just don
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1129
posted
I got the dreaded letter yesterday. The place I work,,,so I have insurance,,,is dropping insurance coverage for ALL part timers
I understand MOST companies are doing that now due to the affordable insurance act
They say just go shop for it and buy it privately. I cant afford what they want...
LAST time I was private it was close to $1000 a month,,,,way over $800 for sure and raising rapidly
When your in the minimum wage area you dont even make that much a month.
20 year olds can probably come close to what was paying but not us oldies.
Think I was paying pretty close to $400 a month for bad insurance that never paid anything cause $5,000 deductible never ever got met.
Now remind me how medicare works. Heard they are raising the age for that a couple years.
As of Jan 1 when they drop us I will be 5 months short of 65.
As it is now CAN you sign up for medicare without taking social security,,,since that doesnt kick in till 66 now?
And supplements???all too confusing
I was just trying to hang on this last 6 months and they are cutting my rope I am hanging on to.
what to do,what to do.
If I try going full time with them they want to schedule ANY hours so my other job is toast,,which makes a net loss,,,not a gain at all.
NOT many jobs around small towns especially those with insurance
Dont ask me what I think about this new healthcare plan being affordable,,,,NOT!!!
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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steve1906
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16206
posted
Sorry to hear this sad news, things just keep getting worse!!!
Applying for Medicare Only
Before You Decide
If you are within three months of age 65 or older and not ready to start your monthly cash benefits yet, you can use our online retirement application to sign up just for Medicare and apply for your retirement or spouses benefits later.
quote: They say just go shop for it and buy it privately. I cant afford what they want...
Did you go onto healthcare.gov and get a quote? If so would you mind sharing what it was?
Posts: 832 | From Somewhere | Registered: Nov 2010
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posted
I won't tell you what I think about this "affordable care" either. My lips are sealed.
I hope Steve's post will help.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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GretaM
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 40917
posted
Sorry to hear you are going thru this Don.
I hope others have suggestions on how to find the most affordable coverage.
Posts: 4358 | From British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Jun 2013
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
I (luckily) dont have to deal with affordable health thingy first hand but a friend does
At first it didnt help her at all but then something changed and it is helping her a lot. Everything is relatuve...but she went from nothing to something she is really happy about so i think it is worth cgecking out
It should nit cost as much as it did last time you checked
All states are different tho. And it wont cover good lyme care
But i have excellent insurance and it doesnt cover lyme care
Good luck
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
And good to see you again
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Detail here may help keep anyone out of the ER, in certain situations:
Topic: MAGNESIUM - LINKS sets -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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just don
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1129
posted
Thanks all,,
Especially Steve because I did not know you should/could apply 3 months in advance.
I am guessing it does not take effect till the actual date.
So thinking on this for a bit. Guess it is go without for 5 months or 5 1/2 as it were.
I would highly doubt any company is going to WANT a new customer for 5 months only.
They know darn well what is going to happen,,,when,,,since you must give birth day and all policies are based on age.
IF I could go someplace else and work and get insurance I would,,,but none to find.
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- If you might go with a Medicare HMO, possibly they could set you up with some kind of interim policy and then slide you over on your birthday?
For that, I'd want to sit down in person, face to face with someone from that insurance company, though. I'd not sign up for anything over the web, anyway, though.
You can't be the first person in such a position. Surely the Medicare HMO have some kind of sweetheart deals. They are all mad about grabbing you as a customer. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Don,
I asked a few friends about this. BettyG just emailed me this to pass on to you with kind regards:
humana pro gets our medicare monthly payment directly to pay for insurance; now we are paying $37/month EACH for health.
[ 10-25-2014, 06:17 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Can you do COBRA with your current insurance company from the time your company stops to the time a Medicare policy would begin?
If you can do a COBRA policy, maybe scale back a few options on it to lower your cost? -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
There are companies set up to give short term health ins
I got it for my dil once when she was between jobs
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
posted
Humana Pro...wow...I pay $60 a month I think just for Humana prescription coverage and then another $60 a month for my share of the prescription costs.
Ech state is different. When I contacted one company that looks for the best insruance for you they said that the cost in my state was too high due to the way the state ruled on things.
As far as ACA....and companies not paying insurance...companies not paying insurance for employees has been going on years before ACA.
I recall back in the 80's trying to get hired by companies that paid health insurance....they got around it in my area by giving you 35 hours a week instead of 40 because if they paid you 40 they needed to provide insurance.
And they got around it by hiring you 40 plus hours a week but not as a permanent employee...I was working 10 and 12 hour days plus driving 2 hrs a day on the road to get there...
no health insurance coverage.
I have been givne some suggestions of places to lok into to get coverage but so far the suggestions did not work for me.
For example, if you do have medicare ..I don't think you can get ACA coverage as a supplemntal in my state....
but need to look into that again.
Th leates suggestion given to me was with Walmart...but thinking the person who suggested that might not be tha informed either...as it looks like that is prescription coverage only...have yet to be doing well enough to look into that yet.
It seems everyones sitatuion is different s ???
I do know that when I was working back in 2000, I was in the process of looking into my own health care plan....
as I would be paying $1,000 a month for health care coverage with the state of CA out of my pay check...plus whatever the state paid too to cover each employee.
I had been reading that it was actually less expensive to get your own health care plan as when you go with a group employee plan you also are paying higher rates due to the law of averages???
Meaning that if the insruance companies have had to pay out for the company you work for, the insurance rates go up for everyone.
In my book, the insurance companies are the bad guys..making billion dollar profits.
CEO's making million dollar salaries.
I do know that when I talked with the person he did say it made a difference on which state you live in.
Hoping you are able to find a plan that works for you and that fits into your budget.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
This is the link a friend sent me regarding one stop shopping for health care with Walmart??
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
If you email me- don't have your address- I'll offer some suggestions. For a piece of candy.
posted
If I were you I would look into what the ACA has for prices. The reason that some places are dropping insurance has to do with the new regulations, meaning that whatever they offered did not meet minimum requirements.
What this really means is, many companies were offering plans that took your money but didn't really offer much in return..a fact you wouldn't know unless you had the misfortune to actually need to use your insurance. They aren't allowed to do that anymore.
I can't say what reason your company dropped covered for part timers, though I would guess its because it wasn't cost effective for them to offer a comparable plan, meaning you will get something better on the exchange.
Last time I tried to buy private insurance it was $1200 a month. Before I got my job I found pretty decent insurance on the exchange for about $400 a month, and you can get lower cost plans if you choose higher deductibles and different options.
I am still lamenting the loss of a public option, but at least this is a step in the right direction. Insurance CEOs and their board members shouldn't make millions off our backs.
As someone with a "pre-existing condition," I'm glad the ACA got rid of that.
-------------------- Sick since 2000 Bulls eye 2005 Dx Babesia, Lyme 2014 Posts: 247 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Aug 2014
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