I recently wrote a post about paying for pregnancy. A comment from a reader caught my attention and I felt that it deserved a mention and a few more of my thoughts on the matter. The problem with having a pool of money from all insurance companies to pay for pregnancy (or anything else) is… Read more about Pregnancy Expenses Revisited
Individual/Family Health
Steve Dieckhoff Benefit
Update: Steve Dieckhoff died Saturday morning (3/15) just as the sun began to rise, friends said. He was 56 years old. A memorial service in Boulder has not yet been scheduled. Daily Camera story here Latest info and pics here Steve Dieckhoff is a local Boulder rock climber who is battling lymphoma. His friends and… Read more about Steve Dieckhoff Benefit
Misperception of a Free Market
Proponents of private health care make it sound really simple to the average person. I always hear the statement “A free market system will ensure the best price and service”. While that may be true with most other industries, that argument over simplifies what healthcare is and misses the point. I’ll show you what I… Read more about Misperception of a Free Market
Paying for a Pregnancy
Lately I’ve been pondering the expenses involved with having a baby. Jay and I have been married four years, and we’ve started discussing the idea. Obviously, there are enormous costs that continue to accrue over the years – everything from cribs to college, most of which can be lowered through frugal living. But what about… Read more about Paying for a Pregnancy
What if…
What if businesses weren’t allowed to deduct the cost of employee health insurance benefits? And what if businesses were required to show the employees how much they pay for their benefits and offer the choice for the employee to either keep receiving the group insurance benefit or to get that same amount as a raise?… Read more about What if…
Non-Transparency
Note: This is the first entry in this nightmare to get some transparency on a simple lipoma removal surgery. See the second entry here, and the third entry here. I’ve had a lipoma on my right shoulder blade for the past 5 years. I didn’t do anything about it right away because the doctor told… Read more about Non-Transparency
COBRA Versus Individual Health Insurance
I came across a blog post this morning that talked about the loss of health insurance that goes along with being laid off from a job. The author mentioned that COBRA is an option, and correctly explained that COBRA allows us to continue to get health insurance coverage through a former employer, as long as… Read more about COBRA Versus Individual Health Insurance
Increased Demand = Better Health
With a new governor in place, Colorado has been proposing changes to the health care system lately. The recent Colorado State-of-the-State presentation focused on health care and boosting the ranks of Colorado insureds. One of the points that was made was that if we insure more people, there will be more of a demand for… Read more about Increased Demand = Better Health
Personal Accountability in Health Care
I strongly agree with Marcy Morrison, the Colorado Insurance Commissioner, on her recent statements regarding personal accountability for health: “If people take better care of themselves, we can look at other options besides how to get more care. We read a lot about diet and exercise, but we have to ignite the public to put… Read more about Personal Accountability in Health Care
Bad Timing
A proposal to offer health insurance to about 180,000 Colorado children who lack coverage got bipartisan support Wednesday in a Senate committee. Senate Bill 211 would raise the income limits for kids to receive coverage under the Medicaid and Children’s Basic Health Plan programs. It also would fund a team of state workers to find… Read more about Bad Timing
What We Have for Health Insurance
We only use our health insurance on the very rare occasion that I hurt myself snowboarding or riding my MUni. But we would like to have the protection there just in case something big does happen. And in the future, we would like to finance a childbirth or two, dental procedures, and maybe LASIK. And… Read more about What We Have for Health Insurance
Funny Logic
In Colorado, there is underwritten health insurance and there is guaranteed issue health insurance. Underwritten health insurance has a much lower cost structure because they aren’t covering pre-existing conditions at all or without covering the cost with a premium increase, so it costs much less if you can qualify for it. Employers that are paying… Read more about Funny Logic
Colorado Approves Discount Drug Program
Reposted from: http://www.stateaction.org/blog/?p=462 The Colorado House and Senate approved SB 1, a bill which will allow people who cannot afford health insurance to buy discounted drugs through the state. The measure would authorize the state of Colorado to work in consultation with private sector pharmacies in order to negotiate the lowest possible prices for generic… Read more about Colorado Approves Discount Drug Program
Online Application Video Tutorials
We’ve been trying to figure out a convenient way to help people with the online application process for the various health insurance companies in Colorado that they can use at any hour. Our clients can call or email us with questions, but sometimes they just want to see a tutorial that they can just reference… Read more about Online Application Video Tutorials
What Its Like
I just spoke with a woman who got health insurance quotes on our website today. Turns out she was sitting in a Denver emergency waiting room when she got the quotes, and was still in the ER a few hours later when I called her. She and her husband have no health insurance, although their… Read more about What Its Like
Our Flawed Healthcare System
If you live in Colorado and don’t get your health insurance from your employer, finding health insurance can be difficult and confusing. The reason is because it’s not like shopping for any other insurance, financial, or retail product in the marketplace. In Colorado, you have two choices: an underwritten individual/family plan a non-underwritten plan like… Read more about Our Flawed Healthcare System
Tonik Rate Increase for Colorado Effective February 1, 2007
In 2005, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Colorado launched Tonik, three simple, affordable and comprehensive individual PPO plans with a quick online application designed specifically for uninsured 20-somethings. So far, Tonik has done very well – in fact, 60 percent of Tonik applicants were previously uninsured, and 75 percent of Tonik applicants are… Read more about Tonik Rate Increase for Colorado Effective February 1, 2007
Specialty Drugs Boost Health Insurance Premiums in Colorado
Health insurance premiums in Colorado and the rest of the country are expected to increase by at least 10% in 2007, driven mainly by the cost of expensive specialty drugs. An article I just read from the Associated Press (published by the Insurance Journal) said that specialty drugs accounted for 19 %, or about $40 billion worth of pharmaceutical… Read more about Specialty Drugs Boost Health Insurance Premiums in Colorado
How To Save on Health Insurance in Colorado
1. Get quotes from multiple Colorado health insurance companies Premiums for health insurance in Colorado can vary greatly, sometimes as much as 50% for similar plans. When comparing plans, be sure to look at the benefits as well as the monthly premium. Make sure your plan provides adequate catastrophic coverage, preferably at least two million… Read more about How To Save on Health Insurance in Colorado
Wasting Health Care Dollars
My best friend is an emergency room nurse at a large hospital in Denver, Colorado. In the past two months, two of her friends have given birth. One is a fellow nurse, and the other a dentist. Both have a solid knowledge base in medicine, and had thoroughly researched pregnancy and childbirth. Both women wrote… Read more about Wasting Health Care Dollars
A Legal Scam
After David and Darlene Henderson had more than $210,000 in hospital bills, their health insurance company only paid $33,428, leaving more than $180,000 for the Henderson’s to pay by themselves. For $400 a month, the couple said, the Mega agent told them that they could have a catastrophic group health insurance policy that would cover… Read more about A Legal Scam
The Logical Insurance Salesman Has Skinny Kids
I was recently talking to a Colorado client about her husbands health insurance options. She had the option of adding him to her group plan for $415 per month. They had been shopping all over the internet for an individual health insurance plan and had decided that they wanted the most comprehensive plan available and… Read more about The Logical Insurance Salesman Has Skinny Kids
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Now Has Rating Areas
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado used to be the only company with one rate grid for the entire state of Colorado. That’s not the case anymore now that they’ve released their rates for 2007. Anthem’s number crunchers have come up with four sets of rates for Colorado, based on the cost of services,… Read more about Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Now Has Rating Areas
Back To Reality
Sorry about the lack of posts over the last few weeks. Louise and I haven’t been in Colorado since October 23’rd because we were on vacation. We were still able to keep up with all of our health insurance clients by helping get claims paid, solving billing problems, and helping them compare alternate plans. But… Read more about Back To Reality
The Wrong Idea
I was recently going over some health insurance options with a client. We were comparing some high deductible HSA qualified plans with some lower deductible copay plans. She then asked about some of the really cheap plans she saw on our instant quote engine like Right Start from Assurant. I explained that we don’t recommend… Read more about The Wrong Idea