TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Hi all,
>
> This is slightly off-topic, but still of pressing interest to
> contractors and consultants, I imagine. Where is the best
> place to get
> health insurance as an individual if you have a few
> pre-existing conditions?
When I had a pre-existing condition, I was denied insurance from everyone,
except discount plans, which are not exactly "coverage." The type of
condition that I had required surgery, but other pre-existing conditions may
not preclude insurance.
Your location determines your options. For example, if you are on the West
coast, then Kaiser is an option, but on the East coast, it is not. Also, I
do not know what is offered in areas other than my own.
The best way to get insurance if you are denied coverage, is to get a job at
a place like Starbucks Coffee that offers insurance to part-time employees
rather soon. After you have been with that insurance for whatever requisite
time that your self-insurance carrier requires, then you can quit your job
and you will have the previous insurance that you need to get past the
denial.
If you cannot get any insurance on your own, then you should see if your
state offers a major risk program. I had to use California's Major Risk
Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP, "Mr. Mip") to get coverage. Regular
coverage for me, if I could get it, would have been around $200 per month,
but under MRMIP, my coverage was $500 per month. I had a 3-month exclusion
period where I could not be seen for anything related to my medical
condition. They even denied giving me results for a blood test from
December until February when the exclusion period ended that showed I was
moderately anemic. I could have really used that information. I paid for
the insurance and let it lapse after I had surgery and all of my follow-ups.
Later, I was able to get insurance for $140 per month through Blue Shield's
(Anthem, now) HSA program, Lumenos. With an HSA, you can save money in like
an IRA for medical care and get all of the tax benefits of saving.
You have to be denied insurance before you can get coverage under MRMIP and
I think that provision is consistent with other states that offer similar
programs.
Where are you located? Have you already been denied coverage?
ComponentOne Doc-To-Help gives you everything you need to author and
publish quality Help, Web, and print content. Perfect for technical
authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial. http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
