Im wondering if anyone can recommend a good health/dental insurance for the "self-employed".  I currently don't have medical insurance and it scares me to be in such position. While I have savings, I'm definately not prepared financially if cancer were to strike. I have looked online and its just all confusing to me. Do I get quotes through a "broker" or go directly to the insurance company?  Do I go with an HMO? What do other providers do?  Help!

If you need health insurance just for yourself it is not that expensive. When I was unemployed a few years back I had my own insurance with Pacificare and it was really affordable. I live in Los Angeles, so I don't know if there is any difference in pricing.  You can go to ehealthinsurance.com and check out the rates or go to yahoo.com and search for Blue Cross New York or Pacificare New York and you will get a bunch of websites. I think it is pretty simple to sign up with any of them. If you decide on a HMO you basically go to your doctor you have chosen when you sign up and pay a co-payment usually $10-20 and then you see the doctor.  Prescriptions are $10-50 each.  The problem with HMO's is you can only go to your doctor unless they send you to a specialist in "their" plan.  You can't just go to any doctor.  If you go with a PPO you can go to any doctor you want, but you pay a higher percentage out of pocket.  You defineatly need to get something because any little accident can cause you a lot more than $20 for a co-pay.

If you have any more questions all you need to do is ask.

Hope this helps and good luck, 2strk

Carissa, I am an insurance broker, though not in your area, and agree with what the two posts above have written. You should be able to get something reasonable and afordable at your age. Good luck to you.

There are so many options. If you have any kind of legitimate business, you can join a local chamber for group rates. the is the small businessmans association.

I know several providers who are "artists" who sell things from decorated eggs to full blown art and they would be eligible. It also allows you to declare taxes too. So you sell a $$$$$ colored egg. lol

I am self employed and that is how I do it.

PM me if you need further help

If you want to have a steady income for the rest of your life and fully paid medical insurance, try the following. Go to the library and check out a book for the diagnosing of mental illness.  Read the book carefully and decide which mental illness is considered disabling.  Set up an appointment with a psychiatrist or psychologist.  Explain to the doctor that you have this crippling problem and are unable to work.  Describe the symptoms of the illness you studied in the book.  After a couple of visits, the doctor will diagnose you as being unable to work.  One of the best illnesses to be diagnosed with is chronic anxiety or agoraphobia. Both of these are considered disabling, but not like schizophrenia etc.  

After you obtain the doctor’s written diagnosis, go to an attorney who handles Social Security cases.  Explain you circumstances to him/her and say you are too anxious to go to the Social Security Office to file a claim.  In that case, Social Security will be required to pay your legal bills, you pay nothing and the attorney gets his fee.  Once you case is processed you will qualify for a disability settlement and a lifelong pension from Social Security, plus Medicare.  You will have full medical coverage without having to pay a penny.

I read of case recently where a man in California was sentenced to prison for15 years to life for a second degree murder conviction.  He was paroled after 15 years.  He sued the State of California alleging that he spent his “learning years” in prison without the state training him or preparing him to make a living.  He was 24 when he entered prison and 39 when he was released.  The court ruled in his favor and awarded him a one time cash payment of $100,000.00, and a lifetime functional disability pension of $1,500.00 a month.  He filed for a Social Security benefits and obtained a settlement of $50,000.00 and a monthly pension of $1000.00 a month plus Medicare. $30,000.00 a year doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but it’s a pension that he doesn’t have to lift a finger to collect, plus fully paid health insurance for the rest of his life.

The above scenario would be perfect for an escort because you are part of the underground economy and don’t have to reveal your employment like a “legitimate job.”

There are multitude documented cases of illegal aliens who enter California from Mexico who are collecting disability pensions.  Many of them are day labors who wait for work on a street corner.  They are hired by the day by an employer like a landscaping company.  After a few days of work, they have an attorney file a work related stress claim with workers comp.  In some of these cases the claimant has been in this country illegally for less than a week when he files for disability.  If they can do it, I am sure you will have no trouble pulling it off.  The most important thing is to get an attorney who specializes in Social Security Claims.  If you have an attorney, Social Security will not try to deny your case.  On the other hand, if you file a claim on your own, they will fight your claim for years.  Good luck.

Anyone know where someone who has a pre-existing condition can get insurane?  I'm a diabetic and having the toughest time.  Thanks!

Recommending fraud?
Ick!
Taking advantage of a social program when not needed takes away from those who NEED it.

"If you have an attorney, Social Security will not try to deny your case."
Wrong!
One of my best friends is an attorney who fights for SSI claimants.  He does NOT win every case, and yes - he has to FIGHT!

...hey,remember,when people in the U.S.,actually got jobs and worked,or started a business?

Now,let's all hire an attorney and collect benefits!

Definately get health insurance ASAP.  Back when I was 22 and fresh out of college, I decided to skimp on the health insurance because I considered myself reasonably healthy and figured I could wait until I qualified for benefits at the company I was recently employed at.  Big mistake as something did happen and it cost me almost $50000 for out of pocket costs and took me years to pay off.  
Yes my insurance costs me about $280 a month, but hey, it's my health we are talking about and I'm worth it and so are you

So I followed your fabulous advice and just came from the psychiatrist's office.  He diagnosed me as an agoraphobic nymphomaniac with chronic pussy anxiety over having enough dick or lack thereof!  Oh my!  Will this count as disabilitating?  Hehe, just kidding. No really, as much as health care sucks in this country and as much as I think this government is corrupt, I could never do such a thing as you suggest.  It was imaginative though!  Thanks everyone for the other ideas. I think Im going to go with a PPO with Blue Cross.  Now I just have to get over my phone phobia!

Glad to see your site is back up, too.

then go to your local business bureau and ask them to refer you to their local health insurance chapter. Probably your best bet. Individual rates are out of sight.

Are you totally lacking in integrity?  I don't care how many multitudes of cases there are like this.  It doesn't make it right.  Taking something that doesn't belong to you is stealing and that's what you are doing when you claim a disability that you don't have and you're stealing from people who really need it.  If people like you spent this effort trying to do something constructive rather trying to scam the system, there would be a lot fewer problems in this world.


-- Modified on 10/21/2004 5:40:32 AM

One point people overlook in their 24-7 rant on health care and its' truly horrible state is this. The very large majority of all the medication and medical procedures we use today were unheard of when all of us on this board were born. WE could go back to the fifties or sixties I guess and use the medication and surgical procedures in use then at far less cost and have the level of healthcare we had in the fifties and sixties. Anyone in favor of doing that? My point is these advancements have come with huge cost and risk but the results have been breathtaking and unimagineable. Healthcare in this country is the best in the world and that is the price we pay.

Yes we have had huge advancements that have come with costs and risks and the results have been breathtaking and unimaginable.

At the same time - our health care system is out of control!

All these examples are from my life and close family/friends, I will spare you the stories from the five years when I worked IN the hospitals and the horrors I witnessed:
* two family members were medicated to the point of addiction on pain pills... perscribed over years.
* I was nearly killed by Group Death, over medicated.
* ER insisted I had a tubal pregnancy when I was facing liver failure.  I had to *fight* for proper treatment.
* My mother (oh, long stories)... refusal to acknowledge actual medical conditions as they weren't "proven", improperly medicated, finally recommended to be sent to mental health professionals...
TWICE.  Once was a seizure disorder, the last was an aneurysm.
* My roommate went to a local hospital.  He walked in, said he'd sprained his wrist and wanted an x-ray to make sure it wasn't broken.  Simple?  Try $1,200 with no insurance.
and on
and on
and on

Yes our medical system can do wonders... though it often fails miserably.  If it is not overhauled it will collapse under itself and/or only be available to those with insurance and/or immense disposable incomes.  There must be accountability within the profession to serve the public.  We must make supporting our health care system a national interest and investment.

Of course this rant is just my $.02, maybe $.03...

I agree with you of course 100% and with a service that effects every single person there are going to be screw ups. I'll always remember the 8 1/2 hours I spent in the emergency room one Saturday night waitng for a doctor to see me with what turned out to be a gallbalder attack. I will always remember the pain. When a doctor finally saw me, he nailed the problem right away and I had an emergency operation Sunday morning. Heres the good part. I went home that night and drove my daughter to summer day camp the next day. Nine days later I was working out in the gym. Many years ago my dad had the same operation. He spent weeks in the hospital and two months recovering. I dont know the answer but am certain it dosent lie with lawyers, more government regulations and the media picking away at its' faults (like a vulture over road kill)sorry to rant..Geez to think this all got started over some poor girl just looking for health insurance!!

I thought I had decided.  Unfortunately, I found out individuals looking for health insurance must go through an HMO. Fine, but now at least according to Blue Cross I must submit proof of income and proof of employment status! If you file as self-employed, you need to prove this as well!  WTF! Ive only been doing the escort thing for a few months, before I was in school and had school insurance. I plan to file taxes to cover myself but I have no documentation yet! They want pay stubs, w-2 forms, tax returns.  I dont know what to do! I dont want to wait till tax time just so they can get their #$@&!* tax return! How do other people get around this?

Sometimes I seriously hate the way things are in this country.  Yeah, we may have a lot of medical advances and such but not really.  My stepfather is a physician (heart surgeon) from London, and they have techniques there that we dont even have yet or are just beginning to do.

Millions of people are uninsured. Why is this??  We are focusing so much on "National Security" but in the meantime ingnoring the millions of people here dying or having complications or going into serious debt all because HMOs are the spawn of evil in this country and this country choses to ignore the basic living needs (and domestic issues) of its own people.  We are turning into a fearful nation hell bent on protecting its borders while its people are suffering inside.  ARGH!  Sorry, I just get sooo angry.  For so long I actually wanted to be a doctor.  My whole life was centered around my plans to go to Medical School, because I wanted to help people.  There were many reasons why I didnt go, but one of the reasons is the sickening business side of insurance and the general state of affairs.  I care too much, and it would have broken me inside. Ive only just begun this unsurance search, Im sure Ill figure something out. I just didnt think Id have to jump though a million hoops to do it.

-- Modified on 10/21/2004 5:48:48 PM

this site i by _far_ the best out there, so easy and so inexpensive, you need to know though, a PPO or HMO or POS which is best for you, you can get very detailed info on the site.