So, now that things have changed (some little national health care reform national law thing) I am ready to start looking around for a decent plan. I would like some suggestions. I’m T1 and in damn good health. I want to start using an Omnipod and a CGM. Who has a good plan, with decent co-pays, covers the above stuff, using 8-10 strips/day and all the rest of the stuff we need to do. Gimme your pros/cons please. Thanks,
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I agree. Group health insurance is the way to go and no preexisting clause.
Unfortunately, If you weren’t able to buy your own individual plan before the passing of the health care reform bill (and as a Type 1, you likely weren’t. At least, that’s been my experience) then I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. I believe 2014 is the target year for a lot of this stuff to fully take effect.
However, I did read that there will soon be temporary coverage made available to those with pre-existing conditions who are currently uninsured. This would be a temporary measure until the new insurance exchanges are brought into place by 2014.
So, as I understand it, insurance companies don’t all of a sudden have to cover you now. But it sounds as though there will be a government option available shortly.
All of the reform is a step in the right direction, but it’s going to happen on a timescale that is less than helpful for most… you definitely aren’t going to be able to go out and find an individual policy tomorrow because the bill passed this week.
Your best bet for now is group insurance. From your profile I’m guessing you are self-imployed? It may not be hopeless… sometimes you can find a bunch of self-employed business owners who collectively get a group policy to share between each other. It’s also possible to get a group policy for one person under your business… but you’d need to talk to an insurance agent who works with that sort of thing and can get you quotes.
While the new law does eliminate pre-existing conditions clauses, the law will be phased-in in stages, and you may not be able to purchase private insurance on your own for awhile yet. Once all the provisions in the new law are phased in, you should be able to do so, but I think the premiums/copays and coverage will potentially be so different than what they look like now, that it might not be worth asking this question quite yet. From my understanding, parts of the law that will be immediately in effect, will create a high risk insurance pool in which you would be able to buy insurance immediately. I don’t know anything about how much that would cost, who would be managing it, or what they would cover, but from what I understand, it IS insurance that you can purchase immediately–and you can’t be turned down because of diabetes!! Huzzah! Once the whole law is phased in, you should be able to shop around a bit better, and purchase regular insurance on your own, or through an exchange without having to worry about being denied coverage.
To answer your original question about insurance, I have Anthem BC/BS, and I like it a lot, but it’s a group plan, so I think the premiums/copays, etc., would be a lot different than if you tried to purchase an individual plan right now. My prescription drug coverage is great, though. I don’t pay a cent for test strips or needles. Hopefully you’ll be able to find someone on here who has an individual plan who can tell you more. Good luck in the insurance search!
Awesome, thanks guys. Who out there has a good plan, that they like, that seems to cover a pump, all the strips they need, insulin, all that good stuff. I do have insurance, I think Colorado is one of the few states that has something in place where T1’s can get insurance. I work for myself and that’s not going to change, so please no advice on getting job. I just want to know who likes their plan and what it does for them. Thanks,