Well, recently I was informed by the company that my husband works for that not only was he going to get his wages cut 5% he was not going to be able to have the insurance we have had for the last 5 years.  We got the notice about the 2nd week of November that the company would not be able to re-up the contract with the current health insurance company and there would be big changes.  That we would not be insured as of December 1.  The only insurance they would be able to offer would have a $1300.00 deductible each.

I panicked.  I have a chronic illness that is controlled by medication but I don’t spend $1300.00 in a year.  This is ridiculous.  And you would have to still pay a monthly premium payment also.

I don’t get why the government is not addressing the real problem with health insurance.  Their CEO’s are sitting in their high-rise offices getting richer and fatter and we are struggling to survive.   I think that if we all got together and just didn’t get insurance at all… then what would happen to them?

Since my illness hit me about 5 years ago I lost my job and my insurance with my company.  I went on disability and I was added to my husband’s health insurance and we paid the monthly premium.  I became eligible for Medicare and kept the Medicare Part A.

Well, now that I was not going to be insured by his work insurance I needed to get signed up for all of Medicare.  I really thought this would be very confusing and hard to work through (you know, like anything the government is involved with).  But, to my surprise it was fairly simple.

Being on disability meant that I qualify for Medicare Advantage.  I never even heard of Medicare Advantage.   I was set up with an insurance company in my area that would cover my medications and my doctors and providers were a part of.  I do not pay anything more for the coverage and it is all paid by the monthly fee.  I have very little co-pays for the providers and some are free.  This insurance is better than what I had the last 5 years that cost us twice as much per month.

So, if you are getting close to the age for Medicare or have a need to get it for any reason, do not fret!  It is not that hard to do, or not that confusing.   The insurance company that I chose to go with sent out a representative that met with me to explain all my benefits and gave me all kinds of phone and online supports.  I am very pleased and feel a great relief.  We even went over when my husband would qualify for this insurance and how he is to apply since he is approaching the age of 65 in the next year.

All we have to do now is worry about what the new Health Care Reform is going to do to this in the near future.

What are your health insurance issues?  Do you have some helpful hints or a story to share or some questions?  Please leave a comment.

I added some links to some news releases on the opinions on the passing of the new health bill.  They are all pretty good and worth reading.  It will be interesting to see what happens because of this.  Leave a comment with your opinion.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Senate’s Health Reform Bill (letstalkhealthcare.org)
• What happened to We The People? (thepetitionsite.com)
• The Health Care Debate (continued) (timesunion.com)
• How Your U.S. Lawmaker Voted (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Health Bill Benefits for the Impatient (prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Tax and Spend: (brothersjuddblog.com)
• How Will the Senate Bill Impact the Insurance Companies and Their Customers? (thehealthcareblog.com)
• Best health bill we can pass (timesunion.com)
• Senate Bill: Reactions from Doctors, Insurers, Business, Etc. (blogs.wsj.com)

BLOGbalB2B Marketplace

• Hunting Season- Still Getting Ready Image via Wikipedia Teflon®, you have come a long way baby. As I have posted in an earlier post, my husband has been getting ready for the opening day of hunting season here in Upstate New York. He has been going through all his equipment and clothing to get ready.......
• CPAP Machine and Sleep Apnea Image by safoocat via FlickrI have a CPAP machine. It is a machine that is used at home while you sleep. It is for people who stop breathing during sleep to help force open your breathing passages through a steady stream of air. This machine kind of looks pretty scary......
• New Year's 2010 Approaching Fast Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr New Year's 2010 is approaching fast. There are plenty of parties all around planned. We have always stayed home and spent New Year's Eve at home. It really isn't safe here in Upstate New York to be out on the road at this time......
• US Forest Service Seeks End to Discount Camping Image via Wikipedia The US Forest Servcie Department is seeking an end to the Senior Discount Pass and the Disabled Access Pass for next year. If you were looking forward to spending your golden years  parking your camper at national forest campgrounds for some inexpensive camping? Might be time......
• Deer Hunting Season- Last Week Here in Upstate NY Image by Crashworks via FlickrToday is the last week of Deer Hunting here in Upstate New York. It is the first day of Muzzleloader or Black Powder Rifle hunting. My husband did not get a deer yet this season. The weather has been rather warm for hunting to be good......

• Reinvest Dividends for Greater Long-Term Growth The following guest post was submitted by Evan, the author of StockInvesting101.net, in response to my post earlier this week about dividend investing. On Monday Jason wrote a great overview about dividend investing . Since you now know what dividends are all about, I figured it would be a good......
• Does Insurance Really Matter When it Comes to Personal Finance? Most of us look at insurance premiums as a big drain on our finances. Insurance policies do not come cheap, but they may be essential. In many ways, you can look at insurance as a way of avoiding financial failure in the years to come. While you can’t buy a......
• Creating a Budget 1 Creating a budget may not initially sound like something that you are going to want to do. Just because it is not one of the most exciting things in the world for you to do, that does not mean that it is not vitally important in making sure that your......
• Book Review And Giveaway: How To Be The Family CFO. This giveaway is now closed. Look for the next giveaway in November! This month's giveaway is 2 copies of "How To Be The Family CFO by Kim Snider. This is one of those books that every person in your home should read, as it really lays out how to make......
• Compare Insurance Rates Online If you are like me, you prefer finding and comparing insurance rates online rather than having to call a broker. Whether you are looking to save money on car insurance, health insurance or term life insurance, there are online resources available. I have some suggestions. Health Insurance Rate Information What......

Merry Christmas Everyone!  Well, it is finally here.  We are going to our daughter’s house today for a beautiful Christmas dinner and I am sending out Christmas cheer to everyone.  I know that the reports for travel are not great but then I don’t remember a Christmas time here in Upstate New York that they were any different.

My husband and I opened the gifts we got each other last night and discussed the new TV we plan to purchase after the holidays (our gift to each other) a nice big flat screen HDTV.

Now, it is time to finish up the wrapping for the kids today and get things packed up and ready to go.   I do not like to get out in the weather when it is bad but we have a pretty good forcast for today.   We are supposed to get a storm in on the overnight but we will be home by then and in bed.    Hubby got me a wireless mouse to use on my laptop.  I love it too.  I spend so much time on my laptop that it is really a great little toy.

Well, here’s wishing all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!  I hope it is a safe and happy holiday for all.  God bless the Men and Women in the armed forces and their families.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Some Last Minute Tips To Tech Up Your Christmas (makeuseof.com)
• Unusual Holiday Traditions (blisstree.com)
• Christmas Poem (chickensoupforyoursoul.blogspot.com)
• 5 Fun Ideas for Christmas Activities (jaysdad.com)
• Pencil This In: Tweetsgiving for a Good Cause, TC Boyle at WTF?! Fest (laist.com)
• Merry Christmas From The HuffPost LA! (huffingtonpost.com)
• Merry Christmas To You (themoderatevoice.com)
• Merry Christmas 2009 (aka ‘let it snow #2′) (chromasia.com)
• Mary J. Decks The Halls Hubby! (perezhilton.com)
• 10 Things I Hate About Christmas [Humbug] (jezebel.com)
• Santa Done Made It To Town (winecommonsewer.com)
• The Old Holiday Magic (modernfabulousity.blogspot.com)

BLOGbalB2B Marketplace

• Hunting Season- Still Getting Ready Image via Wikipedia Teflon®, you have come a long way baby. As I have posted in an earlier post, my husband has been getting ready for the opening day of hunting season here in Upstate New York. He has been going through all his equipment and clothing to get ready.......
• VoIP is great and affordable Over the holidays I installed Yahoo Instant Messenger. My husband occasionally is sent out on business trips and phone calls can be expensive. We started using the Instant Messaging. I think we all played around with that through AOL back when we first started to use the computer (with dial-up,......
• Hunting Camp-One Week To Go Image by evster_S5 via FlickrHunting season opens next weekend here in Upstate New York. The little camper is moved onto the hunting land. Also a large tarp is staked down over the camper to help keep it from leaking. It's only a 1960, 18 foot camper so it needs to......
• Snowmobiling in Upstate New York Image via WikipediaA camping trip is a way to have enjoyable family time whether it is in a tent or RV or even in a trailer. A Winter camping trip takes different planning and considerations. Snowmobiling is a well loved winter activity that can be combined with the camping trip.......
• Fido, Man's Best Friend and Home Made Nourishing Treats Image by superstrikertwo via Flickr\ Man's best friend, is our dog. As I get older I appreciate my dogs more and more. I have been working in feeding them more nourishing meals and more nourishing treats. Most of my family have dogs of their own and they are just as......

• Merry Christmas from Your Fellow Baby Boomer Go To Retirement has been quiet this week. I've been rehabbing my post-surgical knee and finishing up projects at work, all on top of the typical Christmas preparations. All is done now. We are at the lake with our three sons and one son's significant other (whom we have grown......
• Special Suggestion For A Great Christmas With Letters From Santa This Christmas, many children will go to bed with high expectations waiting for Christmas day to arrive and for the magical moment when they see the presents that Santa Clause brought to their house. Make the moment even more special for your younger children with mysterious evidence that Santa......
• Christmas Gift - The Easy Way to Finding the Best Gifts in 2009 Searching for just the right Christmas gift can often be very difficult because everyone is a little bit different. Fortunately, there tend to be some gifts that appeal to everyone in certain categories. This can make for great gift ideas when you can find that special individualized gift. Here,......
• Ways to Have a Cheap and Fun BBQ Hope everyone has been enjoying their Memorial Day weekend! I am crossing my fingers hoping that the weather holds out and it doesn't rain. Why? Because I want to barbecue, of course! What good is a Memorial Day without a grill, burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, etc?  I say "no good."......
• Personal Finance Resource Links 12-14-08 Welcome back to Free From Broke!  Check out some great articles I've found around the web: Sense to Save tells us what she'd do in the event of a financial emergency. Make sure you organize your finances before the new year! Still looking for a gift?  Here's 50 frugal......