kinda OT: self employed health insurance?

[AndrewSA]

Can any of you who are self employed recommend some options for a health insurance provider?

thanks!
Andrew

[dbphotos]

Try www.NASE.org . I know they offer some inurance and have been working with congress to allow self-employed people to band together to take advantage of group insurance rates.

[brad]

We have Unicare, supplied through our corporation... but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have little other choice.

[AndrewSA]

Originally Posted by brad

We have Unicare, supplied through our corporation... but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have little other choice.

yeah, Unicare was one of the providers I have heard of. Why do you not recommend them?

[brad]

Originally Posted by swinglight

yeah, Unicare was one of the providers I have heard of. Why do you not recommend them?

1. They fight almost every claim
2. Their policy is so complicated, its difficult to tell what's covered and what's not (for instance, if you go into an office for a physical, its one price.. if you go to that same office and see the same doctor complaining of an ailment, its a different price).
3. They pay very little on name brand prescriptions, preferring you get the generic.. if there is no generic (such as one of my daughter's) or if you are allergic to the generic (my wife), tough twinkies.
4. They raise their rates every year, from 80 to 100% of the maximum the law allows.

We're stuck because of some pre-existing conditions at the moment, we're uninsurable by anyone else.

[AndrewSA]

Does anyone have any other feedback on individual healthcare providers? Pros/cons, recommendations?

PPA (professional photographers association) has a plan through Humana
Unicare is another one

[brad]

Newests gripe on Unicare:

Originally Posted by brad

3. They pay very little on name brand prescriptions, preferring you get the generic.. if there is no generic (such as one of my daughter's) or if you are allergic to the generic (my wife), tough twinkies.

3a. If there are other drugs that they think "do the same thing," they won't pay **** (actual word used, system edited) for the one that you and your doctor have found actually works.

5. You can go in to see a doctor, told by Unicare that you will only have to pay the $30 office visit... only later to receive a $400 bill for things the doctor did that weren't normally covered by an office visit and actually should go against your deductible.. which, by the way reset on January 1, so even though you saw the doctor last year, the bill wasn't processed until this year so it goes against this year's deductible.

BAH.. I ****ing HATE Unicare.

[BobbyC]

It's not just Unicare, they all do that. Try the NASE website David mentioned. Pacificare, Untied Healthcare, Blue Cross, they are all about the same.

[bullsparade]

Originally Posted by brad

BAH.. I ****ing HATE Unicare.

Me too for the same reasons! They suck!

[Jake]

Originally Posted by brad

BAH.. I ****ing HATE Unicare.

But........what do you really think of Unicare?

[AndrewSA]

Hmm, something tells me I better not go with Unicare.
The NASE site looks so generic/walmart it makes me cringe, but I''m sure it's fine. Of the other providors, do they have individual plans?