Short term healthcare coverage in Massachusetts
June 1, 2013 4:45 AM   Subscribe

Short term health insurance options in Massachusetts?

Moved states and my (individual) insurance runs out today, and I won't have insurance through my new employer for 2 weeks.

I live in Boston and I'd sleep better for the next 2 weeks if my wife and I had insurance. Any suggestions?
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I've heard good things about the comparison search on ehealthinsurance.com. Might be a decent starting point. They have short-term listed as a category, search here. Sorry I don't have any more specific recommendations.
posted by reptile at 4:57 AM on June 1, 2013


You can sign up for COBRA now, and then once your new insurance kicks in tell them to cancel it and you won't owe anything,
posted by Rock Steady at 5:56 AM on June 1, 2013


Unfortunately I believe it is too late to purchase individual insurance through the Connector. But check it out nonetheless: Massachusetts Connector (health insurance exchange).
posted by teragram at 8:37 AM on June 1, 2013


It sounds like you may not be COBRA-eligible (if you didn't have group health insurance through an employer previously), but if you are, my understanding is that you have a long period during which to elect it (60 days) and it is retroactive to when your employer coverage ended. So this is not health advice, but for a short gap between jobs like this, people (including me) have skipped getting short-term coverage with the plan of signing up and paying for retroactive COBRA coverage only in case of health disaster.
posted by teditrix at 9:24 AM on June 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh, on Monday, try calling Health Care for All? I know at one point they had a volunteer phone line, primarily helping people with subsidized health insurance in MA (CommCare), but they may be be able to direct you. On the phone so apologies for no hyperlinks.
posted by teragram at 3:28 PM on June 1, 2013


I just did the same with online signup for Assurant Health. The one I bought is specifically for short term catastrophic. Sign up for any period whatsoever. I needed longer though, so paid 6mos in advance for $3,500 deductible = $700. No out of US, no pre-existing, must contact them before any treatment. But there it is. Same-day sign up, quick and easy, read the fine print obviously.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 4:03 AM on June 2, 2013


I have done what Teditrix does -- in fact, the HR person at my new company recommended it. Sign up for nothing, but keep the COBRA info handy in case something happens. It really can be used retroactively.
posted by chowflap at 12:14 PM on June 3, 2013


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