How to get private insurance?

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bedo
bedo Member Posts: 1,866
edited June 2014 in Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues

I am applying to different jobs and I may get one where I have to buy my own health  insurance.but the pay is good  This stinks because of BC and another condition which make me high risk.  I would like life insurance  too, so that my daughter would have something if something happens to me. I live in RI.  How does this work?  Am I dumped into a pile with other  'undesirables'  lol and then  the ins companies have to take us? Would it be more than others would pay?  I am single but I would marry and trade a green card for insurance.  Kidding.  Kind of. Thanks

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  • cycle-path
    cycle-path Member Posts: 1,502
    edited December 2011

    I don't know about the cost of life insurance for BC survivors, but I know health insurance is astronomical. Make sure the pay is REALLY good, because you'll have to pay several hundred dollars per month for health insurance. 

    Do you presently have medical insurance or did you have it until recently?

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  • bedo
    bedo Member Posts: 1,866
    edited December 2011

    I am on Medicaid, mainly because I have no job, I think.  The hospital set it up. Before that I had insurance from my job, until our office was closed.  It was more than 3 months ago so I don't think I can get COBRA

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  • peggy_j
    peggy_j Member Posts: 1,700
    edited December 2011

    Short answer: I think you need to take a job that provides health insurance. (BTW, when a friend's company went out of business, they couldn't get COBRA but her husband went on HIPAA (sp?) cuz he was a prostate cancer survivor and could't get individual insurance).

    Long answer on getting private insurance:

    You need to apply through an insurance agent. Ask for a referral if you can (do you have any self employed friends?). If you want to get a sense for rates, check out the online webites like eHealthInsurance.com. The rates are the same whether you go through them or through a personal agent, so I'd vote for having your own agent.

    I applied for insurance 10+ yrs ago, before I had BC, and even then the health queries felt daunting (they wanted to know every time you went to the doctor in your life, it seemed). They also had the right to pull any medical records they wanted (in my case, they pulled the records from my allergist. I had gone for a general screening but my agent said that allergy drugs can be expensive, so if I had a severe allergy that could impact my rates). Yes, the freaking allergist. Wonder what they think about cancer????

    If your state has an insurance advocate for consumers, you'll want to call them first to learn your options. (I live in CA; there's a group that's part of our gov. Got the # on the CA.gov website).  I think having cancer is usually considered a pre-existing condition that may make it difficult or impossible to qualify for any insurance on your own, but your state might have special programs.

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  • cycle-path
    cycle-path Member Posts: 1,502
    edited December 2011

    I agree with Peggy that you're going to have a difficult time getting individual medical insurance (because you've had gaps in coverage), and if you can get it at all it will be really expensive (because of your medical issues).

    If you'd had no gaps you could qualify for HIPAA, but with gaps I don't think you can. HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) makes health insurance more or less "portable" from one policy to the next, but when there's a gap (of more than a specifically limited amount) there's nothing to "port." So I don't believe it will cover you.

    The portability in HIPAA means that a new insurer MUST agree to continue your coverage even if you are uninsurable by their underwriting standards, but once again HIPAA won't do this for you. As I understand it, if an insurer's underwriting department considers you uninsurable, you are SOL because HIPAA doesn't apply in your case.

    So, as Peggy said in her short answer: find a job with health insurance. 

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  • Fearless_One
    Fearless_One Member Posts: 3,300
    edited December 2011

    Bedo, you will be rejected for individual coverage.   I strongly encourage to take a job that has GROUP coverage.    Depending on how long it's been since you have had coverage, they have to take you (if you have not had a lapse of more than 62 days).

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  • peggy_j
    peggy_j Member Posts: 1,700
    edited December 2011

    Can I just say that I think this whole situation sucks??? bedo I'm sorry you're in this situation and it's one I fear for myself, DH and .... Everyone I know if I think about it (which I try to avoid). I know it's not like this in many (most? any) other developed countries...

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  • peggy_j
    peggy_j Member Posts: 1,700
    edited December 2011

    Cycle_path, thanks for the info on HIPAA .

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited December 2011

    As far as life insurance goes you probably will not be able to find a company that will issue a policy on you until you have been NED for 5 years.  Even at five years you will most likely pay a higher premium unless you have absolutely no other health concerns, and maybe not even then.

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  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 7,305
    edited December 2011

    Until the next step of the "obamacare" (what is it really called???) kicks in - which is I believe in 2014 - I think insurance companies still don't have to cover pre-existing conditions (like BC).  As for life insurance - good luck, but I doubt you'll find a company that will cover you at this point.

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