NWR-Insurance

amalama

I am on my parent's insurance right now (as a student) but I will be turning 25 in May. But, my dad found out from whoever at his work is in charge of that stuff that he could extend my coverage through their plan but the rates would probably go up "a little". He had the paperwork sent and brought it to me today to fill out. I was going through it filling things out, and not until the last page does it list the amount, $550! Yeah I think that's more than "a little bit". So now I have a month to try to figure something out. Feeling a little hopeless. I am currently looking up student plans but I don't even know where to start. Any recommendations for a good company? I really don't need anything major, I am just trying to prevent having a gap so I don't lose coverage for some things I am currently taking medication for and may end up needing surgery again eventually.

aggiebug

Most schools have student insurance.  I would recommend going through them, they will probably have the best plans.

also do you know how much it was, because that could be very little.  its only $45/month

amalama

I am going to a community college right now and have not been able to find any information on a plan through them. Thanks though.

And the $550 is per month, not per year. That would be much better!

aggiebug

haha yeah and it makes much more sense actually (maybe I need to get off here for a while) 

I would still recommend contacting some one in the student services part of the college,  They might not have plans but I bet they have paperwork for some good options. 

I am on Golden Rule insurance and was previously on Assurant health.  I honestly don't know how much it costs since my parents still cover it.

katiewhompus

Holy bajeezus that's a lot of money per month... I've gone throughwww.ehealthinsurance.com/" target="_blank"> E Health Insurance  for short term insurance (casualty) before and have had good success with Assurant and UnitedHealthOne. They also have individual health care which can go as low as $50/month (depending on what you need it for.

Which reminds me..I need to sign dh up for the short term insurance again while he's in between job insurances..

katiepoppy

You might want to check out ehealthinsurance.com. I am your age and get coverage for less than $150 per month (many plans for this price do not cover pregnancy, just FYI).

If you see plans you want to apply for, you should do so immediately - some companies may deny you due to pre-existing conditions. If you can't get coverage for whatever you are taking meds/needing surgery for, you may want to stick with the expensive COBRA plan for a bit.

mwhitson14

Ama, I went through lots of health insurance plans trying to figure out the best one, and I ended up with Humana. It has a high deductible though, so you may not want to have that, but I needed a lower payment.

Check with whoever has your house and/or auto insurance (Like farm bureau offers health insurance).

This is the website I used to find out which plan I wanted:

http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

amalama

Thanks guys, I was googling student health plans but was only coming up with companies I have never heard of and it was kind of making me nervous. I will check those out and maybe try to get ahold of someone at school to see if they at least have recommendations.

ggmae

The day I graduated, I was kicked off my dad's insurance plan. Since then, I have been paying anywhere from $200-250 a month for independent insurance through Tonik (Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield.) I think that Tonik is only offered in 6 states though. This month, I switched over to my place of employment's insurance plan (still w/ Anthem) - I am paying much more a month now, but it's for 2 people instead of just 1.

If you have Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield in your area, I'd look into them to see what plans they offer. Also, Cigna is a good company too from my family's experience.

ggmae

Here is a link for Anthem plans in MO: https://express.rwsol.com/roi/getIntroduction.do?brand=ANTHEM&state=MO

katiewhompus

We are all ehealthinsurance people here apparently

Their short terms dropped in price fairly drastically since I put dh on one this time last year. It's $50 cheaper for the same plan!

amalama

Well I found some that cover my basic doctors visits and BC for about $80, sounds a lot better to me than $550.

Katiepoppy-I should not need surgery anytime soon. I have a thyroid problem and had to have a nodule and half my thyroid removed last year. There is a chance that I could end up needing the other half removed or I could grow another lump and need that removed. I just am worried that if I had a lapse in coverage now, if that happens it might not be covered down the road. Besides that I just need an inhaler and BC covered.

katiepoppy

I was just speaking from previous experience with some of the insurance providers/plans I found through ehealthinsurance. I was denied by a provider because of a history of something that was no longer an issue (it was a temporary condition). Just a warning that you could be denied because of your history of thyroid problems. Should they deny you? No. Can it still happen because some insurance companies are meanies? Yep.

Good luck!

katiewhompus

Fwiw...I have had very good luck (through work and ehealth) with Aetna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, UnitedHealth, and Cigna.

amalama

Ahh, yes, I am wondering if I will get denied. I thought you were saying these plans probably wouldn't cover it if I did need surgery. Sorry, reading comprehension fail on my part.

katiepoppy

No problem. Can you tell I am still a little bitter? Maybe I should make a voodoo doll...
Also, where do you go to school? Is it in St. Louis?

amalama

Yeah I am pretty bitter about this whole situation myself. I guess it's my own fault for not being out of school with a job already. I go to the community college in St. Charles right now, and next spring when I am done there I am planning on going to Webster University. So I will need this insurance for a while.

Or we could just go ahead and JOP now secretly so I can be on BF's insurance and just have our real wedding when I am done with school like we were planning. How does everyone feel about that idea??

katiepoppy

Cool. Good luck with Webster!

Yeah, good call with the winky face on the secret wedding suggestion

katiewhompus

For you Ama, two thumbs up

I actually just realized I need to figure this out for myself soon. If I lose my position at school before Dh has his new job insurance kick in I'll need to get some casualty...which will be fun if I'm pregnant and therefore have a pre-existing condition

amalama

Yeah Katie I would definitely figure this out soon if you are trying! That would be a massive bill to be stuck with out of pocket!

katiewhompus

Yeah, definitely not good...

psichick

try contacting the state and see if they have an insurance program. i was on a program through nys for a few years before i went on FI's insurance. it was almost as good as what i have now (covered all doctor's visits, specialists, hospitals, and prescriptions) and it ran me about $200 a month. not too bad. so see if your state has any programs that could help you out.