Health Insurance
Questions and Answers
Questions & Answers
For this section we did our own research and interviewed the Solon High School Counselor Jodi Lurie in order to best answer your questions./
Jodi Lurie's Credentials: LISW-S (Licensed Independent Social Worker (Supervisior)), LSC (Licensed School Counselor), Masters in Social Work, Post Masters in School Counseling
Q1
When will I no longer be covered by my parents health insurance?
Q3
Why is it important to have health insurance?
A1
You will no longer be covered by your parents health insurance once you turn 26 due to the expansion of dependent coverage in the affordable care act. However, you do not have to stay on until then.
A3
Health insurance is important because health care costs for certain conditions are very high and yet no one can predict with certainty whether and to what extent they may become ill or injured and so you pay a premium each month to ensure that all of your health care needs can be met. The risk of high medical bills is then shared across a pool of people all of whom pay the premium but only some of which will need part of the pot of money. You may need it one year and someone else another.
Q2
How can you get insurance?
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Q4
What does health insurance cover?
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A2
You can get health insurance through your employer (if they offer insurance policies). You can also get it through a health insurance agency specifically or by putting your information into the Marketplace or HealthCare.gov to find the best insurance for you. Some colleges and universities actually offer health insurance as well for the hospitals and health facilities on and around the campus during the school year.
A4
A good insurance policy will provide a good amount of preventative care for free - annual check-ups, lab work. And will only require a co-pay of $10-50 for most other services such as going to the doctor when you are sick and getting prescriptions for medications. In fact, medication is one of the key benefits of insurance. Medicines such as Epi-Pens and inhalers can cost from $200-$500 without insurance and from $20-50 with insurance - which is a big difference!!
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Q5
What are some tips about deciding what health insurance is right for me?
Q7
What makes the price of health insurance increase/ decrease?
A5
You should speak with an insurance agent and tell them about any medical conditions you may have, they can help you decide what the best policy would be for you. And please note that if you go through your employer you do not need to tell your employer about your health conditions unless you are asking for an accommodation. You should ask to speak to a representative at the insurance company instead.
A7
Health insurance costs increase or decrease based on the amount of people using the money for medical issues under a specific health insurance provider. They may also increase if you have pre-existing conditions such as cancer. You will often have to pay a premium because you will be likely use your insurance more than other people (this is unfair and unfortunate that those who need the health insurance the most have to pay the must, but that is the reality as of now).
Q5
Why is health insurance so expensive?
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Q7
What health care can I get if I do not have the access to expensive health insurances?
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A5
Insurance is expensive because some of the people in the pool with have high medical costs and the insurance company tries to balance those costs by having the other members of the pool share the cost of the unhealthy members - on the premise that one day that could be them and then the pool of members will be covering their costs. It’s a risk sharing business model. And insurance companies can also raise your rates based on any pre-existing conditions. Which is another reason your rates could increase.
A7
And the healthcare exchange (which was created under the Affordable Care Act) does have relatively inexpensive catastrophic coverage policies available for young people. You can also go to a free clinic or planned parenthood for certain needs - and now that CVS (minute-clinic) and other drug stores offer clinics that is another affordable option for less complicated medical care that can be handled by a nurse. And if you are in school, most colleges offer health care plans for students that will cover most regular services such as check-up’s at a reasonable rate (cheaper than the healthcare exchange
You may also be able to get Health insurance through your employer so if you are not in school you should look for a job that offers health insurance. In which case, you will pay part of your premium and the employer pays the other portion. And because at a company such as Starbucks or Chipotle they have a large pool of participants you will get a much better rate and much better coverage than you will get through the healthcare exchange marketplace.
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