Brittany Said:

has anyone gotten individual health insurance NOT through an employer?

We Answered:

LOTS of people - probably 10% or more, are insured on individual health insurance policies (individual means, not through an employer).

Typically, with asthma, it will take a month to six weeks to verify how badly your asthma affects you. If your asthma is mild, and you haven't been hospitalized for it recently, it won't affect your approval.

Ricardo Said:

Why do Insurance companies make you take Medicare?

We Answered:

you started in the wrong office; Social Security takes the monthly fee for Medicare Health Insurance directly out of your aunt's monthly Social Security Retirement check, about $100 for most folks.
Unless you terminated the Medicare coverage, every insurance company is only going to quote you the price for supplemental coverage. Medicare is the Primary Insurer, they pay first, other insurance would be 'supplemental'. You really don't want to terminate the Medicare coverage, there are heavy penalties to re-enroll.
The premium for Medicare Insurance from Soc Sec is very reasonable ( $100 vs $500 or more ) compared to those who have not yet become eligible for Medicare; that's why you hear so many Seniors saying 'Leave My Medicare alone', it is very reasonable. It does not however, pay the full amount for care and that 'deductible' amount can run into thousands of dollars out of pocket, if you don't have the Supplemental Policy.
So, If you really want your aunt to not have Medicare, cancel it and prove to the insurance companies that she is canceled, then they will quote you the full price for a health care policy.
Good Luck and Bring Money!

Margie Said:

Should I extend COBRA or upgrade my individual health insurance?

We Answered:

You’re fortunate to have more than one option to choose from, especially since you seem to have a pre-existing medical condition, but I understand your dilemma. You only need one health plan and you want to make the smartest move financially. Does it make more sense to pay a higher deductible and lower monthly premium, or vice versa? If you expect to have lots of medical care in the near term it might make sense to go with the lower deductible option, but not necessarily.

Here’s what I might suggest:

Keep both plans just for now. If you’re eligible for COBRA, you typically have sixty days to enroll in it from the time you lost your job. In the meantime, contact your health insurance agent or the insurance company and ask if you can move to a lower deductible plan without danger of being declined for your pre-existing medical condition. To be honest, they’re likely to say “no” and require that you apply for coverage for a new plan, and they may decline you. But even if you do you’ll still have your two current options, plus a better understanding of what your real choices are.

Keep in mind, however, that COBRA is only a temporary form of coverage. It typically lasts no more than 18 months. If you know that you’ll have another employer-based health insurance plan within that time, that’s fine. But if you cancel your individual plan and then run out of COBRA coverage after 18 months you may possible find it more challenging to get a new individual plan due to your pre-existing medical conditions. If you do find yourself in that situation down the road, work with a licensed agent to find out if there are any local insurers more likely to approve you for a new plan.

Hope that helps. Good luck

Christina Said:

I am 14 weeks pregnant and just moved to California and found out that my Aetna health insurance doesn't cover?

We Answered:

Most OB's and hospitals have discounted rates for prenatal care and delivery. Call your OB and the hospital you will be delivering at and ask. Best to check early since some may require that the fees be paid prior to or at delivery. You will also need to ask about the cost of the well baby check (and if a male baby, circumcision) done by the pediatrician in the hospital and the cost of an epidural.

Your other option is to get a job with group coverage. Pregnancy cannot be considered preexisting with a group coverage.

Naomi Said:

Which company is better for individual health insurance--Aetna vs United?

We Answered:

I think you should ask your insurance broker. Your insurance broker can go over the two companies, help you with the application process, AND help you at claim time should a claim be declined. Both are good, but it depends on where you live and what the plan looks like for you. I have clients with both companies and I have them with both because one is not always better than the other.

When you do business with a broker you're not paying them so get their expertise to work for you.

Sherri Said:

If I want to get an individual health insurance policy do I need to show proof of prior insurance?

We Answered:

No, you don't. That prior coverage, is only "good" when you go to a new GROUP policy, and it keeps them from excluding coverage for preexisting conditions if the lapse in coverage is less than 63 days.

Your new individual policy, is allowed to exclude any coverage for preexisting conditions they want to.