Getting medical insurance
 

Hello just moved in to the Villages. Can anyone advise me on where a 53 year old can get medical insurance that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? I had full coverage insurance when I was working, but I had a stroke in June of last year and haven't been able to work since so I no longer have medical ins. Any advise on where I should go or where to look?

Thank You!

Try calling SHINE or going to their website: SHINE - Home. This organization helps seniors with health related questions, with NO bias. Good luck on your quest, I am certain nothing will be cheap or even reasonable, and with a prior condition you may be in for additional premiums.

And of course to really make matters interesting the new administration wants to kills Obamacare.............

When you separated from your employer were you aware of COBRA coverage?

The only individual health care plan that I have been able to find in the state of Florida is Blue Cross Blue Shield. It is not reasonable in my opinion.

SHINE is a group of volunteer people who are very knowledgeable and I just met with them yesterday. See the link on Villagetinkers post. They will come up with an answer to question and probably have a way out that we don't even know about. They really do care about helping you. Best of luck to you.

when i had to explore insurance options for the gap between my cobra coverage period and eventual medicare coverage as part of my disability eligibility(at age 51). i found the village insurance agents to be extremely helpful. as i was also transitioning from residency in maine to residency in florida.

You have till the last day of this month to open enroll with one of the ACA plans.
Get 2017 health coverage. Health Insurance Marketplace | HealthCare.gov

Many plans to choose from and depending upon your reportable income you may qualify for a subsidy.

Good Luck !

Isn't it illegal to charge an additional premium for a prior condition?

Hi CountryGirl63,

RickeyD's suggestion here could be your best bet. You might want to start there (hurry).

And certainly, check all the ideas from others who have offered help here for finding coverage. (But please make sure to check RickeyD's link, right away, if you have not already done so.). SHINE might be able to offer some direction, too. I don't know anything about SHINE but if villagetinker says it is good, it must be. (That guy is always helpful and gives good advice.)

It sounds like you have faced great difficulty. You might find a support group in TV for those who have experienced a stroke. I don't know for sure but you might want to check on that, too, as you get settled into TV life. (just a thought)

Kind wishes to you as you go forward.

Boomer

OK, I am not an expert in this, but I do have first hand knowledge for people 65 or over and coming back to Medicare from MA plan, and I was told, 'if you have an pre-existing condition there are health questions and the answers are used for underwriting the Medicare supplemental plan premiums'. So based on this experience, I assumed there would be similar conditions on health insurance for people under 65.

The condition that I think you are referring to is when you initially turn 65 and go on Medicare and a supplemental plan, then there is no additional charges for pre-existing conditions.

This is my limited understanding of a very complicated system, hence the reason I suggested using SHINE as they provide UNBIASED info on the health system.
Hope this helps.

Obamacare is one of the worst laws ever passed by Congress. But, I thought that one of the few provisions that most people like is that insurance companies cannot charge extra for people with a pre-existing condition.

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Under the Affordable Care Act, a marketplace plan cannot reject you or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition.

villagetinker, what you are saying applies to Medicare supplement plans and the open enrollment period. You are right about being aware of timing enrollment.

The person who asked the question here is only 53. The ACA may possibly help her and even though SHINE is for seniors, perhaps they can direct her to some help. SHINE sounds like a good organization that helps many.

While I choose not to engage in political discussions, I must say that the ACA as it applies to pre-existing conditions has been life- changing and sometimes even life-saving for many who would have had no access to decent coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

While I recognize the ACA probably could be improved, I hope we do not have to witness a return to what those with pre-existing conditions once had to endure if they needed an individual policy and were not yet old enough for Medicare.

Again, I really do choose not to engage in political discussions. I stepped back in here to try to help clarify the understanding of pre-existing conditions under the ACA. Those who were helped, or know someone who has been helped, by that part of the ACA should let their representation to Congress know that, no matter who got your vote.

Boomer

PS: That really was intended as a comment on insurance coverage and not partisan politics so please.....

If the OP is disabled and cannot work at her previous profession, she may qualify for social security disability, in which case she would automatically be enrolled in Medicare, even though she is not of Medicare age.

I assume paying the premium that your employer paid is too expensive. Then the answer might be that their is no plan.

If you need a low premium then you need a high deductible plan. You need an insurance broker to help you.

As suggested see if you can qualify for Social Security disability and that will give you Medicare.

If you can get Obama care be sure to understand how much your deductible is and when the insurance company will pay the bill if you have not meet your deductible.

You might mention how much you want to pay a month for insurance and your ability to meet co pays.