Will my Health Insurance sue the father of my baby for pregnancy-related expenses?

I am 7 months pregnant, and my partner and I are not married for complicated reasons and will not be married when the baby is born. I recently heard that my insurance company (through my employer) might sue him for medical expenses related to the pregnancy (he doesn't have health insurance). Is this true? Has this happened to any of you?

No. The health insurance company you have through your employer will not sue your boyfriend for medical expenses related to the pregnancy.

All of the prenatal care is considered your medical expense, not the baby's. And, of course, your own insurance policy is going to cover your own medical expenses. (As long as maternity is covered on your policy, of course.)

The delivery and hospital charges should be considered under your policy too. Presuming that you plan to add the baby to your medical coverage at work, you'll want to complete the necessary paperwork with your employer within 31 days of the baby's birth.

Hello there,

No, they won't sue your partner for the pregnancy related expenses. Because you're going to add the baby onto your policy after it's born, your policy is responsible to pay for the coverage.

If he doesn't have coverage, there is really no where to get money from him.

Thanks,

Kathy K

www.premiumwatchdog.com

Nope. If your insurance was Medicaid, welfare insurance, then yes, they would go after him. If you were uninsured, and an immigrant, and he was your sponsor, yes, they would go after him.

But your private health insurer will NOT.

huh I don't think so. That sounds pretty goofy. First of all it's your medical care. Second, even if somehow they thought a claim should be under his status, they'd go after his benefit from an insurance company, not simply go after him for reimbursement from an uninsured person

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No it is not true. What grounds would they have to sue him? Your pregnancy is not his doing alone.

Health insurance for a person with a pre-existing condition in the state of Washington?

My husband who is 35 and a contractor has a pre-existing condition. Does somebody know of a health insurance who takes members with pre-existing conditions in the state of Washington?

I think a lot of times if you get health insurance from your employer, as a large group, that they don't exclude pre-existing conditions. But for individual policies, I suspect all companies do. Otherwise the ones that don't would put the ones who do out of business.

What kind of health insurance does a business provide to its employees?

Describe the measures they take in hopes to contain the cost of health insurance.

There are several ways to keep the cost down but here are a couple. Statistics show that only 25-30% of insured americans meet their deductible in a calender year. So businesses could choose a plan with the highest deductible possible to keep the premium down and then reimburse it's employees (theoretically 30% of them) for incurred medical expenses, to whatever dollar amount they wish. This is called an HRA.

Secondly, if the group is fairly young (average age less than 40) they can self fund their prescription coverage through a third party. The premiums charged for prescription drugs are a HUGE moneymaker for health companies (Blue Cross). If you self fund, the employer only pays for prescriptions that are used by the employees not a monthly premium rate from the insurance carrier.

In the last 2 years here in Michigan, group health rates have increased up to 20% each year (differs from group to group). We use the reimbursement concept with all of our groups (about 50) and the self funded prescriptions with about 15 to keep that annual increase to about 6-8%.

Hope this helps

Scott has the right idea. Buy plans that have high deductibles, but still have office and RX co-pay benefits (first dollar coverage - no deductible). The employer then sometimes agrees to reimburse part of the employee's deductible if they ever use it. That is the HRA - Health Reimbursement Arrangement.

I also like to offer dual choice plans. Have the employer sponsor (pay 50 to 100% of the employee's premium) for a lower cost plan, but offer a richer plan that if the employee wants better coverage, they can "put their money where their mouth is" and buy a richer, more expensive plan.

the best would be the the employer-employee insurance, under the group insurance category

This question is really way to vague to answer. Each company has its own way of determining whether they will offer insurance and the plan they offer. There are too many variables to answer this question with specificity.

It really depends. Most businesses want to keep their costs to a minimum, so they look for the least expensive plan - unless employees are to contribute to a more costly one.

Most large companies offer a group comprehensive (HMO)plan, whereby an insurer charges them a discounted rate for a bulk number of employees. The smaller biz pays much higher due to the fact of being denied a large group discount. Deductibles and Co-pays may be increased to offset the insurer's cost and ultimately the employer's cost. The last thing both of them want is an employee running to the doctor, to get 7 MRI's per month for a pesky hang nail. Therefore more costs are placed on the employee. They also may pay an employee a lower salary or wage to account for the cost of insuring that new employee. If an employee could make $50K per year, the employer might only offer to pay this individual $42K gross.

by shifting more and more of the cost onto the employee. high deductible plans now the rage (HSA) in hope that employees will be smarter consumers. Just another futile attempt to preserve the current system, on the path to single payor

They market out the benefits every year. That's it.

Some business don't provide ANY health insurance for employees. Some provide access, but the employee pays the cost. Most share the cost of a group policy with an employee, and only government workers or NEA members (aka, public workers) get full health insurance paid by taxpayers.

What kind of health insurance does a business provide to its employees?

Describe the measures they take in hopes to contain the cost of health insurance.

There are several ways to keep the cost down but here are a couple. Statistics show that only 25-30% of insured americans meet their deductible in a calender year. So businesses could choose a plan with the highest deductible possible to keep the premium down and then reimburse it's employees (theoretically 30% of them) for incurred medical expenses, to whatever dollar amount they wish. This is called an HRA.

Secondly, if the group is fairly young (average age less than 40) they can self fund their prescription coverage through a third party. The premiums charged for prescription drugs are a HUGE moneymaker for health companies (Blue Cross). If you self fund, the employer only pays for prescriptions that are used by the employees not a monthly premium rate from the insurance carrier.

In the last 2 years here in Michigan, group health rates have increased up to 20% each year (differs from group to group). We use the reimbursement concept with all of our groups (about 50) and the self funded prescriptions with about 15 to keep that annual increase to about 6-8%.

Hope this helps

Scott has the right idea. Buy plans that have high deductibles, but still have office and RX co-pay benefits (first dollar coverage - no deductible). The employer then sometimes agrees to reimburse part of the employee's deductible if they ever use it. That is the HRA - Health Reimbursement Arrangement.

I also like to offer dual choice plans. Have the employer sponsor (pay 50 to 100% of the employee's premium) for a lower cost plan, but offer a richer plan that if the employee wants better coverage, they can "put their money where their mouth is" and buy a richer, more expensive plan.

the best would be the the employer-employee insurance, under the group insurance category

This question is really way to vague to answer. Each company has its own way of determining whether they will offer insurance and the plan they offer. There are too many variables to answer this question with specificity.

It really depends. Most businesses want to keep their costs to a minimum, so they look for the least expensive plan - unless employees are to contribute to a more costly one.

Most large companies offer a group comprehensive (HMO)plan, whereby an insurer charges them a discounted rate for a bulk number of employees. The smaller biz pays much higher due to the fact of being denied a large group discount. Deductibles and Co-pays may be increased to offset the insurer's cost and ultimately the employer's cost. The last thing both of them want is an employee running to the doctor, to get 7 MRI's per month for a pesky hang nail. Therefore more costs are placed on the employee. They also may pay an employee a lower salary or wage to account for the cost of insuring that new employee. If an employee could make $50K per year, the employer might only offer to pay this individual $42K gross.

by shifting more and more of the cost onto the employee. high deductible plans now the rage (HSA) in hope that employees will be smarter consumers. Just another futile attempt to preserve the current system, on the path to single payor

They market out the benefits every year. That's it.

Some business don't provide ANY health insurance for employees. Some provide access, but the employee pays the cost. Most share the cost of a group policy with an employee, and only government workers or NEA members (aka, public workers) get full health insurance paid by taxpayers.

What are the best health insurance options for independant business owners?

A dear friend is purchasing a Salon soon. She has covered all her financial bases and made smart choices so far. HEr main concern now is health insurance. She has always worked for a company that provided insurance, with an employee contribution. She and her husband are african american, about 45 yrs old, the husband smokes, she does not. What are the options out there that are affordable? Cobra will do for now, but as you know, full health insurance premiums are very high, what reccommendations do you have?

She needs to go to her local agent that writes the rest of her insurance, and ask them for an individual health insurance policy quote. That's the ONLY way for her to go!!

Ask the Agent or that insurance company

How do I go about getting health insurance?

I work, but I work part time, I have alot going on right now in my life so I don't have time for a full time job. I may be pragrant but I'm not 100% sure yet. So how do I go about getting health insurance? I'm 19 years old, (I know too young to have a child and so forth, but please, I just need to know about the health insurance) Thanks in advance. Oh and I live in Baltimore, Maryland, if that helps.

Blue cross blue shield

You cant't get insured if your pregnant (considered pre existing) however there are plans through your state that may be able to help you. If you go to a local pregnancy / womens clinic they should lead you in the right direction.

How to keep Health insurance from being cut because of low hours?

My sister is 6 months pregnant and just found out from her work today that her health care insurance is going to be cancelled this week because she is not making enough hours for her to keep her coverage. Is there anyway around this? Or any suggestions? She is married but her husband cannot add her to his coverage until enrollment period which is after her due date. He also makes to much to have medicade.

Her husband should advise his HR rep that his wife is losing benefits due to a reduction in hours at her employer. That should be considered a "qualifying event" and allow her to be added without waiting for open enrollment.

Otherwise, she should inquire with her current employer to confirm whether she will be COBRA eligible. But I'd go with the husband's coverage first...COBRA premiums are expensive! (You pay 100% of the total premium + an administrative fee.)

Since her losing the insurance is due to a drop in hours, this is a qualifying event which will enable her to be added to her husband's insurance before open enrollment. Since pregnancy cannot be counted as a pre-existing condition, she will have the insurance she needs for her pregnancy and delivery. Her husband should check with his HR to see how they coordinate this.

Good luck!

You can't. You can't make them keep her on there, the insurance company won't allow it.

She's going to have to take COBRA coverage with her current employer - although I strongly suggest that her husband COULD add her - her losing coverage through her employer should be a qualifying event, to get around the open enrollment issue.

Any way she can pick up extra hours for awhile? It's pretty common that part time employees aren't eligible for health benefits.

Yes, agreed...she'll qualify to be added to the husband's coverage, plus she may be eligible for COBRA as well.

check this site, it will help you

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Where can i find a good health insurance to pay for eye surgery?

Well I do not have health insurance and I was just wondering? Does anyone know of a good health insurance that would pay a large sum of money if I do get this surgery?

I don't know if you'll be able to get Health Insurance with a pre-existing condition but you can always try the National Eye Institute, which supports eye research, they dont help individuals pay for eye care, however, if you are in need of financial aid to assess or treat an eye problem, you might find one or more programs at their site below:

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/financialaid.asp

Also, getting quoted is free so you have nothing to lose by shopping around, these http://moneysavecenter.com/health/ will compare 12 carriers filling out just the one form so I saves a lot of time.

Hope you find something!

I had lasik eye surgery done along with the Wave technology(3d pictures of your eye formation). I had excellent results. I saved over $1400 on the procedure using a discount benefits company. I also get discounts on dental and prescriptions and it is only 19.95 a month. LOVE it.

http://www.mybenefitsplus.com/msmith

We have a great benefit plan that covers LASIK. It provides savings of 40% to 50% off the national average price on LASIK. The plan only costs $14.95 a month for an individual and you get Dental, Vision, Rx and Chiropractic benefits all together. We've saved thousands of dollars using the plan. I recommend it to everyone I know. You can research them here: http://www.HealthandDentalOptions.com

It really does depend on what surgery you are getting. Check out this site, it allows you to compare several different types/companies.

http://www.ezwebquote.com/

My family and I have a health benefits plan that will pay for some of the surgery. I could give you the link if your interested. my email is cherylpooleburns@yahoo.com Just send me a message.

It depends on the surgery. If you're talking LASIK, NOBODY pays for it.

Period.

I have met this sort of situation before,here http://www.HealthInsuranceIdeas.info/free-online-health-insurance.htm is the resource I found helpful.

health-quotes.isgreat.org - here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.

What kind of health insurance plans do college and professional sports teams get?

Do the athletes themselves have to make copayments and such as that for their own surgeries,doctor visits,etc. like the rest of us do?

What about the coaches? Is it the same for them? If I can get some answers from anyone who has worked with health insurance,good!

I worked for a large insurance company that happened to provide benefits to 2 NFL teams and 1 MLB team.

However, the players themselves were not covered by the "team" policy - I think that the NFL player's union coordinates the benefit plan for the actual players and their families. (like how other large unions coordinate benefit plans for union members)

The coverage we provided was for employees of the organizations who would not have been members of the players union, and also - in the case of the baseball team - the minor league players. But, in general, the sports teams that we covered (minus the players) had better than average benefits, compared to some of the other companies who had coverage through us.

I'd suspect that the players have pretty good coverage too, because job performance is so closely related to their health.

Professional athletes can't get a health insurance policy. Too many injuries. They're usually either self insured, or have "benefits" provided by the team owner.

School athletes will have health insurance through their parents policies through the employers - or can buy into the group athletic accident policy at the school.

Coaches are employees - covered by workers comp, for their injuries that are work related (like getting tackled by a player). They'd have a health policy similar to everyone else's.

What is the best health insurance provider?

My husband and I are self-employed and our health insurance from our previous employer is being terminated 04/01. We need a low premium, obviously, and preferably a low deductible. I am also looking for a plan that would help cover maternity once we are going to start a family. None of the plans that I have seen so far cover any of that. I have quotes from American Family and Blue Cross/ Blue Shield. Any advice?

healthplans.my-age.net - my family have this health insurance. It is affordable and has good coverage for dental issues.

almost every provider has great plans (which cost a lot of money), ok plans (for moderate amounts) and plans that don't cover much or pay much which are cheaper, so just saying you have a quote from these companies who is best is sort of meaningless. You need to review the costs and benefits and make your own determination.

Since you are self-employed, you should consider a plan that can be incorporated with a medical savings plans. These are higher deductible plans. But the cost of the premiums can be placed in a tax-free savings account. The money can be withdrawn at any time for medical bills (any medical bill such as the cost of aspirin or cancer treatment) or if money remains turns into a retirement program at age 60.

Depending on the date when you stopped being an employee of the previous employer and the reason why this happened, you MIGHT qualify for an additional 18 months of coverage at only 35% of the normal cost due to a recent law that temporarily reduces the cost of COBRA coverage by 65%.

Otherwise, you may be able to have a low premium or maternity coverage, but probably not both.

Are you trying to find the right health insurance? If so, and you are not having any luck, there is a chance you are looking in all the wrong places. Believe it or not, the best way to find the right health insurance is to help yourself. This means that you don't have to rely on anybody else. Instead, you should do a lot of the work on your own to ensure that you can make the right move when the time comes.

There are many ways you can help yourself find the right health insurance. First things first, you need to realize that you are your best help. You don't have to look to an outside broker or agent to assist you during the shopping process. This is a myth, but once you begin to search on your own you will find out that you are just fine.

To help yourself you need to know where the right, accurate information is located. And since you are going to be doing a lot of the work on your own there is no better place to start than the internet. There is a lot of information on health insurance available online including statistics, costs, policy information, and the ability to receive quotes. With the internet you are doing your part in helping yourself find the right health insurance policy.

I found a site on CNN that helps you get quotes according to all your requirements. Its an excellent too. Try it out

http://www.2insure4less.com/?s=234255&g=SubID&rdto=ht

Which insurance company offers the cheapest or lowest prices on car insurance? That varies by state, age, driving record and many other factors. No one company can be the best at everything. The key is to find an insurance company that can provide YOU with the coverage you need at an affordable price.

Visit http://www.InsuranceRatesAndQuotes.com, where completing one insurance quote request form enables you to request rates from multiple companies simultaneously

Do you have Kaiser in your area? Despite what some people say , Kaiser has some of the most all-inclusive, cheapest rates out there. They cover eye, maternity, children, ortho, podiatry, pharmacy, etc all in one place usually ( a med center) plus their outlying clinic.

www.lifehelpnow.info for health insurance info and help

I recommend you to look for your insurance in this site

heinsurance.notlong.com

Here you can find the best offers for health insurance in your area.

What the health insurance influences on?

I would like to know if a pregnant women can be treated in different ways depending on her health insurance. I can imagine that different health insurances can cover pregnancy in different way. For example with some health insurance the woman cannot get some services which she could get with another health insurance. Is that true? I also can imagine that different health insurances can have a different network of medical providers which could have different level of services and qualification of staff. Is that true?

Most health insurances will cover mostly anything to do with pregnancy.

But some health insurances do have a primary care provider and they will have to suggest you to another doctor.

Most doctors will do this because they actually care about their patients.

I hope i helped.

How do you obtain health insurance, for someone who is already in the hospital?

Hello,

My friend is already in the hospital. He was in a car accident. He does not have insurance, but I am trying to provide some kind of coverage for him. Most health insurance companies will not cover someone who is already in the hospital. And he does not qualify for Medi-Cal. So are there any other options available out there, so that he can get the surgery he needs?

You go to an agent to get some quotes, but it won't cover THIS accident!!

If he was in a car accident, he needs to put a claim in under his auto policy for medical costs, or the auto policy of the person who's car he was riding in.

Otherwise, he's going to have to sue the person at fault for the accident, but that can take years.

Since the accident has already occurred, unfortunately, your friend propbably won't be covered. The car accident is considered a pre-exisiting condition and health insurance companies will not cover pre-exisitnig conditions if you have not had coverage within the past 63 days. You might want to check with the billing department at the hospital and make payment arrangements.

If he was in a car accident and the hospitalization is a direct result of the accident, the car insurance should be picking up the tab.

I'm with ms- if he won't qualify for Medicaid/Medi-Cal, then he's SOL for regular insurance. Best bet is to throw himself on the mercy of the hospital- most have income guidelines, sliding scale fees and other programs to help cover bills of unisured patients- and many have financial counselors that can work with him to find the best solutions. Check around with the physician too- there will be seperate bills for hospital care and physician services. Often in hardship cases, the physicians may decide not to charge for their portion- but you have to ask. They may also be able to (or there may be a social worker available) who can refer him to low-cost or no-cost healthcare providers in the area for his follow up care.

Bottom line- ask everyone, don't be shy- there is bound to be some way to minimize the bills if you're willing to do some research.

Best of luck to both of you!

What are some affordable health insurance plans?

I am 20 years old and do not have health insurance and I need to get my wisdom teeth pulled! So i'm looking for an affordable health insurance.I've already applied for Medicaid and was denied.I need help please!

You can find the best health insurance offers in your area in one site, is very easy to get quotes from different quotes from the best companies.

It's dental insurance you need. Well actually if you get general anesthesia they will usually bill that to the medical insurance and the rest to dental. Regardless they might not pay as it would be pre-existing. You might be better off getting a low-cost, high-deductible HSA plan to cover against catastrophic illness, put money into your HSA and get a tax deduction, then use that money to pay for the oral surgery out of pocket. It will be much cheaper if you take local anesthesia instead of general.

YOu are not the only one who met this problem,I have met this type of problem before.I have good experience here http://www.HealthInsuranceIdeas.info/free-online-health-insurance.htm to solve my similiar problem.

healthquotes.awardspace.info - my family have this health insurance. It is affordable and has good coverage for dental issues.

What is the best health insurance and cheapest that covers medical, dental and vision in Miami, FL?

I am searching to find the best possible health insurance that offers the lowest rates/charges, since I am fed up with my previous one that was too expensive and did not cover may of my visits. I need the insurance that covers medical, dental and vision and that it is for Miami-Dade county, Florida. Does anyone know? Thank you very much!

Compare health insurance, 2insure4less:

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What is a good health insurance for children with special needs?

My son is on a feeding tube due to a small bowel transplant he received last year. My husband and I are returning to a full work schedule and our health insurance (Tricare) does not cover a nurse for him, or special daycare because his only special need is the feeding tube and the medication he receives through it. Apparently that's not enough. So is there a good company that I can purchase insurance through who will cover these types of things for him?

I'm sorry to hear about your son being in this condition.

There is not a company that will insure him to cover the medical problems that he has, that I know of. There are some which say they are guaranteed issue, and cover pre-existing conditions, but they are not Major Medical coverages, which you need.

You may google "Guaranteed Issue health Insurance" and take a look.

Contact the State Department of Health and Human Services. I'm sure you could get a medical card for him.

Best wishes, and God bless.

OK, the first thing - the best insurance for special needs children, or rather, the ONLY insurance you can get outside of your employer, would be Medicaid, through your state children's health insurance program. If you're stationed outside of the USA, I have no idea if/how it would work.

BUT, it's highly unlikely that a health insurance company is going to pay "long term care" type costs - which would include special needs daycare (heck, it doesn't pay ANY daycare!) or private nursing.

I think you should try having one of you stay at home with the child.

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I would think Medicaid would cover these things.

What is the waiting period on a health insurance policy?

I was in a car accident about 1 1/2 months after I got my new health insurance coverage. I didn't have personal injury protection on my auto insurance policy so i'm billing my health insurance for the costs.

Anyways they just sent me a letter saying that the services occurred within the waiting period of the policy therefore this claim is pending for receipt of physicians report.

What does all this mean? Can they deny the coverage?

Companies normally have a 60 day "underwriting period" to see if they even want to accept your application.

Since yours was a NEW application and still within this period, they are probably still waiting on reports from your doctors to see if you had any pre-existing conditions that might have caused the accident.

If not...you shouldn't have a problem - it just takes a little waiting time.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Waiting period, pre-existing condition... very similar clauses. My suggestion to you is to get on the phone, or go to the offices of the physician's you saw. Get those statements sent out to your insurance company ASAP! Most insurance companies only have 90 days to file claims, after that ... they deny them simply because the claim is old. So you will want to know how many days you have left to get these claims completed and processed.

Document everything!!!! The person you spoke with, their job title, the date and time you spoke with each person, and the contents of the discussion. Claims get lost all the time.... sometimes it's human error, other times its a dishonest human.

And finally... they can deny the claim, even if it was filed on it, because it may not meet their criteria OR they decided that the event wasn't based on medical necessity.

They can't deny your claim due to a "waiting period". Either you have insurance or you don't. It would't matter if this accident happened on the first day your health insurance was in force. They like to use stall tactics, but don't worry. They are waiting to get all of the information from your doctor. And if the accident wasn't your fault, they will want to go after the other person's insurance. If they keep denying your claim, send all of your information (medical records and the insurance denial letters) to your state's board of insurance. They will help you get your claim paid. Good luck.

Edit: What the others have said about pre-existing condition is true, but I didn't even bother to talk about it because you were in an auto accident so this obviously isn't pre-existing. That is, unless you had an accident due to a condition you had prior to getting this health insurance such as passing out due to a low blood sugar if you were a diabetic. You didn't mention anything about that so I assume you didn't have an accident due to a health problem. Therefore, no pre-existing condition, therefore, no waiting period.

There is no waiting period for a policy -- except for sometimes maternity. But, if you just get insurance and make a claim 6 weeks into it you'd have to understand that they're going to be a little suspicious.

Obviously in your case a car accident has nothing to do with pre-exisitng conditions, but the insurance company doesn't know the particulars of the claims. They only know that you're having a medical issue.

That's why they want to know. They will also send you a form to see if someone else is reponsible for the claim (i.e. due to an accident, worker's comp, law suit, etc..). So, you can expect that as well and know that is standard operating procedure as well.

In short, I wouldn't worry about it at this point.

Good luck,

Jeff

For a private policy, they can flat out decline to pay any pre-existing conditions - they don't need to pick them up after ANY time period.

For a group policy, it's usually 12 to 18 months.

What this means is, they're going to investigate carefully, to make sure this isn't a pre-existing condition. If it's pre-existing, they will deny it.

Can regular health insurance be used for health-related dental work?

I have not only very unhealthy teeth, but an undersized lower jaw. Both of which is causing quite a bit of health problems (from digestive difficulties to sleep apnia). With this being not merely dental, can my health insurance be used to fund some way of fixing this problem?

For a start get a bottle of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE and start brushing and mouth washing daily with it. It kills pain and heals oral problems. My dentist recommended this to me many years ago (I have mediocure teeth also) But the gums hold the teeth in, so when you get healthy gums your teeth are enormously better.

You need to see an Orthodontist for the undersized lower jaw.

My son had the same problem and was in Orthodonture 6 years to enlarge the bottom jaw. Of course your age may determine whether this can be solved now. He was 10-16 during his braces.

You might need a couple of teeth pulled to allow space.

It might be wise to buy some dental insurance that includes orthodonture coverage. To prepare for getting braces.

For digestive difficulties, have your thyroid checked, this can cause swollowing problems. Losing even 10 lbs. can correct your sleep apnea problem. My Mother in Law had it for her life, after going on Sythroid for her Thyroid, she lost 17 lbs and her sleep apnea totally went away. She was 83 when it finally stopped. The doctor had increased her Sythroid for her Thyroid imbalance.

For your stomach, drink a glass of Lemon water (about 3 Tablespoons in a glass) daily. This will correct the acid balance in your stomach.

If you have been on any medication for anything it can throw your acid balance out of whack. Lemon juice sounds illogical, we started using it to improve our metabolism and it fixed my 10 year old acid reflux problem.

Good Luck, I hope some of my suggestions help out.

Medication is good in some cases, but can cause other problems.

as far as i know , the general health insurance covers for only trauma related dental problems and not for surgerys for cosmetic reasons and other treatments ... any way get best advise from your insurance agent..

It depends on the type of treatment needed to correct the problem. If you require some oral surgery under GA it may be covered under your health insurance. You will need to discuss this with an oral surgeon who has hospital privileges. They are the most familiar with billing health insurance for dental treatment.

What is the best health insurance and life insurance policies to go with?

I am recently out of the military and need to purchase an individual health ins policy. However, I am not sure which ones are the best. I am a student, do they offer any good student policies? Also, is the SGLI to VGLI conversion a good change to make? If not, which is better term or whole life insurance policies?

OK, you're talking different horses here.

For health insurance, what is best? Lowest monthly premium? Least out of pocket costs when you visit the doctor? In either case, if you don't want the student plan (major medical with massive deductibles, but low premium) you should go see a local, independent agent for a real health insurance policy, not one of those medical discount scams.

For life insurance, what's the GOAL? Most people are best off with term - lowest premiums for the highest coverage. A FEW people have goals best met with whole life insurance. The key is, SET THE GOAL FIRST, then find the product that fits the need at the lowest cost.

And if you buy both through a local agent, you won't get scammed.

Universal Life insurance would be the best. It gives you death benefits and living benefits. If you would like to know more email me emyli3do@yahoo.com i'll gladly help explain it to you.

You might want to try and bookmark this site for research information on health insurance. news, articles and more. It may have the resources to help you with your question.

http://www.healthinsurance-guide.net/

You will not get a good answer concerning the health insurance here because companies and the plans within the companies vary by state. You'll want to visit a local independent agent who knows the market in your area and can find the best plan for your situation. Do not try to do this on the internet unless you have the time it will take to compare nearly 1000 plans. The agent can figure the best plan in an hour or two and they don't charge anything for the service.

The independent agent also can help with the life insurance. Generally speaking, the term policy is best for most people.

What is the best health insurance carrier for those self employed?

I'm very confused as to finding health insurance since I'll be self employed soon. Can anyone suggest a health carrier that is easy to get insured and are reliable? Thank you.

A lot depends on your personal situation and what state you live in.

Generally though you will want to stick with a large and trustworthy company like a United Healthcare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc.

Shop around and compare quotes from at least 3 companies to find the best rate. Here is some more info on some thing you should know when looking for self employed health insurance:

Finally, someone who is thinking clearly! I am an insurance agent myself and I don't recommend you going on line at all! You are going to get a ton of phone calls from agents who will promise you the world and come through on none of it!

If possible, try to find a local agent. But, in health insurance, that can be hard. Not all insurance agents sell it and even some that do, they are not all that good in it because it is not what they do a lot of. You need to find an agent that works only in health and if not only, then at least a large part of their business is health. Now, if you do hear of someone from out of town, or someone recommends an agent out of town, I would trust that because you won't be "applying" on line. You can work with them through email and phone.

OK, now to the actual companies. Don't worry about finding someone who is "easy" to get insured with. You won't have a problem with that anyways, UNLESS you have a lot or a major preexisting condition! Reliable and Affordable are the 2 key things. I sold Mega/Midwest for a little while.....and DO NOT recommend them at all! Their plans have a lot of open areas that could cause you to lose a lot of money if something major should happen. I had every single client I wrote on them to switch after I looked into their policies more. Blue Cross/Anthem, reliable and a trust worthy company. Their downfall, cost. They can be MUCH more expensive and even if their rate starts low they tend to raise rates yearly. They do have one of the best maternity plans. Any clients of mine who know they want children, I recommend them. Otherwise, I don't think the rates are worth it. American Family, I'll say one thing...I have an American Family Agent himself who insured himself with one of my other companies because even he won't put his family on their medical plan! Assurant, probably the best plan for self-employed individuals. Rates are very reasonable but you have great coverage. They have rate guarantees for up to 3 years, WONDERFUL! And, they have a stop loss in their plans. My son was put in the Riley Children's Hospital last year, one day alone was $8,000. The second day was $6,000 and the 3rd day $12,000! MY out of pocket expense: $1,000. I always say, you don't get insurance because you want to use it, you don't get it for that once a year check up, you get it for that one day you hope never comes. How comforting to know that if that day does come, your family will be taken care of.

Good luck finding someone. If you find a plan/company and want an honest opinion from someone, I would be more than happy to help. There is nothing worse than not knowing a topic very well and having to put all your trust in someone else! You can email me at rkinsurancesales @ gmail . com.

How to get an international health insurance for 5 days to satisfy the Schengen visa requirements for France?

I am traveling to France soon and the Sheghen visa requires me to produce the follow: "A letter from your insurance company (+ 1 copy) stating that you will be covered for any medical expenses, hospitalization and repatriation for at least $45,000 during your stay in Europe." The insurance available on the internet looks fake. Does anyone know any genuine website/ company to get a short stay health insurance from?

Thanks.

Get in touch with any insurance company in your country who provide health insurance or life insurance.They will make you go through a medical checkup and then you have to pay a premium and they will do your necessary insurance.

this would help you:

http://www.komsaan.com/insurance/index.php

Here is a site you can go to and input your information and purchase a policy online. You can also print your ID cards and insurance information as soon as the online application completed. It worked for our church group.

http://www.imglobal.com/travelinsurance/index.cfm?imgac=57397

What happens if you have health insurance through your job, then have to get new health insurance?

If you have health insurance with your employer then quit, how can you get new health insurance with your new employer because aren't they going to see all your pre-existing history from your old insurance company?

If you get join your new employer's health plan, they can't exclude pre-existing conditions if it's a group plan. They have to accept everybody. If you obtain any kind of health insurance within 60 days after leaving your job, by law the insurance company can't deny coverage of pre-existing conditions.

How should I do health insurance deduction from paycheck if I choose my own health insurance ?

I want to choose my own insurance instead of company sponsored plan.

Usually when we elect company sponsored plan the premium on health insurance

is tax deducted from the paycheck. But if I choose and pay my own insurance Can I still make tax deducted from each paycheck? or should I apply tax deduction during tax filing?

You can't payroll deduct if you are paying your premiums on a private insurance plan. The insurance company will be billing you not your company. If you are self-employeed, have 1099 income, you deduct the premiums from your taxes. You have to weigh the pros and cons of each and make an informed decision on which is better for you.

hi,

i have found this site one. hope will be useful. check it out :

http://looking-insurance.blogspot.com

You need to talk to your employer's payroll dept.

How to get health insurance for my unborn daughter?

I'm 22. I have health insurance coverage under my parents (it's just better insurance than I could get on my own, that's why I've kept it). However, I am pregnant and need to find insurance for my daughter for when she's born. Under my current insurance, I am covered but she is not.

My question is, what should I do? I got an application for Medicaid but will it cover her before she is born, even though I don't need insurance? Any advice?

You will have to wait until she is born. You will not be able to get a policy for her until then. You can apply for medicaid for yourself now (even if you do not use it) and add her within 30 days after birth, she will be covered. Some states allow the baby to be covered under the mom's medicaid for 60-90 days after the birth. Check with your state to see if they are one.

If you want private insurance for her, go to an independant agent and get the basics set up-know which policy you want to purchase ahead of time. Then when she is born, send the required paperwork in.

You cannot get coverage for her, before she is born. Medicaid, if you qualify, will possibly go back and cover her, if you apply for it soon enough.

But likely, you'll be out of pocket for her birth expenses, unless you use a birthing center or a homebirth, which won't charge for the BABY.

Medicaid will cover from conception, I am almost certain.

How and where to purchase health insurance for my mother, she is not a US resident?

I am US resident, my husband is US citizen. He has health insurance through his work which includes my coverage also. My mother lives in other country, she is 58 years old, she is not a US resident or citizen, and she has a visa that allows her to visit us and stay here for up to 6 month per year. I wonder if I can purchase health insurance for her here, in US.

Regular health insurance for visitors to US is expensive, especially if she is in fairly good health and doesn't need much health-card. You may be better off getting a Travel Insurance coverage with sufficient deductable for her stay in the US.

Travel Insurance provides coverage for travel beteen a few days and months.

Try to get US NetCare which is provides affordable and innovative health plans and medical insurance solutions for non-US citizens in America. US NetCare Health and Medical insurance plans are designed especially for the non-US citizen needs in America.

Typical situation you have like many other people,be patient and check out

the resource here http://www.HealthInsuranceFreeTips.info/free-health-insurance.htm i found useful.

Nope. You're not going to find an insurance company here in the USA willing to insure her.

blue cross and blue shield

How can I find a health insurance provider that will cover costs for getting Accutane?

Hi, I have never bought health insurance before, and I would like to know how I could find out if a particular health insurance provider would cover the costs of me going to a dermatologist and getting Accutane. Can anyone help me?

Humana offers an individual plan in which you would pay a $50.00

copay for this drug if you are approved and no limitations are provided by underwriting department.

You will have to admit during application you have acne, though

http://apps.humana.com/prescription_benefits_and_services/execreq.asp?processcode=3&srcsite=home&productid=4&ndc=00004016949

Also, this plan is not available in all states.

I have read several places that a full course of Accutane treatment costs around $3,000 but that is just from random Web browsing, and I would imagine that the course you take depends on the severity of your condition and how well your respond to treatment. A couple of cautionary observations before I go on, though. First, Accutane is a “last resort” acne treatment because of its potentially severe side effects, so make sure you really need to take something like this. Second, a personal side note: I dated a girl who took Accutane and it made her very, very depressed.

It’s always been my opinion that before you think about how to pay for a medical cost, you need to choose who will take care of you, what treatment is needed, and go from there. Pick out a dermatologist you trust and ask them about plans they participate in and about costs. Then comparison shop for different plans until you find one that you like. Accutane is covered by many different insurance companies, so that should not be a problem, as long as your doctor says you need the treatment.

Try MostChoice.com. You can quickly compare plans and talk with multiple state-licensed health insurance agents without any pressure to buy anything from anyone. But first I would find out who you want to treat you because that will affect your choice of health plan; you’ll want to be sure that your health care provider participates with the health insurance you end up buying.

You can visit MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm

I’ve included a couple of links to Web sites about acne and Accutane. I thought the community there might be a little more useful for you than this general forum.

Hope this helps,

Barnes@MostChoice

Because that's a risky and costly procedure, it may not be easy. Check the websites of the insurers - most of the big ones have them, and look at their formulary. (It's a list of all the drugs they cover and if it's preferred, it's cheaper, if it's not preferred, you're going to spend top dollar.)

If it's not a covered thing, you might able to prove medical necessity with help of your PCP and the derm. It's not a guarantee, because if something is not covered by a plan, you can't force them to cover it. You can show them it'd be cheaper in the long run if they cover it and hope for the best.

Good luck.

That could be a difficult task, asides from sitting there and calling all the insurance plans around you can try contacting the company that makes it and see if it is one of the medications the patient assistance program covers.

http://www.rocheusa.com/programs/patientassist.asp

How to get health insurance for my unborn daughter?

I'm 22. I have health insurance coverage under my parents (it's just better insurance than I could get on my own, that's why I've kept it). However, I am pregnant and need to find insurance for my daughter for when she's born. Under my current insurance, I am covered but she is not.

My question is, what should I do? I got an application for Medicaid but will it cover her before she is born, even though I don't need insurance? Any advice?

You will have to wait until she is born. You will not be able to get a policy for her until then. You can apply for medicaid for yourself now (even if you do not use it) and add her within 30 days after birth, she will be covered. Some states allow the baby to be covered under the mom's medicaid for 60-90 days after the birth. Check with your state to see if they are one.

If you want private insurance for her, go to an independant agent and get the basics set up-know which policy you want to purchase ahead of time. Then when she is born, send the required paperwork in.

You cannot get coverage for her, before she is born. Medicaid, if you qualify, will possibly go back and cover her, if you apply for it soon enough.

But likely, you'll be out of pocket for her birth expenses, unless you use a birthing center or a homebirth, which won't charge for the BABY.

Medicaid will cover from conception, I am almost certain.

How to get health insurance for my unborn daughter?

I'm 22. I have health insurance coverage under my parents (it's just better insurance than I could get on my own, that's why I've kept it). However, I am pregnant and need to find insurance for my daughter for when she's born. Under my current insurance, I am covered but she is not.

My question is, what should I do? I got an application for Medicaid but will it cover her before she is born, even though I don't need insurance? Any advice?

You will have to wait until she is born. You will not be able to get a policy for her until then. You can apply for medicaid for yourself now (even if you do not use it) and add her within 30 days after birth, she will be covered. Some states allow the baby to be covered under the mom's medicaid for 60-90 days after the birth. Check with your state to see if they are one.

If you want private insurance for her, go to an independant agent and get the basics set up-know which policy you want to purchase ahead of time. Then when she is born, send the required paperwork in.

You cannot get coverage for her, before she is born. Medicaid, if you qualify, will possibly go back and cover her, if you apply for it soon enough.

But likely, you'll be out of pocket for her birth expenses, unless you use a birthing center or a homebirth, which won't charge for the BABY.

Medicaid will cover from conception, I am almost certain.

How to get health insurance for my unborn daughter?

I'm 22. I have health insurance coverage under my parents (it's just better insurance than I could get on my own, that's why I've kept it). However, I am pregnant and need to find insurance for my daughter for when she's born. Under my current insurance, I am covered but she is not.

My question is, what should I do? I got an application for Medicaid but will it cover her before she is born, even though I don't need insurance? Any advice?

You will have to wait until she is born. You will not be able to get a policy for her until then. You can apply for medicaid for yourself now (even if you do not use it) and add her within 30 days after birth, she will be covered. Some states allow the baby to be covered under the mom's medicaid for 60-90 days after the birth. Check with your state to see if they are one.

If you want private insurance for her, go to an independant agent and get the basics set up-know which policy you want to purchase ahead of time. Then when she is born, send the required paperwork in.

You cannot get coverage for her, before she is born. Medicaid, if you qualify, will possibly go back and cover her, if you apply for it soon enough.

But likely, you'll be out of pocket for her birth expenses, unless you use a birthing center or a homebirth, which won't charge for the BABY.

Medicaid will cover from conception, I am almost certain.

How to get health insurance for my unborn daughter?

I'm 22. I have health insurance coverage under my parents (it's just better insurance than I could get on my own, that's why I've kept it). However, I am pregnant and need to find insurance for my daughter for when she's born. Under my current insurance, I am covered but she is not.

My question is, what should I do? I got an application for Medicaid but will it cover her before she is born, even though I don't need insurance? Any advice?

You will have to wait until she is born. You will not be able to get a policy for her until then. You can apply for medicaid for yourself now (even if you do not use it) and add her within 30 days after birth, she will be covered. Some states allow the baby to be covered under the mom's medicaid for 60-90 days after the birth. Check with your state to see if they are one.

If you want private insurance for her, go to an independant agent and get the basics set up-know which policy you want to purchase ahead of time. Then when she is born, send the required paperwork in.

You cannot get coverage for her, before she is born. Medicaid, if you qualify, will possibly go back and cover her, if you apply for it soon enough.

But likely, you'll be out of pocket for her birth expenses, unless you use a birthing center or a homebirth, which won't charge for the BABY.

Medicaid will cover from conception, I am almost certain.

Why was my health insurance terminated when I am 20 and fulltime college student?

I am a dependant on my mother's health insurance from her employer. Recently I was sent a mail requesting a proof of enrollment to show that I am indeed a full-time student. I put in a proof of enrollment that I am taking the 12 units in college, plus I also sent a copy of my schedule for this semester.

Today I get a letter saying that my insurance has been terminated and I am no longer eligible because of my age.

I thought full time students who are 21 and under can still be placed as a dependant? Is there a chance they just didnt receive my mail? If thats so, then why didnt they state that they didnt receive the required proof of enrollment instead of terminating me for my age?

I want to call them but they are closed for the weekend, so any advice from you guys so I know what I am saying when im on the phone with them would be helpful.

It doesn't matter what your grades are - just that you are enrolled for full time status.

I can see 2 scenarios happening here -

1) They just didn't get the info. When you sent it in, did you include something referencing you as a dependent on your mom's policy? If the document only had your name on it, they may not have been able to identify what policy it went with and thus weren't able to process it correctly. (Note to everyone - include the policy ID number and the name of the insured individual on ANY documents you send to your insurance company. It will be extremely helpful in making sure your document is processed correctly.)

2) Is the school you're attending accredited? Sometimes there's a clause that you have to be attending an accredited university, so if a person were attending a technical school, beauty school, etc. full time it wouldn't count.

I suspect in your case that #1 occurred, and you should be able to get this resolved on Monday.

Also, you can make the call yourself - anyone on a medical policy can make calls and discuss their own information, it doesn't only have to be the cardholder. (Sure, if you had never been on the policy at all, your mom would have to make the call. But you can call to discuss your own personal information, which includes full time student documentation.)

19 is the usual cut off. Also, they may not see 12 units as full time, as that is a very light load and most colleges would not even accept you as a student with only a couple of classes.

Just call them and let them know about the whole issue. It's probably a simple mistake.

Contact them by phone and ask fo an explanation or write to them again.

This varies from policy to policy. Some cut off at 19, some at 24/25.

Health insurance costs are rising dramatically. Far outpacing our wages and far outpacing any increase in company profits. One of the only ways to still offer insurance at all is to cut the benefits. The policy for my company has nearly tripled in less than 10 years. Our employees pay 20% of the cost AND 100% of the extra cost for spouse/kids. The coverage ends at 19 for dependents. We had no choice, it was either accept it, pay it, or we would cancel it all together.

I would imagine that your mom's policy has changed. As the policy is actually your mother's she is the one that needs to call.

Sorry

Maybe for grades???

not sure perhps 20 ther cutoff point get profesional advise

Read your contract (policy).

As long as you are full time I think you have the right to stay with them. Check with them Monday - they made a mistake. If you have a lot of healthcare expenditures get an attorney.

PS: Never let your healthcare lapse if you can help it before getting insured with another company. If something happens to you in between they will all reject you! (USA! USA!)

The only way you'll know for sure is when you speak with them on Monday. Just explain to them what you explained to us. Your mother should be the one to call since it's her policy not yours, there's a good chance that they won't speak to you since you are not the primary policy holder. As you said full time students are covered, 12 units is not full time that might be their reason for terminating your policy. But you won't know their reason until you've spoken to them. Usually once terminated they might not put you back on again without a premium.

Why does the government require car insurance but not health insurance?

Why is it that they care more about making sure the other person's property gets fixed and not about the health of the people involved?

This is a random thought driving home today from work.

What do you think. Should health insurance be required instead of car insurance?

Your insurance with cover repairs for YOUR car if someone wrecks into you but they do not have insurance. The purpose of the law is that everyone had car insurance, if someone hit your car, their insurance would have to pay and your insurance would not raise your principle. I am sure that if you read your insurance policy closely, it will say it only covers damage to other cars... unless you have a compehecive (sp?) policy in which case it will cover both cars.

Massachusetts is considering or has already passed a law requiring everyone to have health insurance.

The government has the jurisdiction over the roads and putting into law what conditions have to be met in order to use them. They don't have that jurisdiction over one's health.

Also, even if the law didn't require insurance, the bank financing your loan would until it's paid off.

One is not legally required to own a car, the insurance premium one pays is only required of them because they have a car.

If one gets sick, they don't have to see the doctor, if they're insured or not. Car insurance is to protect other people who may incur damages from your driving. If someone doesn't want to insure themselves medically, that's their business.

Its much simpler than the other answers. The state can deny you the privilege of driving you car on the road if you do not have auto insurance. They do not have the power to deny you the right to live if you do not have health insurance. If they could figure out a way they would make you have health insurance.

Where they require health insurance, what are they going to do if you can not afford an insurance policy. Someone with a severe preexisting condition could have a good job and still not afford a policy.

The required automobile insurance you are referring to is called "Automobile Liability Insurance". This is insurance that provides property and medical coverage to someone else if you are involved in an accident and it is determined you are at fault.

(Collision Automobile Insurance, which is extra coverage on the same policy, covers property damage to your car and is covered if you are at fault or even slid into something - anything that is not the fault of the other party - if the other party was at fault, your property would be covered by THEIR liability insurance)

Collision insurance is only required if you have an outstanding loan on your car through a financial institution (this is called a lien). This is because whoever (the morgagor) loaned you (the mortgagee) money for the car needs to make sure that the insurance will pay for damages (so they will be paid) in the event you negligently wreck your car.

Heath insurance is optional because the only person that is covered is you (not the PUBLIC at LARGE). Further, your own policy most likely also has personal protection that includes medical expenses for you to in the event of an accident - depends on the policy.

Health insurance is for accidental injury, illness, doctor's visits - usually not directly associated with a car accident - and this, again, depends on the insurance policy, circumstances, etc.

I know this is a lot, but thought I'd give you a good understanding of it.

Car insurance is required to protect OTHER people's property--not your own.

Unless we're worried about untreated pneumonia being passed around by poor folks, that's not going to be an issue.

*********************************

Goes to show you what good it does to "require" people to have insurance. BTW, I think you either need better car insurance or a lucky rabbit's foot.

Car insurance that is required covers the party's injuries, not usually the property.

You are required to have insurance to cover the damage you do to others with your car, but if you don't insure your own health why should anyone else care?

Good Luck

Car insurance isn't for YOU, it's for the other party. Health insurance is totally up to you, just like your optional car insurance (collision and comprehensive)

You don't need auto insurance if you operate your car, truck, suv, etc... on your own property. You are required to have it when you go into the public. The purpose is to protect the public from damage you cause.

i guess cause other people care more about you damaging their car and you not paying for it than themselves getting injured and not be able to afford it. Whats more likely to happen? myself getting injured or some jackbutt hitting my car?

not having car insurance affects others not having health insurance affects yourself. no i dont think health insurance should be required.

MA just started a law requiring health insurance, or get fined on your taxes.

Because if I don't take care of my body and die, you lose nothing - but if I don't insure my car when I crash into you - you lose!

It's about liablility... not protecting ourself.

How can I get health insurance for myself and family and pay for it as business expense without employees?

I'm a successful part time entrepreneur in California, but I maintain my day job because of the group health insurance they offer. I'd like to cut the apron string and go out completely on my own, but the insurance situation holds these plans hostage.

I don't want to buy private health insurance, I would like to structure my one man business so that I can easily purchase group health insurance for myself and family. I'd like to purchase group insurance as opposed to private insurance so that I don't have to deal with preexisting conditions and riders, etc. Since I'm still a sole proprietor, I have plenty of leeway in regards to business structure, and I'm willing to change whatever is necessary to get the best deal possible.

How can I get health insurance for myself and family and pay for it as business expense without employees?

In order to get group coverage you must have a minimum of four employees and have 75% participation to qualify.

you can't legally.

Every states has different guide line for the group insurance. I suggest to check this

http://www.insureme.com/landing.aspx?Refby=614138&Type=health

you will be contacted by the licensed agents who can help your question. It is free!

First you need to find an insurance company that will sell you group insurance. I don't think it's going to be possible because of the fact you have no employees.

Companies are not going to be interesting in providing group plans (with them giving a group discount) without a group for economies of scale.

If you have a large family that is of employable age you MIGHT be able to employee them and have them covered.. BUT you're going to be paying for it like they were all separate families.. not in a covered policy of your own.

I would be surprised if you could get this to work. I've heard TV commercials for small business insurance plans.. might want to google that.

How are you paying for health insurance if you are one of the millions recently laid off?

I know COBRA is available for many, but it is very expensive to keep up and runs only for a limited period. Questions like this have been asked before and those against governement supported health care just accused those who didn't have health insurance as lazy losers. But with the economy crashing, the scenario has changed. If you aren't employed anymore and have no income and little savings, what are you doing for health insurance?

There are many things that are expensive. COBRA is reasonable. If insurance is important to someone they need to make that sacrifice. I guess we should be paying for their food and homes. Those are expensive and a necessity. Where does it stop?

\

Bad things happen. That is life. Hard times come and tough decisions have to be made. That still does not make it anyone else's reponsibility to care for you. And you need to talk to COBRA again. That figure, according to the guy I just spoke to , seems inflated.

Find a high-deductible policy. Mine is about $120 with a $5000 deductible, with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. It was much less than COBRA, though of course the COBRA policy would have had a much smaller deductible. Also though you will be responsible for the amount up to the deductible, the insurance company should be negotiating lower prices with the hospitals. It is important to continue some kind of coverage as you will at least limit your out-of-pocket expenses to your deductible amount and ensure that you have continuous coverage. If you have a break in coverage, you may not be able to buy insurance later if you develop a medical condition in the meantime. If you know your situation is temporary (i.e. need coverage between jobs) a temporary policy is often even cheaper, but not designed for long-term use. It is an good choice for recent grads between school and work too.

Fortunately for me, I still have a job, but I have friends and family who have lost theirs. They were not able to keep up with their Cobra payments, and some have lost their homes, not because they made a bad loan, but because both husband and wife lost their jobs. Some have dropped health care in order to pay their mortgage. I think this is one of the reasons Obama added 54 billion to strenghten welfare, as he I believe is looking to the future. I think we will have at least another 2 years of job loss. If that money does not get into the welfare system, we are doomed.

I think most of the people that use the term lazy losers, are losers themselves. Or still living off daddy.

COBRA is very expensive to have especially when your low on finances. I would look into getting some health insurance quotes from your local agent. There are many health plans out there that are much cheaper than COBRA.

COBRA is not a reasonable alternative. If my husband were to lose his job right now (and his benefits obviously) The COBRA plan would cost us around $1200 a month to cover our family.

We couldn't afford to pay that NOW with both of us working, let alone if one of us lost our job.

In what world is $1200 a month a reasonable option?

A lot of people go to emergency rooms because legally, ER's cant deny treatment despite ability to pay.

Medicare.

With a credit card with 0% APR until June. But my premium is just $230/mo.

My guess is they're not.

I see there are some naive posters here. I found myself laid off last year. I was 35. My COBRA payment? $345/month

A private policy was $135/month. For my 45 year old coworker, a private policy $485/month not including her son and that was roughly half what the COBRA payment would have been.

How can any sane person call that reasonable for someone who just lost their job?

Wow, $1,200 a month, you must have had really awesome coverage with your previous job. My COBRA was $600 for me, wife, and 3 kids and that was higher than most people I know who have used it. I know COBRA matches your insurance you had with your employer and the better coverage or higher cost insurance you had, the more it will be.

But like the other person said, emergency services can not refuse treatment so it's not like you're going to die just because you have no health insurance if you're a somewhat healthy person.

$1,200 is crazy though and I would suggest shopping around for a higher deductible and lower coverage policy to save $ rather than pay that crazy high price.

As far as being laid off, I hope things work out for you. My suggestion for everyone is to make sure you're keeping your family in mind as top priority and not depending on anyone else whether it be an employer or the government as your only chance of filling needs. Keep a backup source of income/tradeskill and work hard to keep your job secure and company profitable. Too many people get in the groove of a 9-5 paycheck not planning for the "what if".

I honestly believe that if a person *wants* health care, as they do other insurances, they will find a way. I know so many people who could easily afford health insurance had they not run up credit card debt, bought more car and house than they needed, etc.......It is all your level of contentment. There are still people who live by their means.

Otherwise, they will be perfectly happy to sit back and let the government provide it, which is not the role of the government.

** .....and we already provide health care for the very poor....

How many health insurance policies written in USA in 2007 or 2006?

We understand that 49 million plus Americans do not have health insurance. There is individual and there is family insurance. Therefore, if 300 million Americans and 50 do not have health insurance then 250 million do. Were 250 million policies written?

Well, your numbers are off. About 42 million PEOPLE here in the US have no health insurance, and about HALF of them aren't Americans. So you're looking at about 21,000,000 Americans. HALF of them are uninsured by choice. They don't WANT the health insurance.

No, there aren't 250 million policies written. The vast, vast majority of Americans are covered by group health plans. My husband's employer has ONE policy, which covers over 3,000 employees, AND THEIR FAMILIES. Maybe, 15,000 people total.

No one collects the number of policies there are in force. It's too vast a project, and every day, the number changes.

Most of the 10mil that want it and can't afford it, it's not really about affording - it's about them already having pre-existing conditions, and no health insurer wants them. You have to buy the health insurance BEFORE stuff goes wrong. Like the lottery. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/accuse_write?qid=20080604192758AAW8lfb&kid=Ec19WWe4U2RZCU5xwFLAda4tVLz4lY8Y4mGjrVXduZIrKyNQpnuf&s=comm&date=2008-06-05+12%3A48%3A49&.crumb=

What health insurance would offer the best coverage for rhinoplasty/septoplasty?

I'm having rhinoplasty. Health insurance should cover some of it since I'm going to correct a deviated septum for breathing problems. Anyone know what health insurance plan/s provides the most coverage for this procedure. I live in southern CA. Thanks.

A surgery like that will cost lots of money.. so you'll definitely want to search EVERY health plan..

You'll want to know what the pro's and con's are of each service...

I had neck surgery 2 or 3 weeks ago..

this is the site i used:

http://hot-auctions.info/healthplancomparison.php

If the procedure is medically necessary, it should be covered as would any other illness or injury. If it is only for cosmetic reasons, it won't be covered. Ask your doctor if (s)he can help you sell it as medically necessary. Then call your insurance company and ask for a pre-approval of the procedure.

Good luck

Don

http://mtnhealthinsurance.com

What is a discount health insurance plan for self employed in California who is an Urban Planner?

I know that certain trade organizations offer discount health insurance under group rates if you join. However, I am unaware of any groups for a person who is self employed as an expeditor--a person who works in the urban planning field filing cases. He pays a exhoribant monthy premium for his health insurance.

This site has helped me. Great savings!

http://www.premierhealthcaresavings.com/196593/

Good luck to you!

How can i tell if my health insurance benefits are pre taxed?

Keep in mind, your health insurance premiums can't be deducted if they're taken out of your paycheck as pre-tax dollars. However, after-tax health insurance premiums are deductible, but they still are subject to a limitation of 7.5% of your AGI. If you're self-employed, you may deduct a portion of your health insurance premiums as an adjustment. The self-employed deductible portion is 100% in 2007.

Ask your employer. They will tell you. Actually they should provide a form for you to sign every year verifying your benefit selections and how you want to have your healthcare premiums treated.

Nearly all healthcare insurance through a job are part of a Section 125 plan and are deducted pre-tax. You generally have the option to pay them with tax paid dollars but I'm at a loss to explain how that could be beneficial to anyone.

If you have to ask your employer, your pay statements are NOT well designed. MY pay statement has 3 sections under deductions: Pre-Tax Deductions, Taxes, and Other deductions. Which section is your insurance deduction under? If that doesn't help, you will have to ask your employer. You mentioned self-employment. If you are self employed and need to ask, you NEED an accountant DESPERATELY.

OKay, it's nice that you read a publication somewhere (it made for a funny looking question since you quoted from the pub).

When you get your W-2, look at box 14, many companies list the amount of health care benefits there. Also Compare the amount in box 2 (your wages for social security purposes) and the amount shown as ytd wages on your last paycheck stub. If your health care was pre-tax, the amount in box 2 will be LESS than the YTD wages on the paycheck.

Boston--Pre-tax health care lowers your social security earnings. This *will* ultimately reduce the monthly payment one receives from SSA. It *may* also affect how pension payments are paid out. I happen to be a devout saver--anything I don't pay as taxes now, I save. My savings should be enough to compensate for any loss in benefits.

The quick estimator at the SSA web site (plugging in $40,000 and 41,500 as the annual income with pre and post tax dollars) shows about a $30 difference in monthly benefits.

At the 15% tax bracket, someone would pay $20/month more in tax now.

If FERS uses the $40,000 number for retirement (assuming 20 years government service) , that would be another $25 a month as well.

What health insurance is best and affordable for my wife?

We had a baby 3 months ago, but I am looking for health insurance that is good and affordable for my wife. Any suggestions?

Yea it sucks how our health-care system hasn't caught up yet. It makes me furious. Anyhow, I've heard Blue Cross/Blue Shield is good and I believe it's the most inexpensive. I had Cigna for a while and that was good. Health-Net is pretty good only if you don't have any pre-existing conditions otherwise they really raise the premium. Look into Eatna as well. I've heard there a little more pricier in comparison to the others but I've also heard that they seem to cover more.

Hello,

Unfortunately this is not a quick answer. There are some things to consider:

If buying insurance in the the private insurance market there are many different types of plans. There are several questions that you will want to ask before selecting a plan:

1) Will I need my wife's plan to cover maternity for future babies? Some plans cover maternity, some do not.

2) How much premium can I afford to pay every month?

3) If something major should happen to my wife, what would be the maximum that I could afford to pay. (This will help determine the deductible of the plan that you'll pick)

There are wesbites available that will allow you to look at plans from several carriers (Blue Cross vs. Health Net vs. Aetna, etc) and compare benefits and premiums. A site like this could be helpful in your research.

The typical rule of thumb will be that the higher monthly premium you pay for a plan, the better or "richer" the benefits will be. That is a trade off that applies accross all carriers for the most part. Have you wife think about how much she used her health plan in a "typical" year. (i.e., non maternity year) This can help you pick a plan that will not having you paying for services you don't need, but will provide the coverage that you and your wife want.

Good luck!

Kathy K

www.premiumwatchdog.com

There is no possible way for us to answer this. Health insurance (if you are not able to get in on a group insurance plan through work) is based on previous health history. You should NEVER LIE on these. Because we don't know your wife's health background, we can't give you an answer. ALL companies charge based on history, sex, and smoking.

www.ehealthinsurance.com

You seem to not really know a lot about this subject, so you are going to want to get someone to help you understand what all the termanology is so that you don't make a costly mistake. If you are married, most every employer will allow you to add both your wife and your dependant (your child). This will be at a MUCH lower cost than buying something seperate. If you are NOT married, many states have rights for opposite sex domestic partners on their insurance plans. If YOU are working, go to your HR department and speak with your "Benifits Coordinator" to ask all the questions you need to ask. They are there to help!

Leave America. France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand...actually most of the developed countries in the world have good health insurance but it is not available in the US because...well ask the insurance companies why not.

In general, these days (21st century) the best is a combination of a HSA plan extremely high deductible and MySimpleCard for the everyday dr's visits. Best overall coverage for the buck as a combination. Give us more details and we can help more specifically.

Are health insurance premiums that I pay and are deducted from my paycheck paid with after-tax dollars?

My health insurance is through my employer but I have to pay part of the premium and it is deducted from my paycheck each pay period. I am filing my taxes and am being asked if the premiums are paid for with after-tax dollars. Any answers?

Premiums are tax deductable as a part of your medical expenses if you are filing long form. You add up every co-pay you made to doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions and the total cost you paid for these premiums and then you get a percent of that total back on your taxes. Anything that you paid for any type of health care is deductable as long as you have a receipt (or in the case of health premiums you pay) they are on the W2.

No, if your insurance is deducted from your paycheck it is paid before taxes. The question is referring to people who purchase insurance individually outside of work.

It could be either way depending on what kind of plan your employer has set up.

Your pay stub should have a break down of what went where.

Taxes are usually taken out first thing, then other things such as credit union, health ins. and so on.

Medical expenses, including ins. are deductible IF they exceed a certain % of you income (long form).

And simple enough, you may be able to ask your employer or someone that does payroll. (Hope you get a refund:)

You should be able to tell from your pay statements. If you can't, ask your employer.

They are with after-tax dollars unless you are participating in a section 125 plan or the like.

I pay mine with pre-tax dollars because my employer gives me that oppurtunity. It actually says on my paystub that the amount taken from me was pre-tax. If it doesn't state it on your paystub, you'd have to ask whomever does the payroll at your place of business to confirm how the deductions were taken from you.

You should be able to get that information from your HR/company. A lot of companies have what they call a "cafeteria plan" which pays your insurance first then the rest of the income is taxed.

What would happen to health insurance companies if government take over the health insurance system?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that Obama is trying to push a public health system that will allow everybody to have health insurance no matter what pre existing conditions he or she may have.

If this is reached, what would happen to insurance carriers like Blue Cross, Blue Shield? Will we need these companies and health insurance agents?

They would definitely shrink, but they would still be around. Look at Medicare, they have supplement polices which the individual has to pay. If you think the government is going to pay for Heart surgery, Cancer treatment, you're in for a rude awakening.

If they wanted to become a participating payor in the government plan they would have to agree to the payment formulary outlined by the government. For the companies that chose to go along with the government plan, you'd end up seeing a whole lot more HMO type plans available and the PPO plans would pretty much go away. Those that didn't participate as payors under the government's terms would pass their extra costs on to the consumer purchasing the insurance. If doctors are given an option to participate, they'll refuse to accept the government plans and will jack up their costs to private pay insurance clients (the same as many are doing with Medicaid today). If it's all nationalized and we fall under one payor, just take a look at how Medicaid works today and that's what you'll get. Doctors will also close up shop. Demand will be high and supply of qualified health care professionals will be low.

Edit - Another thing to consider is that there will be unanticipated levels of enrollment if they leave multiple payors in place and only have the government plan for those whose employers don't offer coverage. Larger businesses will be required to offer insurance, but businesses with few employees won't. Those small businesses that are offering it now will stop. Their employees will then become dependent on the government health care system. My mom's a small business owner and pays part of her employee's insurance costs now. I can assure you that if this kicks in she'll drop it. She's having a hard enough time keeping her doors open as it is and that would save her a ton. This is exactly what happened when Hawaii went to their plan to insure all children in the state. People dropped their private insurance and used the state insurance. The program lasted for about 6-7 months before the state couldn't afford it any more.

@ bob k - If you think the greedy insurance companies are bad about determining what care you will and will not receive, wait until the government decides that for you. Ask any Medicaid patient about how much say they or their doctors have in the care that they receive, and you'll love your greedy insurance company.

It will just be more people out of work and on the Obama welfare roles if he is able to put public health insurance out of business, like he is trying to. As Obama comes out with more of his spending plans, it is painfully obvious that his goal is to destroy public businesses and cause Americans to be forced out of work and onto his welfare roles.

Currently the way we ration health care is via the health insurance industry. Those who can't afford insurance go without. Those who can afford insurance, have profit motivated employees decided which treatments will be covered.

Medical dollars could be spent much more efficiently without the profit motive. Just as out of business brokers and bankers are now becoming federal bank auditors (from NPR yesterday) so could current health insurance experts move into the government and work FOR the people instead of against them.

We'd see the end of tobacco companies. Alcohol and the snack food industry would be out on a short leash as they should be.

Companies that are detrimental to health should pay for the medical expenses in their entirety. Republicans should agree as they are always screaming about being responsible and accountable.

Why should we pay for the damages inflicted by the tobacco industry? They make profit from their victims and we pick up their tab for the damages they caused. Give me a break.

Being a doctor will no longer be an economically suitable job. Therefore, med students or med student hopefuls and current doctors will begin to pursue other professions. So people who need medical attention will still pay for it through taxes, and they'll get a lesser quality of care.

Kind of a lose-lose situation, if you ask me.

And it increases dependency on the government... And it gives illegals, who DON'T pay their taxes, free health care - meaning we get to pay for them if they break a leg, even though they're here breaking our laws.

Make that a lose-lose-lose-lose situation.

From my limited knowledge of the USA system I'd say that nothing much would change. The state health system would become a bit better and private health systems would continue to operate just like they operate now.

There's no need to reinvent the wheel. If you need further answers, just look at all the other countries that went through it already and see what happened there. You can see Canada, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Cuba, in fact I think everyone else I can think of.

From John B to John A: Most of these health care partners would fall under heavy pressure and would either merge to form one central health care conglomerate or they would wither away due to the universal aspect of health care that Obama is trying to implement. Best believe that people would still continue to put their trust in the private health sector.

Nothing would happen. Obama's plan is an option, not a mandate.

It is only available to those that are not offered health ins. through their employer, or those that can't afford high cost insurance.

The HMO's will stop making their trillions of dollars. A doctor will decide what care is needed instead of some CEO at Blue Cross making 40 million a year. The drug companies will have to stop ripping us off too. Good question.

To all you racists: Barack will fix this bushed up economy and George will be found guilty of war crimes.

If there is a "public" system, there would be no need for insurance companies in the health care area. The people employed by the insurance companies would have to get an other job, like selling automobiles or real estate.

They will cease to exist as what happens when the government becomes a player in the market instead of an arbiter. We get to watch the government simultaneously regulate the health care back into the Stone Age while eliminating the competition.

It's called Universal Health Care, where everyone is insured.

It's amazing, you actually get doctors making the decisions for you instead of the greedy business CEOs of the insurance agencies.

well... I mean the gov. will need A LOT of people that do the same jobs that people do for these insurance companies...

not all but many...

the sales people would be the ones that were really hurt... no need to try and sale, if the gov. has mandates...

They will still be around but they will become unofficial government agencies controlled by beaurocrats just like the one that run the DMV, exciting isn’t it.

If everyone is guaranteed coverage then you don't need insurance industries. It would solve the issue of insurance lobbying.

they will close down and add to the jobless people in america plus the landslide it would do to the financial market when they go belly up

It would turn into a mess. Many people would loose their jobs & more big government would be created.

Bob K: I think you are delusional

Blue Cross would be a thing of the past, as would quality health care.

They become government workers.

cuts out the middleman.

How the heck can you defend a multi BILLION dollar industry that produces NOTHING.

It would be screwed up just like everything else they touch

We will go to Mexico to get Health Care.

Government can't even fix our roads. What do you think?

A single payer health care system would replace all the health insurers. They would all have to go find work elsewhere. This would result in billions of dollars in savings.

the 3500+ health insurers each have their own billing requirements that tie doctors and hospitals up in red tape and has spawned a 5 billion dollar medical billing industry. That would all be replaced by a single billing standard - saving the system nearly 5 billion dollars per year.

Since there will be one source for insurance, all doctors, hospitals, and specialists will be "in the network", resulting in greatly expanded choice for people who otherwise are restricted by HMOs and PPOs.

Everyone will be insured, so there will be no incentive for waiting until the medical condition is in crisis. This will result in far less use of ERs (the most expensive form of care). Thus, ERs will be freed up so they can concentrate on those who really need emergency care. This will result in faster ER responses and billions of dollars in cost savings.

Once insurance companies no longer interfere with yours and your doctors decisions, the quality of care should increase dramatically.

As far as I've seen, nobody has mentioned reducing doctor pay. And I hope they never do. But even if they did, it would not result in fewer doctors. Where would they go? It's not as if they can go anywhere else in the world to get the kind of pay they get here. Even at reduced rates, they still would be the best paid in the world.

Those thieves and cheaters will be out of business.

How to get health insurance for Dubai visit visa?

Hi, I am planning to bring my husb and kid on visit visa. I heard that the health insurance is mandatory for visit visa. Where (or how) to get (or how to apply) this health insurance for vist visa. Please advice. Thanks.

Check your domestic health insurance (if any) and bank (if you have a "premium" type account); the might include travel insurance.

If not, try the people who you buy home/car/pet insurance from; they might offer you travel insurance at a reduced rate.

In the UK, the Post Office usually has the best deals on travel insurance, but I don't know how common this practice is in the rest of the world.

First make sure that your current health insurance plan does not cover you internationally. Most Blue Cross Blue Shield ( http://www.RxMom.com/BlueCross/ ) do actually have overseas benefits.

Next visit http://www.rxmom.com/travel to get very affordable Travel Insurance Plans that include hospitalization and emergency evacuation and trip interruption benefits.

You have many choices so please make sure to select the plan that meets the requirements of the visa authority and your length of stay( You may want more benefits than they require, just for your own protection)

What affordable health insurance would you recommend for my uninsured 21 year old daughter?

She works full time but her employer charges an outrageous amount of money for health insurance. I know there are many many young people who don't have health insurance, mostly because of the cost of high insurance premiums. But my daughter really needs it cause she has some health issues that will stay with her for a lifetime.

this link will help uhttp://www.archive.org/details/healthcarecovera00unit

Am I able to write off Health Insurance Premiums for tax purposes at the end of the year?

I am looking to purchase my own health insurance instead of going through my company. I know that the company takes out the cost on a pre-tax basis, but their insurance is not the greatest. If I do decided to sign up for health insurance, will I be able to use the cost of my own health insurance as a deduction fo tax purposes?

You may deduct qualified medical expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents, including a person you claim as a dependent under a Multiple Support Agreement. You can also deduct medical expenses you paid for someone who would have qualified as your dependent for the purpose of taking personal exemptions except that the person did not meet the gross income or joint return test.

You deduct medical expenses on Form 1040, Schedule A (PDF), Itemized Deductions. The total of all allowable medical expenses must be reduced by 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income. For more information, refer to Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.

If you asked specifically about insurance, why did you pick the only answer that did not mention insurance as 'Best Answer'? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/accuse_write?qid=20060830144416AAR4QcJ&kid=Tcd8CDC6VTmt7dAqXOYsATV0oCpcZJBiiukVJtFimKod0TaCsmGO&s=comm&date=2006-08-31+15%3A57%3A05&.crumb=

If you talk to your accountant,. he can explain it fully.

Basically, you can deduct medical & dental expenses, insurance premiums, medical related travel, as part of yout itemized deduxtions. If you don't itemize, you're out of luck.

Health insurance is not deductible for individuals unless done through a Section 125 plan. Even in that case, you can't deduct the expense, you can only pay for it with pre-tax dollars.

The following paragraph is taken from an IRS publication regarding Itemized Deductions.

Medical expenses include insurance premiums paid for accident and health or qualified long-term care insurance. You may not deduct insurance premiums for life insurance, for policies providing for loss of wages because of illness or injury, or policies that pay you a guaranteed amount each week for a sickness. In addition, the deduction for a qualified longâ€"term care insurance policy's premium is limited. Refer to Publication 502 , Medical and Dental Expenses.

Your medical and dental expense on your itemized deduction schedule is reduced by 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Your pretax health coverage through your employer is in effect 100% tax free(as if you deduct the full amount). Hence your tax savings will be greater through your employer provided plan even if you itemize on schedule A.

I think so

Yes. Ins premium, doctor visits, prescription drugs, contact lenses, and necessarily surgery or purchases are deductible. Over the counter drugs and unnecessarily surgery like boob jobs are not.

You add them all up, substract any medical reimb and thats your medical tax deduction. but it is limited to 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (which is your income - adjustments), so if you make too much money you most likely cant take the benefit.

If you want to save more money, add in you over the counter drugs.

What is the difference between Health Insurance and Health care Program?

Is it OK to have just the health care program and not have the Health Insurance Plan? I can get Health care program for half the monthly premium as compared to the Health Insurance Plan. Please advise? Is it advisable?

A "health care program" is usually a maintenance program - it doesn't usually cover "major medical" issues, such as you coming down with cancer. But you'll have to read the fine print on the program itself, to see what is and is not covered. THEN you have to figure out which doctors work in the program, and how long/hard it is to get in to see them.