Denied! Why health insurance is so tough to get.

It's hard to get health insurance in the state of Oregon. I've had a number of clients in my office learn this the hard way, so I thought I'd take a few lines to educate all of you, and prepare you for the process of obtaining coverage.

Many of us have a health history, whether it's asthma as a kid, athletic injuries, or migraine headaches. In some cases, these conditions have proved to be expensive, requiring drugs or surgery or physical therapy.

In most states, if you've got a "condition", they will still give you a health policy, but will issue with it at an increased premium(surcharge or with an "exclusion". For example, if someone has a recent history of high blood pressure, they might issue with a premium that is 25% higher than standard. Or, if someone had recently broken an arm, they might exclude the arm for 18 months, but cover everything else.

Unfortunately, our legislators many years ago, restricted health insurance companies from imposing rate surcharges or doing exclusions. So, now insurance companies are limited to a thumbs up or thumbs down decision. Fortunately, the state of Oregon does limit the lookback period to 5 years- anything earlier than that you don't have to divulge.

So what if you get declined? Well, fortunately their is a state safety net called OMIP or Oregon Medical Insurance Pool. It is a high risk pool that provides coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield and insures people that cannot get coverage through a conventional insurance company. The costs are a little higher, but it is a reasonable fall-back.

Having said all that, whenever you're talking about any kind of insurance, it's always helpful to have an experienced agent helping you navigate the process. That will help ensure the best possible outcome.

For some, I jumped the gun

For some of you not acquainted with the concept of health savings accounts (HSA's), my last post was somewhat useless. Let me fill in the gaps a bit. (For a more comprehensive explanation or to ask questions in person. Feel free to attend a live seminar tonight.

For starters, an HSA is simply a bank account that you write checks from, with a few small differences.
1)You have a maximum amount you can put it. (Currently $5650)
2)You get to take a tax deduction for every dollar you put in.
3)You can take money out whenever you choose for medical expenses, not all expenses.
4)You don't have to pay tax on the money you earn. (As long as you use it for medical expenses)

Now you're probably thinking, "Nice, well where do I sign up?" A: You have to be eligible.
In order to use an HSA, you must have a qualified health insurance policy. In order for a policy to qualify, it must have a deductible of at least $1100 dollars for an individual, or $2200 for a family. This plan also cannot have co-pays(except for preventative visits).

If you'd like me to prepare a quote for a qualified plan, go ahead and send me an email and I'll contact you, typically the same day.

Oregon Coast appointment

I snapped this photo coming back from a meeting with a client in Yachats.

#2 in the Zone, #37 in the Nation

So here's a little shameless self promotion. I just got in our YTD results as of 4/30. (It takes a while when you've got 17,219 agents) For the first time in our agency's history we have broken into the top 100 nationally. We rank currently number 37 out of 17,219 agents.

If you're self employed or own a small business and need someone to help you skillfully navigate all the choices out there, give me a call, we're experienced and more than happy to help.