It happened to me ...health insurance
Nov 18th 2009, 6:10 pm
#32
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Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
The math course would also tell you that for many all but catastrophic insurance with a high deductible is likely to be beyond your means. And as I have pointed out that deductible plus the copayments may bankrupt you from a major claim anyway. I'm sure some folks "forego healthcare deliberately", but I'm just as sure many can't plausibly afford the cost of a non-catastrophic comprehensive policy.
But as we all say sh*t happens, and I hope, OP, that you can get the bills sorted out and that your daughter won't have to go through a bankruptcy.
Nov 18th 2009, 6:28 pm
#33
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
Having no health insurance is very scarey. Both my husband and I were laid off from our individual companies in August - me on Monday - him on Tuesday...
Fortunatly, I was able to start at a new place within 3 weeks and was eligable for health benefits within a month.
To address the issue of health care for students, (please forgive any errors in this, but it was explained to me by my lawyer, and whilst she knows the ins and outs, I don't)
Even if a students is not covered under their Mom and Dad's poilicy, (in California) there is a thing called "resident relative" - which means that a child (even over the age of 18), who primarily lives with parents but is away at school, is a resident relative with the folks and there is a potential that the folks home-owners insurance will cover the cost of any liabilty incurred by the child.
It was explained to me, because my step son who was living with us was driving his truck without insurance (even though we had explicitly requested that he didn't), my lawyer was telling me that even with him being an adult, if he were to be in an accident, we might get a claim on our homeowners insurance.
Fortunatly, I was able to start at a new place within 3 weeks and was eligable for health benefits within a month.
To address the issue of health care for students, (please forgive any errors in this, but it was explained to me by my lawyer, and whilst she knows the ins and outs, I don't)
Even if a students is not covered under their Mom and Dad's poilicy, (in California) there is a thing called "resident relative" - which means that a child (even over the age of 18), who primarily lives with parents but is away at school, is a resident relative with the folks and there is a potential that the folks home-owners insurance will cover the cost of any liabilty incurred by the child.
It was explained to me, because my step son who was living with us was driving his truck without insurance (even though we had explicitly requested that he didn't), my lawyer was telling me that even with him being an adult, if he were to be in an accident, we might get a claim on our homeowners insurance.
Nov 18th 2009, 6:29 pm
#34
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Beautiful Dorset, UK
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Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
Is there anything in any of the proposed health care reform bills that would help prevent these kinds of situations?
Nov 18th 2009, 6:34 pm
#35
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Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
The House bill contains a provision that children can stay on their parents' policy until age 27 (?) regardless of whether they are full time students. I don't know whether the Senate bill contains a similar provision. Of course that doesn't help children whose parents are likewise struggling to get health insurance, nor address the basic flaw of tying health insurance to employment in the first place and biasing the system (through tax deductions to employers) against those who need individual coverage.
Nov 18th 2009, 6:35 pm
#36
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
Exactly. And with graduate unemployment and underemployment running at record levels, this is a potentially huge issue.
Nov 18th 2009, 7:09 pm
#38
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Joined: Jun 2008
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 10,678
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
Having no health insurance is very scarey. Both my husband and I were laid off from our individual companies in August - me on Monday - him on Tuesday...
Fortunatly, I was able to start at a new place within 3 weeks and was eligable for health benefits within a month.
To address the issue of health care for students, (please forgive any errors in this, but it was explained to me by my lawyer, and whilst she knows the ins and outs, I don't)
Even if a students is not covered under their Mom and Dad's poilicy, (in California) there is a thing called "resident relative" - which means that a child (even over the age of 18), who primarily lives with parents but is away at school, is a resident relative with the folks and there is a potential that the folks home-owners insurance will cover the cost of any liabilty incurred by the child.
It was explained to me, because my step son who was living with us was driving his truck without insurance (even though we had explicitly requested that he didn't), my lawyer was telling me that even with him being an adult, if he were to be in an accident, we might get a claim on our homeowners insurance.
Fortunatly, I was able to start at a new place within 3 weeks and was eligable for health benefits within a month.
To address the issue of health care for students, (please forgive any errors in this, but it was explained to me by my lawyer, and whilst she knows the ins and outs, I don't)
Even if a students is not covered under their Mom and Dad's poilicy, (in California) there is a thing called "resident relative" - which means that a child (even over the age of 18), who primarily lives with parents but is away at school, is a resident relative with the folks and there is a potential that the folks home-owners insurance will cover the cost of any liabilty incurred by the child.
It was explained to me, because my step son who was living with us was driving his truck without insurance (even though we had explicitly requested that he didn't), my lawyer was telling me that even with him being an adult, if he were to be in an accident, we might get a claim on our homeowners insurance.
Nov 18th 2009, 7:17 pm
#39
WTF?
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Homeostasis
Posts: 79,367
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
If I'm reading these stories correctly, in both cases deliberate decisions were made to go without insurance. Both people were adults who were aware they were taking a risk. I'm not sure it's as simple as blaming the healthcare system for the situation that both people are now in. How would you feel if someone went without car insurance to save some money and then complained when they had a accident?
If you want to talk cost of healthcare in this country, that's another (and much more worthy) debate, but as these stories seem to demonstrate (and in my opinion) access to insurance is at least equally driven by choice as it is by availability.
Nov 18th 2009, 7:23 pm
#40
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,383
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
It was certainly a concern for us as our daughter came to the end of her uni course...fortunately the start date for her job was before the end of the course so there wasn't a gap. Normally the company's employees aren't eligible for healthcare insurance until they have been with the company for 3 months but they made an exception.
But your daughter lives and works in Canada. She's a Canadian Resident isn't she and therefore covered under their healthcare system.
Nov 18th 2009, 9:12 pm
#41
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
She is working in Toronto because she attended a 5 yr uni course...that allows her to stay and work for 3 years...but she is not classed as a resident.
Nov 18th 2009, 11:28 pm
#43
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Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
FWIW, when talking about some of the lower paying jobs, that skilled and unskilled alike are falling back on- as a part time cashier at Kroger a few years ago, I had insurance through them and it wasn't bad.
Nov 19th 2009, 12:54 am
#44
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Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
I've had similar thoughts, although I wouldn't classify them as regrets. The reality, though, is that things are really tough for young adults everywhere right now. The difference is that folks in a similar position in the UK don't have to worry about being financially devastated by a serious illness or accident.
Nov 19th 2009, 1:13 am
#45
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Location: North Charleston,SC. born in Stockport,UK.
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Re: It happened to me ...health insurance
