OT: Health insurance premiums (self-employed)

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Welcome to the club!

Last year I was at ~$900/month for $5K deductible.

Now I be a kept man... you youngin's be paying my tab ;-)

Medicare A+B, plus a Plan F supplemental @ $145/month, pays

*everything*.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.

The IEEE have just raised their rates such that I am paying about $600 for one person (age 55) with a $5,000 deductible and many restrictions on coverage - they also not accepting any new applicants and dropping coverage for people 65 or over.

I was also going to see about other coverage but I see it may be as bad elsewhere.

cheers

kevin

Sure! Just get up every morning and run 5 miles, don't smoke, don't drink, don't drink coffee, and eat nothing but yogurt and twigs.

You might not live to 1000, but it'll feel like it!

Good Luck! Rich

Every time I checked the IEEE plan it was substantially higher than Kaiser, plus had higher deductibles. Didn't make sense. That's why we went to Kaiser years ago. Check them out. I am grumpy because they jacked up our rates so much but they are probably a lot cheaper than IEEE. However, it's underwritten, meaning they can turn people down if they think the risk is too high.

Wish there was a one-stop shop. But those shops or brokers that claim to be one usually only peddle half a dozen plans, or less. And the underwriters make it hard to switch because they want a check for the first month's premium along with the application. That really stinks since you can't apply for more than one at a time.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

That's all fine but I'd like to have a beer once in a while :-)

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

I know you were trying to be humorus, but taking your health seriously is important. I hope it doesn't take 5 miles, I do around 3 miles 3 times a week. Hey don't knock my coffee! I only read evidence that says it's not harmful and, I like yogurt, especially vanilla with Hersheys syrup. If you eat poorly and don't exercise you might feel like you have a thousand year old body but only be 50. I met a 71 year old male this morning that leads an arobics class, darn guy looks great, has more upper body muscle than I do at 20 years younger. I will catch up with him though, even if it takes twenty years! Mike PS. How many 60 yr olds do you know that have a hard time getting out of a chair? That's sad.

^^^^^

MEEEP! Too much sugar in that one...

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

...

Agreed it is not cheap but I couldn't get coverage at other places because of pre-existing conditions. The IEEE plan is a group plan so they don't (didn't:-( ) require any medical questions and gave guaranteed coverage in the future. Unfortunately that means the plan has collected lots of high-risk people and so they are losing lots of money on it (supposedly Cigna (who carries the insurance) has lost about $10M over the last few years and has finally said they can't carry on.

kevin

Yes, I have heard rumors about that. So far this whole IEEE FAP hasn't brought one single benefit for me. Besides the health plan I tried (actually applied) for two more things: Homeowners and professional liability. Homeowners: Not California. PLI: No medical electronics. Great!

Since you are 55, is there anything that AARP can offer? AFAIK they have health plans.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Joerg wrote: ...

Quote: "AARP Personal Health Insurance Plans, underwritten by United HealthCare Insurance Company, are not yet available for sale in your area.".

I'm in California like you (A transplant from the UK to the south bay) and it is annoying that it often seems that various plans for medical (and other things) are not offered here even when they are available in other states.

cheers

kevin

And no nooky either ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Socialism is OK if you're benefiting?

If you believed what you spout during election time you'd just say no.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Posting from Google?  See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/

"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" came out in April.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Yes, but with the IEEE plan you get to choose a competent physician. With Kaiser you're stuck going to a Kaiser hospital.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Posting from Google?  See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/

"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" came out in April.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Oh, _that_ probably makes you live longer, as long as you're wise in the choice of partners.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Posting from Google?  See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/

"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" came out in April.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

IEEE has gone through the roof, so we'll be looking next month. Let us know if _you_ find anything.

Check out the National Association for the Self Employed

I know nothing about them except what they say on their web site, but they may have something good.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Posting from Google?  See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/

"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" came out in April.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

I'm only against welfare for non-citizens... and bums.

I've been contributing TO the system for 50 years. If I get back 10¢ on the dollar it'll be a miracle.

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
I love to cook with wine.      Sometimes I even put it in the food.

True. Plus it's a long drive for us everytime you need something more significant, like a cast. Doesn't happen a lot to us but we are regularly driving elderly folks there.

OTOH I must say that the waiting in line at Kaiser is close to zero minutes. And you don't have to call or anything, you can book a visit as easily as a Southwest flight. For me as a self-employed person that really matters. This was quite different with the corporate plan and the competent physicians I had before. Long waits.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

I definitely will.

I'll do that. Unfortunately they seem to have the same sales tactics as many others. Instead of simply placing the rates on the web site they make you fill out endless questionaires. Arrgh.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

When considering the 15.3% or so taken right off the top of biz income I don't see that as socialism. Jim has paid for it, just as we are currently paying for ours. Now if it's all still going to be there when we retire is a whole 'nother question.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com