Vent: COBRA insurance, seriously??

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So I was laid off last month. Still waiting to get my application for COBRA insurance. I called the number to ask them when it was coming and asked them how much it was going to cost to have me and my husband on COBRA....$1,000 a MONTH just for medical. Seriously??? My unemployment check will not even come close to covering that, not even half! I am not in favor of Obama Care, but today I am seriously wishing some one would come up with a reasonable universal health care...Take my job away so I have no income and expect me to pay THAT for insurance...what are they smoking?

Great, so my option is to never ever look for another job? I just changed jobs but can't get benefits for 90 days. While I can continue with COBRA (and have) with your reasoning, the choices are limited.

1. Stay at the same job, which equals benefits + check

2. Quit and get nothing

Since I want to seek out job advancement and career improvement, neither of these options was acceptable.

I suppose I also could have worked fulltime at both jobs, to avoid paying for COBRA. However, this was also unacceptable to me (although I considered it) because of exhaustion and primarily because it wasn't safe for my patients.

COBRA costs over $10K a year out of pocket. We are uninsurable otherwise because DH has diabetes and I have a congenital foot defect that requires ongoing care.

Are you kidding me? Basically you are saying get a job that offeres health care coverage or tough.

How about our elderly on Medicare? Are you upset about paying for their health care too?

I never said do not look for a job. I am saying that paid insurance is a benefit that companies offer. When you are not working you do not have insurance unless you have a savings. I myself could not afford COBRA, but it is for that fact that I am saving for an emergency should I need it. ALso, not having insurance would be a big incentive for me to get another job as quickly as possible. Also, if you quit your job as you mentioned in #2..then you woudl not qualify for the subsidy anyway so that really would not be an option for you.

Your exhausted and want job advancement.. me too. Can you IM me with your address so I can send you my medical bills.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Until I see people driving smaller cars, wearing less fancy clothes, get rid of some of their screen tvs, and fancy phones I can not understand people complaining about the cost of insurance. We dont have a problem buying a $1000 tv, but will complain about a $250 deductible for our health. I work in benefits at my job and it floors me when people complain about COBRA or any other costs. It is a high premium...I agree, but is it the company or governments fault that you do not have a savings for times such as this? I would not be able to afford COBRA either , but it is no ones fault but mine. In an economy like this I should have more in savings than I do. Less haircuts, less eating out, less trips to the movie theater. We all have to be prepared.

I HAD savings for a time like this after 9 months on cobra its almost gone. I paid as much on Cobra as I did on rent a month. I don't buy a $1000 TV month. I can't afford to be on COBRA again at least not for a few years....

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I HAD savings for a time like this after 9 months on cobra its almost gone. I paid as much on Cobra as I did on rent a month. I don't buy a $1000 TV month. I can't afford to be on COBRA again at least not for a few years....

I understand you. I could not afford COBRA either. My point is that we as a whole (maybe not you specifically) have to realize the good times are over and we need to cut back and save. We have been in a bad economy for over a year now. I have worked really hard to pay off my debt. I , also, have gone back to school to try and advance my career. The only options I see people put out are more subsidies or public options. There is not any money to fund those things. Who can afford it? Taxes are high as it is. These options do not fund themselves. I am sorry if I came off as judgemental or rude, but compared to other places we are still very blessed. Do you think people in Haiti had COBRA options? Our poorest people are still richer than most of the world.

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I hope all those who are NOT for health care reform/public option remember to refuse Medicare when they turn 65 (universal public health care) - then there will no longer be a Medicare shortfall ("Oh! I didn't mean for me - I meant for anyone else!") And may you be uninsured for awhile and have to pay COBRA like I and many of these posters - you will find out in a hurry it's not possible to pay COBRA and your bills. But the REAL problem is the defensive medicine providers have to do to avoid the risk of being sued - heaven forbid you be human and not recognize the disease that affects 1 in 15million people that you did not test for and got sued. Until this gets fixed, there can be no real reform, and affordable insurance.

As someone mentioned I have paid into medicare for the last 32 years, so yes I will probably use medicare. But let's take it a step further, I would love to take use of social security, but there is a good chance it won't be there for me in 20 years or so. Who know if medicare will be there, in what form it will be there and how much it will cost me. Remember medicare still costs money and there are cuts being talked about in the new reform.

Again, let me point out that not agreeing with the current reform does not equate to now being in favor of reform. Just because we don't agree in how to get there, does not mean we don't agree to that fact that we need to get there. ;) Fact is, we really don't know what the final product will be since congress still needs to negotiate to one plane.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Be sure and thank your fellow Americans in Massachusetts for helping ensure you will continue to be denied access to affordable health care. According to many conservatives, since you lost your job, you don't deserve health care.

I know many conservatives who would not feel that way nor would they say such a hurtful thing. Great way to whip up a policy debate using garbage for facts!

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"If there is universal health care I may just quit my job, because the new administration is willing to pay people to stay at home and get insurance too. Sweet."

Wait, so health care will be free??? Wow, I can quit my job?! Nowhere did I hear it is going to be free. lol...no seriously, there needs to be reform.

I'm not asking for "free" health care-I just want to be able to purchase an individual policy at a rate that anyone else in my state would pay. It's not fair that this is not an option for someone who is considered "pre-existing"...

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

I always found it interesting that the option for continuation of health benefits had an acronym of COBRA...one of the most poisonous snakes known. Has always seemed fitting to me when I have opted to go without insurance rather than pay their ridiculous premiums.

this link is a panel discussion from 2008 about healthcare...interesting at minimum...

http://www.lpb.org/programs/fredfriendly/view.cfm

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I always found it interesting that the option for continuation of health benefits had an acronym of COBRA...one of the most poisonous snakes known. Has always seemed fitting to me when I have opted to go without insurance rather than pay their ridiculous premiums.

this link is a panel discussion from 2008 about healthcare...interesting at minimum...

http://www.lpb.org/programs/fredfriendly/view.cfm

The premiums aren't really "ridiculous" -- they're only slightly higher than what you were paying already; you just didn't realize how much you were paying. Employers aren't really paying for our insurance for us (out of their pockets) -- that's income we've earned but never see. I firmly believe that the poll results about how many people are "satisfied" or "happy" (or however it's termed in a poll) with their health insurance would be a lot different if everyone understood what they were paying for their coverage -- most people have no clue, until you need to use COBRA benefits or shop around for insurance as an individual.

One of the best things we could do in terms of reform, I think, is to split off health insurance coverage from employment entirely. No other developed country (AFAIK) does this, and it makes no sense. It made sense back at the time it was instituted, but that time and situation is long past at this point and I believe the arrangement creates many more problems than it solves.

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
I never said do not look for a job. I am saying that paid insurance is a benefit that companies offer. When you are not working you do not have insurance unless you have a savings. I myself could not afford COBRA, but it is for that fact that I am saving for an emergency should I need it. ALso, not having insurance would be a big incentive for me to get another job as quickly as possible. Also, if you quit your job as you mentioned in #2..then you woudl not qualify for the subsidy anyway so that really would not be an option for you.

Your exhausted and want job advancement.. me too. Can you IM me with your address so I can send you my medical bills.

I can't afford COBRA either--but I don't have a choice. I can't afford *NOT* to have it.

And you're right, I don't qualify for the subsidy. It sucks...our HR person is an idiot and gave me bad information when I was hired, but it was too late. So I've not been without a full time job, the problem is when I qualify for benefits--after 90 days of full time employment. I did not even have a day off between jobs, and in fact am working a PT job to try and pay for the COBRA until the benefits kick in.

Because of the inept HR person, I had already given notice to my previous employer, was not able to go back (have you noticed the long lines of unemployed RNs?) as they had hired a cheaper replacement, and was essentially stuck.

Tell you what, you can IM me with your phone number, and I'll put your number on the bills I can't pay now because I have to pay for COBRA. COBRA, btw gives me the same coverage I had with my employer at a much higher premium. So I have a chunk of medical bills I can't pay right now either. I'd be happy to send you those as well.

I'll ask again...what amount of tax money would you pay to *NOT* have those medical bills? How about all those slackers who qualify for medicare?

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A lot of people who did not support insurance reform are ending up on the wrong side of the insurance experience all of sudden. You help make the bed but now you don't want to sleep in it do you. Do you see what all the fuss was about now?

Amen.

A lot of people are going to be finding out that they shot themselves in the foot by opposing what they derisively call "Obama Care".

Many previous admins tried to pass this. It was a big concern of the Truman admin back in the 40's and 50's. What's happening today is about as close as we'll ever come to pushing this through.

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I always found it interesting that the option for continuation of health benefits had an acronym of COBRA...one of the most poisonous snakes known. Has always seemed fitting to me when I have opted to go without insurance rather than pay their ridiculous premiums.

this link is a panel discussion from 2008 about healthcare...interesting at minimum...

http://www.lpb.org/programs/fredfriendly/view.cfm

The COBRA premiums are way less than it would cost you to get the same policy w/out your companies group rate. Remember that the premium may be high, but it is nothing compared to what the insurance company pays out when you use it. I have seen hospital bills for a baby delivery that were at leat $13k. Thats just for the hospital. I would rather pay the $1000 in COBRA premium than $13k to be without it. So if you put it into perspective the premium is not that bad compared to what you would be out of pocket without it.

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
The premiums aren't really "ridiculous" -- they're only slightly higher than what you were paying already; you just didn't realize how much you were paying. Employers aren't really paying for our insurance for us (out of their pockets) -- that's income we've earned but never see. I firmly believe that the poll results about how many people are "satisfied" or "happy" (or however it's termed in a poll) with their health insurance would be a lot different if everyone understood what they were paying for their coverage -- most people have no clue, until you need to use COBRA benefits or shop around for insurance as an individual.

One of the best things we could do in terms of reform, I think, is to split off health insurance coverage from employment entirely. No other developed country (AFAIK) does this, and it makes no sense. It made sense back at the time it was instituted, but that time and situation is long past at this point and I believe the arrangement creates many more problems than it solves.

Um, it's not "slightly" higher...sorry but you're wrong there. It was close to 3x the cost for us. I know what my pre-tax deductions were, and I know what my medical deductions were. There is a nice breakdown on each check.

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