all the baggage that come with it, but I'd rather have peace of mind I think.

So have you found out if PT covers a spouse yet Cakenicing4u?

I'd be so super excited for you if it did... then you get your dream job!