Health Insurance - Individual Policies

We currently have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.....here is the breakdown of pros and cons:

Pros:
1.half the monthly rate as with group work insurance...we were able to get the best rate due to our health evals and we started off paying $340/month for family of four.
2. BCBS has a great reputation with doctors so that was great for us.
3. Once deductible is met we have a 90/10!!!

Cons:
1. I turned 30 a month after we signed up....our rate went up; my husband turns 35 next month and it is going up again...so last January of 2008 we started paying 340 and as of next month will pay 406/month; although this is still MUCH cheaper than his group insurance for us.
2. HIGH deductible that has to be met before the insurance covers ONE penny....you do get the insurance discounts so that helps, but it is tough if you have a high medical year. We did not really save last year verses if we would have gone with the group plan at work, but we broke even and if we have a good year this year, we can save money and have a little more control over the dollars spent.
3. No maternity on this particular plan.

If you have questions on something I did not cover just let me know.....

Because choosing a good health plan is confusing, and…
MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW
ABOUT THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.

To illustrate what this means I am happy to email you an article from “D Magazine”, by a Dallas physician on what happened to his patient when they hit the coverage limits
on their policy. What was assumed to be good coverage for a serious illness ended up being a financial tragedy.

Typically someone picks a name brand company with a low monthly payment and hopes for the best. BUT, right now, the best selling plans have severe limits on things like cancer drugs, physical therapies, I.C.U., Rx, ambulance and organ
transplants. THIS MEANS YOU CAN HAVE HUGE OUT OF
POCKET SURPRISES!

You can avoid this financial disaster by understanding what’s really covered. We know every policy available in Texas , the ones that pay and the ones that don't.
We’ll show you how to compare them apples to apples. That way you’re making an informed & logical decision to PICK TRUE MAJOR MEDICAL COVERAGE, SO YOU CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT!

If we can't help you we'll let you know, that way it's not a waste of your time. However 90% of the people we meet with drastically improve their coverage with what we recommend, WHICH INSURES YOU GET THE BEST PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY.

Our team has Over 50 years of successfully placing families in the best coverage possible. We do this by showing you all the options, not just one plan that may not fit your
needs.

If you would like to know more or you need help sorting through the process please get in touch with me at the number below.

Warmest Regards,

G. Bates
###-###-####
Texas Dept. of Insurance License ####-###-####

We went with Aetna when we were self-employed. We did have a pretty high deductible, but it was pretty decent insurance other than that. Copays were $40 and it was a PPO that had a wide selection of docs to choose from.

My word of advice is stay away from Unicare. They're cheap but please don't let that reel you in. They constantly have rate increases and their customer service is less than desirable. We now have coverage through my hubby's employer but if we ever had to get an individual policy again then I would most certaintly never go back to Unicare.

Hi B. -

Give Glenn Bates with Covenant Health and Life a call. He is great and has access to over 20 providers. He know how to put things together to give you the best coverage at the best price. He determines what you need and lays out the best options for you. He then gives you plenty of time to ask questions and think about it - no rushing you or pressuring you. I highly recommend him! His number is ###-###-#### and his email is ____@____.com.

Fondly,
E.

Our family of 4 is also covered by BCBSTX for $606 per month. We each have a $2000 deductible, but pay only a $25 co-pay for doctor visits. We don't need maternity, so we don't have it. Yearly well child visits and immunizations are fully covered through age 8. Just fyi, we used to have Unicare and thought they had TERRIBLE customer service. They also increased our premiums on a regular basis and it was not related to an age increase. We went through a health insurance broker to find both of those plans. Unicare was cheaper so we went with them first, but after our service problems with them and the increases, we switched to BCBSTX which offers better customer service and we've not had an increase in the 2 years we've been with them. Our insurance broker now does not recommend Unicare because of the poor service. Good luck.