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emilybh, while I still plan to take your fact sheet to a lawyer for advice before I do anything as drastic as move to a new state (and thanks for posting it)--let me try to understand. After my cobra runs out, Insurers must sell me a policy. But say I have a serious illness, say cancer--yes, the new company must take me, but are they allowed to charge me 10,000 per month because I have cancer (for eg)?
Well yes but the premium wouldn't be THAT much. Again it depends on the state but probably no more than 1.5 to 3 times the standard rate. If you are in a state with a high risk pool, after seeing what guaranteed issue rate a private insurer would offer I'd look at what the high risk pool has to offer which would probably be a much lower rate for comparable coverage. If you live in a state without a risk pool, the insurer of last resort would be where you'd go.
Karen - You can save yourself the attorney's fees and simply look up the Individual Health Insurance Guaranteed Issue Laws in your state. Or just tell me what state it is and I'll find it and send you the link.
NCYank - There isn't any pre-existing condition waiting period on individual health insurance if it is a guaranteed issue policy. The coverage for pre-ex conditions starts on DAY 1 of the effective date of the new individual policy. If someone is not eligible for guaranteed issue, that is another story entirely. Then there can be a waiting period.
Karen - You can save yourself the attorney's fees and simply look up the Individual Health Insurance Guaranteed Issue Laws in your state. Or just tell me what state it is and I'll find it and send you the link.
NCYank - There isn't any pre-existing condition waiting period on individual health insurance if it is a guaranteed issue policy. The coverage for pre-ex conditions starts on DAY 1 of the effective date of the new individual policy. If someone is not eligible for guaranteed issue, that is another story entirely. Then there can be a waiting period.
The exchange you all are having is, I feel, illustrative of the basic problem. Karen is concerned for the prospects of having coverage in times of extreme need for that coverage. Emilybh is trying to help alleviate some of that angst. It may be that Karen can afford to take the options available. How many cannot? The problem we see in our country, is very much similar to this exchange. The facts are, that people generally cannot feel confident their future needs for health care will be able to be met. It's a growing anxiety which is enveloping more and more people. Fewer and fewer will even be able to take the options that may be available. At some point in time, this Nation will have to come to grips with the problem.
Regarding this comment of your:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen59 Yeah, this annoys me. The laws are complex, and I don't understand them; I bet you don't either. I am here trying to understand them, then I will do what is reasonable to protect myself.
That's precisely why I referenced what I called "standardization" to be a federal initiative. Some federal law is needed to mandate equal protection under the law for insureds. That would be the way to accomplish it. States could then fine tune that by state law, but the basic protection would be afforded to all.
I would also suggest that "here" is not the right place to understand them (the laws). That's what you have a local congressperson's office for and with the system as muddled as it is now, going there would appear to be the best option to obtain authoritative and reliable answers.
Regarding this comment of your:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen59 Yeah, this annoys me. The laws are complex, and I don't understand them; I bet you don't either. I am here trying to understand them, then I will do what is reasonable to protect myself.
That's precisely why I referenced what I called "standardization" to be a federal initiative. Some federal law is needed to mandate equal protection under the law for insureds. That would be the way to accomplish it. States could then fine tune that by state law, but the basic protection would be afforded to all.
I would also suggest that "here" is not the right place to understand them (the laws). That's what you have a local congressperson's office for and with the system as muddled as it is now, going there would appear to be the best option to obtain authoritative and reliable answers.
doctor hugo--I really think I am much more uninformed than I ever thought. At least I am curing that now.
what's going on with me is--for years, I thought I was protected, and never worried, because I have health insurance through work, and I've been putting money aside for health insurance if I lose my job or can't find employment in my fifties, for example.
But in the last year, I've reading nothing but scare stories about how people just like me, who did everything right, can't buy health insurance, though no fault of their own, because our system is broken. And these people--people just like me!--are left with serious illnesses and no health insurance. I was very concerned, because I knew nothing of this before last year. Thank god, we were going to have reform! I thought.
I think its possible the Obama administration wanted people like me, who have health insurance through work, and do have savings, to feel they were very vulnerable. (I read the Obama web page with all the horror stories. and I got constant emails from his administration containing personal stories of people who 'fell through the cracks' though they did everything right!) Also, the New York Times made me feel scared.
Now I don't know--maybe they were just trying to scare me. I feel a bit foolish and duped. Maybe , however, there is cause for concern.
Your idea about my congressman is a good one. I may be annoying to everyone here but selfishly, I feel better that I am starting to learn something--so I could say I am sorry, but I'm not really, because I feel empowered to be educated. (i am sorry for what I said to katiana)
And belive me, when you start to read health insurance and government web pages, which I have been doing, or call agents--you just get more confused! So , yes, a simplification of the sytem is needed.
Last edited by Karen59; 01-25-2010 at 04:27 PM..
Reason: spelling
The exchange you all are having is, I feel, illustrative of the basic problem. Karen is concerned for the prospects of having coverage in times of extreme need for that coverage. Emilybh is trying to help alleviate some of that angst. It may be that Karen can afford to take the options available. How many cannot? The problem we see in our country, is very much similar to this exchange. The facts are, that people generally cannot feel confident their future needs for health care will be able to be met. It's a growing anxiety which is enveloping more and more people. Fewer and fewer will even be able to take the options that may be available. At some point in time, this Nation will have to come to grips with the problem.
It's possible that I am concerned about nothing. See my reply to doctor hugo.
Now, what about people that don't have money to buy insurance? Families with children who don't have the means to buy insurance and go without basic health care because we don't provide the kinds of jobs that families need? Should I be concerned about them? Yes. I will pay my tax dollars to see they are covered. But--I wanted to make sure I am covered, first and foremost, because before I can help others, I have to be okay myself.
It might have been a little wrong of some people (by this I mean the NYT or the White House) to give people like me the idea that everyone is so vulnerable and we can lose our insurance at any moment. I was seriously under the imnpression that if I lost my job and my cobra ran out--that was it! No insurance for you! Even in the middle of cancer treatment. Hand over your life savings and even then , we won't treat you. But this doesn't seem to be the case.
If the idea was all along to have a society where all are covered--let's just say so. I'll support that. I really will.
Edit: I just want to add that I don't have a huge amount of money. If I were rich, or had a great job, that would be different. But I've put a side a little every month for years (and I work every Saturday) to prepare for when I get older. It is easier for me to do this, because I don't have kids. Those who have kids--that's a different story; it's harder and I am willing to help them. It's always been a horror to me that I might be a burden; that's why I save.
Missing from every thread or discussion on healthcare is the concept of supply and demand. Why? In America today a big house, shiny new car, or snazzy phone is more important than healthcare. People will spend six times their income for a house, with payments at fifty percent of net pay, and then complain that the doctor is too expensive.
Supply and demand will prevail if market forces are left alone. The crys of "in ten years nobody will be able to afford insurance" or bogus. Doctors will still go to work, people will still see them. The entire industry will not dissapear. Seems pretty basic to me.
Reminds me of the old "in ten years nobody will be able to afford a car" garbage we heard in the 80's. Cars are cheaper than ever now.
Well yes but the premium wouldn't be THAT much. Again it depends on the state but probably no more than 1.5 to 3 times the standard rate. If you are in a state with a high risk pool, after seeing what guaranteed issue rate a private insurer would offer I'd look at what the high risk pool has to offer which would probably be a much lower rate for comparable coverage. If you live in a state without a risk pool, the insurer of last resort would be where you'd go.
3X the standard rate is a lot, so I think I might look for alternatives, like the UnitedHealth Continuity product.
I'm into my 70s now and if there is one thing I've learned it's that life is all about ATTITUDE If you do not have a POSITIVE ATTITUDE you and your health will suffer. When you get a health issue to deal with your mind will have your body following it's negativity and things will get worse, not better. I'm a big believer in the mind-body connection. I've overcome four serious health challenges and now I'm working on knocking out some stage 3B aggressive lymphatic cancer as #5. Success is a foregone conclusion for me and was NEVER in doubt! No biggie and I mean that! I'm no hero. I am a pragmatic realist though. Just never flinched, got about educating myself (GOD bless the advent of the computer) and got about dealing with it. Easy? Nope, but you do what you must do. I tell people in the medical field who don't understand me that I went into this tunnel with a smile on my face and a positive attitude and I'm coming out the far end the same way. My VA oncologist told me he has 38 patients with cancer, 20 of the stage 3 and 4 kind and only three people in the aggressive stages are doing well and have been able to deal with the toxicity side-effects, which truly can be brutal. The other two are in their 30s and 40s respectively and I'm the third guy, the oldest and doing the best. He says he doesn't understand it. Of course I told him about attitude and he just smiled at me. He's too young to GET IT!
Start looking at the clear blue skies kid-do..., not all the dark clouds. You do the best you can and the rest is out of your hands, insurance notwithstanding. Keep the Faith and breathe in some healthy self-confidence and you'll be on the uphill road.
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Karen59
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