Health Insurance
for
Independent Medical Transcriptionists
From Cindee Zentz, PMUL05A@prodigy.com
Check with your local insurance agent and tell them you are looking
for a group of 1 (one) policy. I guess each state is different, but in
Colorado they have to offer it to us and they cannot hold any medical
problems against us as "pre-existing condition". Mine is very affordable:
$203 per month for my daughter and myself.
National Association for the Self-Employed. 1-800-232-NASE. They will
usually have a local rep call and make an appointment to come to the
prospective member's home to explain all the benefits. You get a full
packet of materials to peruse.
From Deborah Pava, dpava@pb.net
As an IC, I got access to a group policy through Mutual of Omaha.
They advised me that they handle a group through NAFE - National
Association of Female Executives. Though I am not in any way active with
this organization, as long as I pay the $20/year membership, I am able to
get the med/surg-disability-accident insurance under their group policy
rates.
From Bob:
One good option worth looking into is the Foundation Health HMO
(available in California and I don't know how many other states, but
they are in several others). I subscribed a couple of years ago through
the National Association for the Self-Employed, but you don't have to go
through them to get a good rate. Foundation Health is comparably priced
to Kaiser, but it's a lot better plan.
From Sheila:
I just signed up for Keystone Blue...an HMO for
individuals. It's Blue Cross and Blue Shield of W. PA. Both plans,
Keystone Blue and Complete Care are offered. Keystone is the nickname for
the state of Pennsylvania. Maybe it's just one of the many plans offered
but just "made for certain areas." I did see both plans advertised on
the ABC network and that's how I got the phone numbers to get more
information.
It's supposedly wonderful! I haven't used it yet but that's what all the
information says about it. I had Blue Cross Complete Care before and I
didn't like it. I'm basically a healthy person with no ailments of any
kind and I will never reach my out-of-pocket limit, i believe, unless i am
hospitalized. (fingers crossed!) :)
Anyhow, Complete Care wanted $95 a month, individual and still I had to
pay 20% OF EVERYTHING AFTER the out-of-pocket limit is met. So, I feel I
am ALWAYS paying something!
With the Keystone Blue, I pay $104 a month, individual and pay only $10 to
see the doc, and 20% of my prescription...THAT'S IT! Anything else is
covered 100%.Not hoping to get ill anytime soon, I am wondering if it's all what it's
cracked up to be! The premiums are a little higher but the benefit of
being in an HMO I think outweighs the difference in $.
From Rhonda:
Regarding the health care item, I've looked into this with associates of
my husband (he is in commercial insurance) and according to them, based on
what they do (which is put together large group health plans for VERY
LARGE organizations such as the Federation for the Blind, etc), we might
not benefit from a GROUP plan any longer. The group plans have become
very very limited and usually require some type of PPO participation - not
exactly possible on a national level, at least not at a good rate. Due to
the recent administration's new health reform "improvements" (??!) and
threats of improvement, more and more so, the plans that are available are
having to raise prices and ask for more co-pays. If each individual
REALLY SINCERELY looked into this whole insurance deal, what they would
find is that the cost of health insurance is just plain COSTLY (duh) and
that it does not improve as it used to with group plans.
My family has health insurance through my husband's group. It still
costs us over $360 per month, not counting co-payments, deductibles, and
etc. Believe me, I've checked this out and we would put in an awfully lot
of HARD WORK to even try to get a national or state or group plan and in
the end, it wouldn't even save us any real $. At this stage of the game,
we are all capable of doing better individually. People still talk about
how they think group plans are so much better. They USED to be better.
Not because they were really THAT MUCH cheaper but because the companies
we worked for could afford the cost of chipping in toward their employees
health insurance. They paid a portion, the employees paid a portion.
NOW, due to increased amounts having to be put aside for other benefits
our national government thought were so very pertinent (like having over
50 employees requires a small company to give maternity leave to its
employee - maternal and paternal! Nice thought except that most companies
with only 50 or so employees absolutely cannot afford
such a luxury along with fewer tax breaks, AND still be able to help
their employees with health insurance!). . .I talked to another Health
Insurance Specialist (#2 in the nation with Blue Cross/Blue Shield) and he
basically said we'd be spinning our wheels to accomplish a little bit of
nothing along the health insurance lines... He claimed there were things
we could do but the work involved with putting it together would not
balance out with the amount of money (if any) we would save.
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