Q. I am in my early 30's, working as a freelance consultant (meaning buying private health coverage).
Can I and my wife choose the new Gov Medical health plan that are in the works -- and what will that mean for covering her and kids when we start a family?
Can I and my wife choose the new Gov Medical health plan that are in the works -- and what will that mean for covering her and kids when we start a family?
A. Last I heard, there is no government health plan in the works. Lieberman managed to kill it.
Meanwhile, there are still 2 different plans b/n House and Senate and we won't know what the outcome is until they are reconciled.
Meanwhile, there are still 2 different plans b/n House and Senate and we won't know what the outcome is until they are reconciled.
What should I look for in a good health plan for my wife and I?
Q. We are late twenties, married two years and really need a decent family health plan. We have no kids yet. What specific benefits/costs should I be looking at? We can probably only afford $200-$300 a month, sadly.
A. If you can find a plan through your employer, it would be the cheapest. If you are buying on your own then you will have some additional things to look at:
1. are either of you planning any major surgeries or health events (pregnancy)
2. how often do you typically go to the doctor (1? 10?)
3. Do you need specialist care (ob? specialists?)
4. How much money do you have available in an emergency
5. Any routine medications (birth control? allergy? special condition?)
Plans will have info such as co-pays (what you pay when you go in) and then also things like co-insurance. Pay attention to these as it will help you identify how much money you will be paying in addition to your health insurance.
Some people pick plans that have higher upfront costs (copays, drugs, etc) with lower monthly costs because they rarely go to the doc and it is cheaper to pay those costs out of pocket. Others find insurance that is more per month but the day to day is cheaper.
Read the fine print- will previous conditions be a problem? Is there a limit to how much the insurance will pay? Is there a drug plan.
Good luck.
1. are either of you planning any major surgeries or health events (pregnancy)
2. how often do you typically go to the doctor (1? 10?)
3. Do you need specialist care (ob? specialists?)
4. How much money do you have available in an emergency
5. Any routine medications (birth control? allergy? special condition?)
Plans will have info such as co-pays (what you pay when you go in) and then also things like co-insurance. Pay attention to these as it will help you identify how much money you will be paying in addition to your health insurance.
Some people pick plans that have higher upfront costs (copays, drugs, etc) with lower monthly costs because they rarely go to the doc and it is cheaper to pay those costs out of pocket. Others find insurance that is more per month but the day to day is cheaper.
Read the fine print- will previous conditions be a problem? Is there a limit to how much the insurance will pay? Is there a drug plan.
Good luck.
What should the fees be for Cadillac health plans?
Q. People who have Cadillac health plans will pay more to the government in fees. What should the scale be?
And how shall we exempt union workers who have Cadillac plans?
But iris, how do we exempt unions from this supposed tax...because it is not a tax, it is a fee.
And how shall we exempt union workers who have Cadillac plans?
But iris, how do we exempt unions from this supposed tax...because it is not a tax, it is a fee.
A. The fact that union workers will be exempt (for a period of time) smacks of favoritism for that crowd. Why should they get off - and not me? No way. There will be lawsuits by the truckloads when that goes down. None of this will come out like the dems think it will. So many people think it just means free health care - when in fact it just means that the gov't is REQUIRING you to BUY health care (unless you are poor and it will be GIVEN to you!) There is so much to motivate one to being poor in this country! Anyway - the fees should be NOTHING! Don't TAX my right to buy a great health plan (I work very hard to do so!) taking money from me to pay for those that don't!
Can I go for a health plan after I have retired?
Q. We are an elderly couple. My employer has provided us with coverage all this while. But now that I have retired, we do not have any health plans. Do the health reforms have anything in store for people like us?
A. If you're 65 then you're on Medicare already and you need to sign up for Part B and get yourself a supplement and a Part D (drugs) plan. If you're not 65 yet then you need a health insurance plan...so buy one. And, if you don't qualify for Medicare (because you legally immigrated) then you just need a bridge plan to get you to the point where you qualify for Medicare.
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