Inexpensive health insurance?

[kara_leigh]

Can anyone recommend a good, inexpensive health insurance company for a family of 3? We recently lost our health insurance and need to find something else. My husband used to work for my father as a construction superintendent, but 5 years ago he damaged his knee (snapped ACL, broken bones, torn cartilage, etc) so he could no longer work in that field. He started his own company, but my father let us continue to stay on his insurance.

A couple months ago we moved and my father stopped the insurance. I have a few health issues (one that prevents me from working) so I NEED insurance. My husband and son need it also due to medication that needs to have a doctors visit every few months and our doctor charges $115 just to shake her hand. We can "afford" our medications alone (Sams Club is AMAZING in that regard), it's the doctors visits, tests, etc that are the expensive part that we can't afford without insurance. For example, my new doctor ordered a bone density scan b/c my last one 6 years ago said I have Osteoporosis in my hips and Osteopenia in my spine. I need an updated report, but now that I don't have insurance I can't afford to get the test.

Our insurance was up on June 1st, so we need to find new insurance soon so my health issues aren't considered as preexisting conditions. If that's the case, then I don't know what we'll do. I don't think we qualify for Medicaid b/c we own our property outright, even though we make hardly any money.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[Laurajean]

I own my property outright, but I still qualify for some assistance. I'm not on Medicaid, but I do get fuel assistance and a discount on my electric bill. I don't believe they base it on whether or not you own, but your overall financial picture, so it's worth looking into. I don't have any suggestions for inexpensive health insurance unfortunately. I'm in the same boat as far as needing doctors for my condition and not being able to afford it.

Edited to add: I correct myself in saying I own it "outright"; I don't own it outright, I have a mortgage. But I still believe owning property doesn't matter as much as your overall income vs. expenses.

 

[EweSheep]

To get Medicaid, they consider rent or own as a place to live. Not counted against you and proof of bank statements is plenty enough. If you do own other assets, such as 401K but not pensions, they would count that against you and in order to get assistance, you would have to cash out your 401K. That is what I had to do to get rid of all my assets in order to get the assistance or I don't get it at all. Stupid, isn't it? Now we have nothing to retire off on 401K anymore, just my pension if it will be there when I retire.

 

[mulewagon]

Start insurance shopping - find the websites for insurers in your state and compare plans. I don't know if you'll get anything cheap, especially with preexisting conditions, but there's things you can do to cut costs.

Check local universities for studies, especially ones related to your conditions. Also get on the mailing list for local hospitals. A hospital near me does free heart health exams every year, and heavily discounts mammograms in February.

Call your county health department, and see what tests and shots they offer. That will often be cheaper than a doctor's office visit. Also see what the drugstore chains offer - we got our flu and pnemonia shots at a drugstore last year.

Also, tell your doctor's staff that you don't have insurance right now. My doc's staff figured out a way for me to get some tests cheaper, and also told me about an insurance program that I have now.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Have you checked into COBRA? It would probably help until you find something better.

 

[Dunkopf]

Don't know of anything cheap for adults. That part of the bill didn't make it through. There is the Child Health Protection for your kids though. We have used county health for shots when we didn't have insurance. Some doctors will also give you a more realistic rate for the 10 minutes they spend with you if you don't have insurance. I had severe bronchitis and I saw a doctor out of the yellow pages that treated me for 40.00 and gave me a bunch of free samples to get me through. Of course that was in 93.

Good luck.

 

[sheila3935]

If you find some let me know. When I worked at Walmart to get a decent deductable it would have cost me 300.00 a check for 2 people. Now that I work at Rural King they dont offer insurance. We dont have small children so even if we qualify for medical assistance money wise we still wouldnt qualify. My DH has seizures and hasnt been to the neuro for a year as we cant afford it so he makes do with medicine that gives him side effects instead of the one that works best. I cant keep up on my thyroid checks cause at 600.00 a test I cant do that. Its sad that in a country as great as ours people have to suffer with no medical care. Insurance companies dont care they are after the almighty dollar. Most doctors are stuck between a rock and a hard place because of malpractice insurance. My DH cant work because of seizures. He always worked under the table jobs when he could and never paid into social security so no disability. He does get SSI but only 80.00 a month so my income is the only income.I make approx 600.00 every two weeks. With bills there is not alot left over to pay for insurance. So I know where you are coming from.

 

[mulia24]

hmm.. I don't have any idea about inexpensive health insurance in US.

One certainty that insurance in my place is way too expensive.

I do hope your family could find good inexpensive insurance and get better...

 

[QH Girl]

You might want to call your medicaid office to see what other plans they offer. Ours has a couple of plans where you pay a small premium every month in addition to regular medicaid.

For tests, you may be able to use http://summitcountymedicalsociety.prepaidlab.com/

It's amazing how much cheaper lab tests are if you go this way. My son gets an A1c (type 1 diabetic) test every 3 months - standard charge is around $50. If I pay for it through the website it's only $12. He still goes to the same place to have his blood drawn.

 

[chickened]

Contact an agent about Assurant. spelling? wife does this sort of thing.