HELP - Alternative options to health insurance....

Daniel J Topolski

New Member
17
So I thought I could get Anthem through my work but they just told me today they can't really afford to cover half this year so I can not afford that. It would be around $550 for me.

I have $240 to spend a month. Hopefully less.
38 years old
Male
Non Smoker

I need to find an option to pay for some office visits, wellness exam, and cover me in case of catastrophic illness or accident.

Ideas?

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I found this - thought maybe it would be good.
United Healthcare Supplemental
Health ProtectorGuard - PREMIUM PLUS - COST $172
Brochure - https://www.uhone.com/FileHandler.ashx?FileName=45173-G201812.pdf

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Other things I have looked into (see other post) is Health Shares - OneShare, Solidarity, MediShare - all around $211 to $236.
 
So I thought I could get Anthem through my work but they just told me today they can't really afford to cover half this year so I can not afford that. It would be around $550 for me.

I have $240 to spend a month. Hopefully less.
38 years old
Male
Non Smoker

I need to find an option to pay for some office visits, wellness exam, and cover me in case of catastrophic illness or accident.

Ideas?

----

I found this - thought maybe it would be good.
United Healthcare Supplemental
Health ProtectorGuard - PREMIUM PLUS - COST $172
Brochure - https://www.uhone.com/FileHandler.ashx?FileName=45173-G201812.pdf

---

Other things I have looked into (see other post) is Health Shares - OneShare, Solidarity, MediShare - all around $211 to $236.

You get a Special Enrollment Period for an ACA plan if you lose your job-based coverage. ACA plans coverage everything, including pre-existing conditions.

The drawback is that an ACA plan can be expensive without a subsidy. And even with a subsidy, the deductible may be very high as well.

Depending on your income and family status, you may get a subsidy, which may bring down the premium to the dollar level you're looking for.
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Short-term health plans, like the UHC one you mentioned, don't usually cover pre-existing conditions. That's not terrible, but just know that going in.
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Health-sharing plans, like the ones you mentioned, are not really insurance. However, if you can't get an ACA plan or it's too expensive, then look at them.
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So, try to get an ACA plan first if you can and it fits your budget. If not, then look at the other two options.

But those are your basic 3 options for someone who doesn't have group health coverage:
- ACA plan
- Short-term care plan
- Health-sharing plan
 
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Not true
With one share - they pay for three office visits, 1 urgent care, 1 physical, and 1 er visit in full!!! Before deductible.
 
Not true
With one share - they pay for three office visits, 1 urgent care, 1 physical, and 1 er visit in full!!! Before deductible.

Either this is a joke that was over my head or you’re not an insurance agent.

Edit: just noticed you were the OP and not an agent.

Yes, you will pay for it with higher premiums. Meaning they are assuming you will use those 3 appts and you will pay for it
 
But the premiums for the plan that pays for all that stuff in full - that is the lowest monthly premium between all the real insurance and Heath share plans I've found. So your getting the most for the least money.

With real insurance you pay $50 copay. And you get a bill after the visit for things like labs, x-rays, etc after the visit. With regular insurance you go to ER. Pay $400 copay then get a bill for the other say $2000.

With OneShare the premiums are lower than regular insurance. You get three office visits for $20 copay. But you don't get a bill after. They cover the full cost including any labs and xrays 100%. Don't need to meet a deductible first. If you go to ER you pay $500 copay. They pay in full for one day of ER care regardless of cost as long as your not admitted. Reg insurance doesn't do that.
 
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But the premiums for the plan that parts for ah that is the lowest of all the real instance and Heath share plans I've found. So your getting the most for the least money.
You may be getting a lower premium. But you could end up paying on the back end with a relatively low lifetime maximum. (On the One Share website it looks like most of their programs cap lifetime benefits at $1 million. That sounds like a lot of money, but it’s really not if you end up with a long hospital stay or extensive treatments for cancer, etc.) I’ve got nothing personally against cost sharing ministries. I’ve even recommended them for people with limited resources to pay for health care. But you need to go into it with eyes open, understanding the potential risks.
 

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