My partner and I have just been offered a large amount of money to leave our NYC apartment. Our plan is to pull up stakes and move to my home state. We
have to make a decision by tomorrow. However, I've also just had a hinky breast mammogram/sonogram and am scheduled for a biopsy next week. Am I making a major mistake in quitting my job, going on COBRA, and moving cross country when I've got a potential health issue on the line?
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posted by fuzzywuzzysock
on May 9, 2013 -
47 answers
What do I do when a person is eligible for COBRA insurance but has passed away before getting papers and signing up?
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posted by meowzilla
on Dec 8, 2012 -
4 answers
How precisely do we handle payments for medical appointments until COBRA kicks in? And is there anything new I should know about COBRA post-Obamacare?
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posted by Stacey
on Aug 22, 2012 -
7 answers
I've recently changed employers. My insurance from the previous employer terminated on 5/31. My new insurance starts on 6/23. I can get COBRA for the interim if need be. The question is, do I need it? There is a grace period, such that I don't have to decide until after 6/23, at which time, if I didn't need it during the period, I could save myself about $500. However, there is the concern of the 'pre-existing' condition, ie that period where I would not have insurance can somehow cause me to have 'pre-existing' conditions, whether indefinitely or for some period of time after 6/23 I don't know. The new insurance is
Presbyterian Health.
Can anyone advise?
posted by falsedmitri
on Jun 4, 2012 -
10 answers
Health insurance question: I got laid off from a small company a few months ago, and have been paying over $400 monthly for COBRA. This eats up a ton of my unemployment money. I'm wondering if I should switch to an individual plan.
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posted by emily37
on May 16, 2012 -
19 answers
COBRAfilter: Do I make the check for the plan payment out to the health insurance company, or to my former employer? The info packet former employer gave me is woefully shoddily written and leaves out key details like that. I've never enrolled in COBRA before, so not sure what to do. Check is due by Thursday. HR at former company notoriously difficult to actually track down via email or phone to get an answer.
posted by thereemix
on Feb 27, 2012 -
17 answers
Please help me understand COBRA and my family's options after it runs out.
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posted by meggan
on Feb 13, 2012 -
6 answers
Insurance coverage from previous job ended on Friday without COBRA. Insurance from new job starts retroactively on the following Monday. I have pre-existing health issues. How do we know if we need COBRA or not?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 4, 2011 -
5 answers
If someone goes on disability, do they have to go on COBRA or do they keep their company insurance? My uncle was diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer yesterday. I am trying to do research about how health insurance works when one is severely ill.
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posted by afton
on Jul 15, 2011 -
14 answers
I have COBRA health insurance now, and while it's terrific, it's really expensive (almost $500 a month!!). I am thinking of dropping it and going for short term health insurance until I get a job with a group insurance plan. Is this a terrible idea? I'm an otherwise healthy young woman with no pre-existing conditions (that I know of). And, if it's not a bad idea, can anyone recommend a reputable company?
posted by caoimhe
on Apr 14, 2011 -
10 answers
I've been getting health insurance through Cobra from my last job. I now have a new job, and was told today by benefits person that I can't remain on Cobra since I am now eligible for health insurance through new job. Is this true?
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posted by Sal and Richard
on Mar 25, 2011 -
11 answers
Help me find health insurance. Moving back to the States with wife and two kids after being away for 10 years. May not have jobs when we return. What is the best way to find health insurance? I have no idea where to start or what my options are if we return unemployed. Moving to Texas if that is relevant.
posted by jasondigitized
on Mar 17, 2011 -
22 answers
HealthInsuranceFilter: My wife will soon be eligible for benefits through a new (part-time) employer, but the coverage stinks as it has a $20k per year max benefit. Is excess/supplemental health insurance a viable option?
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posted by QuantumMeruit
on Mar 11, 2011 -
3 answers
Is the impending expiration of my COBRA federal subsidy a "qualifying event" that will allow me to join my husband's insurance outside of open enrollment? (even though I'll still be eligible for unsubsidized COBRA)
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posted by lilgoyl
on Oct 27, 2010 -
12 answers
COBRA premium subsidy: I have it, will lose it because of a temporary job, and while I can suck it up and deal, is there something I am missing?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 29, 2010 -
4 answers
Does your employer and/or plan administrator have any obligation to notify you of the option to elect COBRA insurance coverage when you quit a job where you were receiving health insurance?
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posted by doomtop
on Feb 5, 2010 -
16 answers
I'm losing my group health insurance. My wife has a pre-existing condition. Now what?
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posted by D+
on Dec 29, 2009 -
7 answers
Help! My COBRA health insurance ended recently for a sketchy reason and I don't know how to get any answers and I need health care.
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posted by xenophile
on Jun 17, 2009 -
12 answers
I lost my job, got a new job, now I'm quiting that job, am I still eligible for COBRA from my previous job? And if I am, should I sign up for it?
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posted by anonymous
on May 20, 2009 -
2 answers
The company that administers my COBRA benefits terminated me because, they said, of an NSF check, which my bank had told me would clear. But it didn't because the check was put thru literally hours before a hold on a $500 check was released. Apparently the bank rep was figuring that either A) the bank would pay the check (they have before) or B) the hold release would happen before the check came thru. My cyber-statement even shows that the check was paid; then the next day it was sent back. (So when I checked my cyber-statement to confirm the info from the phone rep, the check was shown as having been pd.) Q 1) How and to whom do I appeal? Q 2) Is it worth the effort?
posted by Macbeth123
on Apr 5, 2009 -
4 answers
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act helps unemployed people with their COBRA payments in two ways: it subsidizes 65% of their payments, and because this lower price makes it affordable for many who couldn't before, it allows people who didn't elect for COBRA the first time a second chance to elect for coverage. I was laid off on October 24, and I
did elect for coverage on January 28. But I haven't paid yet. The grace period for payment ends in a few days, on Saturday — it has to either be paid online or postmarked by then. If I were to
not pay, would I be given the same second chance as those who didn't elect the first time around — the difference being that I would have elected, but not paid? It's a substantial financial difference for me. A little bit more inside.
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posted by WCityMike
on Mar 11, 2009 -
3 answers
COBRA (health) question: If I currently have health coverage through my employer for Employee(me) and Spouse, can I COBRA for Single only or do I have to keep it at Employee/Spouse?
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posted by mmangano
on Aug 18, 2008 -
4 answers
My former employer is telling me to make my COBRA payments directly to them (the employer). That doesn't seem right to me. Is this common/legal/legitimate? Can I circumvent them and just pay the insurance company directly?
posted by bingo
on Jun 2, 2008 -
19 answers
My job is scheduled for termination at the end of the month. My wife is pregnant and could possibly be placed on bedrest about the same time. If I apply for FMLA before my termination date, would my employer have to honor my claim? My employer is unaware of the pregnancy AND I'm only speculating that bedrest could be ordered.
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posted by tickettrader
on Mar 10, 2008 -
4 answers
I left my prior job in December and was hired by a temp agency. The agency offers an out-of-pocket health insurance plan. Does this mean I can't opt to continue my old coverage with COBRA instead?
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posted by ahimsa
on Jan 14, 2008 -
5 answers
Hello battle-scarred health insurance vets. Here's a COBRA question for you to ponder. I left my job in early November. My application with the Freelancers' Union to be eligible to enroll in their plans has been approved. In the time between the former and the latter, I had to see my primary care physician and refill a bunch of prescriptions. There's still time for me to elect to have COBRA coverage for the time since I left my job, but should I? Would that lead to the dreaded "gap in coverage"?
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posted by foxy_hedgehog
on Dec 10, 2007 -
10 answers
I recently left my job at Yahoo! in Northern California and am relocating to Portland, Oregon to try my hand at self-employment. Extending my existing medical coverage with COBRA will cost me, my wife, and our three-year-old son $1200/month, which seems absolutely insane. Please help me understand the risks or consequences of waiving COBRA and getting new a new insurance plan.
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posted by waxpancake
on Dec 1, 2007 -
23 answers
Can you buy travelers/vacation insurance for a domestic (within the US) trip? Is it dangerous to have traveler's insurance and not traditional health insurance for one month?
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posted by picklebird
on Nov 14, 2007 -
12 answers
If the (small) company I work for goes bankrupt, am I still eligible for COBRA, or is COBRA predicated on the continued existence of the company? I live in California.
posted by Sinner
on Jun 15, 2006 -
6 answers
I was laid off. COBRA is running out. How do I best acquire new health care coverage for my family when my wife is in much needed therapy and taking expensive medication?
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posted by jasonlatshaw
on Nov 10, 2005 -
13 answers
COBRA/HIPAA: Help me understand how these health insurance laws might apply in several employer-leaving or life-changing events.
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posted by weston
on Oct 27, 2005 -
7 answers
My COBRA runs out tomorrow. I've applied to a private carrier and was declined already. I was under the impression that if there wasn't a 63 day gap in coverage, they had to insure me. [mi]
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posted by pieoverdone
on Jan 10, 2005 -
6 answers
Insurance continuation question: You are laid off of work and go onto COBRA insurance. You get hired for another job that comes with health coverage and start work on the 4th of the month. If you do not pay your COBRA payment for that month, do you have a lapse in coverage for 4 days? I have tried googling but the fact that the original company is a Delaware corporation which operates in California is confounding my ability to detangle the mess, especially as the deadline for COBRA payments for a given month is on the 5th of the month.
posted by hindmost
on Dec 26, 2004 -
11 answers
I am in search of supplemental mental health insurance (in the US). Does such a thing exist? I'm a full-time grad student about to lose my awesome COBRA benefits from my past job. I'm going on to my husband's plan, which has crappy mental health coverage (only 20 therapist visits a year vs. 45 with my last insurance). I need weekly visits, but there's no way to change the plan. I've googled for supplemental health insurance, but I mostly get sites for those on Medicare. I've checked several major insurance companies, but none have any specifics about their mental health coverage. Has anyone else dealt with this situation? Perhaps someone who works in the insurance industry can point me in the right direction?
posted by anonymous
on Dec 19, 2004 -
4 answers
Catastrophic health insurance (in the US): I've just been laid off and am losing health care benefits. The COBRA premiums are insane--I'm looking for something cheap that will cover near-death experiences. (I will turn to the bottle for any minor ailments.) Anyone have any advice or plan suggestions?
posted by mookieproof
on Sep 30, 2004 -
16 answers
When my insurance (COBRA) ends in March, what can I do? Private insurance is prohibitively expensive, and chances are with my preexisting health problems I may not be able to get insurance at all. Worst part is my monthly prescriptions are extremely expensive-we are talking the price of a car payment here, if not more.
Any suggestions, besides moving to Canada?
posted by konolia
on Dec 13, 2003 -
14 answers
