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Health Insurance
Health Insurance for the Stay At Home Mom
When deciding whether to stay home with your children or return to the workforce there are a lot of things to consider. Your income versus expenses, where you can cut costs and if you can do so realistically, and how well you can handle staying at home all day long are just some of the major things to keep in mind.
One important factor that many women overlook, however, is health insurance and the toll private health insurance premiums will take on their budget.
Since most stay at home mothers don't have the resources to pay cash, if you don't have adequate health insurance you won't be able to visit the doctor, go to the emergency room, and you certainly can't get sick if it requires buying prescription medication. In other words, medical care may not be an option.
A paper by Cathy Schoen and colleagues of the Commonwealth Fund titled "Insured but Not Protected: How Many Adults Are Underinsured" outlines of the study of health insurance in America. They tell us that 35% of America's adults were either uninsured or underinsured in 2003. According to the paper, approximately 45 million men and women were uninsured while another 16 million went without at least one of the four basic medical services.
If your spouse's health insurance policy does not cover you, you may be looking at a very hefty premium each month. Some plans charge as much as $300-600 per month. While this number is frightening, it doesn't have to be absolute. With some research and hard work, you should be able to get that premium down below $200, and possibly under $100 depending on your circumstances.
There are few short cuts when finding affordable health insurance. You can use online quote comparison services on the internet and get a general idea of premiums specific to your situation, but they are only the starting point. To find the best deals, you'll have to dig deep.
Keep a master sheet in front of you with the most frequently asked information on it. Keep another sheet with questions you want to know about the health insurance policy up front. What is most important to you? What are their insurance deductibles, premiums, and coverage for various services such as doctor visits and prescriptions? Do they have any discounts? You will want to find out whether immunizations, lab work, preexisting conditions, pregnancy, and x-rays are excluded, to name a few.
A good place to start is the internet. There are several free services that allow you to submit your request to many health insurers at once. A word of caution - unless you want your primary email inbox spammed for weeks with health insurance quotes, you may want to set up a free account just for this purpose. There are many free email services out there, and you can delete the account when your search is done.
While the internet is a great resource, don't forget about your local yellow pages. There may be a great deal to be found if only you do a little leg work to find it. Get referrals from friends and family. Find out if you can be covered under your spouse's insurance, and if there is a family discount that may apply.
This is not a short process, and will take time. The more health insurers you interview, the more you will become aware of exactly what it is that your family needs. Take your time, interview thoroughly, and you will find what you are looking for.
By Mary Sampsel
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