Health Insurance - Tomball,TX

I have individual coverage for myself and the two kids through Blue Cross Blue Shield. It's not too bad...402 a month or somewhere around there. See what kind of rates you can get. www.bcbstx.com

I would check into Kaiser. Honestly I had always had a bad opinion of Kaiser, but my current company coverage only offers Kaiser, and I have been very pleasantly surprised. The doctors have been great, there's no argument over who is going to pay what on the bill - it's just very easy. They have different plans available. I would agree with the advice to get a high-deductible plan as well - that will save you money on premiums but if anything catastrophic happens, you will be covered. However, if $600/month on your DH's company plan offers really great coverage for you (and it ends up being cheaper than a lesser plan plus high deductible), it may be worth it. Sorry, health care is just so darn expensive. You shouldn't have to be rich to get good care. It's sad, our current system. =(

I had private coverage through BCBS of TX for a few years for my son and I. My husbands job pays all of his premium but none of any depends. So you may want to see if having an individual plan for just your husband through his job, and then a spearate plan for you and the kids, or if 1 plus children is less then family etc. Once you get the benefit opackage I'm sure you will have more info.

I would suggest to look on each of the large insurance companies web sites, like BCBS of TX, United Healthcare, Aetna etc. Instead of just doing a google search, because when you do a google search you get mostly insurance brokers.

The problem with private plans is there are usually a lot of exclusions, and they don't cover pregnancy/maternity unless you purchase a special rider, but they do usually cover a certain number of doctors visits, in patient hospitalization and ER visits. Most plans sites will let you know what is covered before you purchase.

There are also some sites that will compare a bunch of plans for you, then you could go to the plan site and check out the rates directly through them.

You may want to look into plans with lower premiums but higher deductibles, then put away a little extra money each month in case of a medical emergency to cover that deductible. You'll save money in the long run doing it that way.

Not only did I have a private plan, and a group health plan, I also work in the health insurance field so let me know if you have any other questions i can help you with!

R. :0)

Don't freak out just yet. My husband is self-employed and I work part-time so we pay out of pocket for everything. Currently we are going through Scott and White, which has been fabulous, and no dental insurance. We pay a little more than $800/month for the whole family so $600 sounds good to me.
Like the others, I say wait to get your packet of coverage and work from there. There are insurance agents who broker for health/dental as well as car/home/etc. insurance. I suggest you go through one of them to get a couple of comparison quotes then make your decision.
Be aware that anyone can be denied private health insurance for a variety of reasons so don't decline your husband's insurance until you have all of your information. Typically an employer's insurance won't decline as quickly as a private. Start getting your quotes now so you'll have your comparison info and can make a quick decision.

You might just get a glimpse into the desperate need for health care reform in this country...I know I have!

Good luck,
K.

I had purchased personal insurance through BC/BS via my insurance agent after I lost my job. At the time, we had to split the family up for policies--my hubby, who never got sick--had a $1000 deductible w/ full coverage after that for $58/month. Myself and the 3 girls had a $500 deductible each for $128/month. Both policies had full prescription coverage w/ a $15 co-pay and we had a $20 copay for Dr. visits. It wasn't the easiest to come up with at the time, but it sure beat out my COBRA payment of $800+/month. Call your insurance agent. This is their job. They should be more than happy to help you. Good luck!

Depending on what you husband makes you could look into medicaid- there are usually state programs that will help pay insurance premiums for qualifying families. Contact your local human services department.

I suggest you look into the plan your husband's company offers and find out what it covers and what type of copays and deductibles you'll need to pay. Even if you choose to go with another company at least you'll have a good starting point for comparison.

Try Scott and White or United. That's what we've had to do.

I'm an insurance agent and prices all depend on the area you live in. First, I would reccommend a higher deductible with office co-pays. The higher deductibile would only apply to tests, blood work or anything else outside of the office visits. Another good option is an HSA(health savings account). The premiums are normally pretty reasonable and it has great tax savings. There are no copays with them usually, but you would still get a discounted rate for any doctor visits. Believe it or not, those discounted rates tend to be real close to a normal office copay. There are a lot of websites on line that will give you free quotes. Still, if you can't qualify for state help, go through an agent. They can help you make heads or tails of the policy that is right for you.

We have to have private insurance. Getting an insurance broker has made it a lot easier. He shops around for me and finds what works for our unique situation. We pay only for what we really need. You can give him what amount you can afford and he will let you know what coverage you can get. Then you can add or subtract coverage from there, once you know what it would cost. This guy is good at what he does, though he is a bit quirky. He will answer all of your questions and ease your mind. I recommended him to my brother-in-law a couple weeks ago and he was also relieved to find affordable coverage.

Jesse Smedley, Insurance Broker
iHealthBrokers.com
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