Tonik can help you save your A to Z?

According to a recent study sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation Nationwide, there are around 23.6 million adults, or 32.4 percent of the population between the ages of 19-and-24 who currently lack the health insurance coverage that every financially sensible adult needs. Here in California, where there are approximately 6 million uninsured residents with about 1.6 million of them falling into that 19-to-29 year-old category. To many twenty-somethings, the pressure to begin building careers often takes priority over the idea taking a far less-exciting job that includes a benefits package. For example, a growing number of young adults are starting their own businesses. In 2004, the National Association for the Self Employed conducted surveys revealing fifteen percent of its members were in their 20s or 30s.

College graduates are entering a job market wherein fewer and fewer firms are financially able to offer comprehensive health insurance benefits. From 2000 to 2003, the numbers of nineteen to thirty-four year olds covered by employer-sponsored health insurance, plan fell by six million. The reasons for such dramatic decline can be linked to the fact that there are more adults who are either self-employed or working at smaller firms that aren’t able to offer benefits.

Most of this wouldn’t even be a mild concern, for most 19 to 29 year olds if it weren’t for the ever rising costs of health care and health insurance.  Unfortunately, we live in an unpredictable world and anyone who reads the paper or watches television knows that life can throw major curveballs.  So why not be prepared?  Having affordable health insurance could end up saving you A LOT of money and in some instances possibly your life by having access to top care.

What You Could End Up Spending On Medical Care

• If you need to spend one night in a hospital $7,175.00
• If you need longer term care, the national average cost for a full hospital stay is $30,000.00
• If your appendix bursts the care and surgery required to deal with appendicitis (five days in a hospital on average) could total out at as much as $48,151.00
• If your knee pops on the slopes, the knee surgery and rehabilitative care plus an average two day long hospital stay could easily cost you $48,302.00
• If you crack your skull against a reef or curb, care for a skull fracture plus intra-cerebral hemorrhage will be at least $291,305.00
• You need to be flown to the hospital in an air ambulance – $8,928.00
• You need to be driven the hospital in a traditional ambulance $607.00
• Remember, anti-dumping laws only require that hospitals stabilize you-not fix you

In order to meet the health insurance needs of  twenty-somethings, Blue Cross of California launched a fresh group of health care plans that are collectively known as TONIK. The trio of TONIK Plans, dubbed The Thrill Seeker, The Part Time Daredevil and lastly The Calculated Risk Taker were created to serve the healthcare needs of young people and built around their healthy and active lifestyles. TONIK’s plans range in premium expense from around $64 to $80 per month, and its yearly deductibles bottom-out at $1,500 to $5000.

By applying online, applicants for TONIK policies can get a virtually instant response after answering a series of questions regarding age, area of residence, any past hospital stays, prescription drugs they regularly take, etc. Blue Cross of California’s standard underwriting policies do apply. The TONIK plans are intended to service a generally healthy population aged 19 to 29, who may, on occasion, experience either a sudden illness or an unexpected injury, such as appendicitis or a broken bone, but not to cover individuals with existing, serious medical problems. TONIK plans do not offer coverage for standard maternity care expenses, so for those considering parenthood Blue Cross offers other insurance options.

Twenty-something’s interested in learning more about TONIK and its plans are invited to fill out a free, quick and easy application.

TONIK Plans:
·  The Thrill Seeker
·  The Part Time Daredevil
· The Calculated Risk Taker