(your estimated monthly premium is ... a total joke)
Hey! Whaddya know? I CAN buy health insurance for $200 a month!
I decided to stop being so lazy and pessimistic. No, I didn't get a job. I went online to eHealthInsurance and searched for insurance plans.
Lo and behold, there is a plan for a 50-something year old self-employed person like moi, for only $207 a month!
Here's what $207 a month will get me:
~ A $15,000 annual family deductible
~ A lifetime cap of $2 million
~ NO coverage for:
Prescriptions
Outpatient surgery
Emergency treatment that does not result in admission
Outpatient x-rays, radiation or lab tests
Routine physical exams
Diagnostic screenings
Immunizations
Room and board during a hospital admissions for diagnostic or evaluation purposes
Services or supplies during a non-emergency hospital admission
And three and a half pages of other restrictions, which cover just about any possible medical expenses that might come up.
Now, you may be thinking: "So, what is she complaining about now? We TOLD her she could get insurance for $200 a month. And she can." But I haven't told you about the insurance companies' little trick called "co-insurance."
Co-insurance. Sounds nice and co-operative, doesn't it? Kind of a friendly term. This particular policy has a 20% co-insurance. Once I use up my $15,000 deductible and pay for all the excluded services I might foolishly want, such as prescriptions and health care, I am responsible for 20% of other expenses such as surgery, hospitalizations, etc etc etc.
I have a feeling 20% would add up pretty quickly, if I was foolish enough to get sick.
Oh, and did I mention the fine print?
"Final rates and benefits are based on actual plan selection and the assignment of any rate adjustment factors due to the health plan's underwriting guidelines."
"Rate adjustment factors" ... hm ... I wonder if those would make my $207 rate go up or down?
Also - forgot to mention - no coverage "because of suicide or attempted suicide." So don't even think about it.
Just don't get sick.
~~~
All those people that tell us how easy it is to find affordable health care should tell us where to find it! I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that plan DOES cover...
ReplyDeleteThe health insurance situation as it is right now is a joke... we know that.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, what Florida rep. Alan Grayson said recntly regarding health care reform is true (and you stated it at the end of your post)... don't get sick and if you do... then die quickly. And he said that regarding what the Republican party's plan is for health care reform.
I just hope we (the people) don't get too screwed by whatever plan eventually gets passed in Congress.