Why is buying individual health insurance for my spouse SO MUCH cheaper than buying through my company?
827128
It is about "Risk" as you know Insurance is a business "pure and simple".  Your company has "Loaded" rates, this means that someone in your company probably has a health problem that has cost your companies plan to spend thousands if not millions in paying out claims.  Every  single policy has a "Ratio" or profit margin to it.  What this means quite simply is that your companies plan is expensive because the fact that someone or several people are utilizing the plan.  When you purchase Individual or Family plans, you are Underwritten Individually based on your medical condition.  I will give you an example:\na. Sarah aged 40 applies for health Insurance she takes no medication is 5ft 9inches tall weighs in at 140lbs, has no health conditions, and at her last physical the doctor gave her a perfect bill of health.  She is offered a Tier 1 rate (lowest prices)\nb. James aged 40 applies for health Insurance he takes medication for High Blood pressure, is 6ft. 250lbs doctor said at his last physical that his cholesterol is too high and has prescripted a medication to lower it.  He is offered tier 4 rates and is asked to pay 150% high premium than Sarah.\nc. Group Insurance: If I try to get my wife coverage in my group, the rates are based on the health condition of my group.  We call it a RAF in the business "Rate Adjustment Factor" , this is based on claims usage throughout the previous year.  I hope this helps to understand how it works.
184080
First, Corrections:\nTerm, Whole, Variable, Universal, etc. are all forms of life, not health insurance.  \n\nSecond, Assumptions: \nSeveral assumptions are being made in my answer. \n1.You are looking for Health, not Life insurance.\n2.You are not eligible for insurance through your employer, therefore you have to get your own.\n3.You are a citizen of the United States.\n4.You are buying health insurance as an individual, in other words, you don't run your own business that can deduct the cost of insurance.\n5.You are under the age of 55.\n\nThird,  Know the true purpose of insurance:\nThis is important from a philosophical, as well as a practical standpoint. In all its forms, insurance is intended to “cushion” the individual from excessive financial burdens in the event of UNEXPECTED costs. While I abhor “capitalized screaming” the term unexpected is important! Most people believe that insurance implies a reimbursement. In the old days they called this a tontine. But this is not the purpose of health insurance. Health insurance was originally meant to keep you from going broke when some fool t-bone's you at an intersection, or you contract pancreatic cancer. That said and understood I can make a suggestion that can keep costs down, save on income taxes (if you itemize) and give you health coverage for regular health care needs as well as prevent catastrophic financial loss due to a serious health event.\n\nFourth, The Suggestion:\nLike him or hate him, George Bush got through Congress a great thing called “The Health Savings Account” or “HSA” for short. Basically it has two parts.  \n\nFirst, a savings account where you can save up to ~$2700 (single) or $5,450 (family), or your health plans deductible, per year, which ever is less.\n\nSecond, a high deductible health insurance plan that acts just like a regular Preferred Provider health plan or PPO for short. You pick a doctor from the company's list of MD's basically. This insurance plan will usually have a co-pay (some don't) and will protect you case some fool t-bone's you at an intersection, or you contract pancreatic cancer.\n\nBTW, I don't have any “skin in this game." Just went through it recently.  If this is all too confusing, get an independent insurance agent to help you, they should bend over backward to help. They make commissions when they sell these products.\n\nI wish you good health.
94108
Different companies charge different amounts. It will also depend on how your health is, if you smoke, if you are over weight, etc. Start calling insurance agencies and ask for quotes. That is the only way to know who is going to be the cheapest.
671938
my office (small business with 14 employees) has a group plan through blue cross blue shield.  it was actually easy to set up.  i called a few of the big players and asked for agents/reps to come to my office.  they all set up appointments.  i got quotes from everyone.  compared plans and viola....  insurance.
306707
Try Standard and Poor's.  Call the health insurance company you are interested in and ask them to send you a Fact Sheet on their company.
1104636
Either you pay for a really good insurance policy (and still end up with a copayment or deductible, hoping they will never decide to not cover anything) or you join the military. If neither of those, it is expensive.
1073336
Base on your description, it is impossible to get a good rate. Rates that are advertised online or on TV are for people with perfect health. No matter what type of policy you get, cash value or term, it will be very expensive for you and your husband to even get $100,000 coverage (premiums are at least $2000/year).\n\nMy only advice is to look around for companies and find which one offers the lowest premium. It is better that you find out by calling the insurance company directly instead of filling stuff out online.
707438
It depends on what you mean by cheap. That is, cheap could mean low monthly payments. However, if it doesn’t provide the financial protection you need or the access to the kind of care you want, having the insurance really won’t justify the lower payments. The first step in finding affordable health insurance is finding out exactly what you want from a health plan.\n\nBasically, health plans differ in three basic ways:\n\n•monthly price/annual deductible\n•access to health care (the degree to which you can visit whom you like and undergo medical treatment a specialist thinks you need)\n•financial strength of the insurance company\n\nAlso, the price of a plan is not simply the premium you pay each month. You also have to consider the annual deductible, as well as any coinsurance amounts or copayments. Additionally, the savings you can achieve through an HMO, PPO, or other managed care plan can be erased if you have to go outside the network for expensive medical care. I’ve included links to two articles that do a good job of walking you through making the best possible choice in health insurance you can afford that still provides the coverage you need.\n\nKaiser of course has a major presence in California, and Blue Cross Blue Shield is also a popular choice among Californians (they had by far the most PPO plans in the top 10 of the CR survey). You might want to write down all your concerns and then rank them in order of importance. It’s simple, I know, but I’ve always found it a useful way to make a tough choice.\n\nYou might also want to check out Consumers Reports and US News&World Reports Rankings to get some opinions about high-quality health plans (link below). I’ve also linked to a couple of online articles that do a good job of explaining health insurance and what to look for in a new health plan. The last link in the Source section is to the California Department of Insurance page on Health Issues: it has some good information on the rate of customer complaints for insurance companies and has tools to help you find out which health plan might be right for you.\n\nTo get a lot of information quickly, try getting in touch with local insurance agents through MostChoice.com. There’s no cost or obligation, and you can also view instant free quotes on health plans available near you. All you have to do is have your questions ready and tell the agents how much you want to pay and what kind of coverage you expect to get in return.\n\nYou can find it here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm\n\nHope this helps,\nBarnes@MostChoice
154144
in these times, everyone is looking for health insurance. if you can offer someone a better deal, they will listen.\n\ni sure would.
1147499
The best place to start is by doing what you’re doing now – asking for personal recommendations. I’d also check out Consumer Reports (link below), America’s Health Plans (link below), US News & World Reports Best Health Plans, and whatever other informational resources you can find. I’d also talk with locally licensed health insurance agents. I’ve also included a couple of articles about choosing a health plan that might be useful. They are government-authored, but they’re actually pretty good (all links below).\n\nAfter you’ve done some research, you should visit MostChoice.com. It’s a Web site that helps you shop for health insurance. They have free instant price quotes and policy information on health plans near you, but their specialty is getting you in touch with state-licensed agents. There’s no cost or obligation to buy insurance. You just fill out a short form and wait for the agents to contact you (within 48 hours). Have your questions ready and let them work until one of them delivers the plan that’s right for you. You might want to have a set amount you want to spend each month on insurance and tell the agents to work within those parameters.\n\nYou can find MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm\n\nHope this helps,\nBarnes@MostChoice
34056
Despite some efforts to create a national system, healthcare is still funded largely by joint employer/employee contributions, with the employer typically picking up 70-80% of the cost.  \n\nMore and more options involve HMO's, or health maintainence organizations.  They trade a low-cost co-pay (or insured share of medical cost) for managing practically every decision involving your care.  HMO's often make decisions based on financial considerations.  Other insurance plans are available, but at substantially higher prices.\n\nWith healthcare costs skyrocketing, largely due to vastly increased malpractice insurance premiums, a better solution is needed.  There has been continued talk of "tort reform" which reduces the liablility of a doctor or hospital in a suit.  Other "consumer-driven" insurance plans have been developed that put the insured in more of a position to determine how much his health care will cost.  My wife and I have such a plan, and it offers us some incentive to choose our doctor visits more carefully.
1031508
I’d check out Consumer Reports (link below), America’s Health Plans (link below), and whatever other informational resources you can find. I’d also talk with locally licensed health insurance agents. I’ve also included a couple of articles about choosing a health plan that might be useful. They are government-authored, but they’re actually pretty good.\n\nAffordable can mean what you can pay month-to-month or what can help shield you from a really expensive illness or medical procedure. For example, I’ve spent money on health insurance for over 10 years and have had only two non-routine doctor visits. My sister, on the other hand, has unfortunately had to use her insurance a lot. The bad news is that insurance prices are increasing and fewer and fewer employers are offering it to their workers. The good news is that you have a lot more options in health insurance than you used to. Just remember that the more you pay monthly, the less you’ll pay out-of-pocket before the insurance company picks up the bill. And, of course, the less you pay monthly, the more you’ll pay before the insurance company helps you out.\n\nTwo new plans aimed at twentysomethings are popular right now – but you don’t have to be in that age group to join. They are “Tonik” from Blue Cross Blue Shield and “Sound” from UniCare. They have low premiums and high deductibles, but they can also include dental and vision for a relatively low amount of money. Regular doctor visits are also included. In less than two years, Tonik has become the second most popular BCBS health plan in California. The only problem is that they are not available nationwide yet.\n\nYou should try visiting MostChoice.com. It’s a Web site that helps you shop for health insurance. They have free instant price quotes and policy information on health plans near you, but their specialty is getting you in touch with state-licensed agents. There’s no cost or obligation to buy insurance. You just fill out a short form and wait for the agents to contact you (within 48 hours). Have your questions ready and let them work until one of them delivers the plan that’s right for you. You might want to have a set amount you want to spend each month on insurance and tell the agents to work within those parameters.\n\nYou can find MostChoice here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm\n\nHope this helps,\n\nBarnes @ MostChoice
258110
it depends on what type of policy you want.  If you do a search on a site like insuranceshoppers.net, you'll find some REALLY cheap options on through some more expensive options that would be a waste of money.  But there is a reason the cheapest ones are so cheap, because they have really low limits (calendar year, outpatient, Rx, etc) or don't have any coverage at all in some areas.  The best thing to do is to choose one of the companies you have heard of and get a high deductible plan that still covers everything like Rx.  Call the agency to help you out, it doesn't cost anything.  In the end, it's all just a gamble - like going to Vegas.  If you are healthy and don't know what is going to happen in the future, you'll more than likely come out ahead by saving money in premiums with a high deductible plan or HSA qualified plan.  If you have pre-existing conditions and can't get individual (underwritten) health insurance in Colorado, you might check Cover Colorado - covercolorado.org
300093
dsinngerdj,\nYou are providing poor information to the public and any clients that you meet with.  It appears that your only product line is term insurance so you say that that is the only type of insurance that makes sense for anyone.  That is simply wrong.  Every person has a different financial situation and until they have reviewed their situation and established a plan, you can not say that.  For many people a combination of term and permanent coverage is their best bet.
801875
Did you get the plan from work? Well then ask this your HR manager. If you are buying on your own, I'd rather suggest\na plan with no elimination or waiting periods, like eHealthPlus.
322905
well since there is a new drug coverage,my husband also qualified for the financial subsidary.i guess it may differ,each state,and plan,but he only has to pay $2.oo for genericand $5.00 for name brand,no higher than $5.00.also he doesnt have to pay any deductables.i would check with medicare and see if you qualify for assistance.they can tell you more.good luck =)
1132628
The short answer is $173 for an individual health insurance policy for a single person, according to a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Of course, premiums depend on what kind of plan you have, where you live, your age and sex, medical history, and other factors. For example, another KFF study found that a 25-year old would spend $57 a month for a HMO policy while a 60-year old would spend $205 for an identical policy. A few states do not allow health insurance companies to charge more based on age. And the average monthly premium in California is about $211 – about $40 dollars above the national average, according to California Healthcare Foundation. Moreover, some medical conditions can increase premiums by 20 to 80 percent.\n\nMostChoice.com has a free and easy way to find out all about health insurance. You can get free policy descriptions and pricing estimates through the site. More importantly, you can talk with state-licensed insurance agents near you. You just fill out a short form and local agents contact you within 48 hours. It’s a stress-free way to shop for health insurance and a great way to find out answers to tough health insurance questions.\n\nYou can find it here: http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm\n\nGood luck,\n\nBarnes@MostChoice.com