“I just can’t afford health insurance anymore. What can I do?”
We hear some version of this question regularly. And for good reason. The economy is struggling and a lot of people are having a hard time. They know health insurance is important, but we all know it is really expensive!
We’ll leave the questions of why prices are so high aside for now because that’s not immediately helpful to you if you’re in this situation. The real issue isn’t why are prices so high, but what are my options if I can’t pay those prices.
Here are some lower cost options. You can explore one or many of these options to cobble together some level of protection and help with healthcare expenses:
- Short Term Health Insurance. We find most people don’t know this exists. These plans are reallydesigned to bridge the gap in coverage you might experience when you’re between jobs. But they are a solid, lower cost alternative that still gives you catastrophic coverage (protection from big, nasty health expenses.) You can keep a short-term health plan for up to 11 months in some cases. Learn more and get prices here.
- Accident Insurance. There’s a decent chance that if you need medical care it’s because of an injury of some sort. An accident insurance plan will reimburse you up to a set amount (say $5,000 for example) for health care that is the result of some kind of accident. A family can have $2,000 of coverage for $35/month or $5,000 of coverage for $45/month. Learn more and get prices here.
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Critical Illness / Cancer Insurance. These plans pay a lump sum benefit if you have a heart attack or stroke, or if you are diagnosed with a critical illness like cancer. You can get benefits as low as $5,000 or as high as $50,000. Learn more and get prices here.
- freshbenies – 24/7 Doctor on Call via Phone. freshbenies is a bundle of innovative services that help you save hundreds or even thousands on your family’s healthcare costs. BUT, it’s not insurance so you can use the benefits as much as you need. One of the benefits it provides you with is access to a real doctor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The doctor can even call in basic prescriptions for you in some cases, saving you the time and money involved in visiting a traditional doctor’s office. A great service to have if you don’t have a copay (or if your kids tend to get sick on the weekend!). At $10/month for a family, it’s a no-brainer. Learn more and become a member here.
Like we said above, you might wind up utilizing a combination of these services. If you have questions about any of these options, don’t hesitate to contact us to talk about it.