stay at home moms - health insurance ?

mcunningham · May 2011

do you have health insurance from your husbands work or did you purchase a private plan?

i am really wrestling with the idea of becoming a stay at home mom - but i hold the benefits (and they are freaking awesome - one of the perks of working for the number #3 pharma in the world) and they are super important given my cancer diagnosis and having two kids. hubbys teacher benefits blow (seriously, why do teachers have the worst benefits ever?!). they are absolutely terrible so we would most likely go the route of buying private insurance.

if you ended up buying your own - who did you go through? i want to start researching this stuff now and crunching numbers to see if we could really make this work.

thanks ladies!

fjaril · May 2011

hubby has phenom ins.

If I had your history, I'd try to buy my own if his are sucky.

lmvierra · May 2011

No real help here - we have insurance through DH. One thing to consider is that it might be expensive to go the private route w/ your diagnosis...

mcunningham · May 2011

oh wow good point! i wonder if you have to disclose all that stuff when you buy insurance? if so that may be reason enough to stay at my job.

AvaLikeLava · May 2011

Before you make a decision to quit, do research insurance plans and cost given your medical history. Unfortunately, ins. carriers SUCK when it comes to covering people with pre-existing conditions, and God help you if you ever have a gap in insurance.

My sister has the mildest form of lupus there is, non-life threatening, but no insurance company would touch her. The Obama plan prohibits ins. companies from denying individuals w/ pre-existing conditions, but that doesn't kick in until 2014.

In terms of who do you talk to, check out eHealthInsurance.com. If will give you bids on several insurance carriers and you can compare plans. You would (normally) fill out a previous history questionaire, and then receive confirmation if you've been approved or not. You might want to skip this step and just reach out to various providers on your own.

If all that fails, CA has a high-risk health program (which my sister was directed to). 2 yrs ago she never got anyone to call her back, and their phone system was messed up, but hopefully that has been fixed and you'll have better luck.

You'd be surprised how many people are staying at jobs they don't like, or going BACK to work from retirement, just for the health benefits. I would never tell you to NOT pursue your desire to be a stay-at-home parent, but please evaluate all the repercussions and possibilities carefully. Based on your financial situation/risk profile it may not be an issue, but only you and your DH can make that call.

Good luck!

mcunningham · May 2011

ava - great points! like i said - health insurance is super important and i have told my family so many times that i am so thankful for having such wonderful insurance given what i have been through and having access to so many amazing drs and surgeons. i dont think i would be willing to give that up if it meant having to pay through the roof premiums or having to get sub-par insurance. thanks again!

Mrs.K&C · May 2011

I think you will have a really hard time finding anyone to insure you...insurance companies can reject applicants seeking private insurance for any reason, and they do. DH was once rejected because he had been to the doctor once (for allergies) in the previous 12 months.

mcunningham · May 2011

thanks ladies! shows how naive i was about this whole health insurance thing given my cancer diagnosis. i guess if i really decided it was something i wanted to do we would just go on hubbys insurance as they would have to insure us even though it wouldnt be the most ideal situation. thanks!

futrkingsley · May 2011

I was going to say exactly what Ava said. Most people in your shoes would be denied and if they weren't denied, they would be offered a plan that is either so expensive no one could buy it and/or it wouldn't cover anything related to your cancer.

I'm surprised to hear your hubby is a teacher and has a crappy plan. That actually sounds unusual to me. The majority of teachers are covered by unions and union plans are among the most generous in the nation. No joke. If your hubby is a public teacher with a union negotiated health plan and YOUR plan makes his look paltry, then you have an outrageously good health plan which you are unlikely to be able to replace except at a very very A list company.

I'm sorry the news isn't more encouraging.

I too wish I could quit and stay home but the insurance piece is the biggest obstacle. I haven't had cancer but I have several autoimmune diseases and the meds required to keep me functioning are spendy. My health plan is very good and very cheap for the user and is irreplaceable. DH's small employer offers the bare minimum and it would leave us high and dry with huge medical bills I think. So I have kept working. If in 2014 the landscape changed dramatically, I might think about it but by then, DS will be in Kindergarten.

AnyaBella · May 2011

I'm covered through my husband's work and even though it is a pretty sucky plan it is far better than anything I could get through a private plan. Before getting on DH's insurance I was paying OOP for my own. When I applied for a new plan I was given a quote of $1300/month. Why? Because I had migraines with auras and had taken pain killers for painful periods (when I was 15). I have since been diagnosed with Endometriosis and fibroids so I am pretty sure I wouldn't even be insurable through a private plan at this point. I hate how insurance companies work. Hate it!

KellyMRocks · May 2011

We are both self employed so we bought. We are through Kaiser.

Depending on how much your DH makes, your kids may be eligible for Healthy Families of California.

BUT, ditto to what ever one else has said about your pre-existing condition

tri_bride05 · May 2011

Unfortunately, the others are right and I doubt you would be able to get private coverage for yourself and, even if you could, it would likely exclude anything relating to your thyroid/cancer.

We are covered on my husband's plan - it's decent, but not the greatest since his co. is based in Florida so we are on the out of state plan.

pkw · May 2011

I have mine through DH's job for normal medical, and then everything related to my work injury is covered by my former employer still.

I technically also have student health through my school, but I do not use it.

mcunningham · May 2011

all i can is that i am SOOO glad i got the best life insurance i possibly could before all this happened

KellyMRocks · May 2011

mcunningham:
all i can is that i am SOOO glad i got the best life insurance i possibly could before all this happened

*HUG* I am so glad as well!

My step mom and my dad both had major medical stuff happen (Her: Cancer, Him: Severe staph infection requiring a month in hospital) and their out of pocket payments were minimal. With so many horror stories and people getting screwed over or left in debt, they felt very lucky!

SweetieP · May 2011

DH has great insurance.

mythreesons03 · May 2011

I agree with pp about getting private insurance with pre-existing. I just want to offer hugs because i think it is shitty a mother can't stay at home with her children for fear of not having correct coverage.

mcunningham · May 2011

mythreesons03:
I agree with pp about getting private insurance with pre-existing. I just want to offer hugs because i think it is shitty a mother can't stay at home with her children for fear of not having correct coverage.

you are awesome

Dragonfly_Bride · May 2011

futrkingsley:

I'm surprised to hear your hubby is a teacher and has a crappy plan. That actually sounds unusual to me. The majority of teachers are covered by unions and union plans are among the most generous in the nation. No joke. If your hubby is a public teacher with a union negotiated health plan and YOUR plan makes his look paltry, then you have an outrageously good health plan which you are unlikely to be able to replace except at a very very A list company.

My hubby is a teacher and has awful health benefits. By awful, I mean none. His union/teachers decided to have higher pay instead of health benefits, not realizing that health costs would skyrocket like they did. He can get insurance through them, but it's all oop and at very high rates. So, maybe her dh's plan is similar.

futrkingsley · May 2011

Dragonfly_Bride:
futrkingsley:

I'm surprised to hear your hubby is a teacher and has a crappy plan. That actually sounds unusual to me. The majority of teachers are covered by unions and union plans are among the most generous in the nation. No joke. If your hubby is a public teacher with a union negotiated health plan and YOUR plan makes his look paltry, then you have an outrageously good health plan which you are unlikely to be able to replace except at a very very A list company.

My hubby is a teacher and has awful health benefits. By awful, I mean none. His union/teachers decided to have higher pay instead of health benefits, not realizing that health costs would skyrocket like they did. He can get insurance through them, but it's all oop and at very high rates. So, maybe her dh's plan is similar.

Wow. Really? That sucks and I am really surprised. My employer tracks trends in medical insurance, (private, public, etc.) and public employee plans are notoriously far better than other types of plans, including those offered by the majority of other types of employers. And even though CA is in dire straights, the teachers I know personally have fantastic plans and stay in teaching just to keep the fantastic plan.

mythreesons03 · May 2011

futrkingsley:
Dragonfly_Bride:
futrkingsley:

I'm surprised to hear your hubby is a teacher and has a crappy plan. That actually sounds unusual to me. The majority of teachers are covered by unions and union plans are among the most generous in the nation. No joke. If your hubby is a public teacher with a union negotiated health plan and YOUR plan makes his look paltry, then you have an outrageously good health plan which you are unlikely to be able to replace except at a very very A list company.

My hubby is a teacher and has awful health benefits. By awful, I mean none. His union/teachers decided to have higher pay instead of health benefits, not realizing that health costs would skyrocket like they did. He can get insurance through them, but it's all oop and at very high rates. So, maybe her dh's plan is similar.

Wow. Really? That sucks and I am really surprised. My employer tracks trends in medical insurance, (private, public, etc.) and public employee plans are notoriously far better than other types of plans, including those offered by the majority of other types of employers. And even though CA is in dire straights, the teachers I know personally have fantastic plans and stay in teaching just to keep the fantastic plan.

Mt. Diablo Unified did the same thing, and those teachers have no health insurance. A few friends teach in that district, a good friend of mine left to teach in Japan for two years because of it.

pink.dutch.tulips · May 2011

futrkingsley:

I'm surprised to hear your hubby is a teacher and has a crappy plan. That actually sounds unusual to me. The majority of teachers are covered by unions and union plans are among the most generous in the nation. No joke. If your hubby is a public teacher with a union negotiated health plan and YOUR plan makes his look paltry, then you have an outrageously good health plan which you are unlikely to be able to replace except at a very very A list company.

there's been a trend the last few years to curtail the once generous health plans offered to teachers. i remember when i looked into teaching in 02, there were some districts that offered what appeared to be FANTASTIC pay but they didn't offer any medical benefits. more and more districts have slashed this benefit only insuring the teacher and making them pay for dependents OR they cover the teacher in full and they pay X amount towards each dependent.

it doesn't shock me that her h's health ins. is nothing to excited over.

maryh01 · May 2011

pink.dutch.tulips:
futrkingsley:

I'm surprised to hear your hubby is a teacher and has a crappy plan. That actually sounds unusual to me. The majority of teachers are covered by unions and union plans are among the most generous in the nation. No joke. If your hubby is a public teacher with a union negotiated health plan and YOUR plan makes his look paltry, then you have an outrageously good health plan which you are unlikely to be able to replace except at a very very A list company.

there's been a trend the last few years to curtail the once generous health plans offered to teachers. i remember when i looked into teaching in 02, there were some districts that offered what appeared to be FANTASTIC pay but they didn't offer any medical benefits. more and more districts have slashed this benefit only insuring the teacher and making them pay for dependents OR they cover the teacher in full and they pay X amount towards each dependent.

it doesn't shock me that her h's health ins. is nothing to excited over.

Yep...as a teacher my benefits aren't all that great. And get this...I am required to take them (even though I don't need them because I'm covered through DH at no cost) AND I have to pay $100 a month OOP for them. It SUCKS!!

jsugrin · May 2011

I am on DH's insurance, it's not great but it's not awful. As you know cancer treatment is very expensive so we always hit our out of pocket maximum (usually by March Tongue Tied ).

I can tell you for sure that under current regulations no one will cover you on private insurance with your recent diagnosis, you would even have a difficult time and pay out the *** ass once you hit your 5 year mark. There is something called HIPPA Coverage though. At one point before we were married what I had to do was COBRA for 18 months and then because at the point my COBRA ran out I was uninsurable I then qualified for HIPPA Conversion Insurance. It was Blue Cross and decent insurance, at that time I was paying about $300 a month for it and had a $4500 OOP, but I know we looked into it again when I quit working 4 years ago and the cost had gone up to $600 with a $7500 OOP Surprise .

I think your best bet would be to learn how the Obama plan will help you and then factor that into your plans, it might be worth it to hang in there until that kicks in. Also I would expect that with a family of 4 living on a teacher's salary your kids would qualify for Healthy Families, we just barely do and it's fabulous insurance. We pay a rediculously low $35 or so a month and have $10 co-pays. It was costing us $600 a month to have them on DH's plan at work and Andrew's first year we spent an additional 1K or so for our portion of %'s and co-pays.

Good luck, I hope you're able to make your dreams of staying home come true and soon!

mcunningham · May 2011

im not sure what healthy families is, but we also have other sources of income including our rental property so i am thinking we probably wouldnt qualify if it is for low-income. thanks for all the support though!!

jsugrin · May 2011

mcunningham:
im not sure what healthy families is, but we also have other sources of income including our rental property so i am thinking we probably wouldnt qualify if it is for low-income. thanks for all the support though!!

Yeah the rental income would probably disqualify you. It's not so much low income but it's a program that's designed for middle class families who were struggling to either pay for their kids insurance or their jobs didn't even offer it. So for people that would never qualify for Medical but that it might be a real burden to carry coverage. Of course it's one of those programs that they are always talking about cutting, frankly I'd be more than happy to pay way higher premiums, like $100 a month per kid instead of $15 per kid to keep the program going, but I digress Big Smile

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