Best Rates on Individual Health Plans

[REWahoo]

Survey by eHealthinsurance shows Columbus, Ohio and many California locations have the lowest rates for individual health insurance.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...eid=mktw&dist=

According to the survey:

The top 10 cities for single men [age 30] to buy health insurance, based on the lowest quote for monthly premiums found among plans with $1,000 deductibles, according to eHealthInsurance:

1. Columbus, Ohio: $52.38
2. Mesa, Ariz.: $53.13
3. Tucson, Ariz.: $53.15
4. Long Beach, Calif.: $54
5. Omaha, Neb.: $54.62
6. Sacramento, Calif.: $56
7. Fresno, Calif.: $56
8. San Diego: $57
9. San Jose, Calif.: $58
10. San Francisco: $58

Top 10 cities for single women [age 30] to buy health insurance, based on the lowest quote found among plans with $1,000 deductible:

1. Long Beach, Calif.: $54
2. Sacramento: $56
3. Fresno: $56
4. San Diego: $57
5. San Jose: $58
6. San Francisco: $58
7. Oakland, Calif.: $58
8. Los Angeles: $63
9. Columbus: $63.86
10. Mesa: $64.77

The article notes that NY and Mass have mandated guaranteed issue, requiring insurers to offer coverage to anyone who applies, regardless of age or health. No cities from those two states are on the lists, of course.

REW

[BUM]

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

The article notes that NY and Mass have mandated guaranteed issue, requiring insurers to offer coverage to anyone who applies, regardless of age or health. No cities from those two states are on the lists, of course.

REW

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I hate this f**** s***! Yes NY does have a mandate . Insurers are required to offer you coverage but the premium is unregulated (read very, very high). NY is insurance hostile to the individual. DW and I kept the S corp open only to qualify as a group (of 2).

Thats enough coffee for me

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by BUM

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I hate this f**** s***!

Ooops. Sorry, BUM. Didn't mean to mess up your morning.

REW

[kat]

NY (and Massachusetts) use community rating, to share the cost of insuring sick people. It's made a lot of healthy people skip insurance altogether.

I don't know if it's gone anywhere yet, but the NY insurance commissioner asked companies to come up with catastrophic policies (to work with HSAs), but it would require statutory changes. I think something will change. Doing an internet search yesterday I found a large insurance co in NY offering a hospital only plan at $105 a month. I asked for info. Couldn't believe it.

[farmerEd]

Originally Posted by kat

NY (and Massachusetts) use community rating, to share the cost of insuring sick people.* It's made a lot of healthy people skip insurance altogether.

I don't know if it's gone anywhere yet, but the NY insurance commissioner asked companies to come up with catastrophic policies (to work with HSAs), but it would require statutory changes.* *I think something will change.* Doing an internet search yesterday I found a large insurance co in NY offering a hospital only plan at $105 a month.* I asked for info.* Couldn't believe it.

Seems the same is happending in Mass...Gov Romney wants companies to be able to offer cheaper, nofrills (hi-deductible) policies...something they cannot (by law) do now.

I can somewhat understand the (perverted) logic of the state legislature...if we allow companies to sell high-deductible policies, employers will dump all their employees onto those instead of the more comprehesive plans they have now...on the other hand, if you are like me, and would LIKE to have one of these policies, its quite frustrating that you can't buy one.

[MRGALT2U]

Originally Posted by BUM

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!* I hate this f**** s***!* *Yes NY does have a mandate . Insurers are required to offer you* coverage but the premium is unregulated (read very, very high). NY is insurance hostile to the individual. DW and I kept the* S corp open only to qualify as a group (of 2).

Thats enough coffee for me*

We could go that route also, but our corp. is based in Michigan and we live in
Illinois presently. Have considered moving our "group of 2" back to
Mich. Might yet if things got sufficiently problematic.

JG

[MJ]

One of the main reason I may move from NY to warmer points is the expensive insurance. Cobra which will kick in October will give me excellent medical/dental but expensive coverage. For 8 months, the monthly bite for a single will be $524 and the co-pay is still pretty high. Maybe during or after the 18 months period, we individual NYkers will have an option to purchase high ded insurance.

MJ

[GTM]

Originally Posted by kat

Doing an internet search yesterday I found a large insurance co in NY offering a hospital only plan at $105 a month.* I asked for info.* Couldn't believe it.

Kat
What company is that? Would you have their telepnone # and website?

[kat]

Go to GHI.com. They have several plans for groups, small business and individuals/family.

The "Alliance 365 day Hospital Only" plan is quarterly about $300 for individuals, varied a bit by region of the state.

At the website you can request copies of their plans, which I did, because I want to see it in print. I requested it a couple days ago. I know nothing about it. I researched health insurance through google, found a health insurance search site, and was directed to a higher cost plan at GHI. Then I snooped around the GHI site and found this cheaper, less coverage plan. We'll see!

kate

[maddythebeagle]

my employer will use unused leave balances to pay for the cost of health insurance so accruing leave is somewhat of good idea for us. After 20 years, they will match so much of your leave and after 25 years, match more. The idea is to help folks that retire bridge from their 50s to 65 and medicare.

It would be of great help if they offered a higher deductible plan for FIRE in your 40s, but as the previous posts mention, the fear is that everyone will get switched to the higher deduct. to save costs. I think that we are moving that way since I dont think the current system is sustainable (I think a lot is from low medicare/caid reinb. are being shifted to everyone else and will only get worse. I would prefer to be given a medical savings account for the small stuff that would roll over year-to-year and could save. Puts a burden on folks to save (since it is their money). Of course, I dont know how much of the problem is people really wasting but I sure as bells wouldnt go in every time I had a cough.

[preben]

www.goodhealthworldwide.com is my provider - you can go get an instant quote. Cheers!

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

Survey by eHealthinsurance shows Columbus, Ohio and many California locations have the lowest rates for individual health insurance.

Only thing is ... don't buy through ehealthinsurance.com - they'll charge you a premium.* Use their site to find a provider - once you decide on the insurer, go directly to them.

We're with Golden Rule in CT, at ages 44 and 45, we're paying $193 per month for $5,000 deductible, no doc visits and no prescription coverage.

[BUM]

Originally Posted by MRGALT2U

We could go that route also, but our corp. is based in Michigan and we live in
Illinois presently.* Have considered moving our "group of 2" back to
Mich.* Might yet if things got sufficiently problematic.

JG

Another strategy for all of us "groupers" is to join an association. This takes the "group of 2" to maybe 2000 and premiums decrease. I havent done it yet...still investigating.

[MRGALT2U]

Originally Posted by BUM

Another strategy for all of us "groupers" is to join an association. This takes the "group of 2" to maybe 2000 and premiums decrease.* I havent done it yet...still investigating.

Yep, the association idea is good for "groupers" too. My corp. belonged to an
association of manufacturers in Michigan with very good health coverage,
but the "employees" covered had to be Michigan residents. They would
cover you in other states but you had to reside in Michigan.

JG

[maddythebeagle]

I was wondering on this. I got a quote from blue cross blue shield with a ppo. For a guy in his 40s in my county in Wisconsin it is only 80 bucks a month for a 5000 deductible.