Yes, I'm on it through Group Health. I pay $17/mo just for coverage for myself, so I really can't complain. It's certainly better than nothing. I think coverage really depends on your area, but I think you live near me? I go to the Lynnwood GH - well, I've only been once, but it's closest to me so I picked a PCP there. You can actually use Group Health's website to pick a PCP and location, see your lab test results, etc. You still don't get full access to everything that you might if you had Group Health through an employer, but it's way more than I was expecting. I didn't find the application process hard, once I finally did it. I think I just sent in 4 check stubs (a month's worth) which had my name & address on it as well.
Then again, I am not married, so that probably made things a little easier (and is the whole reason I qualify for such a cheap plan to begin with). They have a graph somewhere on the website that shows how much your premium should be. I think I had a $15 copay when I went in for a general office visit, and I didn't have to pay anything for blood work.
I think the biggest difference between Basic Health and private coverage is the cost. In most cases this will be much cheaper, but it's true that the coverage isn't so good. I really, really wish that it had dental and vision options.
There was another option other than Group Health in this area, something like Community Health Plan of WA? Something like that. I have no idea what the differences are, though.
How good is the coverage? Are the premiums reasonable? Is it better than private insurance through an employer? How easy was the application process? I just submitted mine online and have a couple of more documents to submit before it gets processed. I jumped on it right now while it was open, and I'm hoping that we get coverage.
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