Mostly for my own reference - health insurance resources

[firecat]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/business/smallbusiness/27sbiz.htm
discusses the difficulties that small business owners have in getting health coverage, especially if they have medical conditions. Here are some resources the article mentions:

http://healthinsuranceinfo.net/

http://sbsb.com/ Small Business Service Bureau

http://advocacyforpatients.org/ Advocacy for Patients With Chronic Illness, Inc.

Comments

[tedesson.livejournal.com]

I've been reading several health insurance blogs. The rules are quite different from state to state, but in some you must be offered small group rates if you've been in business 12 months.

Plus, it's not clear to me whether it makes sense to tie your insurance to your employment, even if you're self-employed.

You could always emigrate! (Don't watch _Sicko_ if you haven't already, it's sad.)

[firecat]

I have individual insurance through HIPAA, not tied to my employment. It's not cheap, but I can afford it.

I'm worried that the main result of any national health care reform will be to gut the health insurance protections of HIPAA without putting anything in their place that will be usable by people with chronic conditions.

Based on my small amount of research into the matter, I can't emigrate for the same reason it's hard for me to get insurance. (But I don't have plans to anyway, too many family ties in the US.)

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Yes, no first-world country takes someone who can't work and is seriously ill. I've checked.