Skip the COBRA and go individual insurance right away?

[dex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye I'm assuming a 10%-15% premium increase every year so I want to start with the lowest premium. I submitted our application to the broker today. It's feels like turning in a final exam and waiting for my grade. I want an A, i.e. preferred rates!

Are you going with BCBS?

Here is a way to same some money - every year, when you get the new premium notice ask for a review - the increase has been lower for me. Also, look at the other plans available at that time; switching to another plan with slightly different options might save you more money. It is all very easy to do; if you didn't have any health problems.
I had a plan $203/mo. with 6 dr. office visits -$40. co-pay - broke my collar bone and used them all. Next year I went to a plan with 3 dr. office visits - $150/mo. no problem.

[Buckeye]

dex - We are submitting an application to American Community because we have to start with coverage in OH until the house sells. There will be no underwriting involved in our transfer to FL (hopeffully soon). $307 covers 2 of us (50/60) which seems pretty reasonable. We will definitely shop around as required.

[Martha]

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Originally Posted by Want2retire Reminds me of a sad story I heard on TV recently. (60 Minutes, maybe?) Anyway, a woman had insurance but when she developed breast cancer, she was dropped. The insurance company said that she hadn't revealed the fact that she was treated for acne years ago. Because she hadn't been forthcoming with her entire medical history, they had the excuse they needed to drop her, even though her acne had nothing to do with her breast cancer. So, despite paying her premium regularly (with no complaints from the insurance company about getting payments while she was healthy), when she developed cancer she had no insurance and couldn't afford the treatments for her cancer that might prolong or save her life. What a nightmare!

This "re-underwriting" when someone makes a large claim on health insurance seems to occur at least frequently enough that there is almost always a story like this out there. Most policies seem to at least require that the omission from the application be material, inotherwords, it at least would have been grounds to deny coverage in the first place. Hard to see materiality with acne.