Insurance COBRA etc...

How expensive COBRA feels depends on whether your employer subsidized your group coverage.  If it wasn't subsidized, then COBRA won't feel all that expensive...your former employer/insurer can charge you up to 102% of the cost of the coverage (the extra 2% is for administrative costs). 

However if employee health insurance was heavily subsidized it will feel VERY expensive, since instead of the subsidized cost, you'll be paying both that, the subsidy amount your employer formerly paid for your insurance, plus the administrative 2%.

Check your health insurance plan doc, which will describe "changes in circumstance" which will allow you to make new health care elections.  That's where you will find out if you can choose a cheaper "option" if your husband is laid off.

Separately, since you're in California, take a look at this page for information on both Federal COBRA & Cal-COBRA.  You'll see that there is a toll-free help center number on that page as well.

I hope it doesn't happen.  Hang in there!

LisaAlissa

Another thought is to ck with an ins. person and see what BCBS or other coverage would be. 

I paid for full coverage and meds after my dh went on Medicare and I no longer had a group policy.  I paid 2400 a month for ME.  I did smoke and am older with the bc hx.  Had a small co-pay etc.  Don't let that scare you tho.  I chose to get meds covered for me for fear of recurrance and the need for chemo, etc.  ( I declined chemo on the original dx)  Figured that all that money was actually cheaper if I had to get chemo and all the meds for SE's.  I could have easily run up 100,000 in  a couple of months on meds alone.

I've often told people that the 31 days you have as a grace period between coverage goes really fast!  If you have Some kind of coverage between group policies, etc, you cannot be hit with pre existing.

If necessary, I'd even borrow money to cover it -- sad to say.

In Illinois...you need get a "certificate of coverage" from your present group ins...if your hubby gets another job that has group insurance ...they will cover you. One alternative..in Illinois we have up to 60 days to notify the group ins. co whether we want to pay COBRA or not. What alot of people here do is wait to see if they have medical bills during that time...if not they just pick up the new group and thats it..but if you have large med bills b4 your new ins kicks in...then just pay the COBRA for a month or 2.  Hope this isnt too confusing..hugs, Mazy

It does differ by state, and the size of the company that you are employed by, so definitely check the links someone provided you with above.I had to take COBRA for a short time after cancer, and I worked for a tremendous company with over 3000 employees. My COBRA was $338 a month, and the monthly payment that you pay is tax deductible.

NOW-- I've had to take COBRA again, and it's a whole new story. I worked for a very small company, and my monthly payment is $600, (not to mention the SOB's the used to employ me, are charging me a $12 a month processing fee, which by law, they can choose to waive, and even after I asked them to, they declined... I know karma will get them some day)

For me, in the state of NY, you have 63 days where you can go uncovered, before anything would become a pre-existing condition. Also, there's a program called NY Cares, which I'm sure I could apply for, but for me, I'd rather go totally broke paying this COBRA, having the incredible health coverage that I have, rather then take some terrible HMO, and lose every doctor that I trust and love.

I know the $600 will be tax deductible for me next yr, and that will be a huge return. Not that that makes me sleep better at night, but I've only been on this COBRA for two months, and I'm hoping to have a new job with benefits soon. This economy is crushing everyone in its destructive path.

A lot of companies like grocery stores, and Starbucks offer benefits to part time employees as long as you work 31.5 hours per week. Some companies, will only offer benefits to P/T employees after one year of service.

I get the MAX from unemployment, and two weeks go right to my COBRA... you can imagine that there isn't much left for anything else, and we've made some really tough choices like canceling our dream wedding...

I went to the bookstore to find books on the great depression, and read the stories of people who struggled through, and what they did to get by, and I realize that I am far better off then any of those people were, but it's all still really scary.

Sorry for my ramble-- but I just wanted to say hang in there. Things have to turn around for all of us soon.

Does anyone know how to go about getting the government help for the COBRA? Is there a web site? Do you have to apply for it?

My husband was laid off, and we were on Cobra when I was diagnosed.  Nice.  Our cobra is $1200 a month for the 4 of us - I have started chemo, and really don't think I can shop this now - who would want me on their policy??? 

 I am very excited about the Obama cobra help - although I need to double check my husbands lay off date - it may be 8/30/08 - that would just add to our problems if we just miss the cut off.  He negotiated some of the details so I don't know when his actual final date was - the negotiations took a couple of weeks to finalize.  

I am thankful that we at least have the cobra, and although it is expensive, it is way cheaper then my current medical bills.  They are astounding.

Does anyone know how we go about applying for the cobra help?

Susan

My husband was laid off right before Thanksgiving.  We had our benefits until 1/2/09.  (we live in Illinois)  I had until Midnight 3/2/09 (postmarked) to let his former employer know if we were going to elect Cobra.  I was planning to have the Cobra just for myself and had my husband and 2 sons set up to go with an individual Humana Health plan.  Literally this past Tuesday morning there was an article in the Chicago Tribune talking about the Obama stimulus plan and the changes to Cobra.  I called the health insurer from my husband's former company.  They said, yes, they were sending out 60 day extensions to people who had not yet elected Cobra.  If we qualified, (see below) we would only pay 35% of the costs.  The day before I received an email from Humana saying we were all set - I immediately cancelled the plan with them.

 Eliglibility :  Single - make less than $125,000/yr, Couple - make less than $250,000/yr

 By law, when electing cobra, if there are less expensive plans offered, you can switch your election to the less costly plan. 

 I hope this helps - I know what a huge relief it has been for us knowing that this $$ burden has eased somewhat.   

I'm trying to not get down about all of this, but I contacted my former employer, and they wouldn't give me the name or contact info for the person who handles COBRA, and he wrote me a two line response that said he'd deal with it after his vacation.

I keep telling myself Karma will come back around. Maybe it will rain on his vacation, or the airline will lose his luggage....Okay, I don't really mean that. But I feel like they don't care about helping me out wirth any of this.  I went on every government web site I could find, and all I came up with is that the discount gets paid directly to the COBRA plan provider, and in turn they are supposed to charge me less per month. I don't pay my insurance directly- I pay my ex employer...

Hopefully I'll have some answers by next week.

Beth - who is the insurance carrier through your former employer?  They should be the ones handling all of this.  Contact them.   When you were let go, did you get a letter stating you had x amount of days to reply to the notice as to whether or not you wanted Cobra?  PM me if you think I can help or you have any questions. 

Catherine

  This is my experience with this Cobra thing:  I've been off work since this reoccurrance on 8-3-08, used up all FMLA and now on LOA.  During the FMLA period my insurance was paid by my employer (large hospital) just as if I was still on duty. When the FMLA period ran out I had to start paying the COBRA which is 487.00/month and started in Nov 08 but I'm still "on their books" as an employee until April 25th. 

  The HR rep says after that date they have to legally "separate" me from their company then I'll be eligible for the subsidy but I'll be paying another company (third party payor).  The rep said they would notify me by mail regarding the payments and amount but to continue to the sent the 487 until then since if you don't it could mean you lose out big time.  So don't miss a payment or send in the decreased amount until they tell you!.

That is great news! 

Dotti, I finally had to contact my local representative, and make some light threats to get the ball rolling, but now that it is, I can breathe much easier at night!!!!

Beth, that is great news again!  You deserve it too.  I'll keep good thoughts going for this interview.

You can get more info at www.recovery.gov