Medical Insurance Option

[Copperhead]

Medical insurance is usually an issue for most O/O's. The product offerings are usually limited and the prices monumental. A lot of products out there are just flat bad. Most are indemnity programs that are not real full coverage medical plans.

After a lot of shopping around and becoming dissapointed with the options, I happened upon the National Association for the Self Employed. www.nase.org I got a plan with full coverage to 5 million lifetime cost protection, dental and vision for about $693 a month for me, 51 and a smoker, and my wife who has continuing thyroid issues. The closest other options were a BCBS plan thru Farm Bureau that would have been about $500 higher.

You guys and gals might want to look at NASE package. This is what trucking groups like OOIDA should have done for its members years ago, but still hasn't. The membership rates are $40 a month, but you get unlimited accounting and tax advice from CPA's, legal advise from attorneys, unlimited business advise, and access to some pretty darn good insurance coverage and rates. Their insurance rates are really good because they have close ties with AARP and other groups that give them great leverage on negotiating insurance rates for their members.

I know I might sound like a salesman for the NASE here, but I got such a good package and service with them, that I just wanted to share the info. After all, isn't that really the meaning of "we got to stick together" is all about?

[not tweety bird]

Not to be rude but how old are you (and your wife). That makes a big difference on cost of the plan. I am 35 and my husband is 36. Our group coverage plan through BCBS costs us about $480/month (not looking it up- that's a few $ off). It covers pregnancy from day one and, so far, has better coverage than the individual plan we just switched from (also BCBS).

We had health insurance through OOIDA years ago but it was some no-name insurance company no one had ever heard of and the plan was confusing. We hardly ever had to use it but when we did, it was a pain. Inter Americas or something like that. Then they kept upping our monthly rate and upping our deductible amount (without asking first!) so we left for BCBS which at least SOUNDS like a legitimate insurance company!

Same thing happened with truck insurance. We had a claim on our OOIDA underwritten policy and MAN was it a fight to get things covered- the bill was about $10k and we had to fight for every dime we got them to cover- and we didn't get the full amount they should have covered because they kept finding "exceptions." We switched to True North (underwriter for Great American Insurance) and had a claim in January of this year that was for a MUCH higher amount and, once the repair cost was finalized, we had NO PROBLEMS. It took a long time for them to agree to a repair amount but once they did, they paid out with no hassle. Okay, sorry- off topic.

[Copperhead]

If you read the original post more closely, I mentioned I was 51 and a smoker and the wife had hypo thyroid issues. Put that in there for persepective and to show that the rate is pretty good for those of us that are not on the US swim team and in our twenties with the perfect body mass ratio and without any vices.

Since MOST of truckers do not fit into the "preferred" catagory, cost effective medical insurance is usually an issue. Most of the plans I investigated, even a BCBS plan thru Farm Bureau, would have been much higher than the one I got thru NASE. Plus, being that the plan is a new IRS 105 HRA plan, all premiums and costs, including over the counter, are 100% deductable. A nice feature for those of us that are not into funding the current economic bailout any more than we have to.

[tweety bird]

Yes, I missed that you are 51. I said "not to be rude" because some people think it's rude to ask your age. Your wife could be 30-70 for all I know.

I know a lot of o/o who simply skip health insurance completely. That's why I distrust the statistics of "uninsured Americans." A lot of o/o I know would rather buy a fancy new car (or two) than pay for health insurance. We even have one friend who has two preteen daughters and decided to buy or lease two new cars and was considering putting a pool in his back yard- he decided to drop the health insurance since he could always go to the emergency room if something happened and if the bill was too high he could go bankrupt (not me editorializing- that was his plan). That is irresponsible IMO.

$700/month at your age (and I assume your wife's) is a good rate depending on the coverage options, deductibles etc. My parents are in their 50s and have a BCBS plan for somewhere less than $1000/month with a $2000 deductible. I thought that was pretty good.

[Bigmon]

I know a lot of o/o who simply skip health insurance completely. That's why I distrust the statistics of "uninsured Americans." A lot of o/o I know would rather buy a fancy new car (or two) than pay for health insurance. We even have one friend who has two preteen daughters and decided to buy or lease two new cars and was considering putting a pool in his back yard- he decided to drop the health insurance since he could always go to the emergency room if something happened and if the bill was too high he could go bankrupt (not me editorializing- that was his plan). That is irresponsible IMO.

$700/month at your age (and I assume your wife's) is a good rate depending on the coverage options, deductibles etc. My parents are in their 50s and have a BCBS plan for somewhere less than $1000/month with a $2000 deductible. I thought that was pretty good.[/QUOTE]

I think part of it is how hospitals over charge for things. Example: I had a EKG in August. Insurance paid the bill, but hospital charged an extra $20 for a Dr. to review the EKG. The Insurance say No Way. It's included in the EKG fee. Right now they are filing complaints over this. I said that's like getting a tired changed and paying extra to have the lug nuts tightened.

Here's the kicker. The hospital said if I was an illegal alien it wouldn't be an issue.