Hey all, looking for some advice here, as I'm just delving into the world of health insurance for the first time, and it's a bit overwhelming to say the least.
I just started a federal job in Colorado, and need to figure out my insurance. This is the first time I've had options, so I'm looking for some advice. I'm 27 years old, single, female, generally pretty healthy. I'm looking for something that covers preventative care, women's health and birth control, and hopefully some counseling sessions as I'm dealing with adjustments coming back to the States after serving in the Peace Corps. I'm not anticipating any major medical issues coming up.
In my area, it looks like you can do Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, GEHA, Humana, Kaiser, MHBP, NALC, or United Health Care. Anyone have any experience with these companies in Colorado? The people at my office seem to love Blue Cross Blue Shield, but I am also interested in getting a plan with lower premiums. However, I've run into opinions on the internet saying Aetna or GEHA are great because of the low premiums, until you actually need them to pay for something, and then they're a headache to deal with. Can anyone speak to this? Is it worth going with the recommended Blue Cross Blue Shield, or should I do more research. Does anyone have any experience with Kaiser? They're much cheaper than the other options, but people are telling me not to choose a plan where I can't "shop around".
I'm also interested in looking at a plan with an HSA, but probably not until I can do some more research. I need to understand more how they work and if it would be worth it for me. I also don't have large savings at the moment, but I'm expecting to change that now that I have a salary.
I'm leaning towards not getting any dental insurance, since I've never had many issues and it looks like I can get cleanings as part of preventative care. However, I've heard people say both things: 1) that the dental insurance isn't that good and not really worth it, and 2) that dental problems are SO expensive, and you should always grab dental insurance.
Basically, any advice would be appreciated, especially direct experiences with the different companies in Colorado.