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Old 03-04-2011, 02:02 PM   #41
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I had indiv ins in NYC, for a short time some years ago, after COBRA ran out. (I had returned to grad school).

It cost as much each month as my apartment.

Today, I think, it would cost more!

ta,
mew
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Old 03-06-2011, 01:24 PM   #42
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I know a lot of people who say they never get sick and they can't afford health insurance... I'm not one of them. But recently I had a freak accident and lost a finger (I am not kidding, my right ring finger). My ring caught on something and is gone. So for anyone (not especially here) who says they don't get sick... that's not the only reason to have health ins.

I'm just glad there's a high risk (and high cost) pool for me to go into for the 16 months after I am off COBRA and before Medicare starts. I budgeted heavily for it, figuring I'd better consider the worst case scenario. I expect this finger thing - while not ongoing in a year - will toss me into high risk. I'll find out in 7 months - I have 10 months of COBRA left after March.

By the way, counting on your fingers (April, May, June...) is really hard when you have only 9! I am making light of a terrible experience... sigh. But I have to live with it.

Just call it: Nine Fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom. I do (substituting my name...)
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Old 03-06-2011, 06:15 PM   #43
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The "new" rules still allow insurance companies to rescind policies for intentional misrepresentations, they just make it harder for the insurance company to jump through the hoops to do it...
The hoops are apparently necessary given the bonuses linked to insurance employees for targeting customers with expensive illnesses.

Rescission Health Insurance - Blue Cross praised employees who dropped sick policyholders, lawmaker says - Los Angeles Times
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Old 03-06-2011, 07:52 PM   #44
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The hoops are apparently necessary given the bonuses linked to insurance employees for targeting customers with expensive illnesses.

Rescission Health Insurance - Blue Cross praised employees who dropped sick policyholders, lawmaker says - Los Angeles Times
There are two sides to every story:

WellPoint's Reuters Response -- INDIANAPOLIS, April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
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Old 03-06-2011, 08:15 PM   #45
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Interesting but after reading both the two links do not appear to be directly related. The first is about a house subcommittee investigation and the second is a rebuttal to a Reuters article that is not linked as best I can tell.

Goggle Assurant rescissions and you will find where the lost a few lawsuits over the practice cited in the first link. I am also sure the second link has some validity in that undoubtedly some applicants intrntionally lie on their apps. Its the fear of not remembering a doctors visit that is mst problematic to the process.

Why can they not pull our records and rate us on them without expecting us to fill out an application and remember every little detail? They could even site our records for a rate up or drop so that we could challenge the accuracy of the record if needed.
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Old 03-06-2011, 09:54 PM   #46
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Well...

I see plenty of heated discussions here about the whole Obama care. More then what I would have expected from an ER forum...

We waited ~60 years for some kind of health care reform. It's far from perfect, but, I can think of no group that would benefit more from the successful implementation of this bill then the members of this forum. Myself included.

Pre-existing exclusions are eliminated. Companies still compete with one another. 85% of premiums have to be paid out to doctors instead of insurance administration. Not that bad. I believe that this plan, if not repealed, will allow the DW and I to retire at the age of 56 in 3 years. It is my intent to found my own business, and, if successful, will allow some payback into the economy in terms of jobs, exports, etc. The business will be in UAVs.

So, I really hope it doesn't get repealed!!!!

- Stephen
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Old 03-06-2011, 10:53 PM   #47
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Interesting but after reading both the two links do not appear to be directly related. The first is about a house subcommittee investigation and the second is a rebuttal to a Reuters article that is not linked as best I can tell.

Goggle Assurant rescissions and you will find where the lost a few lawsuits over the practice cited in the first link. I am also sure the second link has some validity in that undoubtedly some applicants intrntionally lie on their apps. Its the fear of not remembering a doctors visit that is mst problematic to the process.

Why can they not pull our records and rate us on them without expecting us to fill out an application and remember every little detail? They could even site our records for a rate up or drop so that we could challenge the accuracy of the record if needed.
Wellpoint's response was all part of the same "story" that was referenced earlier in this thread. I know Assurant got in hot water and shelled out a ton of money on one case, but you are still talking about a very, very few people out of millions of insureds. I'm not trying to defend the actions of companies where they are clearly in the wrong like Assurant was, just pointing out that you shouldn't believe everything you read or hear without checking the facts first.

Out of all of the health insurance policies I've written and that my dad wrote before I got into the business, not one of them has ever been rescinded.
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Old 03-09-2011, 12:20 PM   #48
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NY has inadequate regulation? There's a laugh...NY has no competition and sky high prices because they have regulated the market to the point where nobody will buy anything. Health insurance in NY is guaranteed issue and a healthy person in their 20's pays the same rate as a 64 year old smoker with diabetes and heart problems. What kind of healthy young person would pay over $1000/month for health insurance? My brother is 26 and for him to buy an individual policy with limited coverage from an HMO (no PPO plans available) was $1100/month. Fat chance.

man I'm glad I live in MA under "Romneycare". Everyone must have health insurance is by law, no pre-existing conditions and as a 50 year old man I can get a $5000 deductible plan for $300/month and a no deductible everything covered one for $600/mth. Also the state is implementing ways to reduce costs.
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Old 03-09-2011, 12:24 PM   #49
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man I'm glad I live in MA under "Romneycare". Everyone must have health insurance is by law, no pre-existing conditions and as a 50 year old man I can get a $5000 deductible plan for $300/month and a no deductible everything covered one for $600/mth. Also the state is implementing ways to reduce costs.
And if you were a 35-year-old with a healthy family of four, you would be paying $1000-2000 per month for the same coverage you can get in other states for half the price. For every winner, there is a loser in that type of system. Costs go down for older people, costs go up for younger people. Younger people can't afford premiums or decide to pay penalty, only older, sicker population left in the pool, then premiums go up again. Can't have it both ways...

Also, a healthy 50 year old man can get a $3k deductible HSA policy here for $143/month with no pre-existing clause assuming they have prior coverage. Half the price for half the deductible compared to what you're paying...of course, if you have medical conditions, the rate would be higher.
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Old 03-09-2011, 02:23 PM   #50
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And if you were a 35-year-old with a healthy family of four, you would be paying $1000-2000 per month for the same coverage you can get in other states for half the price. For every winner, there is a loser in that type of system. Costs go down for older people, costs go up for younger people. Younger people can't afford premiums or decide to pay penalty, only older, sicker population left in the pool, then premiums go up again. Can't have it both ways...

Also, a healthy 50 year old man can get a $3k deductible HSA policy here for $143/month with no pre-existing clause assuming they have prior coverage. Half the price for half the deductible compared to what you're paying...of course, if you have medical conditions, the rate would be higher.
Yes MA is expensive for healthcare. However, the general opinion here is that its a good system. FYI I got something wrong in my post. My $300/month premium buys me a plan with a $2000 annual deductible and $5000 annual out of pocket max. For a family of 4 with 35 year old parents a $4000 deductilbe/$10000 out of pocket max costs $900/month, but you only pay that if your income is over $67k a year, below that the children are covered by MassHealth and the parents can get MA subsidized health insurance for a max of $150 a month.
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Old 03-09-2011, 06:11 PM   #51
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Yes MA is expensive for healthcare. However, the general opinion here is that its a good system. FYI I got something wrong in my post. My $300/month premium buys me a plan with a $2000 annual deductible and $5000 annual out of pocket max. For a family of 4 with 35 year old parents a $4000 deductilbe/$10000 out of pocket max costs $900/month, but you only pay that if your income is over $67k a year, below that the children are covered by MassHealth and the parents can get MA subsidized health insurance for a max of $150 a month.

Sign me up. I bet you do not have to worry abour being rescinded if you cost them too much or the many other clever tricks we deal with. It is a system I wish my state had.
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Old 03-10-2011, 10:24 AM   #52
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Just talked to my agent today. We submitted our application to UHC on 2/22/11 to him so he could look it over and fax it. TUrns out due to a clerical error on his part, the application wasn't submitted until 3/8/11. I sent him the name of a doctor that I forgot to include on 3/7. My guess is if I hadn't done that he wouldn't have even found out about it until much later.

This agent came highly recommended from a friend who has used him for the past 20 years. I am just amazed that he didn't make sure a fax went through and wasn't following our application. In the corporate world I worked in that was the number 1 thing we would do when sending a fax.

He said he expedited the application but couldn't tell us how long it would take. Anyone have a similar experience? I am hoping to avoid a huge increase in my COBRA premium when the gov subsidy expires.
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Old 03-10-2011, 02:43 PM   #53
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Just talked to my agent today. We submitted our application to UHC on 2/22/11 to him so he could look it over and fax it. TUrns out due to a clerical error on his part, the application wasn't submitted until 3/8/11. I sent him the name of a doctor that I forgot to include on 3/7. My guess is if I hadn't done that he wouldn't have even found out about it until much later.

This agent came highly recommended from a friend who has used him for the past 20 years. I am just amazed that he didn't make sure a fax went through and wasn't following our application. In the corporate world I worked in that was the number 1 thing we would do when sending a fax.

He said he expedited the application but couldn't tell us how long it would take. Anyone have a similar experience? I am hoping to avoid a huge increase in my COBRA premium when the gov subsidy expires.
Agents aren't working as hard when their comp is cut in half. He was probably making 24% commission before, now probably 10-14%. Could have just been a mistake, but I'm sure if he was getting paid 24% he'd have been right on top of it. Most of the health agents I know have packed their bags and moved on to other lines of insurance already.

FYI, online apps are the fastest way to get approved. I know some people prefer to send in a paper app, but it does take longer for them to process.
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Old 03-10-2011, 05:22 PM   #54
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I know a lot of people who say they never get sick and they can't afford health insurance... I'm not one of them. But recently I had a freak accident and lost a finger (I am not kidding, my right ring finger). My ring caught on something and is gone.
I am sorry for your injury. I always had a phobia about this kind of injury, I think from a story my Dad told me about one of his boyhood friends. So I refused to wear rings, even a wedding ring.

Ha
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Old 03-12-2011, 01:25 PM   #55
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I am sorry for your injury. I always had a phobia about this kind of injury, I think from a story my Dad told me about one of his boyhood friends. So I refused to wear rings, even a wedding ring.

Ha
Thanks, Ha - I just saw this. I wish I had thought about that possibility. It just happened 7 weeks ago and it's very stressful.
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