My fiance and I are finally in a position that we can afford to buy health insurance... barely. His job doesn't offer any insurance plans, so we have to find our own. What is the best way to go about finding the best plan for our family? (we have an 8 month old, plus the two of us...) We looked online, but are completely lost. Thanks mommas! It will be sooo nice to be able to actually go to the doctor when we need to...
You might qualify for CHIPS for the kids or a state program for kids. It is very cheap and often totally free.
The options vary by state. I live in MN and have had individual insurance through Medica for 4 years and I am OK with them and the plan I'm on. My deductible is so high that I would have to raid my retirement savings if I have a serious need, but in the meantime, the monthly premium is relatively reasonable and the plan actually covers some basic care.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is another company that offers several options for individuals. Again, the options vary by state, so I would check some websites that do comparisons - http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/individual-health-insurance
You might contact an insurance broker for help. You can also go to the websites for various health insurers to see about their individual plans. Just keep in mind that it can be tough to get independent insurance. Most will require you to pass their medical screening and will not accept you if you have any health issues or much of a history of going to the doctor (although this will change under reform ... not sure when they can stop discriminating ... if this could be an issue, I'd check the White House website for the exact date).
Try to research if your State has State provided health insurance... it is much cheaper or free.
My kids are on that for in our State...which covers medical and dental. Its very good. Free.
Here's 3 links for your State:
http://www.covertn.gov/
http://www.tn.gov/finance/ins/
http://www.tnreport.com/2010/02/enrollment-of-children-in...
ask your doctor about state insurance for your family. since you dont have it for the baby she will be covered and where i am they cover moms post pardum up to a year, if you are within the income limits i think hubby can get it too. hope this helps
Is there a Farm Bureau in your area? We get BlueCross/Blue Shield coverage through them at a very reasonable rate. (Better rates obviously if you're reasonably healthy and depending on how high of a deductible you have, but definitely worth looking into.)
Check out CoverTN and CoverKids and there may be other programs and I can't recall the names www.covertn.gov. They have some options in TN for health insurance through the state. It is income based but if you have more income than you pay a portion but it is still inexpensive. The other option is to find a good insurance broker and he/she can shop some plans for you.
where are you located? I used to work for a GREAT company that sells, among other types of Insurance, Health. It does not cost you anything to go through a broker and in many cases it can save you big bucks, because they may have access to plans you may not have access to as an individual. If you want their name send me a message I would be happy to help you. They are a good company run by good people.
