Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with healthinsurance Questions tagged with 'healthinsurance' at Ask MetaFilter. Wed, 09 Jul 2014 08:50:34 -0800 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 08:50:34 -0800 en-us 60 Baby on it's way/health insurance problem My pregnant wife and I are leaving our job at the end of the summer (not our choice) with no new job lined up. We will need to get our own health insurance when we leave the job. We don't really live anywhere now, and we aren't sure where we will have the baby yet, maybe NH, or NY, or RI, or ME, or the VI. Is there an insurance plan that offers us coverage in multiple places? PPO, HMO, walk me through this. This is our first time buying insurance. She's pregnant and we will be taking some time off, and/or freelancing and consulting. We have had employer provided health insurance, and I guess we are eligible for COBRA coverage. Only problem, it's $2600/month. We have also had trouble with our current insurance because we are almost always "out of network". We travel 52 weeks a year and have been for 5 years now.<br> <br> We own a home in the US Virgin Islands that we haven't lived in (yet) and I've been paying income taxes there as well, and she has paid taxes and has a driver's license/voter card in NH. I assume we need to be "residents" of wherever we get insurance? We've only been in each location about 10 days/year over the last 5 years. Are either of us considered residents? If so, am I eligible for coverage under my wife's residency in NH, and/or is she eligible in the VI as my spouse? The USVI isn't a part of Obamacare, but does offer Blue Cross/Blue Shield.,2014:site.264873 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 08:50:34 -0800 karst Would you pay an extra $1K/yr to be able to choose your own doctors? How much is it worth to you to have (relative) freedom of choice? Enrolling in health insurance and I'm debating between an HMO and a PPO (both under Blue Shield of CA). The difference in cost is roughly $1,000. I'm a 26 year old female but I'm not exactly "healthy". I have mysterious, debilitating, chronic joint pain all over (undiagnosed as of yet), a couple car accident-related injuries that flare up every now and then, and I need to get a pap smear every 3 months due to a recent scare. So acupuncturists, chiropractors, internists, rheumatologists, and gynecologists must all be within easy reach for me. - <strong>How much would you pay to have the choice of seeing a doctor or specialist directly</strong> (granted s/he is within network) instead of being restricted to managed care partners? <br> <br> -<strong> Do you have experience with Blue Shield in Los Angeles?</strong> Have you found differences in quality of care between their HMOs vs PPOs?<br> <br> - Lastly, do you have Blue Shield HMO/PPO in Los Angeles and love your primary care physician, rheumatologist, internist, acupuncturist, chiropractor, gynecologist, etc.? Please do share! <br> <br> I'm currently on a HealthNet HMO and recently, the pain of going back to my Primary Care Provider (PCP) to get a referral for a specialist every time and hopping from laboratory to imaging center and back for diagnostics has been agonizing -- but it might've been agitated by a long commute and the fact that multiple issues compounded at once. <br> <br> I'm electing healthcare on my own for the first time as a young professional (just aged out of my parents' plan -- big ups to Obama for a good, extended run) and confronting the paradox of choice. I'd appreciate ANY advice. Thanks so much!,2014:site.263894 Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:33:22 -0800 doctordrey Do I have to cancel my health insurance plan? I signed up for health insurance via the NY State health insurance exchange in February. At the time, I was unemployed and eligible for Medicaid, which I accepted so my plan was of no cost to me. Fast forward to today, and I have job and I am also covered by employer's health insurance. Is there anything I have to do, such as cancel the plan, because I am now under my employer's insurance plan?,2014:site.263239 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 15:59:53 -0800 hobodeluxe Health insurance deductible question. Say I have a 2500$ deductible, and I get blood work totaling over 2500$ which the diagnostic company has billed the insurance company for, but agreed not to bill me for ... Is the fact that it is currently counting toward my deductible something that often happens? I don't necessarily want to bring this to the attention of my insurance company by asking questions if its a common occurrence. I also do not want to get screwed if it drops off in the coming months.<br> <br> Thanks in advance!,2014:site.262969 Tue, 03 Jun 2014 12:05:43 -0800 phox Why do employers promote HSA over PPO? Why do companies promote HSA as superior to PPO, is there some benefit to them? Barring any extreme medical circumstances, when does HSA make sense over PPO? Seems as if every company I've interviewed with / worked at have been promoting HSA as a choice health plan for new employees -- for a single late 20 to 30-something male with minor health issues -- how much sense does this make?<br> <br> (For example: Average of $500 of prescription expenses a year, plus 4 or 5 doc normal visits. Maybe needs some dental work but not urgent, and maybe something fancy like Lasik )<br> <br> I dont like the idea of having to pay the 2000-3000 deductible out of pocket before getting any of the insurance benefits. I guess theyre assuming that people already know that theyll have AT LEAST that much in medical expenses a year -- but thats not usually the case.,2014:site.262773 Fri, 30 May 2014 15:16:42 -0800 nodebunny How do I insure a newborn on short notice? We just found out the baby we're having any day now is probably not eligible for medical care at birth on her mother's insurance plan. Help! My wife is 38+ weeks pregnant and still insured by her parents' BCBS of Tennessee policy. We live in Washington state. We were told by an insurance adviser that the <a href="">Erin Act</a> would guarantee that the birth (and neonatal care) is covered by that.<br> <br> Today our midwife told us she was pretty sure that wouldn't work, because family insurance policies can't cover grandchildren. This floored us because there is likely no time to make other arrangements now.<br> <br> I am not insured at present, either. My enrollment with my employer's provider is still pending. I only applied for myself anyway, as our plan was to add the baby to my policy after she is born. (Even if I wanted to add her before then, how could I if we don't have a birthdate or SSN for her?) My wife will remain on her parents' plan until she turns 26 next year.<br> <br> If we're about to face a crisis, how can we possibly avert it at this late date?<br> <br> I have no idea how insurance coverage for childbirth even works. What is covered by my wife's policy and what do they expect baby to have her own coverage for? We're in that uncomfortable financial position of making too little money to pay for the birth out of pocket, and too much to qualify for state assistance. It doesn't help that the two of us are completely overwhelmed by the complexity of the insurance world and frustrated that we can't just get straight answers anywhere, including BCBS.,2014:site.262338 Thu, 22 May 2014 16:02:54 -0800 The Winsome Parker Lewis Do I need stacked uninsured motorist coverage? I'm trying to lower my car insurance rates and the rep with my insurance company suggested I drop stacked uninsured motorist coverage because I already have health insurance. I understand how the stacked coverage works but it seems redundant to carry it if I have heath insurance coverage. Am I misunderstanding how UIM coverage works?,2014:site.262008 Fri, 16 May 2014 09:04:31 -0800 photoslob My employer increased my hours but is not giving me benefits I've been working as a part time employee for awhile but recently my hours have been increased for some special projects. I've been working 30-40 hour weeks. I do not get health insurance or any other benefits because I am not considered a full time employee. Are they required to give me benefits at some point? How should I approach this with them? I'm in the US. I've been told that I'll be working between 30-40 hours through July. This is fine with me because I need the money. I would very much like to be a full time employee so that I can have benefits (I've never had a paid vacation), but I'm worried if I ask they'll just cut my hours back down again or look for an excuse to fire me (I'm in an at-will state). <br> <br> I think their reasons are purely financial, I've been complimented on my work and everyone seems to value me. The pay is pretty decent but they are very stingy with raises. I've been looking for a real full time job for awhile now but if I could be a real employee here then I would probably stay.,2014:site.262005 Fri, 16 May 2014 08:00:02 -0800 Anonymous Is there a way to purchase Obamacare health plans if one is moving? Posting this question for a friend: I am moving, and will be looking for a job in my new state. I am hoping to find something quickly, but will be unemployed as of the time I move because I am quitting my current job. Is Cobra my only option, or is it possible to qualify for a plan through the exchange (possibly with subsidies)? My concern is that all the plans on the exchange website for the state I am moving to (Massachusetts) require me to be an in-state resident, which I am not yet because I have not moved.,2014:site.261638 Fri, 09 May 2014 12:12:14 -0800 rainbowbrite urgent health insurance purchase: how fast can it be bought? My friend "Rita" is gravely ill. She wants to go see an out of state doctor ("The Specialist") who is maybe the last person who could help her, but her current insurance doesn't cover his office. She needs to buy some new insurance as soon as possible. How? Details and more specific questions:<br> --Rita got married two weeks ago. She has Health Insurance A.<br> --Rita's husband has Husband's Health Insurance. It does cover The Specialist. Husband could add Rita, BUT<br> --Rita was in Stupid Hospital on May 1st, Husband's Health Insurance doesn't cover Stupid Hospital, and Husband's Health Insurance says that if they retroactively add Rita for the month of May, she will retroactively be DROPPED from Health Insurance A and be "on the hook" for all costs incurred during her May Day hospitalization ($$$). They say that they can add her mid-month, but her health is so bad that it might not be relevant by then.<br> <br> Sorry that this reads like an algebra equation. My question is, is there any way to buy Rita some insurance which would start today? And if nobody here knows for sure, who should I try to talk with? Thanks AskMe.,2014:site.261440 Mon, 05 May 2014 22:23:37 -0800 sockanalia I don't want it, I just need it. Please help me mitigate/cope with my feelings about doctors/insurance and have the best visit with a general practitioner that I can after 10 years of being uninsured. This way lies snowflakes. As mentioned above, I aged off of my parents' health insurance about a decade ago. After that point, I paid cash to keep seeing doctors for a while, but being unemployed for months at a time made even this impossible. My adult doctor's visits have been marked by difficulty communicating, feeling disrespected by doctors (being kept waiting 30 minutes or more, interrupted while explaining things, concerns and questions about medications shrugged off) and feeling stuck in a cycle of ass-covering testing that never revealed the source of chronic issues I've always seemed to have. ("Have you had your thyroid checked?" "Yes, they didn't find anything." "Well, we'll check it again." Test taken, no abnormalities found, lather rinse repeat.) This includes an incident where I feel I was probed too aggressively during an exam and ignored when I said "that really hurts." So I'd become less than enthusiastic about seeing doctors even while I had the means to see them. A major turning point also came when I went to an in-store clinic fearing that I had an ear infection and burned an entire paycheck just for the doctor to look in my ears and nose and say "no, it's just a bad cold". Over $350 for 10-15 minutes, for nothing. <br> <br> In addition to my own issues, I've watched my parents and grandparents struggle greatly with their own medical care and paying for it, though they have never been without insurance themselves. There have been years where not a week has gone by that my mother wasn't on the phone with multiple organizations asking for leniency with some bill. My father had a GP that he respected, but that person abruptly left the practice where my father saw him with no forwarding information and it has been next to impossible for my father to develop the same rapport with another GP. Some doctors have attempted to get my father to change bad habits that he has by trying to intimidate him or get in his face and raise their voices, which is a guaranteed non-starter. There have been medication mistakes that could have been very serious had my mother not noticed and raised a stink to the doctor about getting the prescription reexamined. A doctor brought a dog into an examination with for my mother without regard for if my mother was comfortable with this, had allergies, or anything like that. My parents frequently go without or attempt to stretch needed medications further by taking less than the required dose due to financial issues (which then cause arguments with me because they won't take my money, when I have it, to get more medicine). My grandparents are now in a nursing home in part because my grandfather's doctors failed to see damage being done to his heart which eventually landed him in the hospital. My grandmother has a chronic condition that none of the nursing home staff seem to be able to control and allegedly cannot find anyone to assist them with. They are more mentally intact than many persons they live with, and complain bitterly about how they are not allowed to even play cards with residents living in other parts of the home who might be similarly conversant. It's hard to see them declining and not be able to do anything about it.<br> <br> I'm sure you have heard most of these things before in some way: my point is that I have come to feel that most doctors don't care about doing right by their patients - certainly all of the doctors that my family have been able to afford. I'm not confident that doctors really know what the right thing to do is when it comes to things like weight loss, so for them to reject my questions and concerns and insist that something like the <a href="">BMI</a> explains all that needs to be known about what's going on in my body is insulting. Doctors also don't care or know about the end costs of testing and visits. I've had more than one give me a blank look when I asked how much a procedure or test might cost, as though it shouldn't matter what I spend in the name of my health- when it absolutely does.<br> <br> Now, thanks to the ACA and what is likely an extension of my state's Medicaid, I have my own health insurance. (Thanks Obama.) My health isn't great, but it isn't awful either. I have been preparing for a future GP visit by gathering data, like researching doctors covered by my insurance, keeping a journal of what I eat from day to day, and making a list of specific issues I want to make sure are discussed, but to be sure, I envision my next doctor's visit to be me arriving on time, being shown (late) to an exam room, waiting 20 minutes more for someone to see me and almost walking out before someone arrives, having an argument with the GP, and finally walking out without any "work" being done, feeling minimized and disrespected. Alternately, I will find out that I've developed something terrible since my last examination, touching off my very own years of confusion, fear, frustration, crushing medical debt (despite the insurance), being hounded by collections agencies and/or worse. It's enough to make me not want to bother seeing the doctor. But I don't know for sure what will happen, do I? <br> <br> So, what do I do to make the most of an examination in light of everything that my family and I have experienced?<br> <br> Thank you for your time.,2014:site.261018 Mon, 28 Apr 2014 08:19:43 -0800 koucha Health insurance? What's that? I am aging out of my health insurance and totally clueless. Help this soon to be 26 year old find resources to unravel this mess. I'm aging out of my health insurance in late June. I don't know anything about health insurance. I just figured out what a deductible is. I'm not sure I entirely understand what a copay or coinsurance is. I know what a PPO vs HMO is but not an HSA. <br> <br> My situation is I will need to enroll in obamacare as I will be unemployed (well employed part-time but no benefits). In August I will go to graduate school and will have to decide between the university plan and whatever plan I'm on. <br> <br> I've tried looking online but I'm really looking for resources that spell out what all these mystery terms mean for someone who is uneducated on healthcare. And I also need advice on choosing a health plan. Due to poor eyesight (chronic but stable) I see a neuro-opthmalogist once a year and I am high risk for a detached retina (which would mean surgery). <br> <br> I am already poor ($11/hr job) and will be moreso in grad school so how high of a deductible is too high? Is there anything special I should take into consideration because of my low vision and needs for a specialist? <br> <br> Bonus: How expensive is a normal dentist checkup (no x-rays) without insurance?,2014:site.260690 Tue, 22 Apr 2014 05:07:01 -0800 Aranquis Obscure health insurance question I am doing some rather obscure research on the health insurance industry. I'm having some trouble finding the information I'm looking for. Hopefully someone here can help! In the parlance of the health insurance industry, there are providers and subscribers. Providers are your doctors, for example. You, the patient, are the subscriber.<br> <br> Medical service providers account for the majority of medical claims. Generally, subscribers only submit claims when they go to out of network providers. <br> <br> I'm trying to find the data on subscriber claims--dollar amount and percentage of the overall total (provider + subscriber). <br> <br> I tried emailing one health insurer and was told that this was something that they didn't actively track. I've tried searching through Google and haven't had any luck. <br> <br> Anyone have any idea how to dig into this further?<br> <br> P.S. It is also worth noting that I expect there to be significant geographic variations in how large subscriber claims are. For example, in NYC, mental health services are almost entirely provided on an out of network basis. This is not the case in other parts of the country. This makes it more difficult to extrapolate one insurer's experiences to the entire country. (Notwithstanding the fact that insurers have differing levels of exposure to different types of the market.) <br> <br> To the extent that I can find more granular data the better. However, I'm thinking that I'm going to have to take whatever I can get.,2014:site.260518 Fri, 18 Apr 2014 10:47:29 -0800 prunes Health insurance woes My last job had health insurance through a certain company I'll call WORST COMPANY, and they capriciously decided to be assholes about pre-certifying a surgery that my husband needs, as per my husband's surgeon (the surgeon is ready to go, he's been treating my husband for this condition for years now, and he says this is what's required. We've done all the conservative measures and they didn't help). We were fighting with them for almost a year and it was a whole big thing including trying to appeal to the state (which didn't work because then we found out my then-employer had a self-insured plan). It's a long story but please take my word for it that it was capricious and not our fault. I just got a new job and thought "Thank god, we'll start over with someone else." Except my two options are a high-deductible plan through OKAY COMPANY and a regular PPO through...........WORST COMPANY. I don't want the high-deductible plan because even after your deductible is payed off (about $3,000 between my hubby and I) you still have to pay for 10% of your care after that, which could add up. And I don't want the WORST COMPANY plan because I want the surgery to actually, you know, happen. Which is the lesser of two evils? I know WORST COMPANY will carry over our medical histories, but will they continue to dig in their heels or treat it differently because it's a different employer? What should I do?,2014:site.260454 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 22:05:33 -0800 bleep Illness in the US, but magically, no healthcare! I just returned from West Africa and have a number of symptoms consistent with malaria - or the flu. I have no healthcare, through circumstances beyond my control (I'll elaborate) until May 1. When is it worth it to go to the doctor to get tested? How can I try to keep this from being a pre-existing condition, given that it may be the recurrent form? I was in West Africa for about 10 months in a malarial environment and got back to Ohio about two weeks ago. I was taking prophylaxis, but stopped about a week ago. Starting on Sunday, I've had recurring headaches, body aches, fever, chills, general fatigue, and sweats, usually lasting about half the day and interspersed with feeling pretty perky for the other half of the day. The highest fever I've recorded this week was 102.9; I've also been down to 98.3 during times when I feel good. Ibu profen levels the fever down to around 100, usually, and controls the muscle aches. This could conceivably be just the flu, or malaria. I find the timing suspect if it is just the flu, but I did a lot of international and domestic flying, too.<br> <br> Due to a registration issue, my university canceled my health insurance during spring semester without notifying me, although I signed up for health care for the full year. I didn't find this out until Tuesday, which was after the Affordable Care Act closed. I registered for short term health insurance as of Wednesday (April 9) through Blue Cross blue Shield, but it turns out it doesn't go into effect until May 1. My university health insurance kicks back in on May 5. They are not interested in pro-rating me this month. Normally, my advisor would be all over this, but he's at a conference in Canada and I haven't been able to get in touch with him. He gets back sometime next week?<br> <br> The infectious disease specialists have not been helpful, and are not interested in letting me skip a visit with a referring physician despite my sketchy healthcare situation ("We don't just GIVE blood tests to everyone who thinks they have an infectious disease!"). Right now, I'm feeling pretty miserable and would really like to get treated, but I don't want to have some sort of giant recurrent malaria pre-existing condition following me around for the rest of my life. Looking at the application for short term coverage, it says "to start April 10," but it's not confirmed that I have it yet. Can I use that at a doctor's office or hospital? Any other thoughts? Currently, laying on the couch with two gallon jugs of water on either side of my face because my face is really hot, waiting for my boyfriend to bring me a new thermometer.<br> <br> E-mails at,2014:site.260191 Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:58:26 -0800 Anonymous How do I know if I'm covered? I am a trans woman. Recently, I received a job offer from a private higher education institution in New York City. I would really like to accept the job, but repeated conversations with the individual who recruited me—who has been asking questions on my behalf to the institution's Human Resources department—have left me unsure whether or not their health insurance will cover trans-related care. How do I get this information? <em>Can</em> I get this information? In my experience, many health insurance plans have restrictions and coverage exceptions when it comes to trans-related care. Not just for "surgery" (which isn't relevant to me at the moment) but for hormone replacement therapy, doctor's visits related to HRT, and mental health care related to transition, etc.—all of which would be very expensive for me to pay for out-of-pocket. I don't feel comfortable accepting the job until I know whether or not there are such restrictions with this employer's plan. For other recent job offers, I've had success in simply asking HR representatives for a copy of the organization's certificate of coverage, which generally has enough information for me to make an informed decision.<br> <br> With the institution in question, however, things have been more difficult. I asked the individual who recruited me for the certificate of coverage, and they asked HR on my behalf, and HR flatly refused. Since then, my request has been escalated several levels up the hierarchy, with the director of the department who wants to hire me talking to the director of HR—but I still haven't been allowed to see the document. They've now put me directly in contact with someone from HR, who I'm scheduled to have a phone conversation with soon—but given HR's unwillingness to help anyone else, I'm not optimistic that they'll want to help me when I ask on my own.<br> <br> The individual who recruited me for this job knows I'm trans, but hasn't disclosed that to any of the other parties involved. They <em>did</em> ask the HR department questions about the institution's trans-related care, at my request—questions which HR apparently refused to answer—but without ever making specific reference to me.<br> <br> I understand that it would be irresponsible for HR to "promise" that their insurance would cover whatever medical treatment. Still, it's difficult for me to accept a job not knowing whether I might be on the hook for hundreds of dollars worth of medical treatment each month for HRT and related visits to the doctor. (I am privileged in that I'm confident I could find a way to pay for this treatment on my own if I needed to, but that extra cost definitely weighs into whether or not I want to take the job.)<br> <br> So my questions are: Do I have any recourse? Is there some magical sequence of words I can say that will make someone in HR want to give me <em>any</em> kind of useful information about trans-related care under their health coverage? Would this be something worth contacting an advocacy organization about? Is it paranoid to assume that health coverage at such an institution might have specific exclusions for trans-related care? Am I even approaching this situation the right way? At this point, I just feel awful—I am bewildered and frustrated by the whole thing and don't really know where to turn or what to do.<br> <br> Other context, in case it's relevant: I live in New York City. I'm still at the beginning of my transition, and right now I'm only "out" to a few friends and family. I am seeing a therapist and I am under a doctor's care for hormone replacement therapy.<br> <br> Here's a throwaway e-mail, if you'd like to contact me privately:,2014:site.259721 Thu, 03 Apr 2014 07:20:42 -0800 Anonymous Catastrophic Health Insurance for Californians? Given my ADHD, there is nothing more fun than filling out any kind of form. I have gone through the Covered California website and at the point where I am supposed to choose a health plan. Only I can't. I can't find any catastrophic health insurance plans on Covered California or on Have they just all disappeared now that I want one? Is my anxiety making me blind? (If so, kindly PM me.) I am an underemployed editor/writer who expects to net $1900 per month in the foreseeable future and all the plans are $500+ per month. <br> <br> (My monthly apartment rent is $1645; my office rent $300 so yes, I understand that I need to get a day job but in the meantime, WTF?)<br> <br> According to CC, I do not qualify for any discount or subsidy. The cherry on top? The link to appeal this decision is inactive. Thank you so much state implementation of ACA!<br> <br> The silver lining is that I will owe the Feds a measly $171, according to, for remaining uninsured. Only I really, really, really want health insurance. Any suggestions?,2014:site.259575 Mon, 31 Mar 2014 18:36:48 -0800 Bella Donna Out-of-network limit for health insurance I am trying to pick between two health plans. The higher deductible plan makes more sense for me except for one thing – there is no out-of-pocket limit for out-of-network treatment. This seems like a big flashing warning sign to me, but I’m not sure how avoidable out-of-network care is. For example, would being taken to an out-of-network hospital after a car accident start triggering unlimited expenses that I would be entirely responsible for? Is this a plan I should stay away from?,2014:site.259264 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 17:31:15 -0800 parallellines If you like it then you shoulda put a NuvaRing on it What's the most efficient way to get non-condom birth control without health insurance? It's that time of the relationship where No More Condoms is on the table. I'm up for going back on hormonal birth control, but I don't have health insurance.<br> <br> How do I do this?<br> <br> Ideally, I would go to Planned Parenthood (or similar cheap clinic?), and they would write me a prescription for monthly hormonal birth control, which I would pay out of pocket for. But is there a better way? A cheaper way? A faster way (in terms of scheduling appointments and such)? Is it possible to get a birth control prescription without a well woman exam?<br> <br> Also, since I'll be out of pocket, what's the cheapest option for birth control prescriptions? Am I correct in assuming that I'm looking at going on the pill as opposed to NuvaRing? Is "the shot" still a thing?<br> <br> I am not interested in an IUD at this point, for various well-considered reasons.<br> <br> I'm in the US, in the LA area if anyone has specific recommendations of a clinic to go to or nonprofit to call, or particular tips about LA Planned Parenthood.<br> <br> (I have weighed out all the options and am 100% sure that I don't care about hormonal birth control messing with my precious lady rhythms or whatnot. Please do not answer this question with "hormonal birth control is bad because..." That is not what I'm asking about.),2014:site.258699 Fri, 14 Mar 2014 13:00:37 -0800 Sara C. Short Term / Interim Health Insurance in New York I've just moved back to New York from Europe. My European health plan (which covers me for emergencies while I'm in the US) is going to run out in ten days. I am starting a US job with health insurance coverage within the next month or so. Where can I buy coverage for the next month or two to bridge the gap? Lots of past questions about short-term health insurance but they're all pre-ACA and it seems like such a state-specific thing, so please forgive one more.<br> <br> From my googling is sounds like New York is one of a few states that make normal short-term health insurance very difficult to get, in some regulatory way. Indeed, at ehealth and similar websites, when you put in a NY zip code they come back with "nothing available" for short term insurance.<br> <br> I'm a healthy 32-year-old male with no preexisting conditions and for these purposes I'm only concerned about catastrophic coverage, like if I was hit by a bus tomorrow. So a high deductible is fine. Some overlap with my employer coverage is fine, especially given that I don't know exactly when it would start. I guess my ideal coverage period would be today through the end of April. I'm not that price-sensitive in terms of premium but I can't even find what I want to get a quote.<br> <br> It looks like I can get "accident" coverage but those sites seem extremely spammy and not like a company I would actually trust to pay a claim. And their payouts are capped pretty low which kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? And what's an "accident" anyway? Would a sudden severe illness count?<br> <br> Can anyone recommend a plan, or a company, or a broker? Would a broker even bother with this? Just not sure where to start. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.<br> <br> (Also, do I have any reason to worry about 'continuity' in this situation? Like if I don't get interim coverage and my employer based health plan sees that my Euro plan expired a couple weeks before theirs kicks in, will that cause me any problems with them?),2014:site.258536 Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:31:49 -0800 pete_22 A question about insurance. If I go from part-time to full-time, is my employer (small business owner, &lt;20 employees) obligated to offer me health insurance? Currently working for a small business, part-time employee. I love my job, and there is enough work for me to go from part-time to full-time. When I was hired, my boss said that he didn't hire any full-time employees so he didn't have to offer health insurance.<br> <br> I don't care about being offered health insurance. I will be getting married in a few months, and at that point, I will go on my partner's health insurance, so I won't even need health insurance. <br> <br> What I do want is this position to become full-time. I feel that if I can reassure my boss that he isn't obligated to offer insurance to me if I go from 20 hours a week to 35-40, I think he would feel more comfortable increasing my hours. <br> <br> Additional information: He has about a dozen employees, in New York State, if that makes a difference. (According to, he is not obligated as a small-business owner, but I don't know if NYS has different employment laws.),2014:site.258182 Tue, 04 Mar 2014 18:21:35 -0800 Anonymous Where have all the patients gone... I work at my local County Hospital and for the last two weeks we've had a very low census. I hear rumors that the local Giant HMO and local For Profit Hospital Chain are packed right now. I also know one Local For Profit but Independent and Unaffiliated Hospital is at risk of closing right now because of extremely low census. So for folks who actually work in hospitals (and clinics?) are you seeing a change in number of patients since Obamacare started? Are public hospitals likely to start closing due to changes in health care structure? I am interested in answers both from people with big picture analysis and from people who work in the field so can see the immediate impacts.,2014:site.258107 Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:07:27 -0800 latkes ACA insurance in New York. Gold Health Republic PrimarySelect plan? We need to pick ACA insurance in NYC and after some research are most likely going with the Gold Health Republic PrimarySelect plan (which uses MagnaCare's network.) Is there a very good reason to not go with Health Republic or PrimarySelect, considering what the other NY options are? We're not eligible for PrimarySelect EPO or else we would have gone with that. thanks so much.,2014:site.256958 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 09:02:12 -0800 Blisterlips Health Insurance Deductible "Reset" Date So, my wife is going to give birth in Mid-to-End of June. She has a deductible "reset" date of June 1. How does this work? She has a $3,000 deductible on her insurance policy, which we <i>just</i> reached due to a ton of visits to the OB-GYN and prenatal specialists. It really sucks, but at least now we're on the 90/10 plan. <br> <br> As noted, the issue is that her plan has a deductible reset date of June 1 with the baby due Mid-to-Late June, which if I understand it correctly would mean that we would be responsible for an additional $3,000 for the delivery of our baby... Is this right? <br> <br> I'm afraid I know the answer, but if so, I'm hoping if anyone has any particular advice on how to navigate this. We already broke the bank reaching the deductible so far...<br> <br> Also, this got me thinking... While not exactly analogous, but if one was hit by a bus on May 28th and subsequently had to meet the entire deductible, what would happen come June 1st if they were still in ICU? Pay the deductible again?,2014:site.256654 Thu, 06 Feb 2014 08:25:22 -0800 Debaser626 But I pray that I don't actually ever need to use it. I need help figuring out health insurance. In the course of the past seven years, I have lived in five countries across four continents. I have been employed some of the time, living in a country with universal health insurance part of the time, and had state insurance part of the time. I am now in a country where I am not a citizen, working on a freelance basis, and praying to Aisha that I don't get seriously ill.<br> <br> Does anyone have experience being a foreigner somewhere and purchasing health insurance? I am completely overwhelmed by Google search results. <a href=''>This</a> question is similar, but I think it's not the same because I'm not traveling around, I'm just an expat. So basically, I want to know:<br> <br> -Insurance companies that have insured you while you've been an expatriate, with complete coverage, and including evacuation insurance (is that even what you call it?) in case you need to be airlifted to somewhere with proper medical facilities.<br> -Can I purchase, say, health insurance from a <em>private</em> British company if I'm not a British national and don't live in Britain?<br> -If I move to another country and/or continent, does that void my insurance? Or is this something that varies and I just need to check with each insurance company?<br> -Is this something entirely different from life insurance?<br> -Is there anything glaringly obvious that I should know that I've left out of my question?<br> <br> Thanks!,2014:site.256161 Wed, 29 Jan 2014 06:30:07 -0800 Anonymous