Nov

23

Healthcare, Money, and Working the System

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

healthy food?So the debates go on, and I wait for my health insurance ship to come in, steered I think by Cesar the insurance broker.  Who didn’t follow up with me as promised.  Interestingly enough, the followup of most of the agents, even those to whom I was encouraging, was nil.  Maybe they know they’re not solving their customers’ problems very well these days, and so they don’t even try.  I think I need a new career.  Lots of these guys make good money, and they don’t even follow the basics of good salesmanship.

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!

Nov

18

Affordable Health Insurance (?)

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

Affordable Health Care at Ellis Island

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.

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