I just learned that you can....

1. Have trouble getting insured
2. Pay a higher premium

....if you suffered anxiety and or depression, and if you ever took meds for it.  So in other words, your spouse can cheat, cause incredible emotional turmoil, divorce and leave you with with no health care and you may have a difficult time getting a new policy.

 

Your right that is absolutely horrible.  If they are going to do that it should be only for situations where there is a mental illness or something versus a situational thing like adultry/cheating that will go away when the problem spouse is out of the picture long enough. 

Well I guess it is a good thing that I never took meds.  I will be running into the problem of not having insurance on myself in about 2 years.  What kinds of prices have you found on insurance?  I know it will vary from state to state but I really do need to look into it now to prepare for it in our agreement.

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for me?

 

MN Health Care would be dirt cheap for me but I have too much in assets. They'd put a lean on it.

Look into Fortis. I can't remember who recommended it to me.

With Fortis I may pay as little as $148 per month. However, the annual deductable out-of-pocket will be $2550. They pay 100% beyond that. I already did the math and figured that means $360 per month if I add the premium and the deductable divided by 12 months. A person can attempt to stash away $2550 per year in a HSA (Health Savings Account). That is some tax deductable money for high deductable health insurance plans. This law was established under the 2003 Medicare legislation. You basically pull funds out of that account for all medical expenses in any given year--January-January. The limit for individual coverage is the amount of the deductable or $2600. For a family it is $5150.

I also have the Cobra option after divorce where I can continue health care through my x's work--court order.  'They' say not to take that expensive route unless you have a pre-existing medical condition that will block you from health care.

If I work full-time I'm sure I can get something else. It's the in-between time that is hair raising.

Thanks for the info.  I will have to check into all of this.  I know what you mean the in between time.  I plan on finishing my degree before I go back to work but for me it will take longer than normal because of my son with a disability taking additional time of mine.  I think H owes that to me.  Why are you waiting to work?  Are you in school still too or just trying to get your life in order?

Charlie

I chose to be a full-time mom.  Perhaps it was because my mother worked and raised me alone. I was a latch key kid. Not much home cooking or warmth in that upbringing partly because my mother was a terrible cook and she was mean!

I worked some of the time that I was raising kids and step kids. Finished a degree in '96' going to night school with 5 kids on the scene, but did not use it very much afterward. 

I have a house on the market, and still struggle day to day with divorce (April 2004) aftermath details. That was 6 months of hell.  I haven't fully recovered from the first or second infidelity and still have PTSD. If only things would settle down long enough for me to re-group.

I guess you're supposed to be able to waltz out of a nightmare into full-time employment these days. 

The house selling first would really help. But there's just no break in this line-up.

And everyone wonders why middle-aged men don't go to the doctor or seek treatment for depression and anxiety...

I already went through this once, when I tried to get disability insurance years ago. I had gone to the doctor after a depressive episode and he had prescribed Prozac(tm) back when it was new. I didn't ever take it. But the disability insurance company refused to insure me because of it.

So I am now very judicious about what I say to my doctor, and anything less than a broken bone, a heart attack, or an obvious tumor isn't going to merit involvement with the healthcare system.

Chris.

Good point Chris!

I'm going to try that from now on. Watch what I say.

The word 'anxiety' brings up a red flag to health care providers because of the increased risk of suicide. But why would it matter? If you die, they're not going to pay for any more anti-depressant meds or therapy. Right?

More people are disabled as a result of suicide attempts than anything else, or so goes the urban legend in the insurance industry. At least that's what I heard when I got turned down for the disability policy.

Plus, it's pretty well accepted that depressed and anxious people get sick more often and don't get cured as fast.

Try some old-fashioned "major medical" (hospitalization, heart attack, major surgery, cancer) insurance with a fairly high deductible and pay for your son's runny noses out of pocket. That'll be affordable, and it will cover the greatest worry of a middle-aged person: serious injury or illness requiring a long hospital stay.

Chris.

ps. I am more convinced than ever that controlling anxiety is the key to a happy life. Probably also a healthy and insured life, as well.

I think the Fortis policy will work for me for the time being. My son is covered by XH's insurance.

Anxiety is no fun. You can feel it eating away at your health.

WR,
Does Fortis only offer short term policies? I looked at two different web sites about them and it looks to me like that's the case. I can't find, though, what the definition of "short term" is...

I elected to continue with the insurance I had through my ex-husband by using COBRA. It's not cheap but it was easy. I believe it can be continued for 3 years after a divore, which gives me one more year.

I applied for coverage with Kaiser after our divorce but was turned down because I have varicose veins (!). Of course, they won't tell you the reason they turn you down, but given that I answered 'no' to ever other question they asked, it's obvious that this was the only reason they could have had. Now I'm thinking I'd better get them taken care of while on COBRA, but then will I be turned down by other insurance companies because of a "pre-existing" condition??

I hate having to look for insurance. It's SO confusing. I was stupid during the divorce and didn't look into what it was going to cost me for health insurance so didn't ask that it be covered in "maintenance"....ugh. Thank heavens, my ex is covering my kids.
I believe that COBRA coverage can be for 3 years after a divorce, but, at the moment, I can't find the paperwork that told me that...

Manya

Manya,

Fortis didn't say anything to me about short-term.

I had a conversation today at a graduation party with some folks around my age about health insurance. Everyone was up in arms about it for one reason or another. We talked about COBRA, Fortis, several other companies, laws, taxes, and scams.

The consensus was basically:

Try not to tell your doctor much of anything and don't get diagnosed with anything. As far as your existing policy goes, hold out for as long as possible until something really serious happens. Get it covered by insurance and hope that you'll never have to change policies afterward because nobody will give you one.

Now I'm wondering about how to see a secret doctor. Could I find an under-cover doctor to help me with my anxiety? Can I buy some illegal Xanax that will not be on my health insurance police record?

...get a job with benefits, then don't leave until you retire.

Big Brother is watching you.

Chris.

Or try Norway.

I wonder if they have Lutheran Church Basements in Old Norge? (Garrison Keillor tried Denmark for a few years and thereafter retreated to Minnesota.)

Chris.

Yes. They are mainly Evangelical Lutheran over there.

Not sure about the basement situation though.

Fantoft Stave Church doesn't appear to have one.

 

Did they use lutefisk for the shingles on that one?

Chris.