Originally Posted by Giantaxe (Post 8422200)

The full time education bit is often a requirement as the Kaiser chart indicates. My Insurance does check on this by sending me letters to confirm my dependent is still a full time student. Additionally, my employer sends a nasty little email out every year to say that attempting to obtain coverage for dependents fraudulently (for example claiming they're a student when they are not) will result in disciplinary action "up to and including termination".

Originally Posted by Jscl (Post 8420001)

Small business health insurance is almost always for 2-50 employees. Are you the owner of this business, John? If so are you thinking of or can you afford to employ someone else in some role which would get you to the minimum of two people?

My guess is that you will not be able to find private (non-business) comprehensive insurance that will cover you both, given your pre-existing conditions. We tried to get some once in CA and my husband was denied because of his height/weight ratio, and he's not unusually overweight. They are very cautious of who they cover because their business is to make money, not spend it.

Even with small business coverage they quite often have pre-existing condition clauses for a number of months when you first start your plan, so you might have to wait six months before your current conditions are covered.

Such is the joy of US healthcare. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Originally Posted by The Horticulturalist (Post 8420136)

try sevencorners.com, can't tell you if they will cover the preexisting conditions you have, but they did cover my son with a pre-existing condition.

Originally Posted by Fawny (Post 8420856)

Hi, I arrived 18 months ago with Type 1 diabetes. I landed up opening a small business with a friend & we employ 1 part timer. I'm in NC so I use Blue Cross/Blue Shield. No cover for a year on my Pre Existing, So I have just only started to use my insurance now. I have to pay the first $3,500 and then it kicks in 100%. Test strips are the biggest shocker $148 for 150.
Good luck, hope you get on OK with it all.

Originally Posted by penguinsix (Post 8421241)

Here's the checklist as far as I can tell from this thread.

* Tried the individual only policy, got dinged (pre-existing and/or SSN)
* Cannot get into the FL high-risk pool due to it being closed.
* Company is 1 employee so can't (might not) be able to get group policy.
* Staying too long for travel insurance.

Not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. Florida does allow immigrant children into SCHIP but even that is closed at the moment.

My only advice at this point is:

* Contact the insurance agent that you use for car/home/property/life/company liability insurance and ask if they can help find you a health insurance policy. Someone who is in the industry might have an easier time finding a policy that will work for you.

* Join an association, like the Chamber of Commerce or the National Association of Gas Station Owners or the Video Game Developers group and see if you can get on to one of their insurance policies.

* Move. Yea, seriously. Move to another state that has an open "high risk" medical pool so you can get into that system.

* Have your spouse get a part-time job with some company that offers insurance and then she could add you as a dependent to the policy.

This guide for finding insurance in Florida isn't much help but you might take a look:

http://covertheuninsured.org/files/u...Coverage_3.pdf

You could also look at some websites that specialize in high risk insurance:

http://www.highriskhealthinsurance.org

Originally Posted by shauny2k5 (Post 8421614)

Hi,

I'm a health insurance agent here in Florida, I specialize in Medicare, but have prior experience in non-Medicare health plans also.

With both of your medical conditions, you will be unlikely to get health insurance in Florida unless you can prove that you had health insurance for the last 18mon/2yrs (cannot remember which one off hand) without any lapse in coverage. If you do, they won't cover your current conditions.

There is a limited benefit plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida that you are eligible to join without discussing your past. You will get access to the discounts that insurers negotiate with providers (which are huge), and receive a per-visit/per-prescription allowance towards such things as: office visits, prescription drugs, blood work, and other minor services. I would recommend taking that plan, then plan on working as soon as you get a SSN so you can get on an employer group plan without proving eligibility.

www.goblueflorida.com (they also have offices in Tampa and other areas)

Originally Posted by penguinsix (Post 8422117)

He gets a job and gets insurance through them. Or he goes to college and remains as a rider on your policy or gets insurance from the university. As long as you avoid a gap in coverage, his pre-existing condition should be a problem. The exact age that he gets cut off from your policy varies by state

It's rough

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/21...nce/index.html

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 8422119)

Most policies cover dependent children until their 23rd birthday...ours covered our daughter until she finished full time education. It's a huge problem if they can't find a job or can't find a job with good healthcare.

Originally Posted by Cat Whisperer (Post 8424714)

I swapped to Walmart own brand (Relion) recently - machine was $10.00 and strips were $20 for 50. Not bad :)

Originally Posted by Englishtart (Post 8424851)

My MIL just told me today, that all the drug companies do 'medication grants' and they will pay for the drug for a 12 month period...could be worth looking into? Apparently my SIL has done this every year since being diagnosed with Leukemia, some years she gets the drugs for free, other times she pays over 3300 a year.

The American Diabetes Assn' also has programs in place to help with medical supplies.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 8425239)

It's called PAP...Patient Assistance Program.

Originally Posted by Englishtart (Post 8425486)

I had no idea about them, but then I guess I wouldn't have needed too,(yet) just thought it might be something that might be useful on here;)

Originally Posted by Fawny (Post 8426515)

Looked in Wamart, found found 50 strips in a 'All in One' container $20, called
Sidekick. Now just got to get those numbers down!!!