The Open enrollment window for health insurance is now open. It’s not the most exciting topic but it’s got to be discussed… if you truly can’t bear it I give you permission to skip to the end where we have another concert ticket Giveaway courtesy of Goldenvoice.
Now for those of you who are interested enough to stay.
Open enrollment means if you are not lucky enough to have a job that provides insurance coverage then this is time to evaluate your current plan, if you have one.
You have only a few weeks to shop around and switch to a more favorable one. But get cracking as the deadline is December 15th. If you miss the cut-off you could well be stuck with your current plan for another year. When I say ‘current’ it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be on the same terms. The monthly premium is bound to increase and so may the coverage. I was with Blue Shield last year but had to switch as the cost rose by 30% and my GP no longer accepted it.
Don’t feel dumb if you find the American system confusing, I’ve been here over 20 years and I still don’t fully understand it. I’ve finally grasped that ‘deductible’ sort of means ‘excess’, but still get a little confused with the term ‘out of pocket’, as it seems I am always ‘out of pocket’ whenever I use my insurance, but then get told that’s just a ‘co-pay’!
It really pays to get advice from an expert. Many of you may already know Adam Beach of Beach Financial Group. We highly recommend him. He has advertised with Brits in LA for many years and helped hundreds of our members with everything from insurance to financial guidance. The best part of all is that using an insurance broker shouldn’t cost you any extra. So save yourself the headache and go to a pro.
However, there is still a bit of homework for you to do. Before signing on the dotted line you will want to check that your preferred doctors/clinics accept your plan. Then reconfirm this with your insurance company, preferably in writing. I found out the hard way (to the tune of $700!) when my dermatologist assured me they were ‘in my network’. They took a copy of my insurance and charged me a co-pay, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t covered.
I recently discovered yet another thing to be aware of. I received a bill for over $300, all because the doctor sent my lab work (blood tests etc.) to a facility that wasn’t ‘in network’. Fortunately, this time the insurance company (Oscar) came to my rescue. They wrote off the entire amount as a ‘surprise bill’. Appropriately named, as I was not expecting that outcome at all. For those of you thinking you can pop back to the UK if you need medical attention, think again. We recently had a member who broke their neck when swimming in the ocean. They had let their insurance lapse as they had never used it, then one day at the beach ended up costing them $150,000! So at the very least get some kind of catastrophic coverage, and hope that you never have to use it.
We would love to get your feedback, especially if you like your insurance provider or have any advice you think your fellow members would benefit from. Email us at info@britsin.la
Don’t forget the clocks fall back this Sunday, this is also a good reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. If you have friends or family not as able as you why not offer to change theirs too?
Now it’s time for the Goldenvoice Giveaway! We have a pair of tickets to see Mercury prize winners, Young Fathers at the Fonda on November 9th. Email us at info@Britsin.la to enter. Make sure to include your name on your photo ID. Winner will be picked at random and notified via email on November 7th.
Make sure to keep an eye on our Facebook or Instagram pages as that is where we announce last minute competitions.
Lastly, we will have Remembrance poppies available at Breakfast Club – all donations go to the Royal British Legion. Huge thank you to Michael Barnes who organizes this every year.
Cheers!
Eileen
Public Service Announcement – scammers have found yet another way to steal your identity. By stealing your phone number! The way these attacks work is hackers call up your cellphone provider and trick them into thinking they are you—a method known as “social engineering”—in order to get a new SIM card linked to your account. Then they can easily request access to your bank accounts and anything else that is linked to your number. These attacks can be prevented, or at least made much harder, by setting up a phone password. This is essentially a unique password or phrase that you are required to provide when you call your provider’s customers’ support. Most US carriers now offer this option.
I know of at least 2 people this has happened to within the last month, and they both said it’s an absolute nightmare to deal with. So call your provider and ask them to set this up for you today.
