Health Insurance suggestions for a Los Angeles freelancer?

October 29, 2012 3:21 PM

Health insurance for a 40 year old male freelancer in Los Angeles. Help me Obi-Wan-Ask-Metafilter, you're my only hope.

Seriously, having a hard time finding honest advice and suggestions for the best way to go about getting health insurance as a freelancer living in the City of Los Angeles.

I want basic coverage ASAP (meaning I don't want to wait til the Affordable Care Act kicks in). Maybe also vision/dental, but mainly just general coverage.

Suggestions? (oddly, Freelancers Union doesn't have a provider in the state of California... go figure).

posted by Unsomnambulist to health & fitness (9 answers total)

I used to be a freelancer in LA. I got an individual plan through Blue Shield that included dental, and it cost around $200 a month. However, it was a PPO - if you wanted just emergency, bare-bones insurance it will cost you a lot less. Female, 30s here.
posted by emily37 at 3:23 PM on October 29, 2012

Have you tried eHealthInsurance.com? They give you a range of options. (I'm also a freelancer in Los Angeles, and ended up at Kaiser.)
posted by roger ackroyd at 3:25 PM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

Take a look at Kaiser. I chose them when I was employed because they were the cheapest choice but I ended up being very pleasantly surprised. They're very big on preventative care and keeping you healthy.
posted by shoesietart at 3:27 PM on October 29, 2012 [2 favorites]

Research Assurant health care. Big deductible, but catastrophic coverage, as well as annual preventive care in the range of $150 a month. Not bad.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 3:29 PM on October 29, 2012

Last time I checked, Kaiser was least expensive for what I'd call a full healthcare plan. As @emily37 mentioned, emergency insurance was significantly less.
posted by cnc at 3:41 PM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yeah, eHealthInsurance I'd strongly recommend against - asked for my credit card info before finishing their form, and even then almost immediately started being spammed with phone calls and emails.
posted by Unsomnambulist at 3:42 PM on October 29, 2012

Another vote for Kaiser. I'm nearly 60 and have been with them since the day I was born. They started out good, then got terrible before they got better. They are absolutely top-notch now, AFAIAC.
posted by buggzzee23 at 3:56 PM on October 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yet another vote for Kaiser. I had them when I was a kid in the '60s, and if I had the option, I'd have them now.

I currently have United Healthcare, which I like just fine. I have a high deductable plan and it's pretty good. My annual deductable is $1,650, but I can make contributions to an HSA for that portion of my contribution.

But in Southern California. Kaiser. Totally.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:28 AM on October 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

I went with Kaiser. It's been great so far (18 months).

Lots of different deductible/co-pay options.

Just don't admit to any pre-existing conditions on the application.
posted by Argyle at 11:00 AM on October 30, 2012