pro wants health insurance by 11/1/05

[fireitup123]

Hi,
This seemed like the best place to post this issue on this site although I'm not sure. I'd be glad to repost somewhere else if it would be better. I also realize that 2 + 2 may not be the best place to research this, but I do think it's a good place to start.

I'm currrently insured through COBRA from when I left my job in 2004 and turned pro. The policy ends 10/31. Tberefore, I'm attempting to be covered by 11/1 with a new insurance comapny.

I have contacted Blue Cross and I am working on an application with them on the site www.ehealthinsurance.com/ (http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/), which I plan to have completed by today. Also, I may apply with Golden rule insurance on that site as well. Hopefully I'll get accepted by one of those companies by 11/1.

In the meantime, I am interested in applying at a couple of other insurance companies (maybe through a different site or method) - The idea is if I make four applications, hopefully I can be set up in time by at least one of the comapanies.

My goal is to get health insurance with a company that I could use in different states if I moved, and that I can keep over the long-term. I like a PPO plan with a deductible between 1k and 5k. I am a relatively healthy person with no major preexisting conditions.

Questions:
1. Are there any recommended companies to apply to?

2. Any recommended sites to visit where I can apply?

3. Any other suggestions or thoughts?

Thanks for your help

[Sniper]

http://biz.yahoo.com/special/healthplan05.html

[Rooster71]

Sorry I can't provide any new info. But I DO think this is the best forum to post your question. I am in a similar situation, except that I am permanently disabled. My COBRA expires 4/30/06, this might not seem like a big deal but I am in the middle of a series of surgeries that will extend past that time. Medicare will kick in 6 months after COBRA expires, so I am looking for some sort of temporary 6 month insurance policy. Any ideas?

[fireitup123]

Hi Rooster,

"I am in a similar situation, except that I am permanently disabled. My COBRA expires 4/30/06, this might not seem like a big deal but I am in the middle of a series of surgeries that will extend past that time. Medicare will kick in 6 months after COBRA expires, so I am looking for some sort of temporary 6 month insurance policy. Any ideas?"

I would like to share with you my research today. I completed an applicaton to blue cross / blue shield, through the following insurance agency online:

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

When I got to the last page of the application, the issue of COBRA was addressed, under a section titled HIPPA Rights. "If you or any member for whom you are applying has had at least 18 consecutive months of group, COBRA, federal gov't or church coverage AND it has been no more than 63 days since that coverage terminated, you may be eligible for waivers of our normal pre-existing condition wating periods. These rights are made available to you under the federal Health Insurance Portabliity and Accountability ACT (HIPAA) of 1996. If you would like to exercise your HIPAA rights, please call our Individual Sales Dep't since we will require a different application to be completed".
It's in a format I could not copy and paste so I typed that out.

I called the agency and they had trouble explaining this so they asked me to call blue cross at 1-800-845-2738. I was contacted by an insurance agent, who I discussed further the issue.

Here's my understanding of it:
After you you are covered by COBRA for 18 months, you will no longer be eligible for COBRA coverage (mine expires at the end of this month). You have up to 63 days to exercise your HIPPA rights during after your cobra insurance expires.

You can make a standard application, or you can make the HIPPA application. And if you make the standard application and are turned down, you have up to 63 days to make the HIPPA application. Per my agent the HIPPA laws assure that you will be accepted (even with preexisting condition(s), however, at possibly high rates.

However, I asked him the costs for the HIPPA coverage, and he quoted me at 1,500 deductible (no help on office visits, etc. until deductible is exhausted), 225.00 per month for my age bracket, with a maximum out of pocket of 6,500 per year. He said when I get to a certain age it would go up again, to a fixed amount. I did not ask him the lifetime maximum out of pocket. I also understood that the monthly and other figures are a flat rate for HIPPA coverage.

It's actually a lot cheaper than my COBRA coverage was (400 per month), but higher than what I might get with blue cross PPO (100 per month with 2500 deductible).

Disclaimer: I might be off base here but that's my limited understanding of the issue so far. Hopefully that gets us a start on understanding the issue further.

[midas]

If you can get a decent policy from Blue Cross I would buy it. Avoid anything from Aetna.

[fireitup123]

If you get into a non HIPPA health plan, you would lose your HIPPA rights. So if you got accepted through blue crosses plan outside of hippa, you would lose your hippa rights (but not if you applied through the HIPPA app).