HonuPineapple
New Member
Do we get health insurance starting from day one?
Health Insurance
- Thread starter HonuPineapple
- Start date
BoomerSooner77
New Member
Hmm..
Kinda, not really... I think GeorgM can shed some more light on the matter.
Health insurance starts on the first day of the pay period following the date that you turn in your health provider choice forms. There are a number of plans to choose from, and different levels of coverage, with different deductibles, with differing costs. You won't be covered until they start withholding insurance premiums from your paycheck.
HonuPineapple
New Member
I was off health insurance for a three day weekend once while my mom was in between jobs.
I broke three bones that weekend and had a concussion.
Learned my lesson.
I broke three bones that weekend and had a concussion.
Learned my lesson.
Barty
Well-Known Member
Yikes. Get some short term insurance in the meantime, trust me on this one. It is high deductible, so it isn't really made for routine stuff, but should you get injured or end up in the hospital for some reason, it'll pick up a majority of the bill there. It is relatively cheap, last time I had to buy some it was about $70-80 a month.
esw2005
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I have looked into short term insurace, I just have not gotten around to it. So far I have been lucky!!!!
pm577
New Member
That's a real horror story and lesson for everyone else. (time for national healthcare anyone!?)
NO!
bloomer
New Member
That will solve our problems, just ask the Canadians waiting in lines for health care or the others crossing the border for care down here.
pm577
New Member
sigh...
(Would be nice if at least govt provided some sort of catastrophic coverage while unemployed. A lot of people end up declaring bankruptcy from random health complications while uninsured. Another note: Somehow people fail to realize an excellent success story for national healthcare, and that's medicare. It's possible to mix govt. and private business in a way that's advantageous to everyone.)
Barty
Well-Known Member
I 2nd that. Buy your own insurance if you're between jobs or working somewhere where it is not provided. If you are reasonably healthy, a high-deductible plan is affordable for most anyone ($60-100 a month, depending on coverage) and will take care of the big bills. Then open up an HSA and put at least enough money to cover the deductible on the insurance plan. That is the least expensive and smartest way for someone to self-insure. Yes, it is nice to only have to pay $20 for an office visit, but I haven't stepped in the door of a general practitioner in 3 years, so it won't kill most people to pay $100 if they really do get sick enough to warrant visiting a doctor. With the $4 generic deals that most drug stores run these days on basic run of the mill medications (the stuff most of us get prescribed when we get a common illness) prescription coverage is almost a waste of money as often as most people really get sick.
Most of the people who whine about how unaffordable health insurance is outside of an employer are probably looking at similar coverage like they'd get in an employer plan. Low to no deductible, low copays, covers annual physicals, mental health, etc. Paying out of pocket for the routine stuff when it comes up saves a TON of money on the monthly insurance bill.
You might want to start at http://www.opm.gov/insure/, and drill down to 2008 FEHB Premiums.
esw2005
Well-Known Member
good post, thanks for the info