When my husband was “retired” from his job of 16 years at a company, he and I were eligible to keep our health insurance policy via their retirement package program with Aetna. We pay a competitive fee for this, but needed to buy an additional plan for our healthy child, which we did, also with Aetna.
When we moved from Connecticut to New York in 2010, Aetna dropped our child’s policy, because they no longer write any children’s plans in the state of New York. This is because the government mandate in New York is that every child must be insured, no matter what the circumstances. Therefore insurance companies have stopped writing insurance there, save for one, Anthem. Anthem got the government bid and has the monopoly. Naturally we signed up for it for our daughter, paying the monthly premium. There was no choice, but we got what we needed.
Alyssa
Upon moving back to Connecticut in October 2011, it was Anthem’s turn to drop our child’s coverage, for the same reason: all children must be covered in Connecticut, and companies have stopped writing policies for new applicant children. Except Aetna, and their monopoly. We again signed up for a children’s policy, at a cost of $270 monthly. We filled out a form that priced our policy based on ability to pay. There is a sliding scale to determine the amount. People unable to pay will not, or pay a smaller amount.
After just 1 month we received a letter informing us that her Aetna coverage would be changing over to Connecticut’s Husky health plan as of January 1st, 2012. Our $270 monthly payment would stay in place, but the insurance carrier was now the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services. Translated: welfare.
We quickly found that her pediatrician – as well as any pediatricians in a 10 mile radius refused Husky patients when I called them to register our daughter. I was told, one by one that they were sorry, but new Husky B insurance was not accepted. These were the very doctors from the list Husky provided on their web site. There were only 12 doctors on the list, despite that we live in Norwalk, with a thriving hospital and dozens of pediatricians.
What a strange situation for us, paying $270 per month to be insured by a program that no doctors from their own list in a 10 mile radius will accept. When I objected I was informed by the doctor’s offices that the list was wrong.
So for now, our family will have no choice. We will bring our healthy daughter to her doctor and pay for it ourselves. In addition, we will pay Husky the $270 monthly premium, a very expensive catastrophe insurance policy for us. But who accepts it still eludes me. Basically: pay twice.
I am not looking for pity; we are fortunate and grateful we can get by this way for now. We are not alone; millions of people like us move, change jobs, lose jobs.
I do not know what is right for everybody. But I do believe the Health Care Bill should be repealed and so free market can allow insurance companies to compete, and allow citizens a choice of buying private – or government coverage. Otherwise I simply owe $270 this month for something no doctor wants to participate in.
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“Health care bill should be repealed and so [sic] free market can allow insurance companies to compete …”
How very, very disingenuous of you.
In the last few years alone, the Standard & Poor’s 500 managed health care index rose 36 percent in the period, four times more than the S&P 500.
Yeah, it’s the government’s fault.
“Some people need a deeper level of analysis” – Cornel West
Doesn’t change my lack of doctors to accept the Husky program
Yo there Alyssa, why don’t you tell us about your real agenda?
SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!SHILL!
Where are the health care reporters or experts who can who might be able to explain the effect of the Health Care Bill provisions that haven’t gone into effect yet…on your ability to acquire affordable health insurance. The health care exchanges haven’t started up yet. Many states are resisting and not planning. CT and NY are, no doubt, well along. You must be referring to state laws that you’d want repealed, since they are governing the market right now.
That is right, Tom
Good questions you ask
My grand daughter that is under our guardianship also is on husky. We were very fortunate to have our family practice Dr. that we have used for over 20 yrs accept her into her practice when normally they wouldn’t. It’s because HUSKY as well as Medicaid & Medicare won’t PAY a rate that the Dr’s can live with. Today the Insurance Co. RUNS the show not the Drs. I don’t p\blame the Drs , I blame the Insurance Companies. The Insurance people have NO RIGHT to tell a well educated Dr what may be best for that patient. As a nurse for 40 years, I’ve seen it all and right now I don’t like the fact that the insurance Co. has everyone on their knees begging…..
Tom is right Alyssa you’re complaining about the wrong laws. The new Health Care laws will allow for clearinghouses as Tom mentioned which will introduce a level of competition that doesn’t exist today.
I supported Obama and still do but I do fault him and Pelosi for not doing a better job of explaining what and when the new health care laws affect the current situation. There are some great things about it (my 24 year old would not be allowed on my family plan without it) and there are undoubtedly things about it I will not like but let’s not throw out the good with the bad.
It seems to me that the bad is: HHS Sebelius and Obama are mandating what is going to go into all health policies. Doesn’t sound like any choice to me. Frankly, it is against my faith and conscience to have to pay for sterlization, contraceptives, etc. I know, you say that they have no co-pay, but we will still be paying for this in our premiums. You don’t get anything free for nothing. This health care was supposed to cost less and we are supposed to have our same doctors,etc. – it just isn’t true. If this is only covering a few more million and not all we will still have those without health care go to the ER. I am against the gov’t to mandate what I should be buying. Fifteen people in a committee will be determining what our health care is going to be. I hear rationing! We are just changing those who would control us, except, we can change different health insurance programs. We will be stuck with whatever they come up with. Exchanges won’t mean a thing.