Health Insurance?

[newtodaycare22]

I was also the insurance carrier in the marriage because I worked in the school system. Now, I planned on going through COBRA but I just saw the rates-900 per MONTH? What??? I guess I've been sheltered. :confused:

Anyone have any advice or suggestions for what insurance to use? My husband's job we would have to pay full cost anyway, so they are no help. Thanks!

[MyAngels]

I used to buy my own insurance, before my DHs company switched providers. I used Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and it was around $1000 per quarter for myself and my three kids (hubby had his own at work), but that was a few years ago, so I don't know if their rates are more now. It was a $1,000 deductible plan, then 80/20 if I remember correctly. When I purchased it I went through an independent agent who found me the best plan he could for the best price.

[mac60]

I would check some online policies, Blue Cross, Aetna, and there are others that are top names. I am sure you can find something cheaper. We lost our health care last March, and it would have been $850 per month to keep it, we got the 65% help thru the gov't and we pay $330 per month. But our deductible is $3800 before they pay one penny. With hubby out of a job, there is no way we could of afforded the COBRA without the gov't help. As it is, I clean the church to pay for our monthly healthcare. Right now life ****s. It is sad in our country the working middle class have to struggle to have health insurance.....sometimes it comes down to pay health insurance or buy food. Those of us who have paid into the system for so many years are the first ones to be turned down when they need a little help. Do a search online and check out some rates.

[broncomom1973]

Cobra is crazy ridiculous!! Do a google search for health insurance and you can get some online quotes that way. The only bad thing about it is that you might have agents calling you after you fill out the online application.

I quit my job as a lab nurse at a clinic affiliated with the local hospital which offered a pretty good health insurance plan. I joined my husbands plan and our 3 children are on it, but since we are the only people on the plan (since there are no other employees), everytime we use it and go beyond our annual deductible, they increase our premiums. Most policies have people pooled together which helps decide premium increases. They average them out, but in our case, if we use it, it goes up. Anyway, point of my reply is that I was getting so sick of the increases that I got online and looked for a better, cheaper plan. I couldnt find a better one than what we had (since my dh was dx with high blood pressure since we initially signed on with BCBS). I at least felt better knowing that we couldnt do better with whatever else is out there. I think that BCBS offers affordablue that is supposed to be pretty reasonable. Many insurances offer plans for self employed business owners, so maybe call around and see what there is out there. Good luck and I would certainly think that you can get something cheaper than what Cobra costs.

[TomCopeland]

Health insurance

There are no easy answers to the health insurance problem for self-employed providers. To find out what the costs are in your state go to www.ehealthinsurance.com. This is a clearinghouse of insurance policies that will save you a lot of time shopping around.

[TGT09]

I used to do health insurance actually and COBRA is 110% of the cost....so it's more than even your employer was paying. It's really ridiculous.

Like Tom said, I used ehealthinsurance.com since my DH's insurance at work is even more ridiculous and it's just him and I. I got Anthem from them and have health, dental, and life insurance from them for the 2 of us for just less than $300/month.

[Childminder]

My husband lost his job two years ago and cobra ran out last May. To get comparable insurance we have to pay almost $1200mo for the two of us. BCBS of MI. Can't do it. We now pay $480 mo for catastrophic with a $11600. deductible just in case something serious happens. No other insurance company will talk to us cause my DH has a pre-existing condition. One of his prescriptions is $1800 per month and thankfully the drug company is donating it for one year. Hopefully by then some miracle will happen and all this will be better.

[tenderhearts]

Medical insurance is a nightmare for the self employed. We've also had to pay for it out of our pocket and are on Blue Cross/Blue shield but they raise their rates every year. This last July the rate just for husband and I was almost $1000/month, can't afford that at all so we had to raise our deductible so we could afford the premiums, so hopefully nothing terrible goes wrong.

[TomCopeland]

Health insurance

Here's some good news. Under a new law that passed last week, provider (and other self-employed workers) can now deduct the cost of their health insurance premium as a business expense for 2010 only. You can only do this if you are not eligible for health insurance through an employer (your spouse) and you buy insurance from the open market. Make sure your tax preparer pays attention to this.

[newtodaycare22]

Here's some good news. Under a new law that passed last week, provider (and other self-employed workers) can now deduct the cost of their health insurance premium as a business expense for 2010 only. You can only do this if you are not eligible for health insurance through an employer (your spouse) and you buy insurance from the open market. Make sure your tax preparer pays attention to this.

We can get insurance through my husband's work...but they do not contribute anything. So it's basically just as expensive (or more expensive) than doing it on our own. I guess that means we would not qualify for the write off though...since we "could" get it through his employer?

[QualiTcare]

I was also the insurance carrier in the marriage because I worked in the school system. Now, I planned on going through COBRA but I just saw the rates-900 per MONTH? What??? I guess I've been sheltered. :confused:

Anyone have any advice or suggestions for what insurance to use? My husband's job we would have to pay full cost anyway, so they are no help. Thanks!

oh, teachers (or other school system employees i assume) have the best insurance. there are two school systems in my area and one pays 3k more per year than the other so everyone always tries to get a job at the one that pays more obviously. what i don't think they realize is the system that pays 3k less offers insurance at NO COST to the teachers - and it's a discounted rate for family members. so, actually the teachers working for the lower paying system end up with more $ from what they save on insurance.

[ddnanny13]

When I started we also had insurance through my employer and could in NO WAY afford it through my husbands employer. My son and I got a policy through Medica for $367 a month. Hubby has his own policy at work as that is much cheaper than the family policy. Son and I have good health so the policy was easy to get approved for. Here is a link to apply/get a qoute if you want....

https://personalplans.medica.com/QuickQuote/QuickQuoteStart.aspx

[TomCopeland]

Health Insurance

We can get insurance through my husband's work...but they do not contribute anything. So it's basically just as expensive (or more expensive) than doing it on our own. I guess that means we would not qualify for the write off though...since we "could" get it through his employer?

Yes, unfortunately you can't deduct health insurance premiums on Form 1040 because you are eligible to get it through your husband's employer.