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Ask HN: US health insurance

5 points by mcantor ↗ HN
I live in the US. I've been working in corporate America for the last few years, so I currently have health insurance. I was just hired by a Canadian company who does not have a group insurance plan (since they don't need one). I'm not relocating, so I need health insurance.

Any advice? I can Google "usa individual health insurance", but it'd be nice to know which Google result to click on.

3 comments

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d_r
You should also mention which state you live in, as options can be different. For example, MA has a single-payer system and you're eligible for group coverage even without an employer. In some states like NY even alone you can join a "freelancers union" of sorts that may help with getting group coverage. In CA, you can apply for individual coverage with something like Kaiser.
thejteam
Health insurance options, as well as what companies to choose from, vary greatly by state. Unless there is one overarching insurer that almost everybody in your state uses, find an insurance broker. They may also come up with ideas you would never have thought of. Also know going in what level of coverage you are looking for. In my opinion, most people can get away with a high deductible plan. You didn't mention if you were married or single or had children but those are all factors.
dangrossman
Use http://www.ehealthinsurance.com. It's the real deal -- compare all the applicable plans at most of the major insurers -- and all you have to give them is gender, birth date and whether you smoke, no personal info until you actually pick a provider and plan to apply for.

I've showed this site to a few people whose healthcare costs were going up as their employers were chipping in less... some of them ended up paying less for better coverage on individual plans.

I only pay $83/mo for 100% coverage with no coverage limit after a $3000 deductible... an Aetna plan I found through eHealthInsurance.com.

Insurance is a regional thing so it's possible they're not as good in your state as mine, but check it out.