How do most married, dual-income couples deal with health insurance? Should I drop mine and go on his plan? I am recently married. My husband and I are both healthy and have private sector jobs that are reasonably secure. I work for a small (less than 20 employees) company that has so-so health insurance. Husband works for a larger (500 employee) company that has awesome health insurance. Adding me to his health plan would cost about the same as what I pay for my health plan now. I'm planning on joining his health plan, but open enrollment time is coming up at my job, and I'm wondering if I should keep my insurance or drop it. I can afford the premium, but I don't want to be wasting money where I don't need to. Is it good to be double-insured just in case he loses his job? We have no kids, but are planning on them in the next few years.
posted by emily37
on May 17, 2013 -
17 answers
My partner and I have just been offered a large amount of money to leave our NYC apartment. Our plan is to pull up stakes and move to my home state. We
have to make a decision by tomorrow. However, I've also just had a hinky breast mammogram/sonogram and am scheduled for a biopsy next week. Am I making a major mistake in quitting my job, going on COBRA, and moving cross country when I've got a potential health issue on the line?
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posted by fuzzywuzzysock
on May 9, 2013 -
47 answers
I'm self employed. I need health insurance. My main concern is a random ER visit that will put me in debt for the rest of my life, so I told my wife not to worry about deductible prices, since I only need to go in once every few years anyway.
She found something with a $4,000 deductible. And that was like $80/mo. The other ones were even more expensive. Is this price range right? Is this the only way to protect myself from crippling debt?
posted by brenton
on Apr 29, 2013 -
31 answers
I get kicked off of my parent's health insurance plan next month. Should I purchase my own plan and if so how and what's the worst that could happen if I don't?
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posted by krakenattack
on Apr 26, 2013 -
15 answers
My partner and I are considering going into couples counselling. The insurance plan we share does not cover this type of counselling "except when rendered in connection with services provided for a treatable mental disorder." One of us is in treatment for a mental disorder, so this seems worth investigating. Can you offer us any experience or advice about dealing with therapists and/or insurance companies in this situation?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 14, 2013 -
1 answer
I am an ABD grad student dealing with significant situational depression. My therapist has recommended I seek out a prescription for an SSRI (antidepressant). My insurance situation is a bit complex -- I'm on the university's faculty EPO plan, but don't have a primary care physician relationship established. Trying to sort out the right order of operations for making sure I get coverage, and get timely access to care.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 9, 2013 -
7 answers
How do I figure out the details on a tricky health insurance situation so I am not doing anything shady, but also don't accidentally end up many thousand of dollars in debt?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 5, 2013 -
10 answers
My wife's mom is a widow of advancing age. She lives alone in Eastern Europe, in a country with universal health care. (More or less... thanks, austerity!) As she is getting older, we're starting to worry about her living over there, both because of quality of care and because the day that she's no longer suited to live by herself seems approaching. We live in the US and would like to bring her over here permanently. Putting aside immigration questions, how do we get health insurance for her?
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posted by DirtyOldTown
on Mar 12, 2013 -
8 answers
My husband got a new job and it looks like his health insurance will be better and cheaper for us than what we have through my employer. Problem is, my office is tiny and if we drop off our insurance, only one person in the office will remain on the group plan and a group of one is not eligible for a group plan. If we drop off the plan, I want to ensure she doesn't get screwed over. Can you help me figure out what questions she and I need to ask the owners and our insurance broker and/or come up with creative solutions to pose to the owners of the company? (I realize that this is really the coworker's issue but we're a very tight-knit office and my coworker wants this help.)
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posted by adorap0621
on Feb 27, 2013 -
9 answers
I am a Rhode Island resident. I'm in San Francisco, CA for several months, working. I've decided to buy a car from a friend here, and today I'm going over to give him the money (I've been driving it for a week or two, since he already bought a new car and we trust each other).
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posted by betsbillabong
on Feb 26, 2013 -
6 answers
I don't have employer-provided insurance and purchase it directly. Is it possible to increase coverage to deal with a new health issue?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 4, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm not sure if i should discontinue my health coverage or not, and how to handle it - and if there's any way to *temporarily* discontinue my health coverage.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 30, 2013 -
8 answers
NYS Health Insurance Filter: I live in New York state. I am between jobs. I just enrolled in
Healthy NY because I can no longer afford my monthly COBRA payments through my former employer. The good news is that my monthly premium with my new insurance is reduced by 50% from what I was paying for COBRA. The bad news is, I just realized that in all likelihood none of the prescription medications I take regularly are covered by this plan. Please help me figure out what, if any, my options are at this point.
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posted by thereemix
on Jan 26, 2013 -
20 answers
I have recently switched from my own health insurance to going back on my mom's plan. I feel silly asking this question, because it shouldn't feel like a big deal, but when I get my birth control rx filled through her insurance, how obvious will it be to her?
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posted by sockypuppeteer
on Jan 24, 2013 -
19 answers
I have mental health issues and I need to see a therapist, a psychiatrist, and have my medications prescribed/refilled regularly. I'm moving next month to be with my significant other (not married), but I'll lose my health insurance which is through my current state. Where do I get these mental health services at a reduced cost as an uninsured person in Tucson, AZ?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 21, 2013 -
8 answers
Can I keep my excellent health insurance offered through my parents company or do I have to accept the insurance offered through my workplace?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 2, 2013 -
13 answers
I'm 51, spouse is 58. When he retires at SS age (let's say 68), he will be eligible for Medicare (age 65). I won't. Spouse currently gets good group health insurance, which covers both of us, through his full-time job. I don't work for money and haven't for 20 years. If he retires in 10 yrs, at 68, he will be covered by Medicare (assuming anyone is by then ...). But I will be only 61 then, so I won't be eligible for Medicare for 4 more years. What are my health insurance options? (We live in NH now.) Believe me, thinking about this keeps me up at night.
posted by mmw
on Dec 22, 2012 -
11 answers
[MA Health Care Filter] I've recently become ineligible for health insurance from my erstwhile employer and need to choose a Massachusetts based insurer to individually purchase coverage from. What is your insurer anecdata?
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posted by andorphin
on Dec 15, 2012 -
8 answers
A transgender friend of mine was denied health insurance in Louisiana because of the 'underwriting risk' of her condition: "gender identity disorder". What are her options here?
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posted by yeoz
on Nov 20, 2012 -
17 answers
I have a question regarding employer's health insurance coverage of a separated spouse. I understand that the information I might (hopefully) be given would be general and not necessarily pertinent in my case but since it's close to a holiday and I cannot get more specific information until next week, I'm hoping that some general info will calm the freakout I feel just around the corner.
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posted by SweetTeaAndABiscuit
on Nov 20, 2012 -
9 answers
Health insurance for a 40 year old male freelancer in Los Angeles. Help me Obi-Wan-Ask-Metafilter, you're my only hope.
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posted by Unsomnambulist
on Oct 29, 2012 -
9 answers
I need to buy health insurance in Portland, Oregon and I'm wondering if there are any professional guilds or Freelancer's Union-type groups that sell health insurance.
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posted by jeb
on Oct 23, 2012 -
1 answer
So this was me
commenting a bit ago about how some views toward health care actually damage the lives of real people.
And now I need advice, because the situation has grown so far out of my control and I think I’ll go out of my mind with worry.
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posted by bilabial
on Sep 26, 2012 -
52 answers
My wife is considering a job change, and the new one would no longer provide health insurance for me and our son. I'm an independent consultant. What are our best options for health insurance in California?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 10, 2012 -
5 answers
How precisely do we handle payments for medical appointments until COBRA kicks in? And is there anything new I should know about COBRA post-Obamacare?
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posted by Stacey
on Aug 22, 2012 -
7 answers
If my insurance coverage ends after an appointment but before all the paperwork has gone through, will they still cover it?
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posted by geegollygosh
on Aug 5, 2012 -
6 answers
I have a friend who lives in Bolingbrook, IL (Will County). She has a car. She's looking for a mental health care professional. There are complications.
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posted by zeek321
on Jul 26, 2012 -
3 answers
Because of a change in insurance policies, I need to find a new orthopedist. Does anyone have any experience with NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases or any recommendations in NYC?
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posted by newpotato
on Jun 29, 2012 -
5 answers
What can you tell me about adult diagnoses of ADD and how they work with health insurance, specifically the idea of pre-existing conditions?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 23, 2012 -
5 answers
Where does one go for reliable information about any risks of using your health insurance policy?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 21, 2012 -
14 answers
Costco Health Insurance? I'm comparing health plans for a small company (three eligible people). So far I've spoken to an insurance agent, but in my research I came across
this site. Does anyone have any experience with Costco insurance - positive or negative, from either employer or employee perspective?
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posted by letitrain
on Jun 12, 2012 -
0 answers
Where do I start with purchasing individual health insurance? I lose my current coverage on July 31, and I've been avoiding dealing with this for as long as possible. Right now, I feel a bit overwhelmed, and don't know what information to trust or where to start.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 12, 2012 -
11 answers
Anybody know about the cost of getting an MRI or MRA in Israel (or Cairo)?
This is my student insurance, and it puts imaging under "Included in the limits of liability". I'm not sure what that means. I am unable to get this done in the US due to scheduling conflicts. I'll be in Jerusalem this summer and then in Cairo this fall, but am not sure what my insurance will be in Cairo (and I also know less about Egypt's health system in general). Thanks!
posted by Corduroy
on Jun 2, 2012 -
2 answers
Which address should I give when I go to the Emergency Room? This is turning out to be a surprisingly stressful and complicated question.
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posted by Ash3000
on Jun 2, 2012 -
12 answers
It's open enrollment time, and given the changes in all the policies, it's now a lot harder for a clear cut decision.
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posted by k5.user
on May 18, 2012 -
3 answers
Health insurance question: I got laid off from a small company a few months ago, and have been paying over $400 monthly for COBRA. This eats up a ton of my unemployment money. I'm wondering if I should switch to an individual plan.
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posted by emily37
on May 16, 2012 -
19 answers
I have recently
lost my health insurance. While it is possible I will be reinstated to
the plan I lost, which is provided in conjunction with my school, I need to be insured again ASAP, and I don't mind the possibility of doubling up on insurance for a short period of time. New Yorkers, do you know of any affordable (<$500 or so per month) plans I might be eligible for? I am a full time college student.
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posted by ocherdraco
on Apr 25, 2012 -
9 answers
I thought my medical procedures would be covered by my school's health insurance, but I was terribly wrong. Now I owe more than $4000. Please help me calm down and think about possible options.
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posted by tickingclock
on Apr 20, 2012 -
33 answers
Health insurance quagmire (NYC based)
A year and a half ago for the first time in my life I got health insurance. It wasn't an easy process, as I am a small business owner, and it was difficult to find a policy that my employment status (I was categorized as self employed for this policy) made me eligible for.
All was fine until last November, when I made a late payment. I thought I had put my payments on auto pay on my online banking, but apparently I messed up the process along the way and the payment didn't go out.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 4, 2012 -
3 answers
I recently got a job and health insurance. Hooray. Now I can afford to see a doctor for some medical concerns I’ve had and let go for too long because I didn’t have insurance and they didn’t seem pressing. However, I can’t get in to see a doctor for at least a month or more, and for some reason, now that I do have insurance and have to wait so long to see someone, I’m suddenly having tremendous anxiety about my health. Help me put this in perspective and/or figure out what to do. Details about my specific concerns and situation inside.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 2, 2012 -
4 answers
I'm a full-time graduate student & MA resident about to turn 26 in August and lose my parent's health insurance. My school offers health insurance, but it costs $3000 for the year, which I cannot afford. I have looked into applying for MassHealth but it seems like I am not guaranteed to be approved since I do have coverage available from my school.
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posted by kmavap
on Mar 27, 2012 -
12 answers
I want to go to a therapist and submit the bills to my student insurance, but what if I need to get independent health insurance later? (I.e., what if I start my own business or something?) I'm in the USA--Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, and Illinois, most likely.
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posted by zeek321
on Mar 22, 2012 -
5 answers
