Comments on: Response to Self Employed and Going It Alone http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/ Health Insurance Book Author on Buying Health Insurance and Health Insurance Ripoffs Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:40:25 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Colorado Health Insurance Insider » HSAs Featured on the Cav http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Colorado Health Insurance Insider » HSAs Featured on the Cav Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:19:18 +0000 http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/#comment-70 [...] and author of “Get a Good Deal on Your Health Insurance Without Getting Ripped Off” responds to the author of a newspaper article in PA.  This situation is much different in Colorado, but the advice is still much the [...] [...] and author of “Get a Good Deal on Your Health Insurance Without Getting Ripped Off” responds to the author of a newspaper article in PA.  This situation is much different in Colorado, but the advice is still much the [...]

]]> By: Two Specific Areas for Improvement in U.S. Health Insurance http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Two Specific Areas for Improvement in U.S. Health Insurance Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:38:27 +0000 http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/#comment-68 [...] of proposals, they may overlook the specific problems faced by real people in the U.S. today. In a comment on Response to Self Employed and Going It Alone, Steve makes two excellent points that we should all know about and make part of our agenda for [...] [...] of proposals, they may overlook the specific problems faced by real people in the U.S. today. In a comment on Response to Self Employed and Going It Alone, Steve makes two excellent points that we should all know about and make part of our agenda for [...]

]]> By: Steve http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Steve Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:10:31 +0000 http://www.besthealthinsurancebook.com/blog/2008/01/08/response-to-self-employed-and-going-it-alone/#comment-67 I used to think this way about health insurance. Then reality hit. I have always been responsible and had health insurance even when I was young, and even when I had to get an individual policy. At the age of 45 I left my job that had coverage to be self employed. I remained on their plan through COBRA. During a routine blood test while increasing my life insurance, I discovered I had Hepatitis C. As the date of COBRA expiration neared, I applied for an individual policy, and, of course was turned down. Fortunately, our state has a mandated high risk pool reinsurance plan. This plan is not cheap, and has really crummy coverage. It's like a bad catastophic policy, but better than nothing (I think...it's debatable). So, after years and years of paying for health insurance while I was healthy, and almost never even made a claim, now that I finally get sick, I'm quickly cast overboard. I took the grueling 12 month treatment for HepC, and because my insurance now is not that great, it cost me around $18,000 out of pocket. Unfortunately it didn't work. New drugs are coming out, but I can't afford to treat again, so I will likely wait for 15 years until I get on Medicare, and hope I'm okay that long. I've always lived a clean life, no drugs, very little alcohol (and now no alcohol at all), so it's possible I'll be ok until then. To top off my wonderful experience with the health care industry, we discovered that it's likely I was born with Hep C which I got from my mother, a registered nurse, who most likely caught it from an accidental needle stick. So when you're young and healthy, it may seem great to get lower premiums by excluding the sick from your risk pool. But you may end up screwed just the same when it's your turn to get sick, and all the gold stars you earned for being a responsible consumer earn you nothing. I used to think this way about health insurance. Then reality hit.

I have always been responsible and had health insurance even when I was young, and even when I had to get an individual policy. At the age of 45 I left my job that had coverage to be self employed. I remained on their plan through COBRA. During a routine blood test while increasing my life insurance, I discovered I had Hepatitis C. As the date of COBRA expiration neared, I applied for an individual policy, and, of course was turned down. Fortunately, our state has a mandated high risk pool reinsurance plan. This plan is not cheap, and has really crummy coverage. It’s like a bad catastophic policy, but better than nothing (I think…it’s debatable). So, after years and years of paying for health insurance while I was healthy, and almost never even made a claim, now that I finally get sick, I’m quickly cast overboard.
I took the grueling 12 month treatment for HepC, and because my insurance now is not that great, it cost me around $18,000 out of pocket. Unfortunately it didn’t work. New drugs are coming out, but I can’t afford to treat again, so I will likely wait for 15 years until I get on Medicare, and hope I’m okay that long. I’ve always lived a clean life, no drugs, very little alcohol (and now no alcohol at all), so it’s possible I’ll be ok until then. To top off my wonderful experience with the health care industry, we discovered that it’s likely I was born with Hep C which I got from my mother, a registered nurse, who most likely caught it from an accidental needle stick.
So when you’re young and healthy, it may seem great to get lower premiums by excluding the sick from your risk pool. But you may end up screwed just the same when it’s your turn to get sick, and all the gold stars you earned for being a responsible consumer earn you nothing.

]]>