The people who should be most concerned are those with pre-existing medical conditions.  The only option they have is to continue on COBRA paying 100%.  Blue Cross of Michigan will offer individual coverage, but has a 6-month pre-existing condition waiting period for people who do not exhaust all 18 months of COBRA coverage.  Scary!

Accepting the COBRA subsidy may not have been the wisest move for people with pre-existing conditions who are unable to find new employer sponsored coverage after the 9 month subsidy comes to an end. 

The below article sums up the situation.  Feel free to call www.MichiganIndividualPlans.com for answers on how this will affect you situation personally.  866.791.5689

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aJrjiHkpr7lk

Are you healthy and not taking many medications?  If so, there may be options to avoid this rate hike, and keep your premiums in check.  Call us today to discuss.  866.791.5689.   www.MichiganIndividualPlans.com is here to help!

Here is the article about the rate hikes from the Detroit Free Press:

http://bit.ly/BlueCrossRateHike

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–An increasing number of families are removing family medical insurance from their budgets in an effort to cut costs. Reports estimate that 50 million Americans go without medical insurance, leaving families vulnerable to financial struggles that can result from unexpected medical expenses. Financial experts encourage families to obtain family health insurance to prevent additional financial hardship and even bankruptcy due to medical debt.

Families can find ways to cutback on unnecessary spending in order to make paying for medical insurance plans possible. Furthermore, identifying more affordable medical plans can help families to find coverage that works within their budget constraints. Insurance experts are available to help families understand the sometimes confusing insurance language in order to help them analyze plans and find the one to meet their needs.

By knowing the differences between the family medical insurance plans available, families can make informed decisions as to which plan is the best match. From basic coverage to catastrophic plans to comprehensive insurance, families have a variety of options available to them.

Families may want to review their usage of medical services during the past five years to determine how often they are likely to be using the medical insurance plan. While one family may decide a basic plan can meet their needs, another family may prefer the complete coverage a comprehensive plan offers.

1.  HSA’s belong to the account holder.

2.  The money your contribute is yours!  You own it!

3.  There is no “use-it-or-lose-it”, like cafeteria plans.

4.  Contributions are non-taxable, and grow tax deferred

5.  You can use the accumulated funds to pay for qualified medical expenses with tax free dollars

By purchasing a HSA qualified health plan, you will be taking on a higher deductible, thus lowering your monthly premium.  Many people will contribute the premium savings into the HSA to fund for the higher deductible expenses, should something catastrophic occur.

Blue Cross offers three qualified “HSA” plans.  check them out at http://www.michiganindividualplans.com/flexible_blue.html

Call us today 866.791.5689

What I will try to do, is pass along what i feel are valuable articles with interesting points of view.  The articles I post and discuss do not necessarily reflect my feelings on healthcare reform.  Please read them with an open mind, and try to learn something from them…which is what i am trying to do.

With that said, yesterday i came across the article “Freedoms You Lose in Healthcare Reform.”  I found it interesting and one of the the points scared me quite a bit!

“Freedom to Choose High Deductible Health Plans”

As a savvy health insurance consumer, I recognize that I don’t need the Rolls Royce of plans.  I rarely go to the doctor, and if I need a prescription I will make sure to get the generic filled at Meijer for $4.

With that said, I understand the financial risk by owning a plan with a $5,000 deductible.  I know that if i become ill or injured, worst case scenario i will have to pay $5,000.  The good news is that my high deductible health plan costs 1/3 of what a low deductible plan would.  I set aside the savings into a Health Savings Account to fund for a catastrophic claim!  Why give the money to the insurance company, when i can keep the savings if i remain healthy?

Under “Obamacare”, as the article suggests, Health Savings Accounts and high deductible health plans could be eliminated.  I don’t feel comfortable with the government providing me stronger benefits than i need.  We will all pay for it long run!

It’s an interesting article.  Leave me a comment with your thoughts!  Link to article here: http://bit.ly/15jrpC

Sure, when purchasing an individual medical insurance policy, you can go direct to Blue Cross.  But why would you want to?

• You won’t save money by purchasing direct! The premiums are set in stone, agents can’t change them, mark them up, or offer discounts.  We provide the same policies at the same cost as the insurance company.
• An insurance agent will help you compare options.  We can walk you through plan designs and help find the policy that best fits your needs.  Will the customer service rep at Blue Cross hold your hand through the process? I doubt they will offer the same level of service as an agent.
• If something goes wrong with billing or claims, who would you rather call….the Blue Cross 800#, or your agent?  Your agent knows who to contact to get the problem fixed fast.  This will save you countless hours on hold.
• If the cost to you is the same, wouldn’t you rather have a hard working local business person earn a commission?  Why give your premium to Blue Cross direct, when you could use an agent for the same cost, and be supporting a local Michigan business person?

Check this link from businesswire for more information the benefits of using an agent:

http://bit.ly/2GIuXf

We are here to help.  Call us anytime at 866.791.5689.  http://www.MichiganIndividualPlans.com

According to www.michigan.gov, 26% of the uninsured population in the State of Michigan are between the ages of 20-29.

Do these “Young Adults” realize that they have an affordable option?

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offers a plan for $47 dollars per month, with no medical underwriting! Everybody who applies is approved for coverage!

With a plan priced so reasonably, the 26% should be reduced significantly. Why isn’t this plan being advertised to the masses in order to help curb Michigans problem with uninsured citizens?

I believe that many individuals who qualify between the ages of 18 and 29 for “Young Adult Blue” through BCBS (Blue Cross Blue Shield ofMichigan) aren’t signed up only because they don’t realize it exists.

Only $47.14 a month for peace of mind! There is a $3500 annual cap on out of pocket expenses! This is a great plan that every uninsured between the ages of 18 and 29 needs to consider.

The application process is simple, takes 5 minutes, and there is no payment due up front. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan will bill the applicant for Young Adult Blue through the mail, after the application has been approved.

Why wait? visit www.joinmyblue.com/young_adult_blue.htm or call 866.791.5689 to apply over the phone