I honestly thought this day would never come. My husband and I have, officially, been approved for a health insurance policy. It appears to be one that we can afford to pay for, and it includes coverage for dental. The cynic in me thinks that there will be hidden fees that make the policy unaffordable. We will see.
Part of me wonders if I am asleep, and actually dreaming this. Could it really be true that we will soon have health insurance coverage? We have been having so much trouble trying to find an affordable health insurance plan that I had just about given up trying to find one. It was starting to look as though it would be easier to move out of the United States, and become a citizen of a country that has a universal health care system, rather then continue to search for health insurance in America.
So far, my husband had to fill out a huge online application form, that took two hours. Then, days later, we got a call from the insurance company. My husband had to answer a bunch of questions about his high blood pressure. At the time, I thought that would be the end of it, and we would be denied.
Instead, he got an email today from the insurance company. One would think that this would be the typical “thanks, but we don’t want to sell health insurance to you” type of email. It wasn’t.
The email said that we have been approved for the health insurance policy we applied for. It will be effective starting on November 1, 2011. It includes a dental plan. The cost of the premium is going to be $40.00 more than the quote we were given on the website of the insurance company. In order to afford it, my husband is going to need to get an extra five hours of work every week, (and it seems like there is a good possibility that he will be able to do that).
For some reason, the insurer did not require either one of us to submit to a physical. We don’t even have to have blood work done, or anything else that we had to do in order to get approved for a life insurance policy.
The health insurance plan doesn’t include eye care, or maternity care. I’ve been going to the optical department at Sears when I need new glasses, so I guess I can continue doing that. My husband and I are not interested in having children, so we don’t need maternity coverage for that reason. It would be nice to have it as a “backup” just in case an unplanned child appears, though. I am wondering if the policy includes coverage for birth control.
The email said that the insurer would be sending us the paperwork that goes with our health insurance policy in the mail. Once we get it, then we can look it over and see exactly what is covered, and what is not.
Image by Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones on Flickr