Okay, I’m off the soap box.  Today I go back to the re-employment office, where they have an area set up for information on social services available to those in need.  I have avoided asking for additional funds beyond my unemployment checks, but it has been pointed out to me that there may be more available that can help support me as I start and build my business.  Food Stamps?  Me?  Hey, why not?  It would make a difference, especially right now, so I’ll see if I am actually eligible.  And see what else I can apply for.  Will report back as soon as I have some good info.

Last week’s double fisted slam at women’s health may leave a lot of insured women in a lurch about mammograms and other preventative screenings, especially those in the 40-50 year age range.  So suddenly, last week’s suggestion of going to the local Health Department or Planned Parenthood is not as farfetched as I had originally thought.

Of course, affordable health insurance and affordable health care are top topics on many minds right now, both individuals and businesses.  Business Week’s cover story today (11/23/09), for instance, is “Why Wait for Health Reform — 10 Ways to Cut Costs Right Now”.  (Hmm, sounds like a story from I Love a Good Bargain . com!)  Let’s see what they have to say.

1. CRACK DOWN ON FRAUD AND ABUSE

2. DEVELOP A HEALTHY WORKFORCE

3. COORDINATE CARE THROUGH FAMILY DOCTORS

4. MAKE HEALTH A COMMUNITY EFFORT

5. STOP INFECTIONS IN HOSPITALS

6. GET PATIENTS TO TAKE THEIR MEDICINE

7. DISCUSS OPTIONS NEAR THE END OF LIFE

8. USE INSURANCE TO MANAGE CHRONIC DISEASE

9. LET WELL-INFORMED PATIENTS DECIDE

10. APOLOGIZE TO THE PATIENT

You can read the whole story here.  Or read more about how it affects YOU here.

More to come.  Happy Monday!

Affordable Health Care at Ellis Island

I’m not so sure that the word “affordable” applies here to the topic of Health Insurance.  And after yesterday’s news of the new recommendations for mammograms for breast cancer screenings, it’s a point that we all, especially women, need to take seriously, and soon.

The more research I do to find my next health insurance policy options, the more I realize that I don’t know.  There are endless options, and I’ve spoken with close to a dozen agents now, both individuals and those that answer 800 numbers, and overall, I am a) more confused than ever and b)mostly unimpressed by their so called expertise (except for a few.  Read on.) and lack of follow-up skills.

I’ve talked about HSAs, tax-favored savings accounts that are used in conjunction with a health insurance plan to reduce tax burden and help one save for retirement,(not for me), high and low deductibles, co-pays, lifetime caps, and out of pocket maximums.  I’ve almost been turned down, I’m about out of energy, but I have come to some conclusions:

1) The more I shop around, the more confident I am that I have found my best plan.  No surprise there, but it’s not a rule I have followed in the past

2) I’m going to have to pay somewhere in the $200 per month range for the services I need; not bad, as it’s about half of what I am paying now!

At the beginning of this series, I mentioned Cover Florida, the low-cost option for un-, self- or under-employed Florida residents.  It seemed a good option for me right now, lowest cost, guaranteed acceptance (especially important if you have any, and I mean ANY, pre-existing conditions; and who doesn’t?) and even the possibility of national coverage, so I can continue to see some of my long-term doctors in other states. Yet  almost every agent I spoke with brushed it off as something for people who are otherwise uninsurable.  Until Cesar, who I met accidentally at a social event the other night. It was not until we exchanged cards that I learned that he is a health insurance broker.

Cesar was the first and only of all the brokers who, based on my answers to his basic screening questions, offered a few new health care options:

1) Cover Florida, which he thinks might be the perfect option for me at this time (short-term cash-flow crunch).

2) A one-person group option!

3) A group plan though my company, a two-person LLC.

Hail, Cesar!  You may have cut through the nonsense and become my new broker.  Here’s a guy that made me feel that he’s putting me first, not worrying about the meager commission paid on the Cover FL plan, and coming up with an idea that NOT ONE of the others had mentioned.

I’ll let you know the bottom line when he gets back to me with actual numbers.  Also in my next post will be some ideas on how to cope when you have no or not-enough insurance.  Especially when you need to examine your boobies.

Meanwhile, click here to read more about how to take care of yourself at a discount.

illustration:http://www.joefloridainsurance.com/

As I am looking into affordable health insurance, I am suddenly face to face with all kinds of insurance issues.

I paid a monthly premium for about a year to have an extended warrantee on my car.  It never covered one penny of any repairs my car needed.  This week, for the first time, it will actually pay in full, less my $50 deductible, for a replacement window motor.

I’m about to exhaust my unemployment insurance, I just received notice that my home insurer will not cover me after this year, my friends are talking about long-term insurance and I am waiting for receipt of the replacement hard drive for one that broke, one that I actually purchased a warrantee for.

My husband is very anti-insurance industry in general, while I, especially with my computer and iPhone, feel a great sense of comfort that I have that cushion.  Like with anything, though, you and I like to know that we get the best coverage at the best price, the best value for our money.

So let’s get back to affordable health insurance, where the product is not stuff, it us.   Today, after a few minutes with a telephone rep from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida, I learned that I was eligible for a plan costing half the amount of my current premium, with no deductible!  This one sounds great.  Let’s see how it develops.

How do YOU feel about insurance?  Necessary evil? Security blanket? Totally ridiculous?  Please post your comments.  What info can we find for you?

P.S. While looking for an illustration for this article, I came upon a site about Florida insurance and the best prices.   I’ll definitely check it out and report back.

P.P.S. This Sunday is the best day of the year for buying costume basics for next Halloween.  Maybe you can try one of the great costumes you saw this year.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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.

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.

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.