Health Insurance?

My fiance has medical covered at his job, but i am always afraid that he might lose it, or that we won't have medical when we need it. I'm not on his medical yet, but as soon as we get married i will be. Would it be wise for me to get health insurance from an insurance company until we get married? should i keep it after i get married also? what exactly is the purpose of it?
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The purpose of health insurance, like all insurance, is to help you avoid risk. In this case, it's the risk that you will get sick and not be able to afford the health care you need. This is actually quite a big problem. Yes, Emergency Rooms are required to see you in the event that you are in a life-threatening situation. However, private hospitals may turn you away even under those circumstances if there is a public hospital also in the same town. And if they do treat you in the ER, the bill they send you afterward will make the premiums for health insurance suddenly look very reasonable. You'll also find that they do send those accounts to collections. And failure to pay WILL impact your credit. I do have to disagree with someone above who said that individual health insurance is the most expensive route. In general, group plans offer broader coverage (particularly for prescription drugs); however, your rates for individual insurance will be based on your own personal underwriting details (including your age, weight, tobacco usage, and any pre-existing conditions.) In most cases, there are at least 4 different health levels assigned based on those factors. If you have a totally clean bill of health, you'll be a level 1, tobacco users are automatically a level 2, etc. I mention all of that because the ONLY time I've ever seen health insurance cheaper through a group is if you would rate as either a level 3 or higher. You can get different types of coverage, also. There's basic coverage (which covers a set price only for specifically described things up to a maximum amount or number of visits per year.) Basic coverage is fairly inexpensive; however, it does NOT protect you from the bigger expenses if you were to have a major illness (because you would max out your benefits fairly quickly.) There's major medical coverage (which is designed to offer more comprehensive coverage.) Still, it may not protect you in the event of a truly catastrophic illness (like cancer, a stroke, etc.) This is because there is a maximum lifetime cap for benefits (which typically varies between $1 - 8 million.) That sounds like a lot of money, but a few days in an intensive care unit can run in excess of $100,000 (even with the negotiated discounts through a health insurance company.) There's also something called catastrophic (or critical illness) coverage, which is offered in addition to major medical coverage. It's designed to pay out a lump sum in the event that you were to become ill with a specific list of illnesses (including cancer, stroke, etc.) There are also medical discount plans, but these are NOT insurance. If you want an easy way to figure out if you're dealing with a discount plan vs. an insurance policy, ask them for their AM Best rating. (It's an insurance industry ranking organization.) If you read these boards, you've probably seen other people ask questions about getting health insurance with pre-existing conditions. While it is usually (though not always) available in some form, it is VERY expensive and the options are very limited. You're much better off to get it while you're healthy. The other important thing to remember is that more than half of all bankruptcies in this country are as a result of medical bills**. And of those, 75% had health insurance. (My point being that choosing the highest deductible, or the cheapest plan may not be the best option in the long run.)
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Can I transfer my personal health insurance policy to be paid through my S corp?

Im the sole owner of an S Corp. I have a personal health insurance policy. Can I simply change the billing of my current policy to be paid through my corporation? Thanks
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I assume that you have a tax reason for wanting to do this. The instructions for Schedule C and Schedule C-EZ explicitly state that you are not allowed to deduct any payment for your own insurance on those schedules. Even if you change the billing, the only places where you can deduct it are Schedule A (itemized medical expenses) or the "self-employed" health insurance deduction on Form 1040.
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Can you get health insurance personally without having a job that offers it?

I don't have a job right now and I'm wondering if I could get health insurance on my own through an insurance company without having an employer to provide it for me.
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yes. individuals can always purchase health insurance on their own. the premiums are quite expensive, which is why it's always good to get a job with an employer who'll provide health insurance.
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Trying to find the best health insurance?

I am 7 weeks pregnant and I am trying to find cheap health insurance. I live in NM. I just need a plan that will cover my ultrasounds, doctor appointments the birth and medicine. My job sucks as I am making 2.25 an hour. I am also in the military but I am in the reserves so I am not eligible for tri care. any ideas? also i cant afford a high deductible. and medicare is not an option.
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No, Medicare is not an option because Medicare does not cover maternity. However, Medicaid may be an option. Here is their website for more information: http://www.hsd.state.nm.us/ Since there are no individual policies at any price that will accept anyone that is already pregnant your only other option would be to get a job that has health benefits. Group policies cannot exclude maternity as a pre-existing condition.
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My ex used my health insurance for a few years after our divorce. Do I have any liability for her actions?

my ex used my health insurance provided through my work for a few years. My attorney send her letter and give her 30 days to get her own insurance. Do i have any liability here? Or, is it just her who is responsible for using my insurance knowing that we are divorced.
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Every job I've ever had required you to fill out a 'change of status' when you married, divorced, added a kid to the household, etc with regard to company provided benefits. If you didn't notify your insurance carrier that you were divorced and she should no longer be on the policy, then it could well fall to you to be responsible for any outlay the insurance company had after the divorce was final. It was your job to let the appropriate persons know you were no longer married and thus your now ex-wife should no longer benefit from your benefits.
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What would be considered "affordable" for health insurance?

$150.00 a week? That is $7,800.00 a year for a single person. $50.00 a week?? That is only $2,600.00 a year for a single person. What would be "affordable" health insurance to YOU?
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Try this site http://heinsurance.notlong.com here you can get quotes from different companies so you can compare them.
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How can I get health insurance?

Hi! So my situation is a little complicated......I am twenty and a full time college student living at home. Both my parents are older and on medicare which does not cover me. I only work part time so I really cant even afford to pay for insurance and my college offers an insurance plan but it's really crappy. I really need to find some type of health insurance that is affordable. Not being able to go to the doctor or dentist is not fun. Any advice please?
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Policies differ state to state, but regardless the answer is the same. Find an insurance broker that does business in your state. Brokers can show you all of the plans and they're free to use. They'll also help you at claim time and with billing issues.
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