Health Insurance issues & DH possibly going back to school next year

[filiadeluna]

Hi all,

Currently we have DH's health insurance through his full-time employer.  He is hoping to go back to school next year to get his Education Certificate so he can be a teacher.  He wants to continue working at least part-time to make sure we can pay our bills and not just take out tons of loans to cover them.  I am a SAHM/self-employed Birth Pro.  He is concerned about how we are going to have health insurance.  We have a few options that I know of so far:

1)  He can try to find a part-time job that offers health benefits (out there, but not all that common) - this would be our best option

2)  the University offers a health care plan for students, but I'm sure that it is pretty expensive

3)  I *might* be able to qualify for a partially state-funded health insurance program for the self-employed, but currently I don't make *enough* to qualify (you have to make like $9,600 minimum I think), and I still have to pay 2/3rds of the premium

4) Last resort - we will have to pay completely out-of-pocket for a private health insurance program, which seems like it can be as much as $350 a month!  Yikes!

None of us have chronic health issues, but I know that things can happen anytime - especially accidents.  I don't want to be stuck with a $10K hospital bill if something happens to one of us, but paying over $4,000 a year when we only go to the doctor 1-2x per year (usually for a sinus infection or something), seems pretty outrageous.  Lastly, I am not planning on going to a hospital to give birth the next time we have a baby anyway, so insurance isn't an issue as far as maternity coverage goes.

Please help me figure this out!

[Doodlebugsmom]

It seems your dd may qualify for Tennessee's children's insurance program.

http://www.covertn.gov/web/coverkids_eligible.html

I would look into a catastrophic plan for you and your dh if you can't afford the school's insurance or private policies.