hmmm… I don’t know if this is the right place for this, but I am having so much difficulty weeding through all the “junk” out there on the internet about this.
I am a 20 year old female currently living in California. I moved here in June, got work in August. And I need health insurance, but I am having the worse time finding it cheap enough. @__@ Most insurance companies are asking for about $100 a month at the cheapest, and I am afraid that I don’t make enough to cover that.
I don’t even know if I can get insurance, because I am not a residence yet. Once I become a resident, I plan on attending college and getting insurance through that, but it is too expensive to sign up for college courses without residency.
There is a program called “Medi-cal” that helps out dirt-poor people like me, but as far as I can determine, you must be a resident in order to qualify for it.
If anyone could help me on this, I would greatly appreciate it. ^^
ava - there’s only so much you can do given your limits. (by the way, I am a healthcare strategy consultant). It sounds like you have started a job that does NOT provide health insurance as part of its benefits. You need to really check that out - if there is anyway your employer can cover the balance of your health insurance costs, then that is the way to go. Find out if they offer health coverage to people who maybe work more hours (e.g., full time perhaps) or have a different role in the company, and then pursue that role. Or, use your current job as a place to look for another job that does offer health coverage. One last employer-related idea is, if your employer is trying to build their business and enourage worker loyalty, suggest that they offer a basic level of health coverage - point them to some of the cheaper, flexible offerings you found during your research.
In terms of paying for it yourself, $100 pmpm (“per member per month”) is actually pretty reasonable. It sounds like you have checked out Blue Cross of California’s products - I think they are called FlexScape or PlanScape. From what I recall, even those benefits are quite thin - e.g., they don’t include maternity and have a high deductible, but at least they are something.
I wish I could offer more advice, but I don’t have any. Best of luck, work on finding an employer situation where more of your benefits are covered and in the meantime, buy the most coverage you can afford to at least get some basic coverage.
Thanks a lot. Right now I am stuck in my current employment position as I do not have a car. I live with my fiance in irvine, which is one of the most expensive places in the US. A two-bedroom apartment is $1700 not including water, heat, etc. ~___~ My work place is a small resturant which does not offer health insurance (I have already asked). I am slowly putting aside money for a car, but as with the high costs of living, I am only putting about $200 a month or so in savings. I have even considered rushing ahead with the marriage of my fiance, but, as I do not have my parent’s approval and we have not known each other for long, I am holding that off for a last resort. ^^;
To make things even worse, I have mental health problems. I might be able to even qualify for disability beause of that, but I’ve heard it is extremely hard to get.
Hopefully I will just stay healthy the rest of the year and not need insurance, but I’d rather not take chances.
How do you become a resident of a state? If you live and work in California what else do you have to do for them to decide that you are a resident? Is there one set of standards to being a resident? Even if the college says you aren’t a resident for in-state-tuition purposes might you be a resident for health insurance purposes?
What health insurance were you using before you moved? How old are you?
Sounds like you are eligible for Medi-Cal right now.
Also from the above site:
How Do I Apply For Medi-Cal?
Call or visit your local county social services office and ask for a Medi-Cal application.
If you need help filling out the forms, call the county social services agency. Mail or take your application with the required verifications (proof) to the nearest social services agency in your county. If you don’t have all your verifications, or are not sure of what you need, please send what you have. You can send the rest later. The sooner the social services agency receives your application, the sooner your case may be processed and your Medi-Cal benefits can begin.
If you get SSI/SSP payments, your Social Security administration office automatically sets up Medi-Cal for you. No separate application for Medi-Cal is needed. You will get your Medi-Cal card (BIC) in the mail.