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Low Income Health Insurance

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firstbase32

firstbase32

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 12, 2006
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As you all know we''re poor college students and are wanting to get health insurance. We''re thinking that it would be better to pay for insurance through a company rather than me to struggle to work 40 hrs. a week at a full-time job and go to school...does anyone have any suggestions of where we should start? We want somethign to cover trips to the doctor as well as her prescription.
 
Date: 6/8/2007 3:47:54 PM
Author:firstbase32
As you all know we're poor college students and are wanting to get health insurance. We're thinking that it would be better to pay for insurance through a company rather than me to struggle to work 40 hrs. a week at a full-time job and go to school...does anyone have any suggestions of where we should start? We want somethign to cover trips to the doctor as well as her prescription.
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There's no such thing as low cost health insurance for consumers to just purchase unfortunately. BUT you have a few options:

1. If you're college students most schools have very good subsidized insurance plans. Often spouses can be added onto those plans too, so even if one of you isn't in school, this is likely to be a cheap option.

2. Depending on what state you're in, every state has a Medicaid plan for low income individuals. HOWEVER, often full time students don't qualify, so you need to check out the info for your state specifically.

3. If you can't find something through school or Medicaid, I would recommend that you buy a catastrophic coverage plan (won't cover basic visits but will cover big illness and accidents) and have your wife go to a planned parenthood office for her gyno visits and birth control. That will by far be the cheapest option for you guys if you're both otherwise healthy. You can both then visit low cost clinics in your area if you get sick, they have sliding fee scales for doctors visits that are aimed at low income individuals as well.

ETA: Please let me know if you have other questions, I study family/child health insurance, so I know a bit about the topic!
 
yea we''re mostly healthy and i haven''t been to the doctor''s office in a few years...i''m just wanting to make sure that way incase if something happens and i have to be in the hospital we''re not stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills....kind of a bad way to start off a marraige when you also have student loans and what not.

We talked to the university and they gave us info on this medical plan they usually lead students to...and we showed it to my wife''s mom and she was like...this doesn''t cover anything really unless you''re in the hospital for so many days. It was an insane amount of money per month and everything so she was like it makes little sense to do that. So we''re still kind of like hoping something comes up.
 
Date: 6/8/2007 3:57:23 PM
Author: firstbase32
yea we''re mostly healthy and i haven''t been to the doctor''s office in a few years...i''m just wanting to make sure that way incase if something happens and i have to be in the hospital we''re not stuck with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills....kind of a bad way to start off a marraige when you also have student loans and what not.


We talked to the university and they gave us info on this medical plan they usually lead students to...and we showed it to my wife''s mom and she was like...this doesn''t cover anything really unless you''re in the hospital for so many days. It was an insane amount of money per month and everything so she was like it makes little sense to do that. So we''re still kind of like hoping something comes up.
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Well, are you working at all? Because unless the insurance is subsidized by an employer, the state, or your school, health insurance can be CRAZY expensive. My parents are self-employed and they pay an obscene amount per month.

What exactly is your work/school situation and what state are you in?
 
We''re both seniors in college and I''m working almost full-time for the university but was told by them that even if i work 40 hrs. a week for the university they would have to hire me as a full-time staff member for me to get insurance through them. We attend a private Christian college south of Chicago in ILL.
 
Date: 6/8/2007 4:02:40 PM
Author: firstbase32
We''re both seniors in college and I''m working almost full-time for the university but was told by them that even if i work 40 hrs. a week for the university they would have to hire me as a full-time staff member for me to get insurance through them. We attend a private Christian college south of Chicago in ILL.
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The school doesn''t offer insurance for students? That seems odd. I''ll look up your options if you have any in IL.
 
It just made very little sense to us because we were under the idea that we would be able to get some sort of assistance being low-income status...because her mom works for a MAJOR insurance company and was under the impression that there was tons of stuff for us to apply for or whatever...when we went to look into it they told us unless we had a child they couldn''t help us...the lady even made a joke about us trying to get pregnant so that we could get health insurance...i looked at her and was like i guess that''s what''s wrong with this community...people encourage poor peopel to have babies...great idea on how to get them out of poverty. haha she didn''t seem to understand I didn''t find her joke funny.
 
Well, your wife seems to qualify for Illinois Healthy Women as long as you meet the income guidelines. It would allow her to go to the doctor and get her birth control prescription. Here is the link to the program. She would need to apply for it.

http://www.illinoishealthywomen.com/

But since you don''t have kids, that''s it unfortunately.

You would need to look into purchasing insurance through an insurance company on your own. But it''s very likely to be more expensive than the plan the school offers.
 
yea i talked to one of our family friends who works for state farm and she gave me an estimate for how much it would cost...and she said like $275 or something a month for us since we''re both student''s n''stuff but I''m not sure if that includes anything like doctor visits or what not because we communicated through e-mail and she never e-mailed me back when I asked. It just kind of sucks because we could pay $275 a month and never use the plan for the next year...so it''s just like UGH! WHAT DO I DO!?!?
 
Date: 6/8/2007 4:18:45 PM
Author: firstbase32
yea i talked to one of our family friends who works for state farm and she gave me an estimate for how much it would cost...and she said like $275 or something a month for us since we''re both student''s n''stuff but I''m not sure if that includes anything like doctor visits or what not because we communicated through e-mail and she never e-mailed me back when I asked. It just kind of sucks because we could pay $275 a month and never use the plan for the next year...so it''s just like UGH! WHAT DO I DO!?!?
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$275 a month is VERY reasonable believe it or not considering that is an unsubsidized plan from an insurance company. But make sure you know exactly what it covers and what it doesn''t. It is NOT a good idea to go completely without health insurance, but a catastrophic only plan might be the cheapest option for you guys right now.
 
I second the vote for planned parenthood! When I was out of college and not yet employed full time I was able to get my annual exam done for $50 and my prescription really cheap (had to show student ID for best rates).

My parents looked into insurance options for me and found regular insurance would have been something like $500 a month (and I was definitely low income--they didn''t care about that), because I had gotten treatment for migraines which put me in a category of pre-existing medical conditions.

I ended up with major medical insurance to cover anything catastrophic. I think the deductible was around $5000, no idea how much the insurance cost, maybe $100 a month? My brother currently has the same major medical, and when he needed stitches recently, he told them he was uninsured and they cut him discounts and gave him free samples left and right.

You could try to get a job at starbucks--i think they offer insurance even to part time employees. I''d also check out the school''s options again. Thats probably your best bet. I know when I was an undergrad, I could visit the health center pretty cheap even without their insurance. Maybe you could utilize that and just have the major medical for emergencies.
 
yea.....i just need to sit down and call her and takl to her and find out what all it covers......thanks for the help
 
I know our little clinic thing here on campus is pretty good about that kidn of stuff...so I think that is where I would first go anyway just to make sure I needed to actually go to a real doctor
 
If there is a fedex or ups sorting center close, they also offer insurance, help with tuition, etc for part time package handlers. And the hours are usually early early morning (4-7am) or somewhere around there.
 
Date: 6/8/2007 4:25:49 PM
Author: firstbase32
I know our little clinic thing here on campus is pretty good about that kidn of stuff...so I think that is where I would first go anyway just to make sure I needed to actually go to a real doctor
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Generally they are "real doctors" at campus health centers. They aren''t specialists, but they can do most everything a general practitioner could do, so you likely wouldn''t need to go anywhere else. Personally, I would rely on that and get major medical (either through the school or elsewhere) to cover any big emergencies (as long as you or your family would be able to cover the deductible--could be as high as $10,000, but still better than crazy medical bills)
 
yea i know one of my groomsmen went to them beause he had a problem with his tonsels (or however you spell them) and they gave him some sort of steriod and another prescription for like $5...so that would probably be our best bet
 
I don''t know if there is an Ikea near you, but they offer health insurance to part-timers as well.

Insurance is one of those annoying things that you do really need, especially if you don''t have it! $275 is a lot, but it''s still a reasonable rate... sadly. When I was 23, I quit my entry-level job before I had another just because I hated it so much. While that was probably one of the best things I''ve ever done, one of the worst parts is that the company couldn''t offer me Cobra because they were too small and in DC, which doesn''t allow it, oddly enough. Cobra would have been expensive, but the continuation coverage I had to buy for myself was a lot more expensive. I have a few "pre-existing conditions" though, so being without health insurance, even for a day, could have been an even more expensive mistake. They make you wait a year before they cover anything if you''ve had a gap in coverage. At least that was true back then.

Since you go to a Christian University, you might want to check with local churches that may have a group policy. Sometimes other groups do to. It''s not all that common, but who knows! check it out.
 
There''s an insurance group called COBRA that a few people I know have used between jobs. I don''t know what the rates/conditions are like, but it appears to do online quotes. Might be worth looking into:

http://www.cobrainsurance.com/
 
We buy our own health insurance though Blue Cross Blue Shield. It is worth EVERY penny. It covers my DH''s expensive infusions (all he pays is $30 co-pay which is amazing). You can add dental for $39 a month as well as maternity (if you need it but make sure you add it BEFORE she gets pregnant). Also remember it is a tax write off. Now they offer HSAs which have lower monthly premiums and greater tax benefits. It is important you have SOMETHING.
 
COBRA isn''t the name of the insurance company, it''s the name of the bill that allows people to keep insurance between jobs! It stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Charming, eh? Anyway, what it means is that you can keep your same insurance from your company, but you pay 100%. It''s NOT cheap, but it is a way to be sure you''re covered and it''s mainly for short-term between-jobs use. FirstBase, you MIGHT qualify for this under your parent''s insurance, if that''s what you had before you married, but I''m not sure.
 
I normally don''t post on this board, but thought I''d chime in. My husband and I are in the same type of situation as you and your wife. We''ve been married for nearly two years and are still in the process of recieving our degrees (luckily DH is graduating this Dec.). My husband works, but does not get health insurance through his job. However, we live in New York and there is a program called Healthy New York for low income families. We get health insurance from a major insurance company for around half price, it''s still 550 dollars though, it''s expensive, but not 1000 dollars expensive. I wonder if there is anything like that in IL? It could be something to look into. I remember this website (i think it was this one) ( http://www.usinsuranceonline.com/usio/index.php ) was really helpful in our hunt for insurance. Hope you guys have a healthy and long marriage and won''t need to use it much!
 
I second Tacori''s suggestion for BCBS. They have a special rate for younger people that is like $50 a month. I''m not sure what it all covers, but check out their website. You put in your age and needs and they will give you a list of different coverage choices.
 
Date: 6/9/2007 11:39:21 PM
Author: Rachie
I second Tacori''s suggestion for BCBS. They have a special rate for younger people that is like $50 a month. I''m not sure what it all covers, but check out their website. You put in your age and needs and they will give you a list of different coverage choices.
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Like Rachie said they do have different coverage. Obviously the less coverage you have the cheaper it will be. When I first signed up I think I was 23. I believe it was around $125-$150 a month but that was with 80/20 coverage with their best plan (A) ($15 doc co-pay/$30 specialist) and $250 deductable (so I only had to pay 20% of major bills or procedures after my deductable). This whole time I have been with them I have never had to pay my deductable before (well I will now but only b/c I am pregnant). DH hasn''t either. He is one of the few people the insurance co is NOT making money off of. So I would suggest going with a higher deductable so your monthly payments will be less. Dr visit co-pays, perscriptions, and lab costs are seperate which is really nice. So she will only have to pay a co-pay when she visits her doctor. The physicals are random. I had to have one, DH didn''t. Basically they just get a urine sample (to check for HIV, blood sugar, and pregnancy), blood pressure, weight and height. Took maybe 10 minutes.

If you feel like you need more guidance I would contact a local insurance agent. They will help you decide what company and coverage is right for you. I think you can only be on your parents'' policy if you are dependents (which being married you could not qualify) I could be wrong though. Good luck!
 
Hi! Until recently, I was self-employed so I had to find independent insurance. I used www.ehealthinsurance.com to get quotes on different company''s plans in my area and ended up with a very good Unicare plan ($15/copay for up to 5 visits a year, $500 deductible) and it was less than $100/month. I am also older than you and lived in Texas, but it''s definitely worth looking into. It''s an easy way to see what types of plans are out there for you and your spouse at reasonable prices. It gives you the quote instantly - you don''t have to fill out a form and wait for someone to contact you!
 
I have noticed that plans without maternity are MUCH cheaper than those with it...if we get a plan without it...are we able to like "upgrade" our insurance to include it? Or do they not allow that?

After checking out some sites so far BCBS looks to be like a very reasonable deal...I''m relying on that it''s such a well known company and such too...It''s looking to be about $250 a month without maternity
 
Date: 6/11/2007 4:30:57 PM
Author: brgirl
Hi! Until recently, I was self-employed so I had to find independent insurance. I used www.ehealthinsurance.com to get quotes on different company''s plans in my area and ended up with a very good Unicare plan ($15/copay for up to 5 visits a year, $500 deductible) and it was less than $100/month. I am also older than you and lived in Texas, but it''s definitely worth looking into. It''s an easy way to see what types of plans are out there for you and your spouse at reasonable prices. It gives you the quote instantly - you don''t have to fill out a form and wait for someone to contact you!
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Wow....I''m checking it out and even some of the stuff through BCBS is on there and it seems to be cheaper than I thought...but it doesn''t include maternity..so hmm
 
Maternity coverage is expensive because the risk is greater... you have to go to the dr. for so many visits and the tests and what if there are complications, etc... etc... etc... But if you aren''t planning on starting a family right now, and she is on reliable birth control, you don''t need it. Just don''t start trying without it!!!
 
I''m just thinking of the worst case scenario (also keeping in mind our luck lately with the lost passport and such)...can you add it after you get pregnant or are you just tough out of luck? She''s been on birth control for a year or two before we got married just for cramps and also just so she could know exactly when her period would start. We have a friend who was on birth control and took it regularly and got pregnant...we kind of just want to make sure that if something does happen we have a plan.
 
Date: 6/12/2007 4:56:52 PM
Author: firstbase32
I''m just thinking of the worst case scenario (also keeping in mind our luck lately with the lost passport and such)...can you add it after you get pregnant or are you just tough out of luck? She''s been on birth control for a year or two before we got married just for cramps and also just so she could know exactly when her period would start. We have a friend who was on birth control and took it regularly and got pregnant...we kind of just want to make sure that if something does happen we have a plan.
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I ASSUME that you can only add it BEFORE. Otherwise no one would ever add it unless they got pregnant, which completely would screw over the insurance company''s risk.

Think about it, insurance companies make $ on people who think they MIGHT need medical interventions in the future. But not all of them will, so the insurance company makes $ with taking a risk that more people won''t need it than will. If they allowed you to add it afterwards, this makes their payout 100%, always. No company would take that risk...
 
haha yea...I''m not really sure why I didn''t think about it that way. I suppose if we didn''t get maternity and something did happen there would be some sort of assistance or something I would think wouldn''t you?
 
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