[Brent Hahn]

It's a complicated subject.

As I'm sure you've found out, there's no cheap way around this. And of course, your premiums depend on your age, where you live, number of kids.

As for your prescription meds, all insurance companies handle it pretty much the same. Once you've sent in your application (with truthful answers about your pre-existing conditions and prescribed medications), they'll offer you a policy with a set percentage added on for your prescriptions. If your basic monthly premium as stated on their rate sheet is high (because, say, you're an old geezer with a wife and kids living in a big city, like me) they'll probably tack on 20 percent or so. If your basic premium is cheap because you're young, rural and childless, they'll probably ding you for another 40 or 50 percent, since the prescription is a fixed cost.

Then there's the basic question of HMO vs. PPO. Your monthly premiums will be lower with an HMO, but it's risky. Ever wonder why some haircutters wind up working at Supercuts? Same goes for doctors.

And besides, the big ticket PPO's like Blue Cross and Blue Shield get steep discounts on medical services which get passed on to you, and you benefit even if you never make your deductible. Makes a huge difference in what you'll pay for your wife's mammograms and pap smears, for instance.

With any PPO, you'll save money by going with a really high deductible. Probably a good bet if you're young and healthy, aside from the ADD.

You also might want to consider becoming a corporation. The initial cash outlay is high, and there are other tax consequences that differ from sole proprietership. But the upside in your case is that, since you would be an employee of your corporation, your health coverage would be 100% deductible. As opposed to the 50% that's deductible for you now as a self-employed person.

Or you could move to the UK or Canada.

Brent Hahn