Lost Health Insurance

[Greg44]

I have been gone for awhile, and did not see any similar posts...

I have lost my health insurance - I have had health insurance via my employment
all my life. But the costs have now exceeded what my employer is willing to pay.
Frankly I don't blame them.

My 1/2 was $ 658.00 per month and our insurance lady said it was going to take a
"substantial increase" - have not heard the exact figures.

With the huge price increase these past few years, most fellow employees had already
dropped off - especially the young single guys.

I have NO idea where to even begin...hmmm I wonder if I can get some of that $ 100.00
monthly premium that the President was talking about, I doubt it very much!

Any others loosing their insurance with this big change?

[Tussiemussies]

So sorry to hear this Gregg...

[sweetana3]

Would you qualify under CoverOregon.com? At least their website seems to be up and working.

The issue of cost for a small business has always been an issue.

[Valley]

My policy has been discontinued (as of December 31) because it is not ACA compliant. The alternate policy they did offer to me, is about double the cost of what I pay now. Because of my low income, my insurer has directed me to the infamous government site. Of course, I haven't been able to get through yet. What concerns me, is that everyone acts as if we have until March 15th to purchase new health care...when in reality, a lot of us have much less time to get a new policy in place.:( PS...I'm in Pennsylvania, and they are not offering their own program.

[Spartana]

My policy is also cancelled as of Dec 31. I was told via letter that I would have to buy a new policy on the CA exchange. A similar policy would increase my monthly premiums by approx 3 times my current rate and my deductible would be around 7k annually. I also don't qualify for the Obama care subsidies - too low income as well as have coverage thru the VA healthcare system so would only qualify for the state medicaid - so plan to just use the VA and hope the government doesn't shutdown again. Sorry to hear about your situation Greg. This is happening to many full time employed people I know.

ETA - you might want to see if you can continue paying for your own insurance until obamacare kicks in on Jan 1st. Might be expensive but will give you coverage in the interim. Also check out other insurance co. When my sister became unemployed she could keep her coverage with Kaiser for $1200/month but she instead got another policy for $225/month with a $4000k deductible thru Aetna. A friend got the same thru Health net.

[frugalone]

Ditto for my policy. It ends as of Dec. 31. .I haven't gone on the exchanges yet. Quite honestly, I'm afraid to. I could get insurance through my employer, but it is a lot of money. I've been limping along with a bare-bones policy for a couple of years.

Regarding these huge deductibles. I don't understand how anyone can afford to pay them. If I had that kind of money, I wouldn't be as worried about health insurance costs.

[Spartana]

Yeah the Bronze plans have pretty high deductibles so doesn't really help the truly low income person much. I imagine that for a family it would be double or more that for deductibles. The Silver plans are much better and have more in the $2k to $4k range for deductibles but have higher monthly premiums - usually a couple of hundred difference. However, for those people who are lower income but too high for medicaid, you can often choose a higher cost silver or gold plan and even the platinum plan and get most of it subsidized.

[rosarugosa]

I'm sorry to hear that Gregg. I've always had my insurance through my employer, so that would be a scary shift for me too. I would probably start my research with checking out some of the articles on health insurance on GRS: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/. The site is searchable, and there have been a few articles there on the subject. Both articles and comments are usually worthwhile reads. Hopefully the ACA will give you additional options. Good luck.

[puglogic]

This is such an interesting situation we find ourselves in, isn't it? When you look at the amount of money being paid for health insurance -- even high-deductible plans, and even fairly healthy people -- it just gives me chills. I recognize that everybody in the medical food chain (from pharmaceutical researchers to medical device manufacturers to specialist doctors) needs to get their cut if we want to take advantage of the life-saving miracle devices and cures, but it seems frighteningly out of hand and there don't seem to be any real solutions coming from anywhere. My health insurance budget is huge to me....where does this end?

Greg, good luck with this. I hope you can find a plan that will protect you and that you can afford to pay.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Ok you made me go back and read the email from HR about the ACA, I still have work coverage, for now anyway. I was convinced all along that email was just a bunch of gooblety gook about the ACA, but of course I started getting paranoid - what if a company healthcare plan cancellation was hidden in there? huh? huh? I better find out asap if so ... It would really be unprecedented at this point for a company like that to try that though. It would be like telling us: please send our resumes, feel free to browse Monster.com at work.

However rates, well I fully expect rate shock in several months when they announce that, I guess there's always moving down to the cheapo plan :\

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'm really starting to be more and more grateful that I live in Arizona. I seem to qualify for Medicaid but even if I did not, policies in Arizona are being priced less than the national average for ObamaCare plans. And of course I live in a state that very surprisingly expanded Medicaid which still stuns me a bit.

Not only that but I have the luxury - and I'm starting to realize that this is indeed a luxury - of crossing the border to Mexico for health care, which I still may do even under ObamaCare if it saves me significant dollars to do so. I still remember the series of ultrasounds I had done September 2012 in Mexicali for $58.50 - once I am off Medicaid - which is the goal, I'd rather make more money and not qualify and get insurance on the exchanges anyway - I for one will be pricing any health care against what it costs in Mexico and would have no problems continuing to use Mexico for the bulk of my care if it is economically wiser for me to do so.

Not everyone can say the above - this I am figuring out, my geographic proximity to border cities in Mexico that are not overrun with cartel violence is a real luxury.....Gotta say I am grateful as this makes me less stuck than others when they do their health care cost computations. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

Sorry, I forgot to mention to the OP - I'm sorry to hear this - having been without insurance for much of my adult life I can understand how not having it can make it all a deck of cards that can collapse at any time. Here's wishing you good luck with the exchanges in Oregon, and if you have major health care issues, I will be glad to PM you the name of my doctor in Mexicali. Rob