RFQ - Insurance for work / pay

[harryn]

Hi, I hope this is ok to post in this section - I could not think of anywhere else on CNC.

My wife and I have a small consulting firm. Mostly my wife does the book work / marketing, and I do business development consulting.

Our COBRA insurance from a prior full time job is nearing expiration, and we are looking around for options. Blue Cross does not really want to write individual policies ( even though they offer them ) and has told us they will deny anyone who takes medication. Examples of this are allergy medications (which I take) and a cholesterol medication my wife takes.

I am wondering if anyone would be willing to "hire" me or my wife as some kind of employee, or some other method to make us eligible for purchasing health insurance under their company plan. We can pay for any associated costs, and we are reasonably healthy, we just cannot easily / reasonably purchase individual policies. Feel free to contact me via pm.

If you have any other ideas for how to deal with health insurance, feel free to offer them.

If this is too far from a "request for quote", feel free to move it as appropriate.

Thanks

Harry

[TKBuisan]

Uhm... that's bordering on insurance fraud... what you are suggesting. Forget about Blue Cross. If you are in CA, get Kaiser or Aetna if outside of CA. And you are off topic.

[NC Cams]

Blue Cross elligibility and exclusions varies from state to state.

In Michigan, they'll take you with what I call "exclusionary conditions" that would disqualify you with any/most other carriers under any price (in my case, diabetes, actually NIDDM) .

Reason: because MI BCBS is non-profit and they are state regulated as a non-profit organization so they can't pull things like you report in your state.

I knew of a guy who was a consultant in Ohion. He worked a deal with one of his clients where he was an "employee" who traded billable hours for insurance coverage. This was some time ago and I don't know if he still does it or it is legal anymore but it was done. It helped that he and the shop owner were good friends and business associates in some equipment that they sold as a joint venture but that's how he got the deal.

Unless you have/form such an alliance, you'll probably NOT get anyone to take you on like that due to risk assessment and/or audits. The insurance carriers are onto the trick and take actions to prevent circumvention of their operating policies via regular audits of employee records - how else do you get the highest premiums for the least amount of coverage????

Sadly, this insurance deal is a real nighmare and screw job. Small shops really get boned. And yet, if you're healthy you can get insurance and if you're in need of health care, you can't buy it at ANY PRICE.

Be real careful about out of state brokers. They can readily sell you coverage that may not even apply in your state. Heck, even AARP can't even sell health insurance in Michigan so they tried to sell me insurance in my mom's Ohion address!!!

DON'T sign up for internet insurance quotes unless you enjoy dumping boat loads of SPAM from your e-mail from unending onslaughts from insurance hucksters who ALL offer the same lame non-insurance insurance "coverage".

A lot of people complain about health care and the politicians can't come up with a plan to make it affordable and/or fair. Yet, we're dumping truck loads of money in a foreign war with no end in sight. And these politicians have better insurance than any person in private industry ever offers - and they get it forever if/when they eventually "retire". The private industry is to the point that even they can't afford that sort of luxury.

When/if you find coverage, let me know. Right now, I'm looking at from $250 to $550/month IF, IF I can get coverage which, due to a temporary bout with now diet and exercise controlled diabetes, is not very likely from the looks of things. Why? Because "you're a diabetic and once one, always one..."

Check out professional organizations - don't bother SAE as their "professional discount" is merely more brokered stuff from insurance people who DON'T want to insure people who need the insurance.

Health insurance my a$$$....

[harryn]

Hi, maybe I should re phrase this. I am not trying to do anything illegal - I am just trying to find a way to be part of a group policy.

I am willing to work part time for someone else if that is what is required, etc, just not 32 hours / week.

I don't care about which ins. company I purchase through, and I am open to ideas here. BC is not interested in my ins. business -ok - where do small business people for for health insurance ?

As far as on / off topic - This is a request for quote

[Ken_Shea]

Harry,
This may offer some guidance.

http://www.sba.gov/index.html

Ken

[Ken_Shea]

As far as on / off topic - This is a request for quote

Harry,
Well, actually it does not quite meet the criteria with regards to this forum

Looking for a job in the machining field, need a employee in the CNC field or need a RFQ for something you need made post it here!


But this group is pretty easy going

[NC Cams]

Where/how to look:

I first called ALL the carriers' agents in the phone book - no luck

I called my house/car insurance agent who I'd been dealing with for 12 years or more and made NO claimes - no luck

I called my business policy holder who brokers thru many insurance companies - no luck

I had previously tried small business organizations. One sent a rep here and she wasted the whole afternoon. Not feeling secure (her boss was a part time preacher if that doesn't raise fears of fraud), I asked her to provide references. She took my "free no obligation" application and said she'd be in touch and was never heard from since.

I then went on the internet to look - that turned into a NIGHTMARE. Not only do/did I get a barrage of time wasting calls but the SPAM is unending. Firts the SPAM was only from health care stuff but NOW it has turned into cable/sattelite TV hucksters and car warranty fraud deals - apparently, someone sold my name without my permission and the onslaught continues.

I'm not suggesting that you commit fraud, I'm only advising that you're in for a VERY hard, boring frustrating search that will be rather disheartening. Contrary to what the agents say, they are NOT trying to help, they are after your MONEY.

It comes to this - the insurance industry does want to insure healthy people. Healthy people do not need insurance. They have their own lingo. They use words like "non covered" or "high risK" that are NOTHING but euphemism for "exclusrion". They don't like to hear or use the word but that's what's going on.

'Racial profiling" in one person's language is merely "bigotry" in someone else's.

Try calling your attorney's general's office and asking if they have an insurance office of approved carriers. To sell insurance in a state, I'm pretty sure they have to be licensed and approved carriers. Then call their sales office or seek out their websites. Most websites lists the exclusrions and READ THE FINE print, especially about "pre-existing conditions" (the easy disqualifiers/exclusions) -

DO NOT REGISTER YOUR NAME OR GIVE ANY PERSONAL INFO ON A WEBSITE. THen CALL their agent. DO NOT DEAL WITH AN AGENT who refuses to mail you anything about their policies. Phone assurances are WORTHLESS.

Be jaded and cautious if not caustic. The money you save will ultimately be your own.

RE: the work for food/insurance deal + simply shop/ask thru your client base. Do not be surprised if they are non-responsive/uncooperative. Their risk/cost structure is/can be somewhat dependant on how healthy/unhealthy their dmographic profile is to the carrier. Some may simply not want to take the risk.