I am 60 years old and my husband passed away almost 4 years ago, I just started to receive his social security benefits. I work full time and was thinking of going part time, is there any health insurance out there that does not cost a arm and a leg for people like me.
This $28K was not even a catastrophic illness. Imagine if we got a bill for $0.5M with no help for insurance. Many people have had things like this happen and were forced into bankruptcy.
I admired the Clinton and Obama administrations for trying to tackle the healthcare problem in the US. What the Obama administration wanted was universal care with a single payer system to help contain the cost of healthcare. The doctors and hospitals could only charge what the single payer would allow. The hospitals, insurance companies, and doctors certainly didn't want price fixing to take away the milk from the healthcare cash cow. So the Obama administration plan was slashed and cut until we ended up with a few remnants that hurt the people it was trying to help.
Now what is funny is through media manipulation and viral emails, the healthcare side of the debate was able to convince many people to shoot themselves in the foot. Sometimes I have to stand back and wonder at why people fought so hard against something that would have saved them money. If the original plan had gone through, we wouldn't even have to worry about finding money for LTC of our parents. It would have been covered. The only bad thing is that the NHs wouldn't have been paid as much.
Sometimes I hear this quality of care argument. To tell the truth, when I see 5-min doctor appointments (for $120+ an appointment) with the doctor just pulling out a prescription pad, the quality of care argument loses meaning for me.
Let me guess...you have insurance and medical coverage, probably group insurance via an employer, and are pleased as punch? I bet you don't pay thousands of dollars annually for your insurance coverage either. (But, somebody...your employer?... does.) That's usually the ones who like to complain about the ACA, yet offer no substantial or beneficial suggestions to those who are flat-out denied coverage or are used as a pawn in the insurance companies' game of 'deny coverage or offer impractical rates'.
On a website with "caring" in it's title and where people seek out assistance and guidance from others whom have previous experiences with an issue, why not offer some compassion and thoughtful advice, if anything. We don't need you to share your fear-mongering & political jabs or resentment.
Isn't Obama Care lovely? Not long from now they will be fining those who cannot afford insurance. *sigh*
Are you getting it and you are 60? My husband is 10 years older and this is a fear I have.
I've been letting time go by, as well as routine exams and doc visits, so that previous "excuses" for denial will have cycled off my med records and no new comments, which can be misconstrued and used, will be added. Hopefully, someone will make an offer. Reasonably priced...doubtful.
Something needs to be done in our country about the medical and insurance communities taking advantage of the consumers but our elected officials are too busy playing politics and getting nothing done...while we pay for their medical coverage.
Wish I had more positive news for you, me and millions of others going without insurance and therefore, medical care. I agree with the previous post...keep the job and benefits until you can retire with medicare.
To pursue private health insurance, talk to an insurance broker who handles health insurance. They can give you some facts. You can also research on line.
I'm 63 and our health care costs went up $600.00 per MONTH beginning this past January. My point being, even if you found something you thought you could live with, it could change quickly. And there you would be, having to choose between health care premiums and your house payment.
It's sad to say, but if you have a secure job and benefits, then at least you have a known factor. Everything else is a crap shoot. My best guess would be give it another year or two and see what develops. Get the presidential election behind you, the Supreme Court decision out in the open, and then see if there is any hope in 2014 when more competition will hopefully come to the health care market place.
Wish I could be more encouraging, but right now a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush. Best wishes, Cattails.