[thelist] individual health insurance

[Michael Collins]

At 8:38 AM -0800 11/21/00, A. Erickson wrote:
>  In order to do that, though, I'll need to set
>up my own health insurance. Anyone have any recommendations or personal
>experience to share on that?

WA state, where I live, has been having a health care crises and it 
is very expensive and difficult to find health insurance as a small 
business with no group plan. You almost have to be with some company 
or other. I found one plan at the National Association for the 
Self-Employed. http://www.nase.org/ but it was over $500 a month with 
a huge annual deductible and high copays.

Believe it or not, if you have a Costco in your area and you get an 
executive membership you can sign up for group health insurance. In 
WA State it is with First Choice Health, I don't know if it is the 
same elsewhere since health insurance is always state by state. I 
thought at first it was funny to shop for health insurance at Costco 
but the whole family was covered last year for roughly $350 a month 
(if you are younger it will be less). It really paid off as office 
visits were $10 copay a visit, the hospital deductible is only $100 
per day and all tests and procedures are covered. Medications were 
covered as well with a lower price if you got it at Costco. There is 
no annual deductible which is great. For example, we paid $300 for my 
wife's entire pregnancy, including pre and post natal care, hospital 
expenses, and a Cesarian birth. We also are allowed to choose our own 
Doctor from a very wide list, including some that have been rated as 
the best pediatricians and Family care practitioners in Seattle.

Unfortunately, this year First Choice realized how much this was 
costing and Costco had to raise their rates 20% and office visits are 
now $20. It is still a good deal compared to other options.

Michael
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_/ _/ _/ _/ Michael Collins
_/ _/ _/    Equinox Enterprises
_/ _/       Seattle, WA, USA
_/          mcollins206 at home.com