Cobra

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

Yes.

The only way to know how much it's gonna run is to ask your HR department or someone presently on it with your employer. Get a complete breakdown of the different charges: health insurance, dental, vision, etc. Usually these are available separately... e.g., you can choose health coverage, but not dental, etc.

The prices will not be cheap as they will charge you the employer's cost plus a premium for admin expenses.

Good luck!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jun 20, 2007

Can you get your medical benefits under COBRA , if you resign from your job? Or, do you have to be laid off? Also, does anybody know how I can find out exactly how much it will be, without sounding like I am going to quit my job? I havent decided to leave yet, and to be honest, this will be a deciding factor......

Like the above-poster wrote, you need to talk to HR to get the specifics. However, unless something has changed in the last couple of years since I inquired, COBRA has a maximum benefit time of 18 months: it's designed to get you covered in between Job A's leaving and Job B's picking up coverage, not indefinitely. Also, in many cases, the cost of COBRA is high enough that if it's just a short time, many choose to keep the premiums and put it aside in case they need it, rather than buying the insurance. Just an option, not a recommendation.

My husband changed jobs several years ago and there would be a month in between him leaving and his new job start date; we were concerned since we have a family of needs. COBRA was wicked expensive, but going without insurance was not viable for us. So they promised us, in writing, that the start date for the insurance would be retro to the day after he left the last company, so even though we weren't paying anything, if we DID need to get coverage, we'd just start paying in at that point and we'd be covered. Check with new HR where you plan to work (if this is the case) to see if that's an option, too.

Jolie, BSN · Jun 20, 2007

Like the above-poster wrote, you need to talk to HR to get the specifics. However, unless something has changed in the last couple of years since I inquired, COBRA has a maximum benefit time of 18 months: it's designed to get you covered in between Job A's leaving and Job B's picking up coverage, not indefinitely. Also, in many cases, the cost of COBRA is high enough that if it's just a short time, many choose to keep the premiums and put it aside in case they need it, rather than buying the insurance. Just an option, not a recommendation

COBRA is very expensive, but I would strongly caution anyone against voluntarily going without insurance coverage, even for a short time. If you have been continually insured for a period of time (I believe it is the last 12 months), your new employer's insurance policy can not deny or postpone coverage for pre-existing conditions. If you have a lapse in your insurance of even 1 month, they can.

If COBRA is too expensive, check into catastrophic-only policies offered by many independent insurance companies on a short-term basis.

As for the OP's original question, you are eligible for COBRA coverage if you resign. The only way I know of that an employer can deny COBRA coverage is if you were fired for gross misconduct.

purple1953reading · Jun 21, 2007

Jolie was right about the fact that if you have been constantly insured for a year (or however long your state says) , that you cannot be denied coverage or have a lapse if you start a new job. COBRA is EXPENSIVE, years ago, I paid $850 plus for the medical for my self only and an extra $150 to keep the dental for myself and kids , as they were in process of getting braces. 18 months is standard. It takes about 6 weeks ,usually, for them to send you a statement requesting payment. I would not and could not go without it. IF you have a spouse, you has coverage on you, and your family, in addition to your ins. you would probably be ok, but otherwise, I would not let it lapse if possible. You might be able to find out from human resources, by asking them what you would have to pay, should you be on FMLA, as opposed, to regular COBRA if time limits on FMLA runs out.

With children,I WOULD never be without , it is not feasible for me.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2007

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_cobra.html - this is the "faqs about cobra continuation health coverage" page on the u.s. department of labor website that will answer your questions about cobra health insurance coverage.

if you currently have medical (and dental or vision benefits) with your employer and you resign from your job, your employer must notify you within 30 to 45 days of your cobra benefits rights. you have 60 days from your date of the written notice that you receive to decide if you want to continue your medical (dental, vision) benefits. after that, you lose any right to continue the same coverage. fyi. . .if you chose to take the benefit you will have to pay for the insurance coverage, usually from the first month after your termination, so your first check to them may be a big payment if it has taken 2 months for these letters to get back and forth to you in the mail. those two months of coverage aren't going to be free.

it you decide to continue your medical insurance coverage under cobra what happens is that you end up paying this employer a monthly premium to continue on their medical insurance. in the past i've had to make these monthly payments to the human resources department of my old employer. as another poster said, you pay the cost that the employer pays. they will tell you what the cost will be in the official letter they are required to send you notifying you of your cobra rights after you terminate from your job. to be on the safe side, ask about your cobra rights at the time you terminate and follow up so you don't lose your chance to keep your insurance coverage. 60 days can go by very fast. you are entitled to this coverage for up to 18 months; 24 months if you become disabled and qualify for federal disability (it takes 24 months before you can get medicare coverage under federal disability which is why cobra benefits are extended to 24 months specifically for that). if during those months that you are covered by cobra, the employer changes the insurance company they do their medical coverage with, you will automatically be covered with the new insurance company like all the other employees.