Private healthcare insurance questions

buellconvert

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2009
Location
Goldsboro, NC
I was hoping to get some valuable input from ya'll on this subject, my girlfriend needs to get health insurance and neither of us has any experience in this area. I am retired military and have my own so I've never had to look into this stuff before and she's never had to source her own. So if anyone has ever had to get your own insurance which way did you go and how has it been? It's confusing with HMO or PPO and all they other types, just looking for a little guidance from someone that's gone down this road. Thank you very much!
 
My wife is retired with state benefits and I am able to continue coverage through her retirement (hers is covered, we pay for mine). It’s over $500 and I shopped for anything cheaper and GEEZELOOEEZE! naw dawg there ain’t anything cheaper. I was shocked at what individual plans at 51 years old cost.

I’m no help I realize but prepare your bunghole 💩
 
And they won't take you, or make you jump thru way too many hoops, if you have "pre-existing conditions". BCBS denied me over high BP (that is well under control with meds).

I am on ACA. It sucks. I do have an HSA policy and like that aspect of it. It's great (and really cheap) if you don't have any/many issues. Everything -- meds, doc visits, etc -- is out of pocket until you hit a high deductible (except annual physical is covered). Deductible is around 7000 each for us.
 
buellconvert said:
I was hoping to get some valuable input from ya'll on this subject, my girlfriend needs to get health insurance and neither of us has any experience in this area. I am retired military and have my own so I've never had to look into this stuff before and she's never had to source her own. So if anyone has ever had to get your own insurance which way did you go and how has it been? It's confusing with HMO or PPO and all they other types, just looking for a little guidance from someone that's gone down this road. Thank you very much!
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Are your questions regarding "where ca we find the best deal?" or rather, "What the hell is the functional difference between a PPO and an HMO or and High Dectable HSA and all the other alphabet soup?"

I cannot help w/ the former. Regarding types, it sort of depend on what kind of managed care you prefer.
PPO - there's a broad network of docs, clinics etc that take the same insurance. You can go to any of them, may rewuire referral from your primary doc, may not. This is kind of nice if youfind you have an odd issue that requires "just the right guy"" or maybe there's a particular doc or specialist you want to see.
This is what we use bc my daughter has growth hormone issues and has required some specialists that are not close by.

HMO - all the services are provided by a much smaller group of docs that are under the same umbrella org. Kaiser is a famous one that started this. Its kinda cool bc literally all services may be in teh same building and they all know each other. BUT you're more limited to what that group can provide.

High Deductable - most affordably by the month but has the most out of pocket. Basically you pay cash until you hit some crazy high amount and then it starts to cover things. Often paired wit ha healthcare savings plan, which is basicaly just (yours) tax-free money set aside to pay for services.
 
kaiser715 said:
Nice thing about HSA is the tax-free advantage. Another place you can squirrel away funds that the tax-man doesn't get his cut. Contribution is 7200/year, and past a certain age there is a 1000 catch-up, for a total of 8200.

This article 'splains the savings advantages pretty well: Retirement Uses for Your Health Savings Account (HSA)
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I find it very frustrating and difficult to understand why HSA's are specifically tied to high deductable plans. E.g. you can't have an HSA if you have "normal" insurance. You can still incur a hella lot of medical expenses even with other plans. Why cut those folks off from the saving opportunity?

(ther answer is obviously "bc Uncle Same wants his money" but it seems an unfair catch. If you're goin gto provide the opportunity for 100% of expenses to be tax free for one sub group, why not all?)
 
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