Health Insurance

Raven12 · #1 03/21/11, 12:39 PM

How does health insurance factor in to your homesteading lifestyle? Do you work just enough to receive coverage? I was trying to figure out how much of a homestead one person can manage if they need to supplement the income with a job off the land.

Joshie · #2 03/21/11, 01:05 PM

I think that many, if not most, work off the farm to supplement income and for medical insurance.

ErinP · #3 03/21/11, 01:06 PM

In my part of the world, it's the rare job that comes with health insurance. Consequently, most people either buy their own (for less coverage and higher cost) or go without.

oregon woodsmok · #4 03/21/11, 01:53 PM

All the farms here have one partner working for a salary and health insurance (if they are lucky). The other partner does most of the farm work.

My opinion is that health insurance is important because farming can be pretty high in the possibility of injuries factor.

Raven12 · #5 03/21/11, 02:09 PM

Well, I am going solo at it so I won't have a partner. That is why I was wondering how single people managed it.

whodunit · #6 03/21/11, 02:34 PM

I bet a catastrophic coverage policy would be fairly affordable for a single person. They normally have a very high deductible, but will cover you from severe losses.

ascientist · #7 03/21/11, 02:42 PM

Follow good general health guidelines ad get catastrophic coverage. It's more of a gamble, but over the long run the insurance company has the odds stacked in their favor, so the less you pay the better in my opinion.

MO_cows · #8 03/21/11, 02:54 PM

It is HUGE for us. DH could be retired right now if not for us needing the health care plan that his job provides. We had always planned on him retiring way before age 65 to do more with our place but it isn't working out that way. First his pension plan was re-structured and he had to work longer and be older to get the same draw he was once promised as "30 years and out". Now he is to that point again, but the cost of a comparable health plan to what we have now would take most of his pension check.

Beeman · #9 03/21/11, 02:57 PM

I work a job to keep health benefits, had an on the property business and insurance was the deciding factor to close it and get a job.
I did the self sufficient no health insurance deal, took years to pay off the bills. Even with 80/20 coverage from a major company we've had payments after a sudden health problem.
I don't buy the catastrophic deal. If you have the catastrophy and suddenly all of the money is used up then what? The next small bump will break you. If the catastrophy is big enough to stop or slow you down how do you rebuild the savings?

Raven12 · #10 03/21/11, 03:05 PM

Thanks for the input. These are exactly the issues that I was concerned about.

used2bcool13 · #11 03/21/11, 09:15 PM

If you just want insurance and plan to spend most of your time on your homestead, you might want to look at a part time job that provides insurance, my son worked at Starbucks because they gave insurance to part timers (401K also), he was in college.

For myself and DH, I work and provide insurance and he is the one at home now. I work 3 12hour shifts to be home as much as possible.

Health insurance is outrageously priced. If I were young 20's, I might go with catastrophic coverage, but again its a gamble.

Good luck.

kasilofhome · #12 03/21/11, 09:47 PM

DS is Alaskan Native so he has Tribal care
DH is covered via medicare and medicaid

Me since I Go to DH's monthly visits I have worked out a deal---cash up front, ( I pay and have a credit that only gets used if I feel like I am dieing but know I am going to live--right now I do not have enough credit on the book to sneeze--its my way to have money put aside and not go over dollar limits saved in cash for DH to get his medical care he needs meds anyone)
I have had cancer 3 times 1990 to April 12 1994 Since I am lucky to have a type of cancer that is of interest it cuts down the cost the more I am willing to allow studies. (Recently I allow med students under the supervision of a teaching doc to each examing me while being taped ---cost priceless --I can get very creative to live within my means) I am not afraid to check into studies. Plus DH's doc likes eggs and maybe some day he will stop lurking on this site. I am challenging doc to join up.

CJ · #13 03/22/11, 06:02 AM

My husband contracts fulltime so we don't have any benefits. We went without insurance for years until he turned 50. Then we finally bought our own. We had a couple of instances (medical) that really hurt us during those uninsured years, but we did recover eventually.

You might fill out the forms at www.ehealthinsurance.com and see what yours will cost. We were actually quite surprised, I think ours runs about $600 a month for both of us, a typical 80/20 plan, $5k deductible, prescription coverage, etc. It's Golden Rule.

Belfrybat · #14 03/22/11, 07:54 AM

If you are a Christian in good health, I recommend Christian Medi-Share through Christian Care Ministries. It is not insurance, but works as though it is. Its a mutual care set-up where we pay in shares (ie premiums) each month and needs (claims) are paid out of it. I have been a member for several years and am very happy with the cost and the pay out. And it has been approved as a substitute for insurance under the new insurance act. At present, my share is $316.00 a month with $1250.00 annual deductible and 100% pay after that. I'm 62. If I were in my 30's (for example) my share amount would be less than $200. for the same coverage.

ronbre · #15 03/22/11, 10:09 AM

i have purchased major medical from blue cross blue shield of Michigan, the plan is called Blue Value, and with a hernia surgery coming up i'll likely find out how good it is

Yvonne's hubby · #16 03/22/11, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raven12

How does health insurance factor in to your homesteading lifestyle? Do you work just enough to receive coverage? I was trying to figure out how much of a homestead one person can manage if they need to supplement the income with a job off the land.

I have always worked to pay my bills, and save a little for retirement. I never considered just working enough to pay my health care insurance... that was just one more bill in a long list. I always found enough time to take care of the homestead though. Self employment does allow one the freedom of working out their own schedule that way.

Beeman · #17 03/23/11, 06:38 PM

We could definitely expand this discussion. If you look around you'll see the results of some of the people that worked just enough to get by or worked for themselves but didn't report their earnings like they should have. Starting to see the people that are in their 70's now beginning to run out of money. Some didn't make much so they didn't save and don't get much SS. Some worked for themselves and didn't pay much into SS and didn't save the cash they didn't report. It's not pretty as they are now in declining health and going broke.

HermitJohn · #18 03/23/11, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeman

We could definitely expand this discussion. If you look around you'll see the results of some of the people that worked just enough to get by or worked for themselves but didn't report their earnings like they should have. Starting to see the people that are in their 70's now beginning to run out of money. Some didn't make much so they didn't save and don't get much SS. Some worked for themselves and didn't pay much into SS and didn't save the cash they didn't report. It's not pretty as they are now in declining health and going broke.

Stuff happens. The happy little industrious ants that worked and worked and worked and saved and saved and saved can still get wiped out cause their private health insurance decided since they didnt mention when taking out the policy they had acne when they were 15, that their quadruple bypass isnt going to be covered.

Or heck maybe somebody slipped and fell on sidewalk in front of their McMansion one cold and snowy day. The person sued and was awarded $2M beyond what their liability insurance covered....

Guarantees in life, there arent any. Work all your life and gamble the proceeds over and over successfully to try and become richer than god and you still have no guarantees. Maybe a govt takes over that proceeds to make the Weimar Republic look fiscally conservative and your millions have the buying power of a few hundred.

Maybe do it the old fashioned way and have 16 children like my great grandparents. Hoping that at least one of them will live and be well to do enough and kind hearted enough to take you in for your golden years...

willow_girl · #19 03/23/11, 11:38 PM

When I was single, I worked part-time for the TSA just to have health insurance. I also worked another part-time job which I liked a whole lot better (unfortunately it didn't offer insurance, though).

Now I'm married to a man who is retired military so I have good insurance through the government (Tricare). And my premiums are, like, $35 a month!

That's like winning the lottery AFAIC.

Witterbound · #20 03/24/11, 10:23 AM

I'm self employed. Health insurance is, by far, my largest bill evey month. Those who have good jobs with companies that provide health insurance, have no idea how much this benefit would cost if you have to pay for it yourself. No idea. I believe most homesteaders either have a spouse that works off the farm that provides the health insurance for the family, or they do without.