Oct

28

Friends with Money Part 2/Hunt for Health Insurance Part 2

Filed Under Health and Well-Being, Money, Finance and Other Serious Stuff, Saving Money | Comments Off

friend with moneySome readers may have noticed that I often visit  friends and family when I travel.  This is a little about saving money, but much more about being with friends and family — to me that’s what a vacation is all about.  Well, this week, I got a wonderful offer that I can’t refuse: I have been invited to join a friend on a week-long cruise to Central America and Mexico — next week, for free!  I get to travel with a great friend, have a vacation, and save money — chances are it will cost me as little as staying home.  So, next week, we’ll re-run some of our favorite blogposts, updated with new money-saving opportunities for our newer readers.

I know I’ve mentioned it here before, but I am very very lucky.

Meanwhile..I’ve already been contacted via email by the AARP insurance agent, who sent over a brochure and preliminary proposal for my needs.  Compared to those, the $400 a month I am now paying is smack in the middle of the range.   The deductibles, however, are quite higher — from $1250 to six thousand compared to the $250 on my current plan, which ends in January.

I put a note up on my Facebook page and got about a half-dozen replies, comprised of three personal referrals, a suggestion to visit the Freelancers Union, one to visit SBUA.org  (Small Business United), and one minor rant on the state of the U.S. Healthcare system.

Going through the old email, I find: nothing of any value.

Looking at old snail mail, I find something from AARP. It’s an offer for information on not only health insurance per se, but also dental, vision, prescription and fitness programs.  I will look into this as well. And there’s a Blue Cross/Blue Shield ad in the Sunday paper that says coverage from $5 a day ($150/month; very low).  I’ll call them tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a few special deals for today:

from Daily Candy: Both sweet treat for your smackers and hint of tint for your cheeks, Benefit Pocket Pal is our go-to product. Score one free (reg. $20) with any full-price purchase from Benefit Cosmetic’s online boutique.

Just add the Pocket Pal to your shopping cart and enter code DCPOCKET at checkout. Spend more than $50 and enter PRETTY50 on the following page to receive free standard U.S. shipping as well.

Get 15% off orders at OneHanesPlace.com. Enter promo code 611691 at checkout. This offer is valid October 27th through October 30th.

Win free groceries for a year from It Pays To Eat Pasta.  Enter here.


TigerDirect Exclusive Deals, Limited Time Offers, Act Now And Save! Free Shipping on orders over $100.

Great Costumes, Low Prices, Costume SuperCenter — and they’ll guarantee shipment by Halloween if ordered before the 30th (Friday) at 3PM.  Click for great ideas and great prices.

As we approach the Great Pumpkin day, click here for costume ideas.  To read Friends with Money part 1, click here.    To read more about the Health Insurance search, click here.

Oct

26

On the Hunt for Affordable Health Insurance

Filed Under Health and Well-Being, Saving Money | Comments Off

can you afford health care? I am sitting in an orthopedist’s office, waiting for a friend who unfortunately broke her ankle, and fortunately had JUST purchased health insurance after being without it for close to 10 months.  She, like me, was covered by COBRA (at a hefty $400 a month per person) but she missed a payment by just a few days, back in January, and they canceled her.  I, on the other hand, have been up to date, but alas, January marks the end of my 18-month eligibility, and I find myself needing to either find a new job with benefits, or find some new, affordable health care coverage.  Besides, $400 a month is a lot of money, and I think I can do better.  After all, I am a Professional Frugalista!

The state of Florida, where I live, offers something called Cover Florida, although yesterday’s paper reported that the cost savings, while decent, are not as substantial as previously stated, and the level of care can suffer exponentially.  I tried to hang in until the “public option” becomes a real option, but something tells me it’s time to start looking.

Saving money on health care, including insurance, is a topic on almost every American’s mind these days, so it’s something we here at ILAGB are taking more seriously than many of our money-saving categories.  So we embark on a journey for the best, cheapest plan, with access to the best care.

Now, if you have a friend or relative who sells insurance, that’s always a great place to start.  Explain up front, however, nicely, that you’re going to go with the best plan you can find, and that you will keep shopping until you’re confident that you’ve found it.

If you have no personal contacts in the field, ask around for referrals.  I am putting the word out on Facebook as well as here on the blog.  I’m going to search on the internet, first a specific search for the Cover Florida program, and then a general search for “affordable health insurance Florida”.  I’m going to ask my friends.  I’m going to sort through the e- and regular mail for those offers that often show up, which I’ve been saving since I realized that this time would come. And then,  having reached the ripe age of 53, with a little “medical history”,  my first call  is AARP.

AARP Health was excellent.  I was given an overview of the available plans in my area, sent to a website where all the info was available in print, given a price range (rather wide, of course) and before I got off the phone, I received an email confirmation of my request, and a promise that I would be contacted by a local agent with the next few days.  Pretty efficient!

Searching Cover Florida was quick and easy.  #1 is a local agency who had the foresight to buy the domain name.  I’m sticking with the companies, to start.   #2 is the government site, which gave me four companies to call, and a four-page spreadsheet on all the available plans.  I’ll print that out and study it tonight, so I can begin calling in earnest tomorrow.

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