Health Insurance (1 Viewer)

[ikiru]

I am just wondering if anyone can recommend a good health insurance provider/plan for me. I am a contractor and I have to pay for my own. I dont have much experience in the matter and I would appreciate some good advice.
My mom mentioned www.unicare.com and their rates seem very reasonable.
I am male, going on 27, I dont smoke, and I might consider getting my wife on it as well (she is a teacher and her health insurance kinda sucks).
Thanks in advance!
-ikiru

 

[Chris Shelly]

Hello,
Try going to www.ehealthinsurance.com. They are really good and helpfull and have lots of plans to choose from.
I got laid off last September and I had some of the best insurance from my former employer. I got a new job making more $$ but the medical they offered was really bad so I decided to go on my own. ehealthinsurance is who I used.
Chris

 

[Dave Morton]

I am also a contractor and I go through Blue Cross/Blue Shield. They may be a little more than some of the other ones, but they cover everything. One issue with us was that because my wife had a c-section with our son, we needed a provider that would cover the costs of our next child, due in june. It really sucked because they looked at the c-section as a pre-existing condition. Insurance in general suck, but you have to have it. I agree to go with the cheapest but try to keep any type of extended circumstances in mind, if you have any.

 

[Deane Johnson]

With any policy, just be careful and read all the fine print about what is covered and what isn't. Policies are all different and you want to make sure you know what you're getting.

Things to watch out for:

Limits on a specific desease within the policy. I once saw a policy that had severe limits, like $375 for a masectomy (sp?).

Deductable and copay. A policy with a $5,000 deductable isn't very good unless you have access to that much cash if you have a large claim.

PPOs- Look at the doctor list. Some are just fine and some are very limited.

I would recommend comparing what you can get from a local agent vs. what you can get on the internet. I think State Farm agents may now sell Fortis, which is one of the more solid companies with good rates that goes through local agents.

Deane

 

[JohnRice]

First, I would at least consider going through a local, independent agent who represents many different companies, but still remember he may not be considering your best interests. You can always check up on quotes with the online sites. One thing to consider is that most policies available at a reasonable price have severely cut back coverage out of state. Many cover less than 50% of costs if you get sick or are injured out of state.

PPOs can be very good, but make sure they have an extensive network. In Colorado at least, Sloan's Lake includes virtually every doctor and hospital. The Sloan's Lake network is not an insurance company, but a network of doctors many different insurance companies use. Be aware that insurance companies have a tendency to cancel entire policies regularly, forcing you to find a new one and start over from scratch. I actually had policies with three different companies in less than two years, not by my choice.

My current insurance is through American Republic, who have strict acceptance policies, but seem to be stable.