Anonymous
Post 05/07/2013 18:33     Subject: How to ask for Health Insurance

OP-

You can also look on ehealthinsurance.com. You can input a little bit of information and then they will give you some options.

I would also suggest getting an idea of how much your policy is going to cost and then asking for a flat amount.

Good luck!

Anonymous
Post 05/07/2013 17:17     Subject: How to ask for Health Insurance

OP Here: 16:41, thank you SO much, very helpful answer! I will be looking into a healthcare broker asap! I was thinking of setting up a time to formally sit down and "check in" anyways just to make sure everything was indeed going as well as I think it is and I agree it would be a good time to bring up this issue as well.

Thanks, and thanks to others as well that tried to be helpful!
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2013 16:48     Subject: How to ask for Health Insurance

Excellent advice PP. However, did you have to put down the contributions of other PPs? I am sure that they tried their best!
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2013 16:47     Subject: Re:How to ask for Health Insurance

Anonymous wrote:Wow, this is a useless thread.

OP, I'm sorry no one has answered your questions directly.

How would you go about bringing up the topic?


I would ask MB/DB if we could set up a time in the next week or two for a formal check-in. I'd ask how they felt about my performance so far, if they had any concerns, and if there was anything in particular they'd like me to work on improving. Then I would remind them of the conversations we had ("As you remember, back in December we discussed the fact that I'd be losing my healthcare coverage in July and I indicated that I was looking for a family who would be willing to work with me when the time came. I wanted to check in with you now and see if you'd had the chance to think at all about that?") and hopefully they don't play dumb. You could ask for a healthcare contribution as a 6-month raise (since you are paid very low) or just don't try to find an "excuse" for adding it on to your pay - you told them when they hired you that you'd need this, so it shouldn't be a surprise (where they stand on the issue might not be great, but this isn't out of the blue).


How do you work out health insurance with your employers? I was thinking of seeing if they could pay for 1/2 my premium?


Excellent, well-thought out advice PP, but was it necessary to put down the other contributing posters? I am sure that they thought that they were helping OP.

You should ask them for a set monthly amount. (If you ask for 1/2 of your premium and then choose an over-the-top package, that could be a lot of money. If you have a lot of healthcare issues, your premium could be $600/month. etc) My employers pay $150 a month and my insurance plan is $220 - there were cheaper ones, but that's the one that fit my needs so I pay the difference. I think you could reasonably expect $75-100/month from them if they're willing.


Anyone know of any good health insurance companies / plans? I've looked into Aetna and they seem affordable...


You want to call a healthcare broker. Google them in your area, pick one with decent reviews, and give them a call. They will help you wade through the plans offered by dozens of companies and can pinpoint any particulars that you need (do you need good Rx coverage but few Dr visits, MRI/CT scan coverage but not a lot of Rx, etc.) in the plan. It is completely free for you - the insurance companies pay the brokers when they send them clients - and I cannot recommend this strongly enough. You do not want to go into this blind and the broker can send you a PDF that allows you to compare side-by-side the plans that generally fit your needs so you can compare across companies. (You certainly do want to ask around if anyone has had a BAD time with any companies to avoid, though.)

Good luck OP!
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2013 16:41     Subject: Re:How to ask for Health Insurance

Wow, this is a useless thread.

OP, I'm sorry no one has answered your questions directly.

How would you go about bringing up the topic?


I would ask MB/DB if we could set up a time in the next week or two for a formal check-in. I'd ask how they felt about my performance so far, if they had any concerns, and if there was anything in particular they'd like me to work on improving. Then I would remind them of the conversations we had ("As you remember, back in December we discussed the fact that I'd be losing my healthcare coverage in July and I indicated that I was looking for a family who would be willing to work with me when the time came. I wanted to check in with you now and see if you'd had the chance to think at all about that?") and hopefully they don't play dumb. You could ask for a healthcare contribution as a 6-month raise (since you are paid very low) or just don't try to find an "excuse" for adding it on to your pay - you told them when they hired you that you'd need this, so it shouldn't be a surprise (where they stand on the issue might not be great, but this isn't out of the blue).


How do you work out health insurance with your employers? I was thinking of seeing if they could pay for 1/2 my premium?


You should ask them for a set monthly amount. (If you ask for 1/2 of your premium and then choose an over-the-top package, that could be a lot of money. If you have a lot of healthcare issues, your premium could be $600/month. etc) My employers pay $150 a month and my insurance plan is $220 - there were cheaper ones, but that's the one that fit my needs so I pay the difference. I think you could reasonably expect $75-100/month from them if they're willing.


Anyone know of any good health insurance companies / plans? I've looked into Aetna and they seem affordable...


You want to call a healthcare broker. Google them in your area, pick one with decent reviews, and give them a call. They will help you wade through the plans offered by dozens of companies and can pinpoint any particulars that you need (do you need good Rx coverage but few Dr visits, MRI/CT scan coverage but not a lot of Rx, etc.) in the plan. It is completely free for you - the insurance companies pay the brokers when they send them clients - and I cannot recommend this strongly enough. You do not want to go into this blind and the broker can send you a PDF that allows you to compare side-by-side the plans that generally fit your needs so you can compare across companies. (You certainly do want to ask around if anyone has had a BAD time with any companies to avoid, though.)

Good luck OP!