After 30 years working in the computer industry - mostly in Silicon Valley - Barry was ready for something new. So at 61, he's actively retraining himself for a career in alternative energy. But he's found that living outside the safety of employer sponsored health insurance has been a rougher road than he imagined.

He chose to continue his coverage through COBRA, but after 18 months that insurance expired and he began shopping around for options. Although Barry considers himself healthy, he quickly learned insurance companies thought otherwise.

Under the doctor's orders, he takes medication to prevent high cholesterol, a condition that many Americans face. But with low blood pressure, low cholesterol and a penchant for long hikes through the mountains, Barry feels fine now and did before he began taking preventative medication.

When filling out applications for health insurance he was told that taking a statin class drug would likely disqualify him for the coverage he desired - and it turned out they were right. Barry was denied coverage by three major health insurance companies and had to settle for expensive and limited coverage at $600 per month, with a deductible of $5,000 each year.

"Basically I'm being penalized for taking care of myself," he told us.

So like many others we've met on the Cover America Tour, we learned that Barry's entrepreneurial spirit all too often means poor and pricey health insurance coverage. Luckily he can afford the premiums for now and is healthy enough to not meet the deductible. But with a potential for paying over $12,000 a year before his expensive coverage will even begin to kick in, Barry's health care situation is far from healthy.

del.icio.us Digg It Google Windows Live Yahoo MyWeb

comments (0)

Comments

Post a comment