Health Insurance: Looking Back -- And Ahead
Justin George, 25, Found It Can Pay to Go It Alone
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. | |||||||||||
Justin George, an auditor at a small firm, fought the odds and won: He spurned his employer's offer of an HMO and, three months ago, found cheaper insurance he liked better in the individual market. "I went to e-Healthinsurance.com," says George, who lives in Washington, and found a Blue Cross PPO for $117 a month -- about half what he'd pay in his employer's HMO plan. The cheaper plan provides better coverage, including mental health and prescription drug benefits, than his workplace insurance, and allows him an open network of providers. "They offered me the benefits I needed at a better cost," George said. The individual insurance market generally provides costlier, less comprehensive coverage. George exposed one of its bright spots: Young and healthy individuals can find decent deals. George understands his good fortune is "because of the age bracket I'm in." He plans to continue with the plan for the foreseeable future. Should employer-provided coverage become a better deal as he ages, he'll switch." His grade: B | |||||||||||
