![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emme on August 16, 2004, at 12:32:10
Hi All,
Cobra's about to run out in a month and a half and I'm trying to shop around and see what my options are besides coverting to an individual policy within BC/BS. Does anyone have any advice on buying your own insurance? Good companies? Bad ones? After looking up the criteria, it seems I don't qualify for disability or SSI, so the medicare/medicaid thing is out of my reach and I'd need something in the meantime anyway.
Thanks!
Posted by Phil on August 16, 2004, at 18:10:28
In reply to getting individual insurance, posted by Emme on August 16, 2004, at 12:32:10
Emme, I have a lady friend here in Austin that has always had PT jobs so she has always had her own ins. I know it's expensive..$350.00 a month, maybe. Her drug co-pays are high...what else is new, right?
I'll get you some details. My friend is very frugal so I know she's shopped around.
Posted by Phil on August 16, 2004, at 18:24:14
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance » Emme, posted by Phil on August 16, 2004, at 18:10:28
I just spoke with my friend and she has Unicare. It costs her about $140.00/month. $2500.00 deductible. Has a "waiver" in it every year that she basically can't get mentally ill or something ridiculous like that. My friend was on Prozac for 6 months long ago and thinks that's why they evidently won't do anything for her if she becomes, say like...ME.
Insurance has changed so fast that it must be hell to find anything resembling a good deal.
Think happy thoughts...
Posted by Emme on August 16, 2004, at 21:53:39
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance » Phil, posted by Phil on August 16, 2004, at 18:24:14
Thanks for getting the info Phil. If I understand the law correctly, I should be able to be protected by HIPPA as far as pre-existing conditions. I do need to have some mental health coverage and, hopefully, help with prescriptions.
I'll keep poking around. And thinking happy thoughts.. :)> I just spoke with my friend and she has Unicare. It costs her about $140.00/month. $2500.00 deductible. Has a "waiver" in it every year that she basically can't get mentally ill or something ridiculous like that. My friend was on Prozac for 6 months long ago and thinks that's why they evidently won't do anything for her if she becomes, say like...ME.
> Insurance has changed so fast that it must be hell to find anything resembling a good deal.
> Think happy thoughts...
>
>
Posted by woolav on August 17, 2004, at 10:23:58
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance » Phil, posted by Emme on August 16, 2004, at 21:53:39
Hopefully your experiance will be better than mine. I was on Cobra for 18 months and now, I cant get insurance because I have a history of depression/anxiety. Apparently that is a taboo with insurance companies...why i dont know. I guess they think everyone who has some problems is going to be hospitalized for months or whatever. I finally had to have my husband switch jobs so I can get insurance through him. There is a major problem in this country with health plans!
S
Posted by Emme on August 17, 2004, at 20:49:26
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance, posted by woolav on August 17, 2004, at 10:23:58
I'm sorry you had such a tough time. That's pretty radical for your husband to have to switch jobs. Did you not have HIPPA portability? I was under the impression that pre-existing conditions aren't an issue if you start your new policy within 30 days of the old one ending.
I haven't finished gathering information, but the individual plans I seen aren't that hot. I'm sure I'll find at least something that'll hold me for a while. But it'll be pricey.
One of the drawbacks is that all of these plans have only 50% prescription coverage. I can probably get the meds I'm on either through patient assistance or via a Canadian pharmacy that'll ship to the U.S. The real problem will be if my pdoc wants me to try something that she doesn't have samples of or that isnt' pretty cheap.
And I'm not sure what I'll do about the xanax. I don't think there's any way to get that inexpensively.....> Hopefully your experiance will be better than mine. I was on Cobra for 18 months and now, I cant get insurance because I have a history of depression/anxiety. Apparently that is a taboo with insurance companies...why i dont know. I guess they think everyone who has some problems is going to be hospitalized for months or whatever. I finally had to have my husband switch jobs so I can get insurance through him. There is a major problem in this country with health plans!
> S
Posted by woolav on August 19, 2004, at 15:16:12
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance » woolav, posted by Emme on August 17, 2004, at 20:49:26
Hi, I didnt even know about Hippa? Is that like an extension of the corbra plan? If so, i prob. wouldnt be able to afford it anyway. Like i said, my hubby should be getting insurance in 2 months for us and until then, i have to break the bank to get my prescriptions filled. I got my xanax and it was $71.00. And tomorrow I have to pick up my Prozac- $85.00..And very soon my lamictal..another $80..Its sad in this country. I am going to look into ordering from Canada until Im insured...
Good Luck to you!
Sandy
Posted by Emme on August 19, 2004, at 18:06:08
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance, posted by woolav on August 19, 2004, at 15:16:12
HIPPA isn't a program. It's the law. It has to do with privacy and insurance portability. It places strict quidelines on privacy of your medical information. And if you don't have more than 30 days' lapse in coverage, you shouldn't have preexisting condition issues. Hence the "portability". I'm surprised this wasn't addressed when you shopped for insurance, unless you looked more than 30 days after your COBRA ended.
I poked online a little. If you order from Canada, it takes a few weeks to process and send your order. Dunno if that's true for all the pharmacies that ship. Look it over. They have generic Lamictal. That should help. Xanax, of course, you have to get locally since it's controlled. It didn't look too expensive retail for me, though, when I checked at my local pharmacy. I may take a lower dose of xanax than you and need to buy less.
Anyway, good luck hanging in there until your insurance kicks in.
Emme
> Hi, I didnt even know about Hippa? Is that like an extension of the corbra plan? If so, i prob. wouldnt be able to afford it anyway. Like i said, my hubby should be getting insurance in 2 months for us and until then, i have to break the bank to get my prescriptions filled. I got my xanax and it was $71.00. And tomorrow I have to pick up my Prozac- $85.00..And very soon my lamictal..another $80..Its sad in this country. I am going to look into ordering from Canada until Im insured...
> Good Luck to you!
> Sandy
Posted by chemist on August 19, 2004, at 18:35:37
In reply to Re: getting individual insurance » woolav, posted by Emme on August 19, 2004, at 18:06:08
hello there, chemist here...i was surfing the site and found this thread. aside from stating that i have had periods of no coverage, and periods of no hope of coverage due to having seen a mental healthcare person within the past five years (there are many other options to exclude one, as you all know), i wanted to comment on the prices you (Sandy) are paying for xanax: i live in texas - correct me if i am wrong, but you are out east? - and although things are cheaper in general, i am surprised that you are paying $71.00 for a month's supply of xanax: i can - and do - purchase generic xanax for $23.00 for (yes, this is true) 60 of the 2 mg tablets each month without any insurance (with insurance, $10.00). we do not seem to have any other meds in common, but you might investigate (at least) generic alprazolam if not already doing so. the price differential is also reflected in dose forms, as 120 of the 1 mg tabs cost $32.00 (here, without insurance). a savings of better than 33% simply by asking my doctor to write for half as many at twice the dose. in any event, i wish you well, and was just passing through....all the best, chemist
> HIPPA isn't a program. It's the law. It has to do with privacy and insurance portability. It places strict quidelines on privacy of your medical information. And if you don't have more than 30 days' lapse in coverage, you shouldn't have preexisting condition issues. Hence the "portability". I'm surprised this wasn't addressed when you shopped for insurance, unless you looked more than 30 days after your COBRA ended.
>
> I poked online a little. If you order from Canada, it takes a few weeks to process and send your order. Dunno if that's true for all the pharmacies that ship. Look it over. They have generic Lamictal. That should help. Xanax, of course, you have to get locally since it's controlled. It didn't look too expensive retail for me, though, when I checked at my local pharmacy. I may take a lower dose of xanax than you and need to buy less.
>
> Anyway, good luck hanging in there until your insurance kicks in.
>
> Emme
> > Hi, I didnt even know about Hippa? Is that like an extension of the corbra plan? If so, i prob. wouldnt be able to afford it anyway. Like i said, my hubby should be getting insurance in 2 months for us and until then, i have to break the bank to get my prescriptions filled. I got my xanax and it was $71.00. And tomorrow I have to pick up my Prozac- $85.00..And very soon my lamictal..another $80..Its sad in this country. I am going to look into ordering from Canada until Im insured...
> > Good Luck to you!
> > Sandy
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.