If you are between the ages of 50 and 65 and you are going to be looking for health insurance or are looking for health insurance you need some help. This is a tough age (of course what age isn’t starting with the terrible twos) because you are at a prime age to start developing health problems. Statistically speaking and statistics is the only language insurance companies speak, the insurance company can predict they are going to spend more on 50-65 year old than a 20-45 year old. For that reason premiums are much higher for the older person.
But, we Baby Boomers are a smart group and where there is a will, there is a way. So let’s look at some of the options:
If you currently have a job and are looking to retire or start your own business, you have a couple of avenues you can investigate. First you can inquire if your company will let you buy health insurance through the company plan. If your company will let you do this your employer (assuming we are talking early retirement) may subsidize part of your premiums. If not, you still get group rates which are a whole lot cheaper than individual rates. If you are married and your spouse is still working strongly consider adding yourself to his/her plan if that option is available to you.
The next option (if you currently have a job which provides health insurance) is COBRA or Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. COBRA lets former employees and their dependents continue their employer’s group coverage for up to 18 months. The best thing about COBRA is it is guaranteed. Your former employer’s insurer can’t turn you down even if you have a chronic medical condition. The worst thing about COBRA is the cost. Your employer generally covers 70% or more of your health insurance premium. With COBRA you have to pay the whole premium plus administrative costs. Industry surveys indicate based on an average premium (for 2007), a former employee would have to pay more than $373 a month for individual coverage and more than $1,008 a month for family coverage.
If you are not currently employed by a company who provides health insurance there are still choices for you. If you have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure you can receive coverage through a state high-risk health program designed to help those with medical conditions that prevent them from getting insurance. Again though like COBRA the premiums can be quite high.
You can also check out professional organizations you could join or are already affiliated with to see if they offer health insurance policies for members. Because these are group plans, the premiums may be less than what you would pay in the individual market.
Finally, there is the individual health insurance option. There has been some progress in terms of offerings of policies for the 50-65 year age group market mainly because insurers see this age group as a potential growth market. Many Baby Boomers are in good health and have higher income than younger people. Also insurance companies hope that retirees will still purchase their products, such as supplemental insurance, even after they’re eligible for Medicare. Some of policies currently offered may have premiums as low as $200 per month for people who are in good health and willing to pay a high deductible. Many insurance advice columnists recommend combining a high deductible individual health insurance policy with a health savings account. HSA contributions are made with pretax dollars, and any money left over in the account at the end of the year is rolled over for future use. Withdrawals are not taxed if used for qualified medical expenses.
By: Marilyn Katz
Posts Tagged ‘Budget Reconciliation Act’
Health Insurance Over 50 And Under 65
February 11th, 2010Affordable Health Insurance in Houston, Texas
January 20th, 2010
Houston, Texas provides many things to many people. Museums, fairs, marathons, festivals – you name it, and Houston, Texas has it. Not only can you find fun, but you can also find safety. How? Residents are able to find affordable health insurance in Houston, Texas, too.
Fortunately, Texans have several options when searching for affordable health insurance in Houston, Texas. Try following these steps.
Continue your health insurance with COBRA. If you are a Houston, Texas resident who has lost his job, COBRA (otherwise known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986) should be the first alternative you consider. Under COBRA, Houston, Texas residents can remain covered by their former employer-sponsored health insurance for up to 18 months after they have lost their jobs.
Not covered under COBRA? Texas has certain health insurance continuation rights for those residents who are either not eligible for COBRA, or who have maxed out their time being covered under COBRA. The health insurance continuation rights allow you to stay covered under the same health insurance policy for another six months.
Exhausted your COBRA benefits and state continuation rights? Perhaps it is time to look at the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool. If you have reached your limit of COBRA benefits as well as your health insurance state continuation rights, you may be eligible for the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool. Of course, you must have maintained some form of health insurance for the previous 18 months, and no break in coverage can be longer than periods of 63 days.
Feeling too financially stressed for any of the above options? Look into the TexCare Partnership, which offers affordable health insurance to Texans based on family size and income.
For more information about these ways to obtain affordable health insurance in Houston, Texas, contact the Texas Department of Insurance. You may even find that you are eligible for other means of affordable health insurance, too.
By: Elizabeth Newberry
Individual Health Insurance Or Group Health Insurance?
December 29th, 2009
Most people believe that individual health insurance and group health insurance are essentially the same thing and that the only difference is that one is sold to individuals and that the other is sold to employers and other group organizations (such as clubs) to cover employees or members of the organization. In fact it is not quite as simple as that and individual and group health plans differ in a number of significant ways.
One of the most significant differences is that a group plan normally has fewer limitations and does not usually require those covered under the plan to provide proof of insurability. In other words the mere fact that you are a member of the group to which the plan applies means that you are eligible for cover.
Another important difference is that the contract for a group plan is made between the insurance company and the employer, union, trust, club or other sponsor and is not made directly with you as would be the case with an individual plan. This means that you have no power to negotiate changes to the plan to suit your own specific needs and that, where changes are made between for example your employer and the insurer, you have no real power to intervene.
The great advantage for most people of seeking health cover through a group plan lies in the fact that it has fewer limitations and is generally cheaper than an individual plan. However, one significant disadvantage is that your membership of the plan is tied to your membership of the group and, in the case of employment, a change in your employment status will affect your cover. For example, if you retire, are laid off, quit, or simply suffer a reduction in your hours you could suddenly find that you and your family lose your health insurance.
Now there is of course some protection for individuals who lose their employment through no fault of their own and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) will allow you to retain your group scheme cover for a while (typically 18 months) while you make alternative arrangements. The drawback of course is that you still have to pay for cover and this can be very expensive since you will have to pay not only the employee contribution which you were paying while in work, but also the employer’s contribution since you are no longer on the payroll. The benefits to which you are entitled under COBRA cover may also be reduced in many cases.
One other key difference between group and individual health insurance which is worthy of note here arises out of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. This essentially means that, where a group plan is in existence covering a group of twenty or more employees, the employer must make insurance available to all employees, including their spouses and dependents. Accordingly, there is no age limit imposed for cover and this can be particularly beneficial to older employees.
These are of course only some of the main difference between group and individual health insurance but nonetheless represent a good starting point in helping you to decide between the two. Which you choose must of course be a personal decision but one important thing to remember is that health insurance becomes increasing difficult to get and more expensive the older you get and, even if you do decide to ’shelter’ under an employer’s plan, the day will surely come when you will be on your own and forced to seek cover outside of your employer’s scheme.
Your employer’s scheme may be fine today but do not forget to view it not simply in terms of your present needs, but also in terms of your longer term needs.
By: Donald Saunders
