2006-05-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Parents: Are Your Grads Ready for the Real World? National Survey Finds College Grads Likely to Fall Through Gaps in Health Insurance Coverage: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance:

"More than 1.4 million students will graduate from college this year -- many of whom will no longer be eligible as dependents under their parents' health insurance plan, and may no longer qualify for the student plan provided by their alma mater. While parents want to be supportive, 40 percent admit that they do not have the tools and resources to help their children plan for their health benefits"

2006-03-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

Health Insurance - Unemployment:

"Health Insurance:

What happens to your health insurance when you become unemployed? Not only do you have your regular bills to cover now you have been given the option of maintaining your coverage through COBRA. Maintaining your insurance through COBRA is very expensive.

I remember when I stopped working to have my children and continued my healthcare through COBRA. What an eye-opener this was. Initially I was paying almost $700 a month and that increased to almost a thousand dollars a month within an 18 month period. I had to find some other options. I began researching the internet for another plan since I knew that I was going to be staying at home with my children. Paying those amounts I equated to car payments, mortgage and other bills. COBRA almost became unaffordable.

We have a health shared services plan where we share the costs with other members. This was very affordable for us. The only draw back I can see is if you go to the doctor a lot, you have to pay the initial amount. It is almost like if you have a collision deduction on your car insurance policy and you have to pay that deductible first. For some that amount might not even be doable.

What choices do you have regarding health care in that aspect? I suggest researching healthcare programs and see what is available to suit your particular needs. There are programs based on state, uninsured programs, as well as programs for preventative care. I cannot stress enough to do your research. Health care costs are not getting less but become more expensive. Try to maintain your health insurance versus having to start over. There are some programs that do not allow pre-existing conditions. "

Insurance Plans on the Internet