Best basic insurance??

Hi all,

I'm new to CO and trying to figure out what to do about insurance for my wife and I.
We are both in good health and basically never go to the Dr., so we are just looking for a back-stop insurance in case (God - forbid) something terrible happens.

The connectforhealthco.com website seems to be what we need to work with, but the plans don't come with great outlines regarding what is and is not covered. Specifically we want to be sure that we are covered for climbing/scrambling, skiing, and general mountaineering.

Does anybody have a recommendation for how to understand the options better - or a recommendation for a specific plan?

Any insights would be much appreciated.

Happy Days!

We've been happy with Kaiser and have never been asked about sporting activities.

Also, it has usually been the cheapest of the established companies on the exchange.

There have been a handful of insurance companies with names I didn't recognize and I wasn't willing to try them out, but their prices are sometimes even lower.

You would want to make sure you are near a Kaiser clinic, for GYN care if nothing else.

They cover out of network emergencies, even overseas, supposedly.

However, if I needed shoulder surgery, I'd want to go to the Steadman clinic, which is definitely NOT Kaiser, so then I might just be screwed...

If you can get insurance through your employer I think that’s the way to go, it will be definitely cheaper then anything offered on connectforhealthco (unless you’re in one of low income categories). If going with supplemental insurance then make sure to read the fine print, I made a mistake and signed up for it (MetLife) though my employer and most of the activities I could injure myself with are not covered. Even with unknown insurance companies that offer premiums lower than competition it’s wise to read the fine print since in lot of classes the coverage is not that great.
I’m currently with Cigna and it’s been good so far. Last year I dislocated my ankle and didn’t have any issues with coverage.

Most health insurance plans don't exclude specific activities.  They do usually have networks of providers, deductibles, copays and coinsurance.  Those are the features that you want to pay the most attention to. Generally, it's life insurance plans that don't pay out if you are participating in high hazard activities like skydiving, mountain climbing, race car driving, and god forbid not wearing a mask.  It is important to read all the terms and conditions though.  

Tzilla Rapdrilla wrote:

Most health insurance plans don't exclude specific activities  

That's correct. ACA-compliant health insurance plans are "guaranteed issue". They don't have exclusions for risky activities or specific health conditions. Health insurance marketplace plans have to be ACA-compliant, as do employer plans.

What you have to watch out for are skimpy insurance plans that aren't subject to ACA rules. There's a rat's nest of such things. They go by names such as "short-term medical insurance", "temporary health insurance", "accident supplements", "critical-illness policies", etc. 

Tzilla Rapdrilla wrote:

Generally, it's life insurance plans that don't pay out if you are participating in high hazard activities like skydiving, mountain climbing, race car driving...

Not quite. It's very unusual for life insurance policies to exclude specific causes of death, other than suicide within the first two years. What's much more common is for insurers to ask about your medical history, risky activities, etc. when you apply for coverage. They may then decide to charge an extra premium, or perhaps decline altogether. But once they issue a policy it usually won't have exclusions.

I'm an insurance agent and I strongly recommend getting disability, as well as critical illness, cancer, and accident if you can afford it. Critical illness usually just pays out a lump sum 5k-75k regardless of the cost of whatever happened. Having a bunch of policies can be pricy but these will really keep all your bases covered. 

jene lleri wrote:

I agree that insurance is needed in all areas of life. You never know what can happen. It's better to make sure you're always safe and secure. For example, I'm into professional mountain biking. That kind of sport is quite dangerous. I have both health insurance and insurance for my bike. I think it's essential to ensure your possessions. Mountain biking quite often causes breakdowns and surprises related to your bike. To prevent unplanned expenses, I use bicycle insurance. This type of insurance allows me to cover the cost of repairs and maintenance of my bike if necessary.

Do you climb? You joined Mountain Project today, so this seems like a strange first post.

OP: Ask an insurance agent to help you choose.

jake renfree wrote:

I'm an insurance agent and I strongly recommend getting disability, as well as critical illness, cancer, and accident if you can afford it. Critical illness usually just pays out a lump sum 5k-75k regardless of the cost of whatever happened. Having a bunch of policies can be pricy but these will really keep all your bases covered. 

The insurance industry floods the zone with "information" on critical illness policies. A balanced view is available at https://www.consumerreports.org/insurance/critical-illness-insurance-might-not-be-worth-it/

Note that the CR article is specifically discussing employer-provided critical illness insurance, which would generally be cheaper than an individual policy--which indicates that an individual policy may be an even worse deal.

Rick Rock wrote:

Hi all,

I'm new to CO and trying to figure out what to do about insurance for my wife and I.
We are both in good health and basically never go to the Dr., so we are just looking for a back-stop insurance in case (God - forbid) something terrible happens.

The connectforhealthco.com website seems to be what we need to work with, but the plans don't come with great outlines regarding what is and is not covered. Specifically we want to be sure that we are covered for climbing/scrambling, skiing, and general mountaineering.

Does anybody have a recommendation for how to understand the options better - or a recommendation for a specific plan?

Any insights would be much appreciated.

Happy Days!

Connect for Colorado is the state portal to obtain an Affordable Care Act policy. If you are eligible for premium subsidies, you will want to go through Connect for Colorado.

Search the Connect for Colorado site for "Assisters." These are people who can guide you through the  policy selection, application, and premium subsidy process.

jake renfree wrote:

I'm an insurance agent and I strongly recommend getting disability, as well as critical illness, cancer, and accident if you can afford it. Critical illness usually just pays out a lump sum 5k-75k regardless of the cost of whatever happened. Having a bunch of policies can be pricy but these will really keep all your bases covered. 

An insurance agent that recommends you buy a bunch of insurance. Crazy!

jene lleri wrote:

Mountain biking quite often causes breakdowns and surprises related to your bike. To prevent unplanned expenses, I use bicycle insurance. This type of insurance allows me to cover the cost of repairs and maintenance of my bike if necessary.

Yes, I can relate. I’m a professional skier and I’ve got insurance on my skis. It’s just a piece of mind that I don’t have to worry when something breaks down.

I have a basic plan that I purchased through connect for health. I also supplement this with Spot injury insurance which is about $35 a month.

I will start off by saying I work for this company, so I am biased, but Spot Insurance may be a good supplement/ if you feel comfortable, your only insurance.

Spot is accident insurance. We aren't taking new customers at the moment (hoping to work through the wait list by summer), but it's ~$35 a month for $25k worth of coverage per injury with no deductible. It works with or without traditional insurance and can cover things traditional insurance sometimes doesn't. 

getspot.com

Fehim Hasecic wrote:

Yes, I can relate. I’m a professional skier and I’ve got insurance on my skis. It’s just a piece of mind that I don’t have to worry when something breaks down.

I can't believe you're a professional skier. I'm so much better than you!