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llouys

llouys

Brazil
August 2003

JUL 21, 2005 11:34 PM

I'm kind of curious about it.

Not having insurance sucks. When you think about it, it's like, not living in the developed world for chrissakes. I don't have a doctor!

Double yoo tee eff.

Actually, I'm also interested in how anyone (if anyone) has managed to get insurance (that's not insanely expensive) who's self-employed, like I am.





Waaaaait a second... did I just start a thread about insurance?

skull

Subrosa

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA
July 2004

JUL 21, 2005 11:39 PM

I had to do that for about a 10 months a couple of years ago. Freakin' scary. The best thing to do is to just not think about it and take care of yoursel.

Oh, and cover yourself in bubble wrap.

llouys

llouys

Brazil
August 2003

JUL 22, 2005 12:17 AM

O, I totally already did that. Thanks tho.

Slander

Slander

Dayton, OH
May 2004

JUL 22, 2005 01:00 AM

louys said:
I'm kind of curious about it.

Not having insurance sucks. When you think about it, it's like, not living in the developed world for chrissakes. I don't have a doctor!

Double yoo tee eff.

Actually, I'm also interested in how anyone (if anyone) has managed to get insurance (that's not insanely expensive) who's self-employed, like I am.





Waaaaait a second... did I just start a thread about insurance?

skull

Have you tried NASE (National Association of the Self Employed)? I can't really recommend the company that provides insurance for them, however...But mainly because my needs were very specific, and they were not suited by the company.

What do you consider "insanely expensive"? I don't know for certain, but my guess is that it's all gonna be insanely expensive (to me, $2800 a year is insanely expensive, YMMV, though). I think the trick is in making the most of the expense. That is, most obviously, to find the best deal for the loot your dropping. And again, quite obviously, while this is a basic caveat, it is much harder to achieve than it sounds. I'm not saying anything you prolly don't already know.

I feel like I kinda got screwed with mine because they didn't cover what I needed the bloody insurance for in the first place. And that's really my point. They covered the doctor's office visits (co-pay stuff), but not the sleep studies and the CPAP machine I need. There were a number of expenses that they should have covered, but I had to argue with them to get them to admit that they should be covering those things.

It sorta balanced out as far as the machine went, because I was able to find a slightly used one...the previous owner returned it within a month, and hardly used it in that time...but the price was drastically reduced.

I ended up dropping them because I got hit very hard at tax time. Couldn't afford that expense anymore. So, right now, my insurance comes down to not getting sick. Which ain't working out as well as I'd like. I tell ya, insurance companies sure don't like sick people...

llouys

llouys

Brazil
August 2003

JUL 22, 2005 01:34 AM

Slander said:
Have you tried NASE (National Association of the Self Employed)? I can't really recommend the company that provides insurance for them, however...But mainly because my needs were very specific, and they were not suited by the company.



Hmm, thanks. I'll check that out.

What do you consider "insanely expensive"? I don't know for certain, but my guess is that it's all gonna be insanely expensive (to me, $2800 a year is insanely expensive, YMMV, though). I think the trick is in making the most of the expense. That is, most obviously, to find the best deal for the loot your dropping. And again, quite obviously, while this is a basic caveat, it is much harder to achieve than it sounds. I'm not saying anything you prolly don't already know.



Those numbers aren't outside of possibility, good to have a point of comparison.

Thanks for the tips. I hope it works out for you. I find it kind of nuts how difficult it is to find insurance for a fledgling company. I mean, I understand the economics of it, but there is also economic risk for failing to help make starting a small company feasible.

Meh.

UncleDunkel

UncleDunkel

Sacramento, CA
September 2004

JUL 22, 2005 01:36 AM

I'm self employed and have a high deductible policy through Blue Shield where I pay just under $200 quarterly ($800 per year). The catch is that I'm pretty much on my own financially for doctor visits and prescriptions unless I spend more than $2400 a year (the limit of the deductible) on medical expenses. However, if I were to have something catastrophic happen (accident, cancer), I pay the $2400 deductible and Blue Shield covers me for everything else for the specific accident, AND anything additional for the year. Worst case scenario, I'm out $3200 (ins. + ded.) for the year.... which is probably about what I'd pay for a month to month full coverage insurance policy anyway.

...at least that is my understanding of how my policy works. It's a very minimal policy, but I feel like it's got my back in case the shit really hits the fan. On top of that, I've discovered that some doctors (assuming they have control over their own billing) will actually give you an uninsured discount and take a nice little percentage off of your bill for you if it's all coming out of your own pocket if you ask or inquire.

Yeah... so, I've lived like this for almost four years now. It's not glamorous, but it's better than nothing and cheaper than the alternative.

llouys

llouys

Brazil
August 2003

JUL 22, 2005 02:39 AM

Thanks UncleDunkel, I'll check out the Blue Shield site. To be honest, I didn't even consider them as a possibility, since I associate them with huge contracts (government agencies, etc).

By the way, your user name is fun to say out loud.

UncleDunkel,UncleDunkel,UncleDunkel!

Ragdoll

Ragdoll

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

JUL 22, 2005 05:58 AM

I don't have any insurance at all at the moment.. I really should look into it. "It'll never happen to me"! right?

Carpe_Diem

Carpe_Diem

I'm lost
April 2004

JUL 22, 2005 06:07 AM

Thank you National Health Service biggrin

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

JUL 22, 2005 06:11 AM

Ragdoll said:
I don't have any insurance at all at the moment.. I really should look into it. "It'll never happen to me"! right?


Aren't you in the UK?

As for me, I was without Health Insurance for 6 years. Not a good feeling.

Finch

Finch

SUICIDEGIRL

Thailand

JUL 22, 2005 06:22 AM

i don't have any. frown

here's hoping i don't get seroiusly ill in the next year or so.

ProperNoun

ProperNoun

Hong Kong
December 2004

JUL 22, 2005 06:25 AM

My parents were pissed at me once and dropped me without letting me know. I broke my wrist less than a week later and had to pay with a CC before they would even admit me. shocked mad

I_Poop_Too_Much

I_Poop_Too_Much

I'm lost
February 2004

JUL 22, 2005 06:31 AM

*raises hand* Yep. First world nation without a national health care plan....

I'm looking foreward to my first major on the job accident. whatever It's been a few months since anyone's broken or severed anything.....!

VioletRed

VioletRed

Ferndale, MI
October 2004

JUL 22, 2005 06:35 AM

my work does not offer insurance and i cannot just "get by" without it, so i am currently on cobra through my previous employer

$315 a month, not to mention $1000 out of pocket up front

insurance sucks...just thinking about it makes me crazy

SnakePlissken

SnakePlissken

Corvallis, OR
December 2002

JUL 22, 2005 06:47 AM

I just got insurance a few days ago after not having it for about three years. And now that I do have it I plan on doing a lot of dangerous stupid stuff so I don't waste it.

Lordmuppet

Lordmuppet

I'm lost
December 2004

JUL 22, 2005 09:21 AM

Its sad that America doesn't have a national health service. I assume that, like all the other countries that now have it, the people who first suggest it are called communists.

Cherie

Cherie

Providence, RI
October 2002

JUL 22, 2005 09:32 AM

*raises hand*

I haven't had insurance since I turned 18.

blackeyed

Finch

Finch

SUICIDEGIRL

Thailand

JUL 22, 2005 09:32 AM

monastrell said:
Don't have it ... don't fucking want it.



out of curiosity, why not? i mean...i really can't understand not wanting something that will help you save money/be good to yourself.

then again, every once in awhile i get sick a lot tongue

UncleDunkel

UncleDunkel

Sacramento, CA
September 2004

JUL 22, 2005 09:40 AM

louys said:

By the way, your user name is fun to say out loud.

UncleDunkel,UncleDunkel,UncleDunkel!



Have you tried saying it in "chipmunk voice" yet?

Hexe

Hexe

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

JUL 22, 2005 09:45 AM

I'm really scared about getting a job out of college. I have epilepsy and I *need* health insurance to get my medication. frown surreal

Elisabeth

Elisabeth

San Francisco, CA
December 2002

JUL 22, 2005 09:49 AM

For anyone in California between the ages of 19-29, there's a new health insurance provided by Blue Cross, it's called Tonik, and appears to be pretty straight-forward.

Rates apparently are $64 to $123 per month based on the three different plans that they offer.

I'm not sure what other states do, if there is anything comparable offered. frown

keagan

keagan

Orlando, FL
October 2004

JUL 22, 2005 10:42 AM

I don't, I like to live dangerously.

ARRR!!!

FreakPirate

FreakPirate

Canada
November 2002

JUL 22, 2005 10:45 AM

I honestly don't know any more. I had insurance through my parents' work when I was a student but now that I've graduated and moved I don't know when my coverage expires. Whee.

Stiles

Stiles

Oakland, CA
November 2002

JUL 22, 2005 10:50 AM

I'm self-employed and have insurance through blue cross/blue shield for about $170/mo.

It's a shitty HMO with high copays, but every hospital in the area accepts it, they actually pay the doctors more or less on time (so you actually get taken care of, instead of being given the runaround and getting jammed for payment upfront).

When shopping around, be sure to ask your local hospitals and doctors which plans they accept, and which ones pays them with a minimum of hassle and paperwork. It'll help you get better care in the long run.

DrNecessitor

DrNecessitor

San Jose, CA
January 2003

JUL 22, 2005 10:50 AM

Elisabeth said:
For anyone in California between the ages of 19-29, there's a new health insurance provided by Blue Cross, it's called Tonik, and appears to be pretty straight-forward.

Rates apparently are $64 to $123 per month based on the three different plans that they offer.

I'm not sure what other states do, if there is anything comparable offered. frown



I have to remember this next time I get fired biggrin

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