Health Insurance in California? Is HIPAA the only option?

[deanmenta]

I had my valve replacement surgery in 1999, since then I have zero problems or complications.
I will be taking Coumadin for the rest of my life, but other than that I take no medications.
It seems that because I am required to take Coumadin this qualifies me as "high risk" for insurance.
The only policies I can qualify for in California are HIPAA plans.
These plans are expensive ($700 per month) and have a very high deductible ($5000).

I was wondering if anyone out there is in a similar situation.
I know that next year everything will change interms of coverage, but I would love to hear from people who are in the same predicament as myself to see how you've dealt with situation.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[AgilityDog]

That sounds like the high deductible plans, which came in a few years back, after the new health care act, and are what more and more employers are going to for group coverages. $700 per month is pretty normal, even low, for someone in his/her 50s, with or without a valve replacement.

If you are on a group plan, your employer pays about $700 per month or more for such a plan, and you pay the first $5000 out of pocket - no copays, just the negotiated reduced rates until you hit $5000.
My insurance plan costs $1300 per month for my and my spouse's coverage, and costs $950 per month for a healthy female co-worker of similar age, with no significant medical conditions. My boss, who just turned 60 and is healthy as a horse, pays even more per month for his coverage. I know, because this is a very small office, and we discuss our coverage each time it comes up for renewal. Our deductible is $3000 annually, but it's a more conventional plan where we have co-pays and deductibles.
That's what things cost these days.