The Hunt for Health Insurance Part 1: Being uninsured sucks!
I had been a health writer for several years and now work for an Internet health company. Isn't it ironic that I've spent large chunks of that time uninsured!
I'm uninsured right now!
It's horrible. Perfect example: last week my knee was so swollen and achy that I had to miss work because I could hardly walk on it. I have no idea what caused it. My fiance was trying to get me to go to urgent care to have it looked at and I was like" And pay the doctor how? What if they need to do X-rays? What if I need my knee scoped? What if they want to prescribe medication?" You get the picture.
I'm sure he was annoyed with my price taggery, but big medical bills danced menacingly in my head. I mean, I paid an ER bill from last year a few months ago. I mean, come on.
So, I iced my knee (my guy was sweet and would wrap it up or take the cold pack off when I fell asleep), took generic ibuprofen for inflammation, skipped the gym and prayed. It seems to be back to normal now, but the jitters of wondering if I'd soon need medical care haven't worn off.
I'm no idiot. I'm not tempting fate and seeing how far I can get without insurance. So I did some work:
Oh well.
So I read some news articles on shopping for insurance and talked to my cousin who had run his own business and worked as a contractor, so he was well-versed in shopping for his own coverage (plus he has a wife and children, so it was even more crucial).
I've been to ehealthinsurance.com (which both a Washington Post article and my cousin recommended) and applied for two plans -- both with CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield. They've got low monthly premiums because the deductibles are high, but I think that will work for me because I rarely go to the doctor (even when I have health insurance I only go for annual physicals and when I'm super sick, otherwise I don't mess with them fools... always wanting to push some drugs on ya. I once had a doc write me a prescriptions for Tylenol. What?). I figure most of the money I'd be saving on one of these plans vs. COBRA I'll stick in my emergency fund so if and when that deductible has to be paid out, I can do it in cash and the plan can cover the rest.
Now... that means I actually have to save the money and not go buy shoes or something.
Do me a favor blogger fam: tell me about your coverage, how you acquired it and what plans you're working with. I'm curious how many people prefer HMO, PPO, High Deduc with HSA or what. And any other suggestions you have for searching out decent coverage, let me know. Thank you!
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2 Response to The Hunt for Health Insurance
Your mistake is trying to go it alone. You should find yourself a highly qualified agent that is versed in individual medical insurance in your state/area. If you have pre-existing conditions that cause a rider or premium increase, you might qualify now for the federal option (available with the passage of PPACA). If you would like help finding and agent, go to www.nahu.org or www.naifa.org. Each site has a "find an agent" link.
Health insurance is a complex animal. As an agent with 30+ years of experience, I know, for I too had to purchase my own coverage. Please do not try to navigate this process alone...
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