Health Insurance: Looking Back -- And Ahead
Anita Sikand, MD, 44, Was Shocked By the Cost of Providing Coverage
Each year, many of us make choices about our health insurance. See how life and their health plans affected some people this year and how that will reflect in 2008 selections. We'll check back with some of them in the coming year to see how their choices work out. Select an image to the left to read more. | |||||||||||
Most people think doctors needn't worry about health insurance; that's not true when it comes to providing staff coverage, says Anita Sikand of McLean, an OB-GYN with offices in the District and Arlington. Shopping for coverage in the small-group market, "we're just like everyone else," Sikand says. "There is no favoritism." When she started her practice in 2000, she was "shocked" to find that health insurance cost four times what she paid during her residency. "No one prepares you for that," she says. Sikand went without for a year. Today she has an HMO through CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and pays more than $1,000 a month in premiums for family coverage; she offers the same coverage to her office staff. She likes the coverage but thinks it's overpriced since her family is healthy. She says her plan has no deductibles on most services and no coinsurance. The small-group market offers more protections than the individual market. For example, a small employer sponsoring a group health plan cannot be rejected because of the health status or age of employees. But in Virginia and the District, small-group insurers can charge largely what they like. "I have no negotiating power," Sikand says. Each year, Sikand and her broker look at the options, including high-deductible plans, but she keeps the Blue Cross HMO. "When you look at all the factors, the HMO is still the best choice," she says. Her grade: C to D | |||||||||||
