Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sara on March 24, 2011 at 9:20am

Hey JohnG,

That's part of the problem, as an independent contractor, you don't get benefits because you are not an employee. In the state of Virginia, you have to have 2 employees to constitute a small business, that is eligible for group health insurance. He is a business of one. Even, if he did add two employees, the cost would be just as devistating to his company as it is to our household.

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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on March 24, 2011 at 10:03am

I wish I had something to offer you besides a hug.

This issue is one of the top three reasons I "had" to move back to Seattle in 2005. The state of Washington requires companies here to cover people who have exhausted their COBRA, with no preexisting condition exclusion clauses. We also have Group Health here, an HMO which has a lot of limitations, but which is about half of the cost of "the Blues" for an individual plan.

I'm so sorry for your sake and mine that we don't have comprehensive, universal healthcare in this country -- for ALL. People shouldn't be put in this position when they change jobs, or be forced to take jobs they don't want, or to move to states far, far from their families, just to get covered.

I wish you all the best in finding a workable solution.

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Permalink Reply by Jeannie Wagner on March 24, 2011 at 11:33am

My husband left a big 8 Accounting Firm to start his own consulting company. At first we joined a collection of small businesses called COSE and we got pretty good rates on insurance. This was 15 years ago. He suspended his company in the early 2000's because of the Economy and went to work for someone else. After 1 1/2 years he was fed up with the politics and went back to work for himself bringing several independent contractors with him. We did Cobra for 18 monts at $500 per month.We tried to get insurance as individuals and were totally shocked at the prices we were quoted. Since my husband was in his mid 50's and diabetic the prices were 3 x what we had been paying. We finally went through an Insurance broker who found us a high deductible HSA policy for $600 a month. Well each year the policy has jumped and the deductible has jumped. Our last premium increase brought us to over $1000 a month with a $6000 deductible. We have never met the deductible even with 2 diabetics . So we pay everything out of pocket. It stinks. We're about one rate increase away from dropping insurance. I even checked out the Federal government website but you have to be uninsured for 6 months and be denied by 2 insurance companies. Even with that the premiums are sold as individual policies, so we would still be paying almost $1500 a month and have to buy a separate policy for my daughter. So that is not an option. My husband uses independent contractors in his business and doesn't put them on salary because the Insurance would be way too much for everyone. Does he have an incorperated business? He can pay the insurance premiums from his company check book, so it is not taxable income. You still have to pay it, but it hurts a little less. We have Anthem Luminous HSA polivy.

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Permalink Reply by Sara on March 24, 2011 at 12:17pm

Hey Jeannie,
You sound just like us and it doesn't help that, hopefully, I will need maternity coverage soon. We make enough money to raise and care for a child but not to take care of the child's parents. How ridiculous is that? The Anthem Luminous plan is one of the plans we are considering and just for myself and my husband it starts at over $1200/month with a $6000 deductible.

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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on March 24, 2011 at 5:39pm

My niece and her husband were forced to quit their jobs when my grand-nephew, their (at that time) 13-month-old son, was diagnosed with leukemia. They moved the entire family to Memphis and cared for him round-the-clock at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. At that time they had two kids and she was already pregnant with their third at the time of diagnosis.

This was a couple of years ago, and they were getting quoted $1,800/month for post-COBRA insurance for their little family, with no coverage for his leukemia or any other pre-existing condition. Thank God for St. Jude's policy of never turning away a child for lack of money!!!!

My grand-nephew is in full remission and my niece and her husband are back to work, with insurance through their employers, but what young family can afford $1,800/month? And what if my grand-nephew had been 23 instead of 13 months? What would they have done without St. Jude?

Our lack of funding for healthcare in this country -- the whole profit-motive-driven healthcare meme -- is appalling. We should be able to provide our people with healthcare without bankrupting family after family after family by the tens of thousands every year, coast to coast.

It's a scandal.

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Permalink Reply by Sara on March 24, 2011 at 12:18pm

Thanks JeanV, for your support. I am sorry too...

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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on March 24, 2011 at 3:20pm

Hang in there, Sara!

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Permalink Reply by Jeannie Wagner on March 26, 2011 at 1:13pm

The Luminous Plan is the only one we can afford and the price is ridiculous. In the 7 years we have had it we have never met the deductible once. So we pay the big premiums and still pay out of pocket. You may want to double check on the maternity coverage. Our Luminious plan doesn't cover maternity, you have to purchas a rider. They get you coming and going. Even though my husband and I are both Type 2's we are very healthy and have never been hospitalised for anything besides child birth. We now buy my husbands high priced ACTOS in Canada, we save 60%. I really wished there was a plan we could buy for reallly cheap that would only cover hospitalization.

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Permalink Reply by Sara on March 27, 2011 at 8:33pm

Jeannie,

How do you like the Luminous plan other than the ridiculous deductible? I am concerned about being able to afford my pump and CGM supplies or getting them covered at all. I know you said that you are T2 but do you have any pumps or CGMs that you use? The Luminous and Premier plans will only cover maternity if you have a deductible of $2500 or more. I just don't understand their logic. Oh, that's right... there is not logic. Its called bottom line sense.

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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on March 27, 2011 at 9:34pm

Also known as plain, old fashioned greed.

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Permalink Reply by MidwestMommy on March 28, 2011 at 10:50am

That sucks. Actually their logic makes sense to them because they are only in this to make money. They know if request maternity coverage you are planning to have kids, and if you plan on having a baby you will have claims that year. They keep collecting your premiums until you've paid your $2500 deductible. This could take many months and they still have your premiums coming in before they're paying benefits out. If your nine month pregnancy spans over 2 calendar years then ouch you are paying 2 years of deductibles. I have a real love/hate with insurance companies.

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Permalink Reply by MidwestMommy on March 28, 2011 at 10:44am

Check to see if your state offers a high risk insurance pool that you might be eligible for.

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