{Saw this sign on my walk right after enrolling in my new health insurance plan}
With just four days left on COBRA, I have successfully enrolled in my new health insurance plan! It feels like such a weight has been lifted off of me to know that I will be adequately covered, able to see my doctors as scheduled, and didn’t have to sell a kidney to pay the premium (I kid about that last part. Well, kind of).
If you’ve read all of the posts discussing my health insurance saga, I appreciate your support (and, if you haven’t, here’s where you can catch Part I and Part II). I was hoping to have my health insurance situation straightened out by the beginning of this month. However, when I reached back out to the broker after he sent me the initial information to confirm my plan selection, he let me know that he had received new plan options that he wanted to share with me (and that sent me back to the drawing board all over again). But, since it’s always good to have options, I reviewed everything, talked to more people, and had all but made up my mind. Or, so I thought…
The plan I was going to go with initially seemed like a great plan…and was costly. Since I was operating under the premise of, “you get what you pay for,” it felt like that plan was the one to go with. I dismissed the other plan sooner than I should have and then spent a week second-guessing myself. After vacillating between my plan options for far longer than I needed to, I contacted the broker once again, hoping that he could help me make an informed decision.
Fortunately, the broker was able to answer my questions and put me at ease about my plan choices. I ended up deciding on the second plan that I had initially discounted because it had a lower monthly premium and deductible (which is a win-win in theory). However, I got so hung up thinking it was too good to be true, that I was hesitant to go with it. After consulting with him one final time, I felt confident in my decision and enrolled in the plan (I swear, people have probably spent less time buying houses than I spent deciding on a health insurance plan).
Now that this whole ordeal is behind me, I have a new understanding of the health insurance situation in this country. As with caregiving, people don’t know what they don’t know, and sometimes, you don’t even know where to turn to get the answers you need. I’m grateful to the many people who listened to me and offered me resources that ultimately led me to a broker who got me on my way. It was a stressful experience, but one that gave me newfound knowledge that I hope to be able to pass on to someone else in a similar situation.
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