Individual Health Insurance Jitters
Yesterday I was talking with a friend about what we would do if we had tons of money. One of those pie in the sky conversations that makes you thing about what’s important in life. Neither one of us is a big shopper - we’re both pretty frugal and didn’t think that would change much. We both talked about using our money to help others in need, and supporting causes that are close to our hearts. But then my friend said that she would still have to work full time in order to have health insurance. That surprised me. I can see wanting to continue working if you enjoy your job or the sense of fulfillment it offers, but just for the health insurance? This friend knows what I do for a living, and she and her husband are both pretty healthy. They’re in their 40s, both active, non-smokers, and neither of them goes to the doctor very often. I reminded my friend that we were talking about a situation where we would have lots of money, and reminded her that she could just buy her own health insurance. She said “I don’t know, I just can’t get my head around that.” This is a very competent career woman who managed a major department store prior to landing her current job. And yet the idea of shopping for her own health insurance scares her.Â
Obviously this seems odd to me, since I’ve had my own health insurance for years, and have been a health insurance agent for most of those years as well. I understand all of the policies that are offered in Colorado, and can pick up on their strengths and weaknesses after just a few minutes of glancing at a plan description. But my friend does have a very good point. If you’re not a health insurance agent, the individual health insurance arena can be a scary place to find yourself. Just like taxes, the Colorado health insurance market has become so complicated that it’s almost impossible to find the right policy without a broker or a lot of luck. But unlike taxes, there’s no charge to have a professional agent help you find the right policy. That should make it a little less scary anyway.
Pardon me, but I have been reading some of your entries and you come off as pretty young and a little know-it-ally, esp about how people should just eat less and skip weight loss surgery or run out and buy their own insurance. Many people with small health issues, as small as hay fever or a past knee surgery, cannot get individual insurance–so hang onto yours for the day you develop a real health problem. Everyone does. No one dies of being too healthy. Me, I was sitting at lunch and my right eye filled with blood. I may lose it now. Surprise!
Star, I’m sorry to hear about your eye. I hope that you don’t lose it. Also, I’m sorry your comment took so long to show up. It went into our spam filter that we’d quit checking after installing the captcha. We’ll make sure to keep checking it.
I do not try to sound like a know it all - in fact, I think I pretty much echo all the health advice that we hear over and over from doctors, the CDC, and various health experts across the country. And with regards to weight loss surgery, I blogged about the benefits it can provide the day before you posted your comment.
Hay fever and past knee surgeries (that have since healed) do not prohibit people from getting individual policies. It may require a bit more shopping around, and the policies may either exclude the pre-existing condition (like Jay’s lipoma and titanium rod in his arm) or charge more to cover it. But in order to be declined completely by all carriers, a person has to have a serious health condition, be extremely overweight, or have a multitude of smaller health issues.
Jun 14th, 2007 at 4:51 am
[...] The individual insurance market can be frightening, says Jay Norris of Colorado Health Insurance Insider. [...]
Jun 19th, 2007 at 6:28 am
[...] More: continued here [...]