DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

Anyone have any experience with this?  I am married with a baby and I am about to embark on a musical odyssey (I'm making a go at playing full time).  She is going to stay home with the baby and we need health insurance!  This is where you all come in... I need real-life experienced individuals like you to share their wealth of knowledge.  I’m already looking at AMF and my local chapter here in Austin, TX.  Any other info/insight is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I'm not sure whether or not this will be of much help, but I'll offer it anyway.  

Call the state agency that regulates the insurance industry.  Generally, they can make you aware of companies that offer medical insurance (you were right the first time -- it's MEDICAL insurance, not HEALTH insurance) to individuals in your state, in the event that you cannot get group insurance through your musician's union.  Also, as a temporary fix, many companies offer a six month NON-renewable policy to people who are in a state of transition in their employment.  You might want to investigate that.  They are often surprisingly reasonable, and may give you the time you need to investigate further.    

I personally carry an individual policy for myself with a very high deductible ($10,000), thus making it what I really want for myself --- a CATASTROPHIC policy.   That's redundant, actually, since CATASTROPHIC LOSS DUE TO EVENTS BEYOND OUR CONTROL is what true insurance is supposed to cover.  It's just that we've perverted the whole concept of insurance in this country.  We expect "insurance" to cover everything from hangnails to the common cold to pregnancy to elective plastic surgery.  And THEN we wonder why the cost has gone through the roof!!!   ::)

For me alone, Blue Cross & Blue Shield major med. runs $83/month.  Works for me, especially since I haven't had a medical claim in the past  30 years (I broke my left wrist in a bicycle accident back in '74).