I love my HMO, but the only ones I've found so far require a minimum of two employees. A couple PPO's that sound good are Unicare HSA Compatible 3 and Unicare High Deductible HSA-Qualified.

I'd like to hear what others are using, and also from any agents willing to discuss this and/or help me set up a policy. I do have several pre-existing conditions which might affect switching to a new policy.

Feel free to email me if you wish, and thanks.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@comcast.net
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden D-12 9&9=-
-=Emmons D-12 push pull 9&9=-
Stereo Steel rig w/Boss GX-700
IVL SteelRider w/JV-1080

I'm self employeed (appraiser by day, farmer on the weekend, and musician at night) I have an individual plan with BlueCross (PPO), and my wife and son are now with BlueShield (PPO). BlueCross denied my wife for stupid reasons, and BlueShield denied me for stupid reasons. We tried to get all of us to BlueShield because the rates were a bit better and the plan was a little more flexable. I was on COBRA for a while after I graduated college and before I got married, that was EXPENSIVE!

Personally, I think most insurance is an out and out scam (health, car, home, mortgage, etc, etc). I've honestly just considered going cash, and maybe only carrying a limited policy for big emergencies.

I'm in the same boat except that I currently have no insurance and in need of a cervical fusion (my second) and I can't even go to the Dr. until sometime in Oct. when my wife's new group policy kicks in.

Good luck...

Don

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"When you come to a fork in the road, take it! ~ Yogi Berra

And we are both totally healthy with the preferred plus life insurance rate-so we are also paying for the treatment of folks who might have "somewhat self-destructive lifestyles" to boot...

This is the ONLY option open to me as a self employed musician. What a racket- I just hope all the gas siphoning I have to do doesn't give me mouth cancer!

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

[This message was edited by John McGann on 09 September 2004 at 01:34 PM.]

Do a Google search for Health Savings Accounts and you'll find lots of info. Might be a viable option for many of you as well.

Mike

[This message was edited by Miguel e Smith on 09 September 2004 at 03:21 PM.]

1. Try to get an individual plan. These are the plans whereby you can be turned down for medical issues. Usually they require you to fill out a medical questionaire to be approved. These plans give you the best coverage and the lowest rates. As Ben noted, the reasons for denial can seem trivial and stupid. This is the way insurance works in this country, for better or for worse. Healthy people get the best health insurance rates just like good drivers get the best auto insurance rates.

2. Because you have exhausted your COBRA, you are eligible for a HIPAA plan. These plans are not medically screened, so you will not be turned down. All insurance companies have them, but they are generally twice the cost of the regular plans. You have a window of 63 days after COBRA ends to exercise your HIPAA option.

Naturally, if you gain employment where they offer group health insurance, you cannot be turned down for that. Unfortunately a lot of folks contemplating retirement are forced to keep working just to keep the healthcare benefits.

I was confused when I started to apply for one of Unicare's policies and was confronted with having to supply complete details for all diseases, treatments, and surgeries for the last 10 years. I believe I would be denied for the pre-existing conditions I have.

I know it's not a simple matter, and you may well be right, but I paid only marginally-higher taxes back in Britain than I do here.

I've had a fair amount of medical care over the 55 years I lived there, and didn't pay anything over and above the standard deductions from my earnings that are taken to maintain the system. I've never paid for hospitalization or a doctor's visit (when I was younger, they used to come to your house if you were too sick to get to his office!) There's a small 'co-pay' for medication, but that's waived in a variety of circumstances, and always once you're past retirement age.

There are far too many vested interests to be served here in the USA for there to ever be any radical changes, and there's no doubt that the UK system creaks under the strain sometimes, but it all seems to have become a little skewed here. I was just indulging in some wishful thinking.....

Speaking of which, we're being indulged right here on the Steel Forum with this topic still being 'open'; there have to be boundaries, I know, but it's interesting to dicuss non-steel subjects with people who have become acquaintancies, and even friends....

RR

Doctors are the biggest culprits in our medical issues. It's all about the money. They over prescribe medications, jack you around in return visits, send you here and there to different doctors. I think they are in cohoots getting kickbacks for referrals to other doctors (specialist). If you have insurance or medicaide they'll really stick ya or should I say the insurance provider.

You ever had a wreck? Just go to a body shop and tell them you want an estimate, that you want a cash price. Then go to another body shop and tell them your filing this on your insurance and look at the difference in price!

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If you think health insurance is high now, wait until it's free. I wouldn't want the government to tell me which doctor I have to see and make a mess of the health care system like they have so many others. Let the goverment get into it and they'll have it so screwed up you'll wish you had it back the way it was.

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I suggest you ask your Doctor what he thinks of the current Healthcare System. I know mine thinks it's pathetic. A great number of talented medical professionals are either considering or actually moving to Canada where they have Nationalized Medicine. My doc says "At least their priority is caring for sick people which is why I got into this line!". One of my best friends is an RN and he just got his permit. He's headed for Canada this month. He feels that the American Healthcare System doesn't care about helping people. They're only interested in profits for politicians, drug companies, and insurance companies.

All I can say is it is a sad state of affairs.

Don

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"When you come to a fork in the road, take it! ~ Yogi Berra

[This message was edited by Don Joslin on 10 September 2004 at 05:53 AM.]

My doctor here in Naples is fiercely critical of the system - he's saddened at the thought that there are many low-to-middle income people who can't contemplate going to a doctor even when they know there's something seriously wrong with them.

I had the misfortune to develop pancreatitis in '01 while in Asheville, NC - I won't bore you with the details, but an eight-week stay in hospital, two operations and a myriad of MRIs and CT scans have left me with a six-figure debt that I'm trying to deal with, but probably won't live long enough to pay; that makes me part of the problem, I know, but it's the outrageous level that medical costs have been driven up to that is to blame.

I will qualify my praise of the socialized medicine in the UK by saying that you'll probably have to wait for care if your condition is not life-threatening. They get around to you in the end, though....

I broke a tooth last year and went to a dentist. He examined me (opened my mouth and took a look around), charged me for a consultancy, then referred me to an 'Oral Surgeon' to get it pulled.

That was immediately AFTER I refused his offer to crown the offending molar for $800.

The first dentist cost me $65, and the extraction was over $200....

('Extraction' was a good name for it!!! They're all a bunch of crooks in my view!)

RR

[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 10 September 2004 at 01:59 PM.]

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  ~ ~
  ©¿©  It don't mean a thang,   
  mm   if it ain't got that twang.
       www.ntsga.com

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Healthcare is very expensive. The biggest reason for that is that Americans are "sue-happy".

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Republican big-business-friendly clap-trap.

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The trouble I have with our government getting involved in anything is things like them paying $600 for a hammer and $1000 toilet seats.

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The government is so evil and stupid. B-o-ring. So what are we supposed to do, kill Medicare? Wanna see waste and corruption, try Enron.

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I visited a friend of mine at The VA hospital the last couple of days. He's been there almost two weeks and they've found out the infection they're trying to get under control was caused by them! He tells me they haven't mopped the floor one time since he's been there. There's some of the government run healthcare in action.

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