primitive broker health insurance; dysmenopausal Kansas schoolteacher to retire

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2811524

Oh my.

BlackVelvet04  (1000+ posts)       Sun Feb-03-08 01:28 PM
Original message
 
Some Health Insurance advice.....

I was paying $585 last year for my husband and myself with a $5,000 deductible per person. Last month I was advised it was going to $747 a month. No way could we afford that.

I called an insurance broker and he told me that it was the "pool" we had been thrown into that was making it so expensive.

He reworked our insurance, put my husband and I into different pools. My husband has a $1,000 deductible. I have a $3,500 deductible with well visits and prescriptions not subject to deductibles. The cost for both plans is
$360 a month.

BTW, the new plans are with the same company we had.

BlackVelvet04  (1000+ posts)       Sun Feb-03-08 01:40 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. He's a local independent broker......

I got his name from my homeowner insurance company. They don't have health coverage so they referred me to him. I think I love him.

I was seriously worried that we would have to become one of the millions who have no health insurance. I have 2 metal rods and 6 screws in my back and insurance companies don't like me.

My husband is a good bit older than I am and the broker also warned me that medicare supplemental insurance is a rip off. There is something called Medicare Advantage that you can have without cost and unless you have big ticket prescriptions or believe you will have a lot of hospital stays is more than adequate. The most a doctor's visit can cost with the Advantage plan is $30 and the most a hospital stay can cost is $600.

I really hope this information can help people who are being ripped off for health insurance.

Habibi  (1000+ posts)      Sun Feb-03-08 01:51 PM
Response to Original message
 
4. Interesting!

Are you and your husband self-employed?

BlackVelvet04  (1000+ posts)       Sun Feb-03-08 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #4
 
6. I'm unemployed and his employer doesn't provide health insurance because 95% or more of the employees are part-time.

Must be retail work.

proud2Blib  (1000+ posts)       Sun Feb-03-08 01:52 PM
Response to Original message
 
5. I am one of the lucky ones

My employer pays my premiums.

Alas, the dysmenopausal Kansas schoolteacher's employer is a school district, and the policy doesn't cover Lydia Pinkham's Special Vegetable Compound for Female Problems.

BlackVelvet04  (1000+ posts)       Sun Feb-03-08 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #5
 
7. I remember those good old days....

I used to work for the federal government and had great insurance.

proud2Blib  (1000+ posts)       Sun Feb-03-08 02:02 PM
Response to Reply #7
 
9. They are coming to an end for me. 

I am retiring soon.

Hmmm.  A 55-year-old being able to retire in this terrible Bush economy, the worst economy since construction of the London Bridge?

Now, can someone interpret what the primitive means, in the comment below?

knitter4democracy  (1000+ posts)      Sun Feb-03-08 01:59 PM
Response to Original message
 
8. Those health insurance guys know their stuff.

I talked with one when we were trying to hire our priest and needed some prices. He found some really good deals I didn't know about at all.

[Carl]

I have listened to many campfire conversations the primitives have had regarding healthcare and not once....ever have I heard a mention of the tort system,malpractice suits,who would pay......etc.

Strange that they think one can build a better car but not talk about the engine.