It’s not your issue, it’s an annoying situation that is out of your control.
I was annoyed about a lot of little things yesterday. Wapo was just one of them. Not you
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I was able to read it after putting in my email and was glad I did. I went to high school with one of the people in the article! But I was surprised as I thought they had a financial job at a company big enough to have employer insurance…
We’re on COBRA for the next 18 months but my state has one of the highest averages. Hope we can get to our retirement state before we need insurance; it’s less than half the average.
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Actually just looked this up, not sure why I didn’t before - concerning part is they knew who my PCP was and changed their dial out phone to show as my PCPs office calling me:
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Okay, someone here earlier mentioned signing up for college classes in order to qualify for student health insurance. I remember thinking that was interesting but didn’t look into it further.
Well! Another friend of a friend mentioned that she was doing exactly that, so then I researched it more yesterday.
And, I’m going to try to do this! We have a large state university here that has community colleges all over the state that are affiliated with it. I learned that I just need to take six credits (two classes) in fall and spring semesters (can skip summer) to be able to buy the student insurance.
That insurance is United Healthcare choice plus, and it will cost a little under $18K for the year for myself, my husband and three kids. Plus it has lower deductibles and is FAR better than anything I can buy through the marketplace – through which the best plan is almost $40K in premiums with really high deductibles.
The two classes will cost almost $1,000 per semester with tuition and fees. Still coming out way ahead! The deadline to apply for the spring is December 1, so I applied yesterday – however, I still have to figure out sending my transcript. I got my bachelor’s degree 30 years ago, lol, so I have no idea what my student ID was – which apparently I need to create an account to order said transcript. I’ll call and figure that out today.
I am crossing every finger that this works out – and honestly, we’ll be empty nesters next year, so two classes a semester might be a huge blessing in disguise. I would love to take creative writing and Spanish and ASL and a whole host of other things just for fun.
I’ll probably stick to online classes because I have no idea where my immunization records from childhood are, and I don’t really want to go get titers done to prove immunity before Dec 1 – but I could address that in the spring if I wanted to take in-person classes in the future.
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That’s crazy people have to pay this. And you’re saying that’s half price.
Yes something is wrong in America. But yea it is a blessing to learn. Good luck.
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Probably not too surprising that it is less expensive, since a group of college students (even with non traditional students) tends to be mostly younger people with relatively low health care costs.
Other option is to get adult boosters for those vaccines. Note that there are some situations where that may be recommended for other reasons, such as having had measles vaccine before 1968 that may have used a less effective vaccine.
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True – but I wonder if this is the same insurance offered to all the employees, too? I’m not sure. And it’s still $4K more expensive than what we’re paying this year through the marketplace – although for a much better plan. Insurance is just a mess!
This is a good tip, thank you – I will look into it. I probably got MMR in 1974 or so, but my parents are not in any condition for me to ask them, lol. But I just got flu and covid shots, and I should get shingles done – so if I need to get boosters, I’ll deal with it in the spring.
I may have been the one to mention college class method to get health care. Had not envisioned it being used for a family… please do continue your good research to make sure no surprises with this approach. And of course be ready to be committed to your studies as you’d not want to loose the medical coverage if you need to drop a class. Best of luck!
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I just looked this up for two different universities in our state. Both have just a six-hour requirement, but both schools specifically state they must be in-person. Online classes do not count.
These are within two different university systems, but I bet it is the same at all of them, state-wide.
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It was probably your SSN. That’s not allowed anymore, but I bet yours was and they’ll assign you a new student number now.
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Usually not. Usually faculty and staff have more choices and are a unique group for insurance. The students are coming and going all the time.
I hope you enjoy your classes. I’d love to go take a few classes just for fun.
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Yes, this made me nervous, too – but I did call and speak to someone who assured me that anyone registered for six credits is eligible, no matter if those classes were online or not.
I’m not opposed to going in person if I have to – our local community college is only 15 minutes from me – but I don’t necessarily want to be tied to that if I don’t have to be.
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Sorry for my typos - yikes!
Wasn’t questioning your research. Just letting others know that might be a restriction in other places.
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My son was on the student health insurance at his public university in his senior year. They required 12 credits each semester to be eligible for the insurance so not all schools are so easy to do this at.
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The safest thing is to be sure to ask the school you want to get the insurance from so you aren’t surprised and disappointed that your plan doesn’t provide the coverage you expect or has more requirements than you understood it to.
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Just talked to our son. His health insurance premium is doubling. It’s still reasonable as it has the original subsidy, but not the enhanced. Still his OOP will be double. BUT he works part time at a secondary job and his employer is starting an HRA, and that will cover some of his costs! So there is that.
Self employed person…it’s always going to be an issue.
But the good news is that his current policy still exists, and he says he doesn’t have to do anything to continue that policy. I hope he is right!
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Isn’t that the hope of every parent! I’m still double checking things for my kids all the time and I’m still surprised when they are right.
I just deposited a refund check for my daughter from United healthcare for a policy she must have had as a student (it came to my address, as did her diploma, all her school paperwork and she hasn’t lived her for 5+ years), which was more than a year ago. It was a whopping $1.75
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Son works for a contract company at one of the FANG companies. He recently advised that he did his benefits enrollment for next year and for the same coverage, total premiums only increased by about $7. I think that’s per pay period, so times 26. Not so bad, all things considered!
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My new ACA-plan premium is 4x what I’m paying this year. And there’s no cheaper option.
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