Searching for Health Insurance

Julia — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:34:41 -0700

Since graduating, I have been on a hunt for reasonable health insurance. It has been a frustrating process. First, due to an obscure IRS code, I found out that I could not join my husband's plan at Duke until January. Next, Assurant Health made me an offer that would make Michael Moore proud.

On Tuesday, I received a call from an Assurant representative telling me I had been approved for coverage. Yet, once she told me the fine print of the offer, I quickly realized that there was no cause for celebration. I have a very slight case of asthma. I have never been hospitalized or even needed to go to the ER for treatment. My only symptom is that I start wheezing when I get a cold and as a result use a bronchial steroid regularly. Yet, Assurant's offer included a $2,000 deductible for asthma treatment and $1,500 for asthma medicine. This means that I would have to pay out-of-pocket each year for all asthma-related medicine and doctor's appointments. I have never spent the equivalent of $2,000 in a year for asthma treatment. In fact, I don't think that I have spent that much if you add up all of my costs for the past 5 years.

After banging my head against the wall, a coworker suggested trying Blue Shield Blue Cross. Compared to long drawn-out process of applying for Assurant insurance, BSBC was a dream. I was able to quickly get an estimate online. After receiving an estimate, I filled out a full online application. Within 30 minutes, I had been accepted for coverage and even given a discount for being in such great shape. I ended up paying about $80 more a month than I would have through Assurant. However, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the good user-experience I enjoyed during the application process will carry over when I am a BSBC customer. Like any good customer, I am willing to pay a premium for peace of mind.