Medical Insurance

[MDS]

I am self-employed. My health insurance has always been covered by my wife, who works for a large healthcare related firm and has excellent coverage for the family.

I was wondering what I would do if something happened to her such as her losing her job, divorce, or heaven forbid... death.

I've made some attempts at looking into healthcare insurance for myself but with my heart valve surgery, and realizing that there will be a reoperation at some point, it seems terribly difficult to get coverage.

A funny story... I received an unsolicited telemarketing phone call from some company offering low cost healthcare insurance. When I said that I may be interested, the guy on the other end got a bit excited (I figure he got a lot of hang-ups!). After taking some info and learning that I had OHS, he hung up on ME... Isn't that a twist!

Has anyone else had to get their own insurance after their OHS?
If I had no insurance, does that mean that no hospital would treat me?

Mike

 

[catwoman]

Does your wife work for a large employer?
If she lost her job, there'd be COBRA, I think. I'm not familiar with it, though. Others here are.

If you're 50+, you can get coverage through AARP. United HealthCare is the carrier. I don't have any info on the policies.

With divorce, you could always stipulate that she would be required to carry you as a dependent on medical/health coverage. Of course, that would depend on your state's laws. (A co-worker has been required to extend coverage to his former wife.)

Death? How much life insurance does your wife carry?

I'm sure Ross will jump in here and tell you about whether hospitals must treat you if you are w/out insurance.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

The Main thing for you to remember is to NEVER let your insurance Lapse. IF your wife's coverage is ever terminated, be sure to sign up for COBRA A.S.A.P. COBRA will cover you for 18 months during which time you need to find another carrier who will cover you.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Karen]

Mike, the situation probably is different from state to state. But we have dealt with this issue in the past year.

My husband lost his job a year ago and went into some business efforts with his brother. His brother was insured through his wife, so wasn't interested in a "group" plan for the two brothers. In Utah, you have to be allowed to purchase group insurance, even if there are only two in the business.

I am a piano teacher, and so I have no insurance group to tap into. Our insurance broker (and 2 others that we've talked with) said that my husband and I could set up a "group" or small business for just our family -- until she learned of my heart issues.

We have been paying $911 for the past year for COBRA. That expires in January. At that time, unless my husband gets a job with a company that offers benefits, I will have to be insured by HIP/Utah, which is a state subsidized health insurance program. It will cost $550 to insure only me. When I turn 56 next May, it will go up to $650. We will have to buy insurance for my husband and 3 youngest sons in addition to that. To qualify for the state program, I have to exhaust the COBRA eligibility first.

It is, indeed, a ticky problem... I am tempted to let the insurance lapse and go to India for my heart surgery when it becomes necessary. Actually, I've discussed that option, but my sons have strongly vetoed that idea. And since having had gallbladder surgery and a total hysterectomy in the past 10 months, even at $911 a month, I've come out ahead. NOTHING in health care is inexpensive!

 

[Karen]

Does your wife work for a large employer?
If she lost her job, there'd be COBRA, I think. I'm not familiar with it, though. Others here are.

If you're 50+, you can get coverage through AARP. United HealthCare is the carrier. I don't have any info on the policies.

With divorce, you could always stipulate that she would be required to carry you as a dependent on medical/health coverage. Of course, that would depend on your state's laws. (A co-worker has been required to extend coverage to his former wife.)

Death? How much life insurance does your wife carry?

I'm sure Ross will jump in here and tell you about whether hospitals must treat you if you are w/out insurance.

Marsha, I know nothing about United Health Care except that it is the ONLY insurance that neither my PCP or cardiologist will take!

 

[joy]

that's why my husband and I opted to have him retire from the navy. He has 6 years left, and after that, I believe that the tricare is like 250 every 6 months or so. Not a bad price to pay when I have found out that in order to insure only ME, it would cost upwards of 1500 a month!

 

[MDS]

Thank you all for the responses. I really appreciate it!
I will check into this more. I have this fear of not having insurance, and being told that I cannot have an operation....

No insurance = Say Goodbye, if you get my drift.

Now if I would only hit the Mega Lotto, I'd have no worries!

Thanks!
Mike

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Normally I would say check into your state's high risk pool, but I did about 3 minutes of research, and as of 2006, it doesn't look like Pennsylvania has one. Talk to your state representatives and see where they are in forming one. The majority of states have them already. Texas has since 1998.

 

[AJ Golf]

Be careful of TRICARE

Be careful of TRICARE

that's why my husband and I opted to have him retire from the navy. He has 6 years left, and after that, I believe that the tricare is like 250 every 6 months or so. Not a bad price to pay when I have found out that in order to insure only ME, it would cost upwards of 1500 a month!

Joy,

I retired from the USAF in 2002 and at first took TRICARE Prime. Could never get an appointment at the base hospitals/clinics which are required to hold spots for TRICARE Prime patients. After 2 years of paying and not using, we stopped - because thankfully my 2 employers since then have had GREAT insurance coverage options. Both used United Healthcare and I have had no (knock on wood) problems. Being retired military, I qualify for what is now Tricare for Life - don't pay anything like with Tricare Prime, and just like Tricare Prime, it is Secondary insurance. My UHC plan is PPO and the Tricare (again, knock on wood) picks up what the plan doesn't. We'll see how it goes after surgery. Example: Took the wife to ER last month. Over $5000 in bills and my part was $0 - nada.

My other option, as a greater than 50-percent disabled vet, is the VA, but when we checked our options for my AVR, we went this route - because VA would bill insurance too in some cases. It's all very confusing

Yes, I do feel blessed ...