Dec 15, 2014
By: Barry Walsh, 61, Nashville
Music is my career and life. And for a musician, having a condition that curls up your fingers is terrifying. Not having adequate health insurance to cover the surgery and medical care you need is, well, worse than scary.
I used to have a catastrophic plan that cost $650 a month. The plan covered virtually nothing, and my $10,000 deductible was so high it discouraged me from seeking getting the care I needed.
When the Health Insurance Marketplace opened for 2014 coverage, I jumped at it. I signed up for a better policy with four times the coverage and, at $293 a month after tax credits, less than half the cost. My deductible was also cut by more than half, to $4,000.
About a month ago, I had surgery on my left hand, which cost roughly $7,500 to $10,000 and was mostly covered by my Marketplace insurance. I’ve already gotten approval from my insurer for a $7,000 shot to fix my right hand at least for a few years.
I’m also getting preventive care now, at no-out-of-pocket cost. I recently had a physical—my first in five years—and I got flu and shingles shots.
I found it’s easy to shop for coverage and enroll through the Marketplace. If you previously got insured through the Marketplace, like I did, make sure to return to HealthCare.gov to update your application and review your options. You can choose to renew your coverage or change it for a different plan that might cost less and better meet your needs. You need to re-enroll or renew your 2015 coverage by December 15 in order for any changes you make to become effective January 1, 2015.
Read More: Barry’s #GetCovered Story: Getting Health Insurance That’s In Tune
I used to have a catastrophic plan that cost $650 a month. The plan covered virtually nothing, and my $10,000 deductible was so high it discouraged me from seeking getting the care I needed.
When the Health Insurance Marketplace opened for 2014 coverage, I jumped at it. I signed up for a better policy with four times the coverage and, at $293 a month after tax credits, less than half the cost. My deductible was also cut by more than half, to $4,000.
About a month ago, I had surgery on my left hand, which cost roughly $7,500 to $10,000 and was mostly covered by my Marketplace insurance. I’ve already gotten approval from my insurer for a $7,000 shot to fix my right hand at least for a few years.
I’m also getting preventive care now, at no-out-of-pocket cost. I recently had a physical—my first in five years—and I got flu and shingles shots.
I found it’s easy to shop for coverage and enroll through the Marketplace. If you previously got insured through the Marketplace, like I did, make sure to return to HealthCare.gov to update your application and review your options. You can choose to renew your coverage or change it for a different plan that might cost less and better meet your needs. You need to re-enroll or renew your 2015 coverage by December 15 in order for any changes you make to become effective January 1, 2015.
Read More: Barry’s #GetCovered Story: Getting Health Insurance That’s In Tune
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