vivekajayshah

We have used Hellosign for years, and they are modern, awesome, and always responsive.

We did a case study here - if that helps: http://blog.hellosign.com/simplyinsured-leverages-esignature...

I have had the following laptops - on which I've installed Linux:

- Thinkpad X1 Carbon (works perfectly - ubuntu 12.10) - Thinkpad T540p (works perfectly - ubuntu 13.10) - HP Envy 15 (terrible - ubuntu 12.04)

All worked out of the box - except for the HP.

My two cents - get the X1 Carbon on lenovo outlet ($1K for 8GB ram, i7, etc.)

Everything worked on it - webcam - suspend, resume - wireless - sound - UEFI settings (for dual boot)

Actually - the guide to deciding which plan works in any market (those options are available nationwide).

Using our decision guide could save you thousands on health insurance - assuming you pick the right combination of tax-credits, subsidies, and exchanges.

If it's still unclear - send me a message, and I can help you navigate for your state.

The founder.

Exactly! Unfortunately - the ACA "format" is still legalese... like this (government mandated form) http://www.seechangehealth.com/SitePages/PDFLoader.aspx?Titl...

We've built software to normalize despite that - check us out!

Check out our blog post here: http://blog.simplyinsured.com/what-startups-need-to-know-abo...

The chart under Question #2 - answers your question.

That is a really great point. We wanted to make it - but were trying to find a data-backed way of showing it.

Do you know of any studies/reports that show offering healthcare - results in lower hiring costs, more applicants, more qualified people, etc?

We don't assume all startups are in California, we just have the best dataset for CA (since that is where we operate). We look forward to showing analyses like this for other states as information becomes available.

For example - this is a great analysis by Forbes (which we linked to) http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2013/what-will-obamacar... that goes state by state.

The other potential effect is that startups continue to spend the same amount of money - but purchase lower benefit levels e.g., move to $5-10K maximums from $2-3K maximums.

Why would it be "claimed"?

Currently in most states - small group plans are already "guaranteed issue" - which means that you will get covered, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

We have insured hundreds of customers with pre-existing conditions under California's current guaranteed issue rules . These are the same rules that are going into effect nationwide for individuals.

Family plans are literally 2x individual plans - the maximum, deductible, and other limits are just doubled for the family.

For your spouse - you can identify her rate by entering her in as an individual (her quote is her rate).

Currently - our quoting tool: http://www.simplyinsured.com/small-group/first-quote will also let you see the prices for spouses & children on current small group health insurance plans.

Startups benefits don't have to suck! Our company has worked with dozens of startups to provide amazing benefits - for usually less than 3-4% of employee salaries.

Check us out: http://www.simplyinsured.com

Hi! I'm Vivek - founder of SimplyInsured.

We can be both your broker, software, and strong point of contact. We act as an "extended HR" for our customers - any issues they have with bills, insurance companies, or doctors - we help them navigate.

My contact info is in my profile - feel free to reach me, and I will get your company set up.

This is a very insightful article - BUT - you're paying way too much for health insurance.

Shoot me an email (contact info in profile) or check out http://www.simplyinsured.com - assuming you have 2-3 people on your team, we can save you thousands. I'm looking at quotes right now for fantastic insurance at around $150-$250/person.

Thank you jaz!

This is a great event for a great cause!

In addition - if you live in California - Cal-COBRA covers you for 36 months, and also covers companies with less than 20 employees.

More info: http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0100-consumers/0070-health-issue...

Thanks for catching that. Our website currently doesn't have a section for families - but we plan on launching this soon.

If you send me your email (mine is in my profile), I'd be happy to notify you when it launches.

Starting in 2014 - it will be illegal to have lifetime caps on health insurance. Also limits on "essential services" will be illegal. They are loosely defined as:

- Emergency services - Prescription drugs - Mental and behavioral health, and substance abuse treatment - Preventive, wellness, and chronic disease management - Pediatric services - Maternity and newborn care

Excluding based on pre-existing conditions will also be illegal starting in 2014. Until then - California has a health plan for pre-existing conditions here: http://www.pcip.ca.gov/Home/default.aspx and you can find information for all state here: https://www.pcip.gov/

Worst Case is calculated using a simulated "catastrophic illness" - a combination of surgery, expensive drugs, emergency care, and hospitalization.

The costs we calculated are yearly estimates - assuming you stay with the same plan, and they don't/can't raise your rates or cancel your plan - this estimate should hold for chronic illness.

We can estimate costs for specific chronic illnesses - click the "Personalize" button on the left side of the result page. You can select the specific chronic condition you're worried about, and it will provide a customized estimate.

My contact info is my profile - feel free to call/email if you have further questions.

pretty interesting community - I like the recommendations I can get from friends.