Insurance

[Chris Graham]

Our health insurance plan at work is changing for the worse. I am thinking about looking for an independent plan. Do you or someone you know have a plan that work well for type 1's? Is this option just going to be too expensive because of type 1??? Thanks for your input!

[JediSkipdogg]

It's not that it's going to be too expensive, it's going to be that it just doesn't exist. I'll call my brother up and see what he recently did, but it took him almost 12 months to find one after being fired from his last job. Nobody wants to cover a type 1 because well, besides being a high risk, if they would cover us, premiums would have to be in the $1500 a month just to turn a profit.

Anyways, I'll ask my bro what he finally did and get back to you.

[rzrbks]

Try to find out if a "Savings Account Plan" of some sort is being added, or will be added.

The INs I have doesn't cover Meds, so my wife and I plan out the yearly Rx expenses, and have enough pulled out of my check to cover the Rx. You wind up buying your meds basically, minus whatever % you pay income tax rate at.

[valc3]

The cost of independent insurance is usually high. Most times the deductible is high, basically it covers catastrophes. Prescriptions may not be covered. This is for anyone, not just T1s. Check around, sometimes you can find "small" groups that you can buy into and get "large" group rates and coverage.

As Rzrbks suggested, FSA is another way to go.

Good luck.

[notme]

Stick with your lousy plan or find a new job, is the options. I checked into private insurance some time back and it just does not exist for type one's.

[NoelD]

I looked at independent insurance and never found anyone who would cover me. Always am immediate no when I said I was type 1. Also, life insurance is impossible for me to get outside of work.

[dgrilli]

I guess I supposed to just die when they fire me for being a diabetic. I bet they are looking for ways to do it now.

When the job is gone and struggling to get a job that will hire me. I won't be able to afford the meds I know that no one is just going to give them to me.

What a horrible thought. This is always in the back of my mind. Can you imagine holding up a pharmacy for insulin and a syringe just to stay alive?

I wonder how long I could live limiting food intake? My BG rises whether I eat or not. No insulin No Life.

Only the fit survives.

Yes I really do think of these things.

[JasonJayhawk]

Chris,

I'm seeing that happen a lot more. A bunch of large Kansas City companies that have jumped on to the "Healthe" inititive, led by Cerner Corp., have drug plans that only cover 50% of the cost (including test strips).

I think an independent plan may end up costing you more than just buying the drugs on your own.

It's annoying how companies announce the changes at the end of the year, giving you little time to "stock up" on an extra bottle or two before the change over to the more expensive plan.