Health Insurance Coverage for Chronic Conditions
Making a relationship work is a tricky thing to navigate on its own. You have to keep in mind each other’s love languages, each other’s triggers, dietary restrictions, and general likes and dislikes. You need to be protector, lover, confidant, friend, and at times, caregiver. Sometimes the dynamics with the other’s family is a minefield of hurt and caution, not to mention keeping friendships going while also fostering the bond between you and your significant other. Then, while you’re working through all of this, and you learn that one of you has a chronic illness? You’ve now entered into an entirely new world of complications, hurt, and confusion.
Finding the best insurance plan for both of you
Because the population in Australia is now cohabitating for long periods of time before marrying later in life, a new hurdle in insurance coverage has come into play more often. Can you, or more importantly, should you, find an insurance plan that covers both of you, or should you be on your own plan? This can be difficult if both partners are healthy, but even more when chronic illness is a factor for one or both of you. Check whether both of your places of employment provide insurance options. Is covering an unmarried partner even an option for either of you? If not, that makes the decision easy. Compare health insurance plans online. If it is, you’ll need to take a deep dive into what’s covered, what’s necessary to secure that coverage, and how much of a hit your wallet will have to take to get the benefits.
Choosing the plan best for you
If your respective employers don’t offer plans that help you in the ways you need, separate or together, you’ll want to look into either a private plan or a Medicare option. Private plans have the advantage of more control. You choose your doctors and whether you want to be a private patient in either a public or private hospital. You can also go for plans that have a lower out-of-pocket cost, but higher cost to fully help the one with a chronic illness. One flare-up of lupus, endometriosis, etc., can cause painfully high bills, not to mention be difficult for your mental health. This may require visits for medications or therapies for one or both of you. Look at plans with the worst-case-scenario mindset. Having more coverage than necessary is better than the alternative. Also keep in mind that with multiple claims on a private insurance account, the premiums and rates may go up for both people the next year. So if one person has a condition that requires hospital stays and other expensive treatments, the other partner may well end up paying for it, as well.
A Medicare option may be the best for the partner who doesn’t have a chronic illness. While Medicare does cover the basics, and you’re able to see specialists, aftercare isn’t always covered. This includes physical, occupational, speech, and home nursing. Nor does it cover things such as eyeglasses and contacts. If you’re currently in a position where none of this is a concern to you, it may be cheaper and easier to stick with Medicare. Fortunately, a person can have Medicare for the basics and join a private insurance as well to cover the extras. This could be the best option for someone who’s otherwise healthy, but struggles with something like trouble sleeping, because Medicare can also help with the cost of medication in most cases.
Of course, treatments for non-severe issues don’t always have to be done through prescriptions. There are natural and holistic ways to attend to problems of sleeping, mild joint pain, and even headaches. Many individuals are resorting to solutions like CBD. Natural substances have seen a major increase in popularity, and CBD tops the charts. If you’re considering a natural remedy rather than a prescribed pill, look into CBD topicals, gummies, oils, or even drinks. Just be sure you are in full legal clearance to purchase these items, as limitations and restrictions vary from one state to another. Colorado CBD laws, for instance, are far different from those enforced in Georgia, so consult with a lawyer or trusted source to take the next steps in pursuing this treatment option.
Choosing the right insurance for you and your partner, especially one with a chronic illness, can be stressful. But if you have researched thoroughly, you’ll be able to gain peace of mind with your decision.