Grrrr!!!! Health insurance for the self-employed is so frustrating!!!!

[Colleen]

(Rant for fellow owners of their own businesses): Why oh why oh why do we have such a lack of concern for the self-employed in this country?! There are a myriad of points we could discuss to that end, but foremost on my mind at this moment is health insurance. We're due to renew and our rates are going up by 32%. I once again need to shop different plans because I absolutely refuse to go along with this. As it is, we have minimal coverage (HSA plan with very high deductible and no frills).

 

Ugh. Rant over...for now!

[ELaurie]

high premiums and a $5000 deductable.

 

Grrr :mad:

[tlcmom]

We were really frustrated with it also. Then are agent got smart. Our son works for us and I do the books so we are considered employees so we were able to go on a plan for regular businesses. We pay $569 a month. It covers my 21 yo son, dh, 2 minor children, and myself. We have a $30 copay and $125 copay for ER. It doesn't cover presc. We have been really happy with it. Is something like that an option for you?

[Renee in NC]

We were really frustrated with it also. Then are agent got smart. Our son works for us and I do the books so we are considered employees so we were able to go on a plan for regular businesses. We pay $569 a month. It covers my 21 yo son, dh, 2 minor children, and myself. We have a $30 copay and $125 copay for ER. It doesn't cover presc. We have been really happy with it. Is something like that an option for you?

 

When we tried that (as we do have a couple of employees), family coverage was $1000 per month!

 

Even $10K deductible plans with no maternity coverage want something around $500 a month. That just seems terribly insane. I would have to pay $6K in insurance and another $10K in deductible to get the insurance company to pay $1.

 

ETA: Ours would be high as we have an older employee with pre-existing conditions that caused them to slap us with a high group rate.

[LizzyBee]

The health insurance where I work went up by more than 30% this year, so they changed the plan to reduce benefits some. My dh has his own policy because it's cheaper than putting him on my policy at work, but his insurance was going up by about 50% this year, so we reduced his coverage, too. After having been a military dependent, I am adamantly opposed to national healthcare, but good grief, something has got to change. Even the middle class can't afford health insurance anymore.

[CindyPTN]

Oh, My. I was shocked when I entered the Health Insurance World? My husband and I came out of the military. I was pregnant, but didn't realize it was going to be so difficult to get insurance--even for him!

 

The insurance we have is for our Family with Assurant Health. It's not related to business; although I do know they have a Small Business Coverage plan. I haven't checked into those fees. It is an HSA account that has a high deductible (10,000) but we pay a little under $200 dollars a month. I haven't been able to find a better deal. Even with my husband's different Employer's, we've opted to keep our Insurance over the Company provided one, because we felt it was cheaper to pay the regular doctor's fees for regular care throughout the year than paying the terribly high monthly charges. We've been happy with them over the last 2 years.

We did not have preexisting conditions, so I don't know what it will do for your situation, but I think they're worth looking into.

[tlcmom]

Where are you located? We use Lifewise, is that available where you are? They don't ask any health questions. I wasn't able to get on most plans since I am very, very heavy and have high blood pressure. That is another reason we opted to go this way.

 

I just know you don't want to use Mega Health.

[Tutor]

As it is, we have minimal coverage (HSA plan with very high deductible and no frills).

 

I hear ya! I just met with an ins agent about getting self-employment ins. All that we want is an HSA and high deductible major med, and the premiums are insane. Just opening an HSA is a nightmare. Between investigating ins. and paying my taxes (this is the first year I'm self-employed), I'm surprised as many people go into business for themselves. Talk about a dis-incentive. :(

[Carol in Cal.]

I hate to have anything to do with individual policies. If they are not guarenteed issue plans with big employers, they tend to be pricey and kind of out of control.

 

Have you looked into whether a trade association or another coop or industry group offers a group plan that you can access? Sometimes professional organizations do that and good rates can be had that way.

 

Cost containment is an issue for all plans, but the group ones seem to smooth that problem a bit.

[KAR120C]

When we were self employed we were "lucky" to have only like $350 a month in premiums for the three of us (all young and extremely healthy, and no maternity coverage) -- the exact same policy was four times that for a friend of mine (same size family but with some past-and-resolved health issues) Between that and the double social security taxes it was incredible how little we actually took home from what we charged -- it was less than half of any given bill!

 

If you're getting a reasonable rate (that is, you're young and healthy and they can't find a reason to charge you extra), you probably can't do better without an employer picking up a part. But if you're getting hit for a specific reason, you could look into joining a group policy through your local chamber of commerce. Sometimes that's one of the benefits of membership, even if they don't offer anything else you could use (although I have to say ours had a few really nice breakfasts! ;))

[jjmw1]

I agree!!! We have a high deductible plan that is supposed to make the premiums less every month - SURE!!!! Except when they keep increasing the premium every year! I am at the point where I hardly ever go to the doctor even if I need too just because I can't afford it! And DH is on Nexium every month - that is $145 each month, on top of the premium I am paying! GRRR!

[Plaid Dad]

I hear you. Health insurance is now required in our state (thanks, Mitt!) and we ended up having to be on a government-funded plan. Not that I'm not grateful for the coverage - and look forward to a day that we can pay our own way - but it's ridiculous that the cheapest self-pay plan we could find cost more per month than our rent and food put together. :mad:

[Michelle in MO]

(Rant for fellow owners of their own businesses): Why oh why oh why do we have such a lack of concern for the self-employed in this country?! There are a myriad of points we could discuss to that end, but foremost on my mind at this moment is health insurance. We're due to renew and our rates are going up by 32%. I once again need to shop different plans because I absolutely refuse to go along with this. As it is, we have minimal coverage (HSA plan with very high deductible and no frills).

 

Ugh. Rant over...for now!

 

We're self-employed and in the same position ourselves; we pay outrageously high health care premiums for minimal coverage to an insurance company that seems to want to play health-care provider as well.

 

I'm going to look at other policies; however, since my dh was diagnosed with a heart condition in the fall and had a defibrillator implanted, we may now be "untouchable." Commisserating with you!

:o

[Lizzie in Ma]

It's awful out there for the self employed.

[whitestavern]

More rant...we too pay $500 a month for a $10,000 deductible. It's CRAZY! And ours goes up every year too. We tried Assurant but they rejected me because I had Lyme disease and it needs to be out of your system 6 months before they would cover me! On top of that, we pay $50 every month for accident insurance, which actually IS worth it because when my daughter fractured her elbow, it was paid for. Something to look into, especially with active kids :) It's a separate policy w/a separate company.

[EKS]

It's absolutely idiotic that in this country of plenty it is impossible for a hard working self employed family to get decent health insurance.

 

Have you seen Sicko?

 

The whole thing is nuts.

[cin]

I don't know alot about this, but my friend is self-employed and she goign through the same thing. She checked through the chamber of comerce in our area and wasn't eligible because she didn't have any employees, but if she had, it was a really good option. AARP has insurance too, I think, but I don't know if any of you are THAT old :D.

 

Hugs, Cindy

[Legomom]

Health insurance is a huge issue for us as well. We just started an S corporation this year (previously my husband was a sole proprietor) and we are looking around for group coverage. Per an agent that I spoke to last week, insurance companies in Washington State can't raise rates for groups based on health issues.

 

I read a very clear informative article in U.S. News and World Report about health insurance recently and how individual policies are much more risky because they raise your rates or drop you if you have any health problems. The group quotes that I have received for high deductible insurance are comparable to the Lifewise individual policy that we have now, which is expensive, but I am wondering if it would be better in the long run because the risk of them dropping us isn't there.

 

You can go on Costco.com and get immediate quotes. Very user friendly.

[Tutor]

I hear you. Health insurance is now required in our state (thanks, Mitt!) and we ended up having to be on a government-funded plan. Not that I'm not grateful for the coverage - and look forward to a day that we can pay our own way - but it's ridiculous that the cheapest self-pay plan we could find cost more per month than our rent and food put together. :mad:

 

We're going without health insurance since I can't bring myself to put the kids on the gov't plan. I wish all insurance were just wiped out and made illegal. That would bring healthcare costs down pretty quick. (Well, I don't really wish that 'cause that wouldn't be very libertarian of me, but I do wish more physicians stopped accepting insurance. Those that don't have much more reasonable prices than those that do.)

[Doran]

We've been paying ever-increasing premiums with our provider (Golden Rule) for more years than I care to mention. It's ridiculous, really, that we've let it get to the point it is now -- which is something like $700/mo for zip! We have a $2,000 deductible and have never met it, so we've never filed a claim.

 

We are in the process of switching to BCBS, which may not be the best choice (I've heard some good stories, and also some horror stories). We will increase our deductible, and be paying somewhere in the realm of $350/mo. in premiums. BCBS also offers a co-pay for wellness visits and yearly exams like mamograms and pap. Our current provider does not. It's a crime, I tell you, that we have to put so much of our already limited income into a program that does virtually nothing for us but which we are afraid to drop because we fear the catastrophe that we are supposedly covered for.

 

:confused: :mad:

 

Doran

[Colleen in NS]

It's absolutely idiotic that in this country of plenty it is impossible for a hard working self employed family to get decent health insurance.

 

Have you seen Sicko?

 

The whole thing is nuts.

 

Oh my. I just watched Sicko last night and I was flabbergasted. I'm from the States, and moved to Canada in 1993. Back then, I don't think health insurance was as bad as it is now, but I wouldn't know, cuz I didn't have any! I was soooooooooooo shocked in 1993 to find that Canadian residents have free health care! I am so grateful for it.

 

That movie was very revealing to me - I had no idea there were such horror stories going on, with people dying just because they couldn't pay for treatment. It is horrible. I was really mad after watching that movie! My own parents struggle with health care because of not having insurance, too. And I can't do anything to help, unless they want to immigrate here, which they don't.

[Sunny]

We use Samaratin Ministries exactly because of this. We have used many different types of plans and carriers. It is just too much to justify. Hence, we pay $280 for a family coverage through Samaratin. It works for us, and eliminates insurance companies huge profits.

[elegantlion]

I'll bring the coffee pot to this conversation :( We are self-employed and decided we like to eat every day so we have been without insurance for years. Where we used to live we had a great Dr. that would give us a discount for paying at the end of each visit. We make too much for state aid, and not enough to afford a regular monthly payment.

 

Not to mention we have that roller coaster self-employed income which does nothing to help create a real budget. (shutting up now to sip on my cup of coffee)

[LizzyBee]

We are in the process of switching to BCBS, which may not be the best choice (I've heard some good stories, and also some horror stories).

 

FWIW, I've had BCBS in both MD and NC, and other insurance companies in both MD and NC. My dh's policy (individual, not group) is with BCBS. It's by far the best insurance we've had in both states. Almost all doctors and facilities accept BCBS. And one thing they've done in recent years (in NC, anyway) that I really like is combine the copay for the dr. visit and lab work. So we no longer have to worry that the dr. will send lab work to a non-BCBS provider and we'll be stuck paying the entire bill. For the kids, BCBS has covered 3 years of speech therapy for one and an APD evaluation for another with no hassle whatsoever.

[KAR120C]

For the kids, BCBS has covered 3 years of speech therapy for one and an APD evaluation for another with no hassle whatsoever.

Wow!! I wonder if you have a different type of policy than we did -- they wouldn't touch our speech therapy unless it was due to an injury.

[RoughCollie]

My DH is self-employed. We pay $1500 a month for health insurance for our family of 6. This is a bargain as our previous policy, before it was canceled, cost us $2000 a year more.

[Renee in NC]

We use Samaratin Ministries exactly because of this. We have used many different types of plans and carriers. It is just too much to justify. Hence, we pay $280 for a family coverage through Samaratin. It works for us, and eliminates insurance companies huge profits.

 

That isn't insurance, though, and a catastrophe would soon exceed any help that Samaritan could give (the limit under the regular program is $100,000 - that isn't much when you are talking ICU and multiple surgeries.)

[Colleen]

I'm so upset about this rate increase and would love nothing more than to just turn my back on the health insurance industry altogether.:mad: I won't, though; I'm not willing to put our livelihood on the line. So I'm contemplating. We're actually insured through the state farm bureau, so this is already a group plan. I have someone looking into other rates for me, but I suspect the only way to significantly lower the monthly premium is if we jack up the deductible even more. Btw, we have zero pre-existing conditions and have never made a claim since being on this plan. What a sad state of affairs this country is in as far as health insurance is concerned. Downright embarassing.

[Sunny]

Well, for just a few more dollars (like a $200 deposit to your OWN savings account to use if needed) we have $1Million dollar use.

No, it isn't insurance, but that isn't bad in my opinion. I feel like we are doing something other than complaining we can't afford it, and can get help when we need it, and actually PAY for actual EXPENSES of real people's needs. It works in its own way, and is definately there as an alternative than to pay outrageous premiums when you know you are typically healthy and in our case, use alternative health in most cases anyway that wouldn't be covered in health insurance.

[FlockOfSillies]

The worst thing the government ever did (well, ONE of them) was to tie health insurance to employment. I mean, think about it -- do you worry about having to change car insurance or homeowner's insurance when you change jobs? Of course not! There's no logical reason for health insurance to be the same way. Term life insurance is dirt cheap by comparison. But I can promise you, if the government ever mandated or nationalized life insurance, the costs would skyrocket, and life insurance would be more scarce.

 

Imagine a world where the costs of medical technology and procedures got cheaper over time, like with TV sets. :D But it'll never happen as long as the laws of supply and demand are blocked.:mad:

[Holly IN]

haven't read any replies...replying to Colleen's OP. It is not just the self employed. During the last two years my dh's work insurance doubled in premiums. We were paying about $1000 a month on our premiums. It was great insurance (the best we had). They changed our insurance to a much cheaper policy. We pay about $400 a month now. It is so nice to have more control over where our money goes however our insurance is not as good as our past insurance. It is good enough though.

 

From what I have heard from self employed friends, they take a part time job where they can get insurance (Starbucks or Fed Ex) on top of their business. Or they get a full time job at night for the insurance. One family I know the wife works during the day for insurance while her dh has his business during the day. I am NOT saying you need to work. Just stating what I know from other families. One of them is my relative and they homeschool. He works two jobs (one through a company and one on his own). They couldn't afford the insurance. They are against state gov't funded insurance (we have one for kids here in Indiana).

 

I feel for you. I would look around. Do you have an insurnace agent to do the looking for you? I dropped mine ages ago. I found out he was ripping us off on premiums. Do it on your own. I hope you do find a good health plan out there with low cost. One other thought...How about just going with major medical? (look at your past history in your family as to how many times you took the kids to the dr...if alot then no it is not good to go with major medical).

 

I wish I can help you more. Insurance cost is rising every where.

 

Holly

[Holly IN]

The worst thing the government ever did (well, ONE of them) was to tie health insurance to employment. I mean, think about it -- do you worry about having to change car insurance or homeowner's insurance when you change jobs? Of course not! There's no logical reason for health insurance to be the same way. Term life insurance is dirt cheap by comparison. But I can promise you, if the government ever mandated or nationalized life insurance, the costs would skyrocket, and life insurance would be more scarce.

 

Imagine a world where the costs of medical technology and procedures got cheaper over time, like with TV sets. :D But it'll never happen as long as the laws of supply and demand are blocked.:mad:

 

Exactly my fears!!!! :confused: I just hope the gov't do not touch the homeowners insurance or vehicle insurance. Just leave it alone please!!!:D

 

Holly

[ChristyB in TN]

We have Humana after after a ton of research. We have a crazy high deductible and msa, also. I think the most frustrating thing is the prescriptions. Ours are not covered at all so we pay full price. My husband's prescription for his awful fever blister cost over $300 dollars yesterday. Yeah, that's what I said. My dd has a cream for her face that keeps her acne at bay, it is $160. Nice. Paying for it with the MSA only lowers our taxable income and makes us use profanity as we pull away from the pharmacy. I don't know the answers to this craziness but I sympathize with your predicament right now. I don't think anyone can relate to this problem unless they have had to go without insurance or have had to pay for it with out an employer contributing. It is crazy.