Help!!! I am needeing to find a good, inexpensive, INDIVIDUAL lhealth insurance plan to cover my husband and son. I am covered at my job, but it is far too expensive to put us all on that plan, so they now have BCBS and it is $608 per month. My husband is laid off, and he is a full-time student, almost has his degree. We need a PPO with a prescription plan ( our 16 year old son is healthy, husband has medication-managed hypertension, healthy otherwise, is a non-smoker), with a resonable copay. I have searched plans, but I am overwhelmed and need some PERSONAL advice about plans you moms have that you reccomend. Once my husband is done w/school this Fall and finds his terrific job, I am sure he can switch to that most likely cheaper group plan. We just need a plan to get us through. They do not need to see a doctor very often. Anyone know of plans that might cost less than what we are paying now??? The $608 is a bit steep for us with our one-income household. Still we make too much for son to qualify for CHIP. Thanks friends!!!
Have you checked with the university he's attending? Usually you can get student health insurance coverage while a student. For example, if he's attending UTA, they offer student insurance through United Healthcare. Just go to the university's website to see if student insurance is offered and by whom.
Something you might consider is a short-term medical plan, especially if you think your husband will be working this fall. These plans do NOT cover individual doctor visits or prescriptions, BUT the savings in monthly premiums will more than make up for the out-of-pocket costs. My husband and daughter were on a plan through Assurant for around $150.00 per month. For us it was peace of mind so that if something major happened to either one of them, we knew they were covered. We simply paid for any medications and doctor visits they needed while they were covered under the plan. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
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Something you might consider is a short-term medical plan, especially if you think your husband will be working this fall. These plans do NOT cover individual doctor visits or prescriptions, BUT the savings in monthly premiums will more than make up for the out-of-pocket costs. My husband and daughter were on a plan through Assurant for around $150.00 per month. For us it was peace of mind so that if something major happened to either one of them, we knew they were covered. We simply paid for any medications and doctor visits they needed while they were covered under the plan. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
You could get hazard insurance with a high deductible. If you don't see the doctor regularly, usually those policies will cover only high expenses. For example- in any given year, you have a $3000+ deductible, and they cover 100% after that. So everything up to that deductible amount, you pay in full. Sounds like it would work for you, and they are generally cheaper.
Oh gads I don't know how to say this but there is no way you are going to get private insurance for less than that.
When you are realistically looking at private insurance the company cannot go lower than your ongoing out of pocket expenses (like if you had no insurance at all). Think of it this way, you opened a donut business. A donut cost .50 to make, if you sell it for .25 you cannot stay in business. An insurance company is no different. If your medical expenses are say $200 a month and there is a $200 a month risk you could need catastrophic care, then there is no way an insurance company can go lower than $400 though they wouldn't because they still have to pay their employees and other fixed expenses,
Call Al Boenker 1-800-THANKS-AL
insurance broker. They can run you through several companies to fiind a good price
and Larry Johnson CELL 214 ###-###-####
He's a Blue Cross/Blue Shield broker
Look closely at the copay thing. Most companies will only let you have 4 office visits per year and the premium to have the copay is so much higher, that in the long run, you end up paying for those visits anyway. Run the numbers both ways. Prescriptionplan too. If youget generics at Wal Mart, you maycome out better than getting a prescription plan, cost wise.
We have Aetna PPO. We have a high deductable with an HSA account. I've heard so many people HATE HSA's but in all honesty, I haven't had to pay out of pocket since we got it. Our account pays for it all and it's a lot cheaper. I think it's worth looking into.
I get insurance for myself and my daughter through the university I am attending. It's pricey (almost $1100 per quarter) but that cheaper than the $800 a month for insurance through hubby's work. You can also keep paying for insurance during the summer break when school is not in session.
Good luck.
