Is there any health insurance out there that does not cost an arm and a leg for people like me?

Sounds like a plan to me.

I take it you know nothing about me? Let's leave it that way. Thank you. I now know more about you than I wish. :/ lolz

I agree, waddle. We've had a growing problem with the tie-in of exponential growth in healthcare costs and insurance. The truth is that going without insurance is a gamble. A good example is a recent bill we received for my mother. The hospital asked for $28K, but BC/BS only allowed $4.5K. It is what the hospital had to accept if they wanted to do business with BC/BS. The copay is based on what BC/BS allows. Anyone without insurance would be billed for the entire amount, with no power to negotiate an allowed amount.

This $28K was not even a catastrophic illness. Imagine if we got a bill for $0.5M with no help for insurance. Many people have had things like this happen and were forced into bankruptcy.

I admired the Clinton and Obama administrations for trying to tackle the healthcare problem in the US. What the Obama administration wanted was universal care with a single payer system to help contain the cost of healthcare. The doctors and hospitals could only charge what the single payer would allow. The hospitals, insurance companies, and doctors certainly didn't want price fixing to take away the milk from the healthcare cash cow. So the Obama administration plan was slashed and cut until we ended up with a few remnants that hurt the people it was trying to help.

Now what is funny is through media manipulation and viral emails, the healthcare side of the debate was able to convince many people to shoot themselves in the foot. Sometimes I have to stand back and wonder at why people fought so hard against something that would have saved them money. If the original plan had gone through, we wouldn't even have to worry about finding money for LTC of our parents. It would have been covered. The only bad thing is that the NHs wouldn't have been paid as much.

Sometimes I hear this quality of care argument. To tell the truth, when I see 5-min doctor appointments (for $120+ an appointment) with the doctor just pulling out a prescription pad, the quality of care argument loses meaning for me.

Wow...PamelaSue...blaming Obamacare for the problems these people are facing when...A) most of it hasn't even taken effect yet and B) it is these reasons...high medical & insurance costs effecting all of us, and prohibiting millions of Americans from having any insurance or medical coverage... that the Affordable Care Act came about. Something needed to be done as we're at the mercy of what these companies decide to offer.

Let me guess...you have insurance and medical coverage, probably group insurance via an employer, and are pleased as punch? I bet you don't pay thousands of dollars annually for your insurance coverage either. (But, somebody...your employer?... does.) That's usually the ones who like to complain about the ACA, yet offer no substantial or beneficial suggestions to those who are flat-out denied coverage or are used as a pawn in the insurance companies' game of 'deny coverage or offer impractical rates'.

On a website with "caring" in it's title and where people seek out assistance and guidance from others whom have previous experiences with an issue, why not offer some compassion and thoughtful advice, if anything. We don't need you to share your fear-mongering & political jabs or resentment.

Far as I know, ya'll can still use public health with a share of cost. It won't cover anything as far as hospitals, but you can use it for ordinary doctor visits.

Isn't Obama Care lovely? Not long from now they will be fining those who cannot afford insurance. *sigh*

I have this same concern because I am currently on COBRA which will end soon. I know I can't get insurance due to HBP and high cholesterol even though they are under control with medication. I have looked into private insurance anyway, and the premiums and deductibles are ridiculous. I have no idea what I'm going to do...I tried to explain this to my husband before he decided he wanted to move to another state so he could have better weather all year long. I told him I probably wouldn't be able to find a job in this tourist town and I was right. Now I have this worry in addition to caring for a man with PD and Alzheimer's. It's no wonder I feel like I'm going crazy. I agree with the others. Keep your FT job. You are YOUNG and have a long life ahead of you. I had planned to work until I was 70, but now I can't even find a job. I'm 61 with no hope of insurance or a job. Don't give up what you have. Don't do it. You will be sorry.

pschnur, I am 60 and self employed. I have BC/BS Preferred Care. The premiums keep going up, but are still affordable. Where I live in Alabama, the cost is $354 a month. It is good basic coverage with a reasonable deductible. If I remember right, the copay is 20%. I will still go bankrupt if I get very ill. I'll just go bankrupt more slowly.

I didn't think you could collect on your deceased husbands SS until you reached the age of 62 or 65?

Are you getting it and you are 60? My husband is 10 years older and this is a fear I have.

My partner has pre-existing condition insurance. The monthly cost is reasonably priced. It's about 300 a month, it covers 80 percent and I think it's better than losing your house. He had open heart surgery with no insurance, the hospital was going to put a lien on his home. How awful is that??? The name of the insurance company is OneNet. I hope this is helpful. Before you can get it, you have to be turned down by other insurance companies first. Take care and hang in there.

I have been without insurance for 4 years now. I was on my husband's plan and then he retired and went on medicare and my coverage eventually ended. I'm self employed. I pursued 5 different companies via a broker, whom thought my chances were good with these companies, based on past experience. 4 denied me coverage out-right, citing anything they could find on my medical records to turn me down, even though my doctor says I'm healthy and was surprised by their denials. One company's reason for denial of coverage was "aches & pains". The remaining 1 denied me for the plan I pursued but offered another plan with a high deductible and $800 a month.

I've been letting time go by, as well as routine exams and doc visits, so that previous "excuses" for denial will have cycled off my med records and no new comments, which can be misconstrued and used, will be added. Hopefully, someone will make an offer. Reasonably priced...doubtful.

Something needs to be done in our country about the medical and insurance communities taking advantage of the consumers but our elected officials are too busy playing politics and getting nothing done...while we pay for their medical coverage.

Wish I had more positive news for you, me and millions of others going without insurance and therefore, medical care. I agree with the previous post...keep the job and benefits until you can retire with medicare.

Pschnur: The short answer is probably not. Health insurance is ridiculously expensive these days and I don't personally know of any coverage that is substantially less. You've got 5 years until Medicare kicks in and you should probably get a supplemental policy to go with that. If you can stand the full time grind another 5 years and it doesn't affect your SS income, then now is the time to save money.

To pursue private health insurance, talk to an insurance broker who handles health insurance. They can give you some facts. You can also research on line.

I'm 63 and our health care costs went up $600.00 per MONTH beginning this past January. My point being, even if you found something you thought you could live with, it could change quickly. And there you would be, having to choose between health care premiums and your house payment.

It's sad to say, but if you have a secure job and benefits, then at least you have a known factor. Everything else is a crap shoot. My best guess would be give it another year or two and see what develops. Get the presidential election behind you, the Supreme Court decision out in the open, and then see if there is any hope in 2014 when more competition will hopefully come to the health care market place.

Wish I could be more encouraging, but right now a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush. Best wishes, Cattails.

It is perfectly acceptable for you to ask your brother for gas money when you are doing all the driving around; especially since you are not working. Gas is expensive and ads up these days. Good luck. Take care.

My brother keeps my mom check book because he is jet p.o.a. and is never around when she needs something I take her to all her appts is it wrong for me to ask that he a least give me gas money out of moms money lm not working so he thinks I should just do it.