Health Insurance options for Self Employed-- anyone know the deal with Consumer Choice Health Plan? (2013, credit)

[trecnocin]

All insurance is a scam.

I've been proudly self-paying without insurance for about 15 years now. If I need to go to the doctors I always call, then negotiate pricing. Most office visits are less than many people's co-pay. A typical visit costs between $90-$200. It blows my mind when people pay $300+ each month for coverage they can't use.

A few ER visits have been under $1,500 each, usually negotiated down an other 25% if I pay them cash. I don't like to live in fear of "what if". I'll deal with that when it happens. And have some savings that can cover most issues.

I have been on the lookout for a high-deductible, emergency-only type coverage- at a reasonable price (under $100 month). But in South Carolina I've found nothing.

I also am self-employed. I look forward to seeing what options be come available in October. But as of right now, I'm leaning towards paying the tax penalty (cheaper) than wasting money on insurance.

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by libellula

Hi, I'm self employed, so health insurance has been both costly and frustrating for me. Right now I have a very limited plan with Humana One. It is $350 per month for me and my son, major medical only- $10,000 deductible per person before anything is covered, no prescriptions are covered... this stinks, because unless we have a major health issue, everything is out of pocket...

I make too much $ to get any coverage through the SC healthy family plans, but not enough $ to pay $900+ per month for a plan that covers much of anything... stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Has anyone heard of the Consumer Choice Health Plan that is starting this October?

Or are there any healthcare co-ops where self employed people can get in on a group type plan? I lived in Rochester NY for 15 years, and was a member of a group called BeneCare- I had incredible health insurance, everything covered- for about $320 per month.

The only way for me to get eligible for group health that I know of is if I hire 2 employees and cover them. But right now, even though my business is an S corp, I'm not hiring anyone, just have myself payrolled.

Would love to hear what other self employed people or sole proprietors are doing for healthcare!

Thanks!

The plan you are referring to is otherwise known as OBMACARE. Watch out! The way that works is rather than an experienced insurance agent helping you and keeping your medical history private, you get a just trained government employee called a "Navigator" or an "Assistor" who will take ALLLLLLLLLLLL your personal info including financial AND health history and then tell you your health plan choices.

The idea is to get as MUCH info on the stupid American public as possible AND to get as many of them as possible dependent on the GUBMINT. Eventually families of 4 making $95k per year will qualify. However, except for unlimited wellness, especially birth control and abortions and vaccinations, there will be BIG co-pays and deductibles. Out of pocket maximums per year can exceed $10k for an individual and 20k for a couple or a family. There will be lots pf things not covered and there will be death panels. If you want any semblance of privacy, avoid it like the plague. The first year the penalty for not having health insurance that qualifies is minimal (around $95.) If I were you I'd do a series of short-term medical plans - especially if you are reasonably healthy and only need insurance for unforseen circumstances. They don't cover pre-existing conditions but they can be much more affordable and enable you to have a much lower deductible for a fraction of the price of annually renewable coverage. With short-term coverage you only have a few yes/no questions to answer. If you can honestly answer "no" to all of them, you qualify to get the coverage.

If this sounds interesting, send me a private message and I'll send you more info without obligation of course!

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by trecnocin

All insurance is a scam.

I've been proudly self-paying without insurance for about 15 years now. If I need to go to the doctors I always call, then negotiate pricing. Most office visits are less than many people's co-pay. A typical visit costs between $90-$200. It blows my mind when people pay $300+ each month for coverage they can't use.

A few ER visits have been under $1,500 each, usually negotiated down an other 25% if I pay them cash. I don't like to live in fear of "what if". I'll deal with that when it happens. And have some savings that can cover most issues.

I have been on the lookout for a high-deductible, emergency-only type coverage- at a reasonable price (under $100 month). But in South Carolina I've found nothing.

I also am self-employed. I look forward to seeing what options be come available in October. But as of right now, I'm leaning towards paying the tax penalty (cheaper) than wasting money on insurance.

Well, I hope what happened to me a few years ago doesn't happen to you. I was healthy as a horse until I began having severe pain in my lower abdomen. Forget about the details, but I ended up having two 8 day stays at the hospital with three minor surgeries in between. Total cost - $110,000 - yes $110K. Had I not had insurance, albeit expensive, I would have lost a huge chunk of my retirement (the taxable part) and maybe my home. Since it all happened in the same year, I only had to pay $5000 out of pocket. And the condition I had was absolutely NOT preventable and NOT by any fault of my own. I have not begrudged a penny of my premiums ever since. Oh, and I had recently retired, so the long and arduous recovery period for both surgeries (a few months apart did) not have an impact on my earning capacity. If I had been employed at the time, I might have lost my job or worsened my condition by returning too soon had I not been retired. So good luck with that gamble.

[trecnocin]

Originally Posted by sayulita

Well, I hope what happened to me a few years ago doesn't happen to you. I was healthy as a horse until I began having severe pain in my lower abdomen. Forget about the details, but I ended up having two 8 day stays at the hospital with three minor surgeries in between. Total cost - $110,000 - yes $110K. Had I not had insurance, albeit expensive, I would have lost a huge chunk of my retirement (the taxable part) and maybe my home. Since it all happened in the same year, I only had to pay $5000 out of pocket. And the condition I had was absolutely NOT preventable and NOT by any fault of my own. I have not begrudged a penny of my premiums ever since. Oh, and I had recently retired, so the long and arduous recovery period for both surgeries (a few months apart did) not have an impact on my earning capacity. If I had been employed at the time, I might have lost my job or worsened my condition by returning too soon had I not been retired. So good luck with that gamble.

What insurance pays is rarely what someone paying cash would pay. There is an amazing article in Time Magazine try and find it.

I think I read that most insurance companies that cover pregnancy end up being charged $25,000+ per delivery. For our self-pay delivery including all prenatal visits and delivery our bill was $3500. (it was a set lump sum, that could be paid over the term. A few other places charged more, we went with the cheapest.)

Again, if you read my comment you can see that I don't like to live in fear of "what if". However I could be diagnosed with cancer tomorrow- you never know. That's why I look forward to seeing what options for people like me become available with Obamacare.

I'm very disappointed to see no national health care system in America like in all the other 1st world countries. But with the insane amounts the health industries PAYS our congressmen, it will NEVER happen.

[sayulita]

I never lived in fear of 'what if' either. It just happened. Out of the blue. And I had only signed up for this insurance plan 3 months earlier. What I paid in cash for the $5000 deductible was negotiated. Had I not paid immediately, I would have paid the full amount. Instead I got a (I forget exactly) a 15-18% reduction for paying in cash.

Cancer is not the only scenario you could be caught in. There are so many more, as I learned the hard way. I am 100% OK now, but it could have been so much worse for me financially and emotionally.

[Sunbather]

Originally Posted by trecnocin

All insurance is a scam.



I have been on the lookout for a high-deductible, emergency-only type coverage- at a reasonable price (under $100 month). But in South Carolina I've found nothing.

for self-employed people you are right that there are not many options. I am fortunate (only given all the circumstances surrounding healthcare in this country) that my company offers a very cheap high deductible plan. My wife and I both utilize that. However, my self-employed friends are not as lucky.

[Mohtalim]

The correct plan is to hide all your assets offshore and then declare bankruptcy every major medical disaster. That is how Obamacare is defeated!

[Sunbather]

Originally Posted by Mohtalim

The correct plan is to hide all your assets offshore and then declare bankruptcy every major medical disaster. That is how Obamacare is defeated!

lol good one.

[bikeoid]

Originally Posted by trecnocin

I've been proudly self-paying without insurance for about 15 years now. If I need to go to the doctors I always call, then negotiate pricing. Most office visits are less than many people's co-pay. A typical visit costs between $90-$200. It blows my mind when people pay $300+ each month for coverage they can't use.

A few ER visits have been under $1,500 each, usually negotiated down an other 25% if I pay them cash. I don't like to live in fear of "what if". I'll deal with that when it happens. And have some savings that can cover most issues.

Negotiating and paying cash is OK when it works: I was unable to get 2 out of 3 providers to budge when I tried it.

And critical ER visit pricing cannot be pre-negotiated because of the urgency of the situation, and hospitals are much less flexible after the treatment has been provided, whereas the insurance company has supposedly pre-negotiated pricing.

[CNCGirl]

Providers hands are tied if they accept Medicare or Medicaid. No discounts can be given to patients without giving a discount to all patients. They already accept a small amount in payment from Medicare and Medicaid so they cannot discount those charges further. There is a difference, however, in writing something off for nonpayment due to inability to pay and discounting it because they want to give someone a deal. The days of the deal are over. The hospital, GHS, will only reduce a bill 10% and you have to talk hard to get that. I think St Fran has quit giving discounts. They used to do discounts to get you to come there instead of GHS but had to quit that because it was putting them out of business. The insurance and healthcare business is terribly broken. I know this because I worked in it for 30 years. It's a big ole mess! We'll see what Obamacare does. Should be interesting. So far it is benefiting me. We'll see in a couple of years!