Anyone dealt with COBRA?

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2015

It doesn't matter why you left, you are eligible for COBRA for up to 18 months after leaving a job. You don't have to prove you left d/t a drastic change in working conditions. If you haven't already, you should be receiving a letter from your previous employer with information about COBRA. I had to pay for COBRA for a month in between jobs a few years ago, because my new job had a 60 day waiting period for health insurance. I quit the first job. They sent me a letter and I filled out the paperwork and paid the premium, that was it.

angelcake11 · Jan 5, 2015

COBRA= you pay the whole premium each month as your employer o longer will. Because of The ACA, insurance companies can no longer impose pre-existing condition clauses, so shop around. Another thing to consider is to apply for medicaid and see if they'll cover you based on income.If you build a good case with a social worker and show you have great medical need and no benefits until Feb, and your paystubs show you cannot afford those bills (bring those and anything showimg your main life expenses) they may give you temporary medicaid or at least offer a share of cost plan. i work teaching medical billing so i ow a thing or two, good luck!

T-Bird78 · Jan 5, 2015

COBRA is actually part of HIPAA (the Portability part) and it mandates that you be allowed to carry your same policy for up to 18 months after you leave your employer, regardless of the reason. You can carry it until your new benefits kick in next month and will be fine. Be aware, thought, that YOU have to pay the whole premium and not just the amount you paid after your employer's contribution. Also, be aware that people are still being denied certain tx due to "pre-existing condition." You can get health coverage, but the specific condition itself can be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. I've seen it 3 times in the past year in my asthma clinic, so it is still out there.

elkpark · Jan 5, 2015

As already noted, COBRA coverage is a Federal entitlement that applies regardless of why you left your position.

Also, check with someone in your HR department and don't do it just because I said so, but, several years ago, when I was leaving a job and not planning on having insurance (right away) going forward, I was advised by the HR person at my previous job that you don't have to sign up and pay for COBRA right away -- you are entitled to it for 18 months, and can sign up at any point during the 18 months. She advised me to not sign up and start paying premiums (because they were v. expensive), and to wait and see if I needed the insurance. At any point during the 18 months, if I found myself needing to use the insurance, I could, at that time, sign up and get the coverage (the catch is, you have to pay all the accumulated back premiums -- but if you end up not needing the insurance before you get a new job or other new insurance, you save a lot of money. :))

I did end up, a few months later, needing to use the insurance, and I had no difficulty getting signed up and getting coverage at that later time (although, again, I did have to pay the back premiums). But, again, don't do anything just because I said so -- check with your HR department.

I realize the OP said that s/he has medical problems that preclude going without insurance for a while, but I posted this info since most people don't seem to know about it and it might be helpful for someone else (or maybe even the OP, who knows?)

Best wishes!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jan 5, 2015

I've used COBRA, paid my policy premium for my family (EXPENSIVE) and still didn't have any prescription coverage. Why not? Because my employer had it set up as a separate rider, NOT "part of" the policy itself, so I couldn't extend that. Or, I suppose I might have been offered it, but at such an expense that I paid for regular monthly prescriptions out of pocket. They weren't/aren't cheap by any stretch, so if it was possible to get that coverage even for a small fortune, I'd have paid it. But.....couldn't

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Jan 5, 2015

Losing coverage is a life status change, so why not look into ACA? It will probably be cheaper than COBRA.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jan 5, 2015

talk to HR at your old employer's office. They can tell you price. You have that option but it will be expensive.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jan 5, 2015

When I left my last employer, I had the option for COBRA. It was not something I could take at any time. I had to sign up within a few months or the option was off the table. Be careful about time limits, if you choose to wait.

Do consider ACA as well as COBRA, and compare benefits and costs. I'm not sure which would be the best, and am going to figure that out soon, for myself.

elkpark · Jan 5, 2015

When I left my last employer, I had the option for COBRA. It was not something I could take at any time. I had to sign up within a few months or the option was off the table. Be careful about time limits, if you choose to wait.

Ahh -- so that's not a universal thing ... The time that I had my experience, the job that I was leaving was a state job, and the state was pretty generous with its employees. Maybe that's the difference.

mtngrl, ASN, RN · Jan 6, 2015

My daughter had short term insurance for a while, it was not expensive but after signing up she got a letter pointing out that the coverage did not meet the guideline for Obama's definition of insurance, so she will still have to pay the tax penalty!

tnmarie · Jan 6, 2015

Thanks for all the replies. I still haven't decided what to do yet. Gonna see how much continued coverage through COBRA will be before I decide anything and also gonna find out when exactly my coverage through previous employer ends. I do know that my maintenance meds are going to cost over $300 without insurance! :eek: Still it may be cheaper to just pay that amount and not carry insurance until February...

...Also, be aware that people are still being denied certain tx due to "pre-existing condition." You can get health coverage, but the specific condition itself can be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. I've seen it 3 times in the past year in my asthma clinic, so it is still out there.

Yeah, I think those policies are known as "off market" or non-ACA policies. You really have to double check to make sure you are getting an ACA policy if you want preventative care and no denials. Plus you still get to pay the tax penalty if you are getting a non ACA qualifying policy.

My daughter had short term insurance for a while, it was not expensive but after signing up she got a letter pointing out that the coverage did not meet the guideline for Obama's definition of insurance, so she will still have to pay the tax penalty!

That is my concern with short term insurance; most don't seem to meet the ACA standards. They don't offer preventative care (which I don't need anyway) and don't cover preexisting conditions (which would be a problem for me).