how;s this quote 5,000 per month for health insurance

[bountyhunters]

MY kid had a kidney transplant about four yrs ago my insurance is going to drop her ,because of her age 27 so we started looking for covrage for her ,and this the quote from altcare insurance in ohio .

[Box]

BH,

My Dad just had kidney/liver transplant, so I know the picture you are talking about. I am not sure, but if you do a search, you may be able to find a high deductible insurance that would not be that bad. Of course, with her meds and any checkups the cost before you hit the deductible might be pretty high. Whatever you do, don't let her insurance lapse before you find the next coverage. I think that is key, but others are more knowledgable than me.

Also, I used a broker to help me find some coverage when I was self-employed. He really was able to show me the pros/cons of many coverages. Somebody like that might help. I am in MN, and not sure if it matters, but if you wanted, I could give you his name to help search for info. Maybe there is agent here who might be able to help.

Good luck to you and her!
-Box

http://www.walleyecentral.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=103808

[Burr ND]

Makes me cringe. My wife just flat gets declined, no offer at any price. Something needs to be done.

[walleyefishboy]

BOUNTYHUNTER:

I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR YOU TO RESEARCH THAT MAY HELP YOU IMMENSELY. THEN AGAIN IT MAY BE IN VAIN, BUT KEEP IN MIND MY INTENTIONS ARE WELL MEANT.

PLEASE ALSO KEEP IN MIND I AM AN INSURANCE AGENT IN MICHIGAN, SO I HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR FRUSTRATION, HOWEVER I STAND TO GAIN NOTHING BY OFFERING THIS SUGGESTION.

WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU IS TRUE IN MICHIGAN. I DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS THE SAME IN OHIO, BUT I BELIEVE IT IS.

IN MICHIGAN, IF YOU WERE TO PURCHASE HEALTH INSURANCE FROM BLUE CROSS/ BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN, THERE IS A PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS CLAUSE THAT STATES THAT AS LONG AS YOU PAY THE MONTHLY PREMIUMS FOR A SIX MONTH PERIOD OF TIME, BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD WILL PAY FOR MEDICAL COSTS, SUBJECT TO THE TYPE OF COVERAGE YOU SELECT, AFTER YOUR POLICY HAS BEEN IN FORCE FOR THAT STATED SIX MONTH PERIOD WITHOUT REGARD TO ANY PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE, BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD WILL PAY YOUR DAUGHTER'S MEDICAL COSTS, ONCE THE POLICY HAS BEEN IN EFFECT FOR SIX MONTHS.

THEY CAN DO THIS IN MICHIGAN BECAUSE HERE THEY ARE A "NON-PROFIT" ORGANIZATION AND AS SUCH CANNOT REFUSE TO OFFER INSURANCE TO ANYONE.

TO HELP YOU PURCHASE A PLAN THAT IS AFFORDABLE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF A GROUP, SO YOU CAN GET A GROUP RATE AND YOUR DAUGHTER'S HEALTH CONCERNS ARE UNDERWRITTEN ON A "GROUP BASIS", NOT AN "INDIVIDUAL BASIS". THAT WAY YOUR DAUGHTER COULD NOT BE CHARGED A PREMIUM BASED UPON HER HEALTH. IT WOULD BE BASED UPON THE GROUP RATE FOR A FEMALE AGE 27.

THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN MICHIGAN WOULD BE TO JOIN THE FARM BUREAU. THIS IS HOW FARMERS GET HEALTH INSURANCE ON A GROUP RATE BASIS. IN MICHIGAN THE COST TO JOIN THE FARM BUREAU I BELIEVE IS $45 PER YEAR. ANOTHER WAY TO JOIN A GROUP IS TO BECOME A MEMBER OF A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. MANY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN MICHIGAN OFFER BLUE CROSS/ BLUE SHIELD TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ON A GROUP BASIS AS WELL.

A THIRD ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO CONTINUE HER EXISTING COVERAGE UNDER THE FEDERAL "COBRA" PROGRAM, WHICH WOULD ALLOE HER TO CONTINUE HER CURRENT COVERAGE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, BUT WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO CANCELLATION DUE TO PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. THIS MAY BE COST PROHIBITIVE, BUT PERHAPS NOT.

I HOPE THIS HELPS AND DOES NOT CONFUSE.

GOOD LUCK: DUFFY

[sevenmmm]

If your daughter is a Christian, check out one of the Medi-Share programs. You won't believe the program and the price. Cuts the corporate greed and those with alternative lifestyles right out of the picture.

[rebelrn2001]

The cost of this policy seems like it is a LOT of money and it is. I am curious what Sevenmmmm's definition is of 'corporate greed'. Have you checked the price of a kidney transplant lately? Probably around $300,000 or so. Give or take a hundred thousand. And that's just for the surgery. I routinely see doctors bill for the highest possible payment for a 'common cold'. Their payment is based on 3 pieces of information they are required to document. One is the History of the patient, the next is the Exam and the last is the Medical Decision Making. I would not want, as my primary care physician, a doctor that bills the highest possible payment for something like a cold. If they think this is complicated, I'd hate to get sick with something that is serious!! Have you looked at your doctors home lately?? Back to the issue at hand. Do NOT blame the insurance companies. The whole system is SICK. Every component is part of the problem. Hospitals/clinics/LAWYERS/doctors/pharmaceutical companies/PATIENTS. Insurance companies are simply trying to earn a fair profit to pay their investors as any company does. It is a VERY competitive business and competition keeps prices of the administration of insurance costs down. John Kerry says he has a plan to reduce the paperwork. Does he really think he can come up with a process to reduce paperwork? The insurance industry is pretty darn streamlined now. If it becomes too easy, money grubbing doctors will be able to bill without fear they will be caught. That is another thing. Doctors can bill higher codes and if they are caught, nothing is done. The insurance company simply pays the doctor less if the doctor can't provide documentation of the higher complexity of the case. YES I also said "PATIENTS". They go to the doctor for something they can treat at home probably over half of the time. They run to the doctor for a sniffle...or worse yet, they go to the emergency room for this. And they expect an antibiotic for a viral infection...that is expensive and can cause even more problems. I have seen a woman who brought her child (one of 6 that she had with 6 different fathers!!), who had cold symptoms to the ER. She was of course on Medicaid. While she was in the emergency room, she indicated she wanted another one of her kids 'checked out' 'while I'm here' that had no symptoms at all!! Regarding LAWYERS, they need to keep in mind that doctors/nurses etc PRACTICE what they do. It is not an exact science. Not every case goes like Marcus Welby. It is usually not anyones fault but every one wants to SUE right away and get RICH. So who looses the money? Insurance companies that insure the doctors that are trying to treat their patients the best they know how.

It is sad someone has to have a kidney transplant but if it were 25 years ago they would not be walking this earth. Technology is expensive. There are state/federal programs for uninsured/underinsured. WI has a HIRSP (I think it's called) for high risk patients. A lot of kidney dialysis/transplant patients are with that program...

Sorry I rambled. Good luck with getting insurance. It is a necessity no matter who is at fault for the high costs. As one of the posters said, try to NOT ever be without it as then pre-existing conditions can be used against her. Group is the way to go.

[chrisn]

Bountyhunters:

In Minnesota we have a place where people can get health insurance coverage if they have been declined by another carrier due to health history. It is called the Minnesota Comprehensive Healthcare Association (MCHA). If you apply for coverage with them they cannot decline you due to health reasons. There is a pre-existing conditions clause for a short period of time. There is clause where you can have the pre-existing condition waived for a few different reasons. My suggestion to you is. Check with a local independent insurance agent in the state you live in. If they sell health insurance they would know if your state has anything like this. Oh, by the way, in Minnesota the rates for this policy is not very much higher than a standard Blue Cross Blue Shield policy.

chris

[The Democrat]

If insurance companies are just making a "fair profit" where do they get the money to pay multi-million dollar salaries to their CEOs and make huge political contributions? The insurance industry consistently ranks in the top 10 (sometimes in the top 5) industries for political donations. Concerning lawyers, keep in mind that (a) legal costs account for less than 3% of health care spending, (b) medical malpractice is very difficult to prove and successful lawyers in this field screen cases very carefully, (c) a very small percentage of doctors -- the same bad doctors time after time -- account for a large percentage of the malpractice problems. One of the true culprits is lenient state medical boards run by doctors who are too reluctant to take away the licenses of their fellow doctors; if the licensing system worked properly it wouldn't be necessary for lawyers to put bad doctors out of business.

[Mrs. Stepman]

As in the State of MN, Illinois has a comprehensive health insurance plan also, it's called CHIP's and it is for the uninsurable. There is a waiting period in the State of Illinois at this time but the only criteria to be eligible is that you have had to have been declined by an insurance carrier. There is no pre-ex and the cost is very reasonable. Our daughter has been uninsurable for years due to life threatening bulimia and I can tell you this for many of us is the only alternative. You can go to the Dept. of Insurance website in your state and there should be something on the site that will assist you. I am also a licensed Life & Health agent in the state of IL - if you can't find this on your own call an Independent Agency in your state and they should be able to assist you. The agency will not benefit from assisting you. If you can't find someone to assist you please email me at dmichael@brennanstuart.com and I will do what I can to assist you.

I wish you well and your in our thoughts and prayers.

Mrs. Stepman