Health Insurance Options
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Hi All, My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level. As an independent developer, have any of you found better options than either paying the high premium or taking the uninsured risk? I know this isn't a new problem for independents, so it's really not helpful to tell me to move to a universal healthcare country or take an employee job that provides insurance.
Cheers, Daaron
Daaron wrote:
As an independent developer, have any of you found better options than either paying the high premium or taking the uninsured risk?
Well, three years ago I married my gf of seven years. She has a great job (makes more than me!) with a great insurance plan. (that just went up 10% this month) Problem solved! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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Hi All, My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level. As an independent developer, have any of you found better options than either paying the high premium or taking the uninsured risk? I know this isn't a new problem for independents, so it's really not helpful to tell me to move to a universal healthcare country or take an employee job that provides insurance.
Cheers, Daaron
Daaron wrote:
My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level.
To what, if you don't mind me asking? I recently looked up prices in New York through the marketplace and bronze level, for an individual, was $360/mo. Reasonable, I guess. Though the prices become insane if I'm the only income earner and have a family (fortunately, not married, kid is 24, and even if wedding bells are in the future, I would NOT, never, ever again, take on the financial burden of paying her health insurance or anything else for that matter.) But that's another long story. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project! Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
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Hi All, My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level. As an independent developer, have any of you found better options than either paying the high premium or taking the uninsured risk? I know this isn't a new problem for independents, so it's really not helpful to tell me to move to a universal healthcare country or take an employee job that provides insurance.
Cheers, Daaron
There are cost sharing groups that work just like insurance but are not and they are way cheaper. I'm only familiar with Christian health sharing groups but there may be others. If you google "christian health sharing" you'll find some but you need to be Christian. :^) Perhaps google health sharing options.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Hi All, My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level. As an independent developer, have any of you found better options than either paying the high premium or taking the uninsured risk? I know this isn't a new problem for independents, so it's really not helpful to tell me to move to a universal healthcare country or take an employee job that provides insurance.
Cheers, Daaron
You're going to have to either raise your rates to compensate for this or find a full-time gig with benefits. There's a reason why you'd typically ask for higher rates as an independent than a regular full-time employee would get, because you have to pay for all of your own "benefits" (medical, dental, life, disability, and try to save for retirement). Another option would be to shop for insurance in surrounding states. If one is significantly lower, you may have to move down the road if you don't think you can raise your rates to match the insurance rate increases.
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Hi All, My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level. As an independent developer, have any of you found better options than either paying the high premium or taking the uninsured risk? I know this isn't a new problem for independents, so it's really not helpful to tell me to move to a universal healthcare country or take an employee job that provides insurance.
Cheers, Daaron
Cuba has great healthcare.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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As an independent you have the burden of putting money aside for all social charges (medical...) As a resident of a country with universal health care, you have the burden of paying more taxes. Your pick.
I'd rather be phishing!
Well that's the socialist fantasy :) The reality is that you pay more in taxes so that the unemployed obese smokers get access to healthcare and so that fretful mothers have somewhere to take their child with every cough and sniffle, and the feckless can get a doctor for their cold or blocked nose, and if you actually need health care you need to pay private on top as it's the only way you'll get proper care without waiting a year. So you actually pay more taxes and pay on top.
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Daaron wrote:
My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level.
To what, if you don't mind me asking? I recently looked up prices in New York through the marketplace and bronze level, for an individual, was $360/mo. Reasonable, I guess. Though the prices become insane if I'm the only income earner and have a family (fortunately, not married, kid is 24, and even if wedding bells are in the future, I would NOT, never, ever again, take on the financial burden of paying her health insurance or anything else for that matter.) But that's another long story. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project! Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
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There are cost sharing groups that work just like insurance but are not and they are way cheaper. I'm only familiar with Christian health sharing groups but there may be others. If you google "christian health sharing" you'll find some but you need to be Christian. :^) Perhaps google health sharing options.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Hi Ryan, I have googled health sharing options, and the only ones appear to be Christian. However, that stipulation precludes me. I was hoping someone knew about a secular health share that I cannot find.
Cheers, Daaron
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Well that's the socialist fantasy :) The reality is that you pay more in taxes so that the unemployed obese smokers get access to healthcare and so that fretful mothers have somewhere to take their child with every cough and sniffle, and the feckless can get a doctor for their cold or blocked nose, and if you actually need health care you need to pay private on top as it's the only way you'll get proper care without waiting a year. So you actually pay more taxes and pay on top.
Coworker of mine is Canadian. Drives across the border to work at our company everyday. Isn't enrolled in US healthcare. He's never waited more than a few hours for emergencies (broken bones), or a few weeks for less-emergency care (new orthopedic for a child). He does, however, have to pay out of pocket for prescriptions. And he claims his taxes are only about 5-7% higher than mine. Anecdotal, I know, but still a sobering set of facts.
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Daaron wrote:
My US health insurance has increased to an unaffordable level.
To what, if you don't mind me asking? I recently looked up prices in New York through the marketplace and bronze level, for an individual, was $360/mo. Reasonable, I guess. Though the prices become insane if I'm the only income earner and have a family (fortunately, not married, kid is 24, and even if wedding bells are in the future, I would NOT, never, ever again, take on the financial burden of paying her health insurance or anything else for that matter.) But that's another long story. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project! Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
Marc Clifton wrote:
$360/mo
I do not know what you get for that money, but that must be one hell of good care... I have highest level possible with my company and I pay about 200 NIS ($50)... (And as I saw the healthcare here is better than the US, but I may be wrong)
Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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Hi Marc, This is in the Texas marketplace, bronze level for me+wife+child is $1050, up from $620.
Cheers, Daaron
Daaron wrote:
is $1050
Yup, adding spouse and dependents makes insurance insane. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project! Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
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Marc Clifton wrote:
$360/mo
I do not know what you get for that money, but that must be one hell of good care... I have highest level possible with my company and I pay about 200 NIS ($50)... (And as I saw the healthcare here is better than the US, but I may be wrong)
Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote:
but that must be one hell of good care...
Nope, that's the lowest level, highest deductibles, they choose the provider (can't go out of plan) and no extras. To improve those options, I could go "silver" or "gold" level, I think gold was around $800/mo, for one person.
Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote:
And as I saw the healthcare here is better than the US, but I may be wrong
Healthcare, IMO, is better just about anywhere than in the US. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project! Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
