“Taking it in the shorts” for health insurance
As of yesterday, I have no health insurance.
My glossy employee benefits — health, dental, and vision — from UC Irvine vanished when the calendar page turned. July was my one-month extension, and now I’m on my own.
Being an independent contractor has its perks, but a major disadvantage is, as my insurance broker said today, “bending over and taking it in the shorts” for individual health coverage. I am now at the mercy of whichever health insurance provider will voluntarily “take a risk” to offer me coverage.
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been so gracious to accept my application and offer me coverage — albeit at almost $250 per month, $70 more than my chosen plan’s base premium. Why?
“We can call and ask,” my broker said. “But they won’t be specific. Based on my experience, the only explanation they’ll give is, ‘Previous history.’ ”
I could ask Wellmark to reconsider, to have another underwriter assess my “risk,” but there’s a 99 percent chance Wellmark will take a glance at my medical history (which it somehow has complete access to), give me the ol’ bird, and tell me to take it or leave it without any explanation as to why I’m paying $70 more.
“Oh, and by the way,” Wellmark will say, “we will also tack on a $10 service fee.”
And that’s all for a $1,500 deductable and 10 percent co-pay for office visits. With UCI all I paid was my small monthly contribution, taken directly from my paycheck, and $20 up front. The rest was paid by my group insurer and Peter the Anteater.
Ahhh… Those were the salad days.
Did I mention this is just for health insurance? If I want dental and vision I need to apply for policies with separate companies.
I’ll cross those bridges when I reach them, but in the meantime I decided to take it in the shorts. The two other options I have are: 1) No insurance, and 2) Participate in COBRA for $700 a month — for just health insurance. Relatively, begrudgingly bending over for $250 is not so bad.
It is woefully late to weigh-in on the whole health care debate, so I’m not. (If you ask me, the actual issue of health and how Americans care for themselves was conveniently lost or ignored in the discussion.) But I feel this is a nice example of how twisted, greedy, and priority barren our monopolized private health industry is.
My glossy employee benefits — health, dental, and vision — from UC Irvine vanished when the calendar page turned. July was my one-month extension, and now I’m on my own.
Being an independent contractor has its perks, but a major disadvantage is, as my insurance broker said today, “bending over and taking it in the shorts” for individual health coverage. I am now at the mercy of whichever health insurance provider will voluntarily “take a risk” to offer me coverage.
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been so gracious to accept my application and offer me coverage — albeit at almost $250 per month, $70 more than my chosen plan’s base premium. Why?
“We can call and ask,” my broker said. “But they won’t be specific. Based on my experience, the only explanation they’ll give is, ‘Previous history.’ ”
I could ask Wellmark to reconsider, to have another underwriter assess my “risk,” but there’s a 99 percent chance Wellmark will take a glance at my medical history (which it somehow has complete access to), give me the ol’ bird, and tell me to take it or leave it without any explanation as to why I’m paying $70 more.
“Oh, and by the way,” Wellmark will say, “we will also tack on a $10 service fee.”
And that’s all for a $1,500 deductable and 10 percent co-pay for office visits. With UCI all I paid was my small monthly contribution, taken directly from my paycheck, and $20 up front. The rest was paid by my group insurer and Peter the Anteater.
Ahhh… Those were the salad days.
Did I mention this is just for health insurance? If I want dental and vision I need to apply for policies with separate companies.
I’ll cross those bridges when I reach them, but in the meantime I decided to take it in the shorts. The two other options I have are: 1) No insurance, and 2) Participate in COBRA for $700 a month — for just health insurance. Relatively, begrudgingly bending over for $250 is not so bad.
It is woefully late to weigh-in on the whole health care debate, so I’m not. (If you ask me, the actual issue of health and how Americans care for themselves was conveniently lost or ignored in the discussion.) But I feel this is a nice example of how twisted, greedy, and priority barren our monopolized private health industry is.
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