Health Insurance

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I apologize if this is a silly question but.....

I have insurance right now because my husband is in the military. He gets out in a few weeks and we will lose the insurance. I begin my first CNA job on June 16 (I'm currently an RN student) the job will be 15 hours in a 2 week time period, obviously making it part time. Do I need health insurance to practice as a CNA?

Also I live in NJ. The only reason it is $20/hr is because I have to work every other weekend and can't pick up any other shifts, I'm not complaining ;)

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Id gladly take that!!!! I wanna work weekends and wouldn't mind doing every other!

But no :( stuck with $13 for weekend nights

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I shouldn't complain tho. A lot of people cannot get into a hospital. Even at $8 i would be greatful :) only one semester of nursing school left, I am defiantly excited about a hospital position!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Stupid question but if he's getting out of the military why won't you have Tricare or Champva?

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Stupid question but if he's getting out of the military why won't you have Tricare or Champva?

My husband is separating- he completed his four year contract- so they literally cut you off the day separation is scheduled for. I won't even be able to get on base.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
My husband is separating- he completed his four year contract- so they literally cut you off the day separation is scheduled for. I won't even be able to get on base.

Oh I see... I'm still thinking you would be covered under TAMPS, or CHCBP it's the military version of COBRA insurance. Call the nuber on the back of your current card and ask them what your options. If it's Humana military like I'm thinking then they should be able to work something out with you. Good Luck!

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Specializes in hospice.
No, you don't need the insurance to practice as a CNA, but you might be penalized for not having insurance when you file your income taxes due to the ACA.

Gotta love that wonderful new law....penalize the people who can't afford insurance for not being able to afford insurance.

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Specializes in None yet..

I would not work as a CNA without some health insurance. CNAs can get some serious, prolonged injuries. The question's moot, though, because having health insurance is a legal requirement now, just like having a driver's license and etc. Check out your state's health care insurance registry to see what's available.

The advice about using a mechanical lift is great... but not always possible. And you can be injured by things other than lifting: a nurse at my facility has been out for months after a resident with MS ran over her foot in an electric wheelchair; another CNA injured her back adjusting an overweight resident's position (not something you can do with a lift.) Despite best efforts, we can get injured. That's why it's called an accident, I guess.

Congratulations on your first CNA job!

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Specializes in None yet..
Gotta love that wonderful new law....penalize the people who can't afford insurance for not being able to afford insurance.

You could say the same about many of our regressive tax laws: tax food for people who can barely afford food; maybe any sales tax (compared to an income tax) penalizes the poor on necessities they can barely afford, if they're lucky.

Yep, I was mad at Obama for awhile for not getting single-payer through. I thought, "This is a great big gift to private insurance companies!" Still, given the current political climate, it's amazing anything was put in place and I haven't run into anyone who doesn't like the benefits, if not the costs. Something needed to be done about our healthcare system. Sometimes you need a toehold on the mountain with fixes later.

Sometimes the perfect is the enemy of good.

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Specializes in hospice.

Wow. Single payer. I'll just say you and I are on opposite sides of the political spectrum and leave it at that.

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You are both required to have health insurance, but it's not because of your job. It's the law.

You don't say what state you're in, but your next step is to go to your state's health insurance exchange, or the federal one if your state doesn't have one, or an independent insurance agent (they're in the phone book) and speak to the folks there about getting an insurance plan you can afford. Many people don't how much premiums are subsidized if you qualify as low income-- I am doing some pro bono case management for a friend with an annual income of about $23K and his premiums are zero-zip-nada-nuthin' for a pretty good plan, and he sees the same physician I do.

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Specializes in hospice.

His premium may be zip zero nada, but someone is paying for it....namely people like me who make too much for a subsidy but too little to afford a really good plan.

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