[quote=exsdgal]… What should one do in terms of health insurance? Are there products/insurance to consider?…[/quote]
exsdgal, a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) can be had on the open market for between $250 and $300 mo (for age 50) if you are healthy. The premium DOES go up a little once or twice per year.
I have Aetna Open Access Managed Choice (HDHP PPO).
The one I have is $5000 deductible/$8,000 co-insurance (max out-of-pocket) annually. A network PCP costs $40 per visit and a network specialist is $50 per visit. All lab work, x-rays, scans, special procedures and tests comes out of deductible (out-of-pocket until ded is met). Preventative care is 100% covered, incl one annual well-woman/man exam and one mammography. One colonoscopy (every 10 yrs) is 100% covered. Last year, I rec’d a $400 bone scan which was covered 100% as “preventative care.” I’m sure there are tests for men that could be considered “preventative.” also.
Generic prescriptions are $9, $12, or $15. Brand name prescriptions are $50 – $100. Of course, chemotherapy and other brand-name prescriptions I haven’t used could be MUCH pricier.
You don’t have to choose a PCP. Most of the best physicians in SD are in the Aexcel network. You can see a specialist any time you want. You can also choose a plan which will coordinate with an HSA.
I’ve been on this plan for almost 8 years. I think these are the best plans for persons who don’t go to the doctor for every little problem and possibly use OTC and homeopathic remedies instead. OTOH, if you become truly sick, you have access to the best doctors in the state!
In March of 2014, a new provision of the HCRA will become law. The way I understand the change is that individual plans will no longer be able to price a plan premium for an individual applicant based upon their underwriting results. They will likely price them by age and sex. I think this will cause the healthy to pick up the slack for the unhealthy (whether by bad luck or their own actions) in the form of raised premiums. No one yet knows how our premiums will be affected because it likely depends on the amount of people that actually sign up for each plan.
