How long have you ever gone without health insurance?

[montessori]

The health care system in this country is in terrible shape.
I think I would be better off (here in South Florida anyway) if I was an illegal immigrant.
I'm not so I pay $600 per month for coverage for me and my daughter.
The insurance companies are always changing hands, or the doctors drop the plan. We're always having to find a new primary doctor. It takes months to get an appointment. The doctors don't know you from Adam and they don't have time to even try.

It is a vicious circle between the doctors and the insurance companies. I know it's a complicated issue but you would think that this great country of ours could figure out a way to offer affordable, quality health care to it's citizens.

I was seeing a dermatologist to have some warts frozen off my hands.
There were 12 of them! Most were really tiny though.
Each visit took about 2 minutes, yes, TWO minutes.
After 5 visits, I was told I had to go see my primary to get a referral. At the time, we had to choose a new primary and I couldn't get an appointment for 6 weeks.
I asked the dermatologist's receptionist how much it would cost me to pay for the 2 minute zapping myself.
She said $80 PER WART!
That doctor was charging the insurance company $960 for each of those 2 minute visits?? And they were paying that?
I still have some of the warts.

I know there are worse stories than that.

I have spent close to $100,000 of my own money for insurance over the past 13 years.
Some people pay more and some people get their money's worth from it.
I thank God we are healthy and have used it for routine exams and to get some warts partially removed.
I feel better having insurance than NOT having it, but it's been a struggle to pay for it at times.
The poor and the elderly (and many middle class citizens too) can not afford the health care they need. In the richest country in the world!
It's just not right.

 

[cgcw]

We went for 1 week without insurance when DH was changing jobs. It was a long week -- we sweated it out hoping that nothing happened.

When I was 7 months pregnant with DS3, DH lost his job. Although he was out of work for 3 months, we took out the COBRA insurance and paid that religiously (right after the mortgage and groceries). It cost us a lot of money -- which his unemployment benefits did not cover. Fortunately, we had savings in the bank to help us through the 5 months he was out of work. Even having the COBRA, I worried about the delivery being covered and any possible complications. It was scary. I don't know what we would have done if we couldn't afford to pay it. I hope to never be in that position.

 

[luvdzny]

Not a day!!! DS turns 19 today and since he is not a student he is no longer covered under our policy. His insurance from his employer starts in 3 weeks but he has a short term policy to cover the gap. It is not that expensive. $125.00 for the first month and $100.00 if he needed it after that. He could have gotten it cheaper but we chose the best coverage with only a $250 deductible. He is a BMX biker and has had more broken bones & stitches than I care to count. It just wasn't worth the risk to have him go without. He applied for it online, and it was very easy.

 

[minniecarousel]

luvdzny - do you have a link for that insurance?

Our older DS graduates at the end of the month - so he will be off of our insurance. We'll COBRA him for the summer, but not sure what he'll do after that. He may go to grad school, but not 'til August 2004. Not sure what he'll be able to get (I'm betting that that is one expense we'll pick up - I can't stand to have him w/o insurance. His finger trauma in Dec billed the insurance $12,000!!)

 

[luvdzny]

Minneicarousel - You can try this link, that is what I used. It has short term options and student options. I know what you mean about having no insurance coverage at all. All it takes is 1 accident or illness and the bills really add up! Good luck.

http://www.etdbw.com/fh/fortishealth/about_fh.jsp

 

[tiggerlover]

I've always had coverage.

 

[Arielle22]

Be sure if you are applying for Cobra that you do it within the time limit. At my company one employee waited until 5 months after his son's bday to ask for Cobra. That was too late and the son had to get his own insurance.

Also if you have both hmo and dental insurance, check the age cutoff for each. Our hmo cutoff is 24 but the dental cutoff is 23.

 

[catsrule]

never, i've always had it.

 

[MayMom]

We have been without insurance for 8 months for my three year old son and my husband. DH job as a teacher does not have an insurance provider, and while my job (teaching) has a mediocre policy for myself it would have still cost us an additional $640.00 each month for them to be added to the policy. We did this for 3 months, but simply could NOT afford it! We have 2 car pments ($600.00), student loans ($400.00), babysitting ($400.00), mortgage ($800.00) and utility bills($500.00). This isn't counting groceries, etc. IMHO - I think more people will be forced to give up insurance in the future - just to survive. We must do something in this country!!
I will be taking a new job in August which includes medical and dental coverage for my family. Please say a prayer that we will have a healthy summer and make it until Aug. 16th!!! Thanks!

 

[BrerMom]

Never, and I am thankful that we've always been able to afford it.

I think it's ironic that I pay almost three times as much out of pocket for dental than for medical for our family of five, especially since we are covered with primary AND secondary dental coverage but no secondary health insurance.

 

[thinkerbell]

I have never gone without insurance. Just the thoughts of it gives me cold chills. My daughter is in the same situation, well, almost. She graduates from college next Sat. and her insurance runs out on that day. I went to State Farm, where we have all of our other insurance, and they found a policy by a company named FORTIS. The deductible is $500 and then the policy pays 80% after that. It only costs about $55/month. I definitely don't mind paying that to give myself peace of mind. I know the agent did the paperwork on-line. I'm not sure if you could find their website and do it yourself or if you have to have an insurance agent to do it. Good Luck.

 

[minnie56]

But...I live in Canada.
I can't imagine it not being there....

 

[montessori]

Originally posted by thinkerbell
I have never gone without insurance. Just the thoughts of it gives me cold chills. My daughter is in the same situation, well, almost. She graduates from college next Sat. and her insurance runs out on that day. I went to State Farm, where we have all of our other insurance, and they found a policy by a company named FORTIS. The deductible is $500 and then the policy pays 80% after that. It only costs about $55/month. I definitely don't mind paying that to give myself peace of mind. I know the agent did the paperwork on-line. I'm not sure if you could find their website and do it yourself or if you have to have an insurance agent to do it. Good Luck.

I'll certainly look into that!
$55 a month for health insurance? I wouldn't mind paying that either!
It's the $600 per month that hurts. Actually, about $300 for each of us.
We also have all of our other insurance through State Farm.
I'll give them a call but I can't help but be skeptical that there is a decent health insurance policy out there for $55 a month.
I do appreciate the information and I will certainly check it out.
Thanks.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The Fortis link is on luvdzny's post on page 2. Those numbers sound right on. Health insurance is zip code rated and I would imagine SC is less expensive than south FL, and that is less than Chicago. I would have posted the same link, but with my profession, really should not. An individaul policy, for a young person, is not all that terribly expensive. I have just put Vince on a $1,000 deductible Blue Cross here for $80 per month.

 

[Kitty 34]

Dan do you work in insurance??? You certainly are a wealth of information......much appreciated I might add!!

 

[dclwdwlover]

For me - 8 years and counting
For my husb. - 4 yrs. & counting

We fall in that middle range where we make too much to get any help that's affordable & not even close enough to afford it.

The woman I work with - who is NOT a WDW or DCL fan in any way - thinks my husb. & I are absolutely ridiculous for spending $ on a Disney vacation every other year & not paying for health ins.
I explain to her that we save FOR 2 YEARS each vacation to be able to afford it & if we miss a week or two (or 4) during slow weeks (my husb. is a builder) then we just make up for it when we can.
Health insur. does NOT work that way. You miss a payment & your ins. is dropped. They won't let you be late too many times either. Also, to pay $500. - $700. per month is way out of our range when we only save $200.- $300. per month for a trip.
WE feel it's worth it. Can't take it with you!!!
Our thinking is: If we fall very sick we'll stick the bill on a charge card & pay it off as we can. That's why we pray!!!

 

[ByTheSea]

I've always been covered except for one 60 day period after I fell off my parents policy and before I was covered on my own... Although I think my Dad may have paid for a $1000 deductable on me for that time because he was freaking that I would go without coverage.... (this was maybe 20 years ago)

We have a "friend" - actually the parent of my child's best friend who has no insurance.

This is someone who just a few years ago got seriously ill, racked up huge hospital bills (was between jobs when he got sick and didn't have insurance) - he told us he paid about $10,000 himself then decided to declare bankrupcy and start fresh.

He now had an existing condition that could cause another hospitalization.. and he must take expensive med's to maintain...

He recently completed some schooling and got a job as an LPN - and he could have had insurance for himself for $20 or $30 a month, but he waived it! The policy had no pre-existing condition clause, full coverage, but he figures he can just continue to go to "County" Medical Center for his prescriptions and medical care, they don't turn anyone away, and they know him there.

And that just URKS me - so when I get another 10% or higher increase in MY premiums I know it's partially because of people like him who don't feel like paying $30 a month and then having to pay a $11.00 prescription drug co-pay when he can "get it for free" - Free for him, not for the rest of us.

sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Are you sure he can't stay on your insurance as long as he is in school? Our insurance would let a student stay on insurance as long as they are in school until they reach age 25.

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
Are you sure he can't stay on your insurance as long as he is in school? Our insurance would let a student stay on insurance as long as they are in school until they reach age 25.

Diane, I was hoping it would be that way especially since he hasn't graduated yet and has been a full time student all along.

 

[PamOKW]

My biggest fear is not having my insurance. I will cut back on other items to keep paying my premium. It's not the cost of a doctor's visit or a perscription you are weighing the odds against. It's something catastrophic happening. If you are in a car accident tomorrow I don't think your credit cards will pay the bill. Foreclosure on your home probably will.