Health Insurance Recommendation for a Freelancer?

April 19, 2004 1:37 AM

I'm looking for respectable health insurance while I make a go of self-employment. Recommendations?

If it matters, I'm a 29 yr old male with no significant health problems. However, I'm want to get some dental work soon, lasik, and something like acutane to clear up my skin. My current high-deductible insurance will be pretty useless for all of the above, and I'm shopping around. I'd love to hear recommendations or horror stories about the various options out there, particularly catering to self-employed folks.

Also, if I just go out of pocket for my prescription drugs, what's the best place to buy them on the cheap?

posted by Jonasio to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Be warned: any policy you buy will hike up its prices as you grow older. And that will start within very few years, even if you don't make any claims.

As for your dental work, many policies won't pay for such work right away, calling it a previously
posted by Goofyy at 2:54 AM on April 19, 2004

oops. That's previously-existing-condition. Spell-check works weird.
posted by Goofyy at 2:55 AM on April 19, 2004

If you've got good insurance with your job now, you can stay on your current plan, making the same payments that you make now, with your current employer under COBRA, for up to 16 months, (or is it 12?).

Then marry someone with a good health insurance package at her job, and get added to it. otherwise, look forward to high deductibles and exorbitant monthly payments, and almost no chance of an included dental, with a group plan designed for self-employed people.
posted by crunchland at 4:36 AM on April 19, 2004

Previous AskMe threads here and here.
posted by yoga at 4:36 AM on April 19, 2004

Recommendations: 1. don't read this article from Sunday's NY Times magazine unless you want to get even more frustrated and discouraged, and 2. vote and work for Kerry.
posted by nicwolff at 6:20 AM on April 19, 2004

Recommendations: 1. don't read this article from Sunday's NY Times magazine unless you want to get even more frustrated and discouraged... by the NYT's shitty account signup page.
posted by Meridian at 6:32 AM on April 19, 2004

Remember that when you're paying COBRA you're paying what the company actually paid for your insurance plus whatever you chipped in, so it'll be pretty steep, too. Steep like the curve of a striking snake's body....
posted by mimi at 6:46 AM on April 19, 2004

Whoops! Sorry, here's the free permalink to the NY Times magazine article.
posted by nicwolff at 7:09 AM on April 19, 2004

Uh, sorry again - that's the link to the link generator - here's the link to the article.
posted by nicwolff at 7:11 AM on April 19, 2004