Deciding again on health insurance. No, you are not imagining things, it was just a few weeks ago we went through this nonsense.
Our COBRA expired in October. That was the first of the sicker shock. A huge increase in premiums along with a horrible deductible that also included all the prescription costs. A couple weeks ago we received notice that this "great" policy with a premium of $558 (mine only) was no longer available, so Aetna now offers an equally lousy plan for a minimum of SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHT BUCKS A MONTH!
Some time in October I was able to get far enough along on the healthcare.gov site to see quotes. The only insurance company available to me was Anthem. Lowest price approximately $550 a month with a $6000 deductible. I called Anthem directly and the lady that answered the enrollment number listed in their site as a place to ask questions couldn't answer any questions. She suggested I called Member Services. I told her I was not a member, but she was virtually useless.
They did have a online chat service. I needed to find out what would happen when we are in Florida this winter. The online chat indicated that I would not be covered in Florida except for emergencies. He explained there is no way to be covered in both Florida and Indiana.
How incredibly stupid is that?
Later that day Bob gave me a number of a State Farm agent who was the daughter of someone he worked with.
When I called her I wasn't expecting much. I explained I was looking for coverage for both Indiana and Florida. The health insurance company (which wasn't State Farm) was not included on the list on the exchange. So apparently there are insurance companies that may offer health insurance that you will not find on the exchange.
I found that if I signed up for coverage starting now, I could lock in 2013 rates for all of 2014. The rates were good. I decided on a $466 premium with a $2,500 deductible. It's amazing how you start thinking that's a good price after being offered $780 with a $6k deductible.
Yesterday I got an email from the agent that said the insurance company needed to have answers to health questions. When I called the company I found that I had just subjected myself to an hour and a half proctological examination.
It was brutal. To the point of asking about medications I took five years ago. After a long drawn out discussion about the reasons for a full hysterectomy in 2007 (solid mass on an ovary) she followed up with a question if I was seeing a fertility specialist or was planning any fertilization treatments.
I'm NOT JOKING!
It was the most painful phone call I have had since a relative died.
So now I wait two to five days to see if they now will adjust the premium. Yeah, I didn't think that was supposed to happen either.
And we have to wait for that decision to make a decision for Bob's Medicare Supplement because if I am forced to stay on his insurance of $780, I am only gifted that policy if he stays on his former employer's retirement health insurance.
It still amazes me that the idiots that think this Obamacare kept the costs down relate a normal insurance increase of $20 a month to the 50% - 100% increase. Along with the outrageous amounts of the deductibles. And let's not forget that now your prescriptions are part of the deductible.
Posts
2 comments:
Which is why I'm waiting for the dust to settle before I go shopping for something I can't afford.
I would be too afraid to go one day without insurance. One wrong move and you could be wiped out in a heartbeat. I think back to six years ago when I thought I was healthy on Saturday and I was in critical care on Monday.
Bob's back surgery to remove his tumor earlier this year totaled over $100k for a five day stay. I would be petrified that we would lose every bit of the money we saved for retirement.
Post a Comment