Need advice on catastrophic health ins for a family.

[Nay]

Sonny Nay, his wife and toddler need catastrophic health ins. They have no pre-existing conditions. Toddler may soon be covered by Virginia's child health care laws, but that hasn't happened yet.

They HAD bought such a policy, but were tossed out after taking toddler to the emergency room to get 4 stitches. Get this -- their ins paid nothing because it was waaaay under their $5000 deductible, which is as it should be, but they got canceled anyway! Just for showing up at a hospital and paying the bill themselves!

Any advice?

[Old and In the Way]

1. Another example of private insurance failures. Join the club.

I really have no constructive advice, but I might suggest seeing if there are any state health ins. programs that you might qualify for, even if you have to pay.

The whole idea of private health insurance is, at it's core, a joke. They are in business to maximize profits and shareholder value. By definition that means denying/delaying/reducing their contract obligations with their policyholders wherever possible. They have an army of legal resources and employees incentivized to minimize claim costs. Because claim payouts reduces their profits. Since 2000, I've carried private health insurance (now paying $1400/mo) and have maximum deductibles because it's the cheapest rate we could find. When we have had legitimate claims made in the past, the SO has spent countless hours trying to get these claims honored.

I'd gladly pay my $1400/mo into a single-payer, federal, not-for-profit plan, knowing that the private corporate bureaucrat on the hour end of the phone is not motivated against my financial interest for claim settlement. I'm all for the free market system in our lives - except when it comes to our health. it does not belong here.

[jambo101]

2. Stories like this one .

Make me glad i live in Canada.I cant believe there arent mass demonstrations in the streets demanding single payer universal healthcare in the USA.
Dumping you from coverage for paying your deductible?
$1400 a month for a plan?
Outrageous.

[Nay]

3. Be glad you're Canadian, for sure. What's so ironic is that I'M Canadian, too, but I got citizenship

Last edited Thu Feb 7, 2013, 10:09 AM - Edit history (1)

as an adult through my mother, who was Quebecoise. I tried (and failed) to get citizenship for my son because he was judged as second-generation, even though the newest 2009 law gave us hope that I was reclassified as a Canadian citizenship from birth, making him first generation....oh, well.

Anyway, if I felt like leaving my kid and grandkid flat, I'd move back to Canada and the hell with this place. But I just...can't...leave...them.

I don't expect that the new healthcare law will help them at all. From what I've seen, they make a bit too much money to qualify for any help with the premiums, and not enough money to actually pay the premiums. They'll be uninsured, and have to pay the penalty.

To address the point about Americans getting out into the streets, I regret to report there are gobs of Americans who think that if their fellow citizens can't afford to buy [insert service or product here], they shouldn't get it. Everyone feels this way when the service or product is something like beer or fancy clothing, but when it's something as vital as HEALTHCARE, there is a huge bunch of Republicans/libertarians/selfish assholes who think that their fellow citizens should just die and get out of the way. This is not only a bizarrely destructive attitude on a personal level (for the believer and the victim), but on a societal level, this attitude is a destroyer of civilization. It negates even the idea of civilization. I'm sure there are a few Canadians who feel this way, but I bet they are considered weird. Here, that feeling is considered legitimate, and it has been legitimized by many actions of the Republican Party, Fox News, etc., over the years.