cheap health insurance options in NC? (deductible, tax, moving)

[jksayswhat]

Hey was wondering if anyone may have a good option for me. Im moving from Boston to NC and am on a State connector health insurance plan. I only pay about 60$/month. Is there any options like this in NC?

[Ellen Pitts]

My guess is probably not, but of course alot depends upon your age, sex, weight, pre-existing conditions, deductible, etc. You can go to the Blue Cross Blue Sheild of NC website and enter in all your info and get a quote immediately. We always keep a high deductible and an emergency savings account stocked with the amount of my out-of-pocket in the event of an accident or unexpected illness. That way, if I don't use it I haven't paid for it anyway in my premium.

[freshjiv]

Really bare bone plans start at about triple that ($180 a month or so). I don't think you are going to have any luck here at that rate unless you get an employer to pay 80% of your rate.

[dcgrl]

see what happens when you have universal health insurance? It gets affordable.

[Ellen Pitts]

Originally Posted by freshjiv

Really bare bone plans start at about triple that ($180 a month or so). I don't think you are going to have any luck here at that rate unless you get an employer to pay 80% of your rate.

My husband's policy for a pretty decent PPO from BCBS is $108/month. He's 40 and in good health.

[myotis13]

I am paying about 130/month as a healthy young female for high deductible + HSA plan from BCBS- if there is actually a PPO available for around $100/month I'd love to see a link to it, as the COBRA payment for my previous PPO was going to be about $500/month

[myotis13]

Never mind, found it- the 20% coinsurance was a little off-putting. What a scam this whole industry is .. .

[dcgrl]

Originally Posted by myotis13

I am paying about 130/month as a healthy young female for high deductible + HSA plan from BCBS- if there is actually a PPO available for around $100/month I'd love to see a link to it, as the COBRA payment for my previous PPO was going to be about $500/month

myotis, you're paying more because you're a woman and because women have babies we're stuck with higher premiums in the individual market. You're right--scam.

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by myotis13

Never mind, found it- the 20% coinsurance was a little off-putting. What a scam this whole industry is .. .

Look through your policy. If you have a Health Savings Account (H.S.A.) compatible policy, you only pay 20% on a portion of the medical expenses until you reach your out of pocket limit at which time the insurance company starts paying 100%. You actually have MUCH BETTER protection than the people with so called "low-deductible" co-pay plans that are a LOT more expensive. With these plans, if you are unlucky enough to get sick and need the insurance, your co-pays go on and on forever. They don't count towards an out of pocket maximum like your plan has.

So with a co-pay plan not only would you be paying higher insurance premiums but if you had to be on 10 prescription drugs, each with a $50 co-pay, you'd be shelling out $500 per month or $6000 per year in co-pays -- f'or one person!

You'd be FAR better off choosing an HSA compatible plan with even a $5000 deductible. Your monthly premiums would be a LOT LESS and at least you could budget for a worst case scenario knowing that even if you had a $500k hospital bill, you wouldn't be responsible for any more than your deductible before tax savings. After tax savings it would be a lot less (and you get zero tax advantages with co-pay plans).

[toot68]

Originally Posted by dcgrl

myotis, you're paying more because you're a woman and because women have babies we're stuck with higher premiums in the individual market. You're right--scam.

Unlikely. In NC, most private plans require an additional pregnancy rider that runs around $200/month. And you need to have the coverage for 21 months before you can receive any benefit from it.

Because, you know, men don't have anything to do with pregnancies.