the Price of Health Insurance from COBRA

I paid 385 a month for ongoing COBRA insurance, in Denton, Texas. The only party insured was myself, male age 39, nonsmoker. The deductible is 500 dollars and the charge to see the doctor is 20 dollars copay. Medicines vary from a copay of 2.50 to over 40 dollars, according to which group they fall in.

I don't know if the service is a good value or not. The last time I had a COBRA plan was in 1998 for a couple of months with a different company and better coverage, and that was less than 170 dollars a month. Then again, it's been 10 years, and I was possibly considered less expensive to ensure when I was in my late 20s. I wish the copay to see the doctor with the 2008 service was less (I paid 5 dollars in '98), but I understand that insurance companies are trying to keep costs down by discouraging patients from making too many visits to the doctor.

I happened to be at an employer who only offered medical insurance through a single company-- if you are in a position to choose between different providers when you exit your employer, or are able to up your deductible if you think you can afford to do that, maybe you can do better than I did.