Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Diana Duncan <dianaduncan AT contentdb.net>]

On Feb 24, 2005, at 9:52 AM, Colleen McCarthy wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> Thanks so much for all of the information!  I'm looking at an 
> opportunity
> with a startup, and may have to carry all of my benefits myself.  This 
> leads
> me to further questions...
This is not answering your actual questions, but when Craig and I were 
carrying our own benefits, we found it was MUCH cheaper to buy them as 
the company.  Since we had two people in our company, we could have a 
"group" and bought United Healthcare coverage.  I would suggest to this 
startup that they go ahead and sign up as a group, then just pass 100% 
of the cost on to the employees.  It would certainly save any employees 
the hassle of trying to buy their own coverage.  The employees can 
always decline the "benefit" should they find cheaper coverage 
themselves.

The other thing about group coverage vs. individual -- we couldn't find 
a single individual policy at the time that would cover maternity.  
Isn't that strange?  So that's another reason we went for a group 
policy.  Thank goodness, for it was a month after buying the policy 
that I got pregnant with Caelan!  It does make me wonder what other 
strange exclusions individual policies may have.

Anyway, just a thought.

Diana