One thing to remember: the drudgery of shopping for health insurance

[Pretzel_Warrior]

I was listening to NPR this morning (yes, that hated right wing fortress ) and they discussed a person who quite happily only took an hour to get through the entire process. Just think of that. Only if things go exceedingly well, a person will need to invest an hour or more to enter all relevant information to be presented with valid choices of insurance and subsidies they are eligible for and then choose a plan.

This isn't like shopping on eBay or Amazon. There is no great joy for most of us even with relatively straight forward enrollment processes and choices through our employers. And yet, I can't even comprehend deciding NOT to be covered just to save the monthly premium.

So....even when technical issues are all ironed out, not many are going to be jumping for joy regarding actual process of reviewing plans on exchanges and choosing one.

[MineralMan]

1. Sure, it's a PITA.

Lots of things that are really important are a PITA.

But, an hour of one's life is worth spending on choosing something as important as a health care plan. Imagine: Some people spend an hour watching a bad television program that gives them nothing at all.

Some stuff is serious and deserved spending some time on, I think. Stuff like getting educated, learning the skills needed for a job, or learning to operate a complex piece of equipment like a PC. Dontcha think?

[Pretzel_Warrior]

2. I wholeheartedly agree. But we are a nation of whiners

It seems anything that produces the slightest inconvenience or delay in our self-centered lives is target for our angst. In fact, the point I was trying to make and did not directly is that for those buying individual insuranance, that annoyance has transitioned to annoyance at the federal government in states where the state government refused to set up exchanges.

[MineralMan]

3. I know. We have little patience for anything, it seems, as a

people. That's very unfortunate. My state did set up an exchange, and their website has worked pretty well, with just a few glitches at the very beginning. People signing up, though, still have to pay attention and actually think about their choices. Many will not, and will just grab the cheapest plan and then will complain bitterly when it turns out to be a bad bargain.

But, then again, we also buy 60" flatscreen TVs and put them on our credit cards, only to watch mindless TV shows on them. The concept of value and suitability to needs seems to be a minor good these days.

My wife spent way over an hour comparing ACA plans before deciding on one that did what she needed at a reasonable price. She didn't mind at all. It's a very important choice.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. I know some here will laugh at me, but...

it was exciting and joyous for me.

To actually be able to search for an affordable plan that gets me into the door of a doctor's office for the first time in 4 years! This was followed by finally finding a dentist who would take on the tooth that no other dentist would touch because of my blood pressure. For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I mattered again this past October. Before that, I was ready and waiting to die...

Melodramatic? Perhaps. The truth? Yes.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

5. Yes. Obviously those who have been shut out of the system or

Been subject to ridiculously high premiums before will have a different perspective. Just like those who come to our country from totalitarian regimes and who view as a sacred honor their right to vote.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. My comment was not meant as a slam. I was merely stating that

I believe there are a lot more of me out there. And they will probably never want to print our stories.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

9. Oh, I definitely didn't take it as such. :)

[Grammy23]

6. I just went on Medicare the first of this month. Prior to that I had to enroll

in three supplemental insurances to cover what Medicare does not cover. I used a service provided by my husband's former employer. They sent me tons of materials to look over and a guidebook to walk me through the process. In addition to that, I got so much in the mail from AARP, Humana, Blue Cross, United Health Care, etc. that we started having bets about how many pieces we would receive in the mail each day.

I had to call the service after I went online, signed up for their services and then started looking at plans. It was fairly simple to look at the plans (once I figured out which kind I wanted to buy) as they only showed me plans that were valid in my state. That narrowed the field a lot. You have to read the instructions carefully and understand what is covered and what is not. I had to try to figure out what was the best route for me and my situation. They did offer helpful questions for me to answer to help sort it out.

Then I called and spent about an hour talking to the agent and getting all the information ironed out and listening to some required audio recordings explaining my rights, etc. It was a little nerve wracking since some of those things cannot be changed and some can. And if you skip enrolling at certain times, you may not be able to do it later or it will cost you more. So you have to listen and document every step of the way. And ask a lot of questions.

It was really not that hard but there is a lot of detail to it. My husband gets his turn next Monday, as he will go on Medicare on Jan. 1st. Since I've been through the process, we kind of know what to expect for him. So that will help.

If I had to give any advice about enrolling in a health care plan (especially if you use online for some of it and the phone for some of it) is keep detailed notes of what you are doing. Who you talked to. Ask questions and don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you still don't understand. The people I dealt with were very patient and did not rush me in any way. They were well trained to help me.

The whole process took more than an hour if you count the time I spent ahead of the actual enrollment. But health insurance (in my case Supplemental Policies) are very important and can make a huge difference in what I will end up owing and paying OUT OF POCKET if I am ever seriously ill or injured. I am breast cancer survivor so it's not a small consideration. It's worth taking a few hours to think it all through and make good choices for yourself.

We have always had our insurance through my husband's employer so we got whatever the company provided. This was the first time we ever had many choices.

On edit: Forgot to mention that before I went on Medicare our monthly expense for our CIGNA health insurance, vision plan and dental was $878 a month. My cost now: $104. Medicare Part B, $181. United Health Care Supplemental $12.99 Humana Dental $39 WellCare Prescription Drug Plan. Total of around $336 with a reimbursement of $85. from husband's former employer as a benefit. So our cost is going down! Yay! My husband will pay a bit more as a smoker but will also get the $85 reimbursement, too. So we are pleased to be paying less. His pension will be looking a littler healthier, too, without nearly $900 skimmed off the top!

[Pretzel_Warrior]

11. Great story! Thanks for sharing. I think it's incumbent on all of us to realize

We carry some responsibility for these things going well.

[JaneyVee]

8. Personally, if I was buying private insurance I would prefer to talk to a human

And just call the number. It's a monthly expense I would rather discuss with a human.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

10. Totally! Most of my transactions (such as things like my 401k rollover, Oregon College Sdisbursement

End up being a hybrid of phone and web interactions.

[pnwmom]

12. But the application CAN be done over the phone for anyone who prefers to. n/t