Hi All,

Can someone suggest me a local Jersey City health insurance broker?

I'm planning to purchase health insurance (for me and wifey) and I think it's best if I sit down with a broker who knows NJ health insurance rules instead of picking one out online.

TIA.

I am an independent contractor and have found reasonably affordable Medical and Dental through Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Like $195 to $325 and basic dental for $60 a year. For women it is on the higher side of that range but I thought it was much better than Cobra. Hope this helps.

http://www.horizon-bcbsnj.com/members ... rates.html?WT.svl=leftnav

Can anyone recommend a health insurance broker in Jersey City?

COBRA had been exceedingly expensive, especially without a regular paycheck but with the governemt picking up a good deal of the charge as ASA-Alum points out, I think it is the best option for those who recently lost their jobs.

Advice from the Wall Street Journal on how to buy health insurance.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001 ... 04574245811241528526.html

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If you are eligible, under COBRA you can extend the same coverage you had with a former employer for up to 18 months. Normally, the premium would be over 100% of the cost -- your former contribution + your employer's contribution + service charge.

Most people who are unemployed can't afford those steep premiums. But now, if you cannot pay the full amount , under the new economic stimulus plan you only have to pay 35% of the high COBRA cost (your former employer pays the remaining 65%).

You are still eligible for COBRA for 18 months, but the reduced payments are available for only nine of those 18 months.

First, check to see if you are eligible for COBRA coverage; if you are, ask the COBRA administrator if you are eligible for the reduced rate under the new economic stimulus plan. Good luck!

When I was in grad school and couldn't afford full health insurance, I had what was referred to as a catastrophic policy. If you had an ear infection and went to the doctor for a prescription, it wasn't covered, but if you landed in the hospital and needed surgery, it would help.

I don't remember many details (I was young and all that mattered to me was that it was cheap, like 30 bucks a month), and thankfully I didn't need to use it, but it may be something to look in to.

If you are currently covered under an employer's plan, I think COBRA payments have been drastically reduced this year. You should be able to extend your current plan for 6 months with COBRA. When I did it 3 years ago, my COBRA payment was around $600/month and I had to drop that after 2 months and go without insurance until I got another job a few months later. It was ridiculous. But I hear COBRA payments have been significantly reduced, so look into that.

I got health insurance awhile back through this website:

http://www.HealthPlanOne.com/NJ

I have always been self-employed and finally got Oxford through them (its a division of United Healthcare). It's covered by a bunch of doctors here and in the city. It actually allows me to go to the Continuum Center for Health & Healing which makes me a happy camper.

I don't have any big health issues and wanted something for checkups, major accidents that land me in the hospital, and coverage if I got seriously ill ( bronchitis, pneumonia, etc). They didn't screen me about my health or force me to do a checkup...

I pay 220 (single female, no kids).. it went up drastically when I turned 30 but the annual increase afterwards has been small. I did not get the coverage that covers dental or vision.

Hope that helps! It's really not as scary as it seems...

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I was in your shoes ~ 3 years ago. I must regretfully tell you that I never did find acceptable coverage for what I could afford and went without insurance for a year or two.

There is no simple answer to your request. Many factors come into play:
- age
- health
- pre existing conditions
- dependents
- income / wealth

If you are relatively healthy and relatively "well - off", an HSA-based plan is probably the most rational choice.

read a primer at:
http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/millionaire/50127

At the time, those plans weren't available yet (they were an option put into effect ~2007)

I now have insurance through my employer.

I don't know much about these programs, but it may be worth looking at New Jersey Residents Wellness Program

Hi. I will be without medical/dental insurance soon and being a security freak I want to get medical and some sort of dental coverage on my own.
I would much appreciate any experiences/recommendations for reasonable plans for the Jersey City area.
THANKS!