Submitted as topic for discussion:
I am a (mostly) healthy, 46-yo man (retiree) who is a full time student at a state university in Florida.
My current health care is BCBSFL which is a guaranteed issue policy -- because I had some pre-existing conditions. I was fortunate, around 2003, to qualify under the HIPAA law (?) that a prior student health plan from another State was considered a "group" by BCBSFL. Because Florida is like many states, where if you've ever had a pimple on your behind, you have the dreaded "pre-existing condition" and individual health plans won't touch you.
I am assuming, but for discussion: as a student, I could enroll in the student plan at much lower rate, but roughly 1/10 the maximum coverage ($200K vs $2M.) (Also offered by BCBSFL, but I think this is incidental to the discssion).
Would this be worth doing? It seems to me the main considerations, given the slippery nature of health insurance, would be:
!. Will I be able to resume my "guranteed issue" (BCBSFL) insurance at a future date, such as when I am not a current student?
2. I currently have no serious health issues; is $200K vs. $2M of lifetime maximum a good gamble?
3. I am also eligible to reduce my 100% underwriting charge on my existing policy; so another option is to see if they'd cut my premium on my current (reasonably good) policy, if they will re-underwrite me or whatever the heck they call it.
I am a (mostly) healthy, 46-yo man (retiree) who is a full time student at a state university in Florida.
My current health care is BCBSFL which is a guaranteed issue policy -- because I had some pre-existing conditions. I was fortunate, around 2003, to qualify under the HIPAA law (?) that a prior student health plan from another State was considered a "group" by BCBSFL. Because Florida is like many states, where if you've ever had a pimple on your behind, you have the dreaded "pre-existing condition" and individual health plans won't touch you.
I am assuming, but for discussion: as a student, I could enroll in the student plan at much lower rate, but roughly 1/10 the maximum coverage ($200K vs $2M.) (Also offered by BCBSFL, but I think this is incidental to the discssion).
Would this be worth doing? It seems to me the main considerations, given the slippery nature of health insurance, would be:
!. Will I be able to resume my "guranteed issue" (BCBSFL) insurance at a future date, such as when I am not a current student?
2. I currently have no serious health issues; is $200K vs. $2M of lifetime maximum a good gamble?
3. I am also eligible to reduce my 100% underwriting charge on my existing policy; so another option is to see if they'd cut my premium on my current (reasonably good) policy, if they will re-underwrite me or whatever the heck they call it.