"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at gmail dotcom wrote in message
...
"Dene" wrote in message
...
Skip, I'm a health insurance broker, so I'll do my best. Read below...


Hi, Greg, and thanks for the followup.

Through who's employment does the COBRA come from, yours or hers. If
it's
yours, then you can maintain it yourself and let Lydia acquire coverage
with
an individual plan.


It's Lydia's and I'm the one who needs it, so it would be a family plan
COBRA.

Blue Cross does a nice job but it will be tricky getting you on to their
plans unless you happen to have Cobra through them.


It's BC/BS PPO - the surgeon indicated that his insurance covered him in
unlikely places, so perhaps that would, too.

In that case, I would call BC and ask them what your options are, aside from
Cobra. Cobra is only 18 months long. It's likely they have a conversion
plan which will last you until age 65. It may be superior, in
price/benefits, to Cobra and thus you may be able to enroll now instead of
18 months from now.

The saying I've heard in any case is "when you're in pain, get on the
plane"
(back to the USA). Of course, my asymptomia (?) :{)) means that it could
be
10 years, or never, that I had any sort of heart issues, as, certainly,
this
didn't develop overnight; my "score" based on current cholesterol numbers
which are horrible (156/48[239] - but markedly lower after the stent,
which
makes no sense whatever, and causes me to suspect all of them) have me at
a
10% likelihood of trouble in the next 10 years - but I'm on meds which
should reduce those numbers dramatically, as well as my exercise and diet
aboard which will help as well.

We'd originally thought we'd go bare - but this puts a slightly different
light on it - and, of course, (now) my history may make that the default,
anyway.

I hope you don't go bare. You could lose everything. People insure their
houses, boats, cars, etc. yet they are willing to risk hundreds of thousands
in hospital bills. Doesn't make sense.

Are you approaching 65? If so, brand new ball game. (a better one).

I'll be 65 in a little over 4 years...

Good...you're in no man's land, insurance-wise. It's expensive until
medicare age. Afterwards, you can buy supplements for no premium and Rx
plans for $6/mo.

Trick is.....you gotta get to 65.

-Greg