would you go a month with no insurance?

[taramoon13]

dh just changed jobs and the way things happened our old health ins. ends at the end of nov. & new doesn't start until jan. we can elect to pay COBRA to be covered for the month of dec., but it'll be $1300!!!!! under normal circumstances i would be fine going a month without it, only thing is i'll be 7 months pregnant at that point! i just feel like with my luck if we elect to go without something is bound to happen that i can't put off.

[Blanca78]

In pregnancy I have to say I don't think I would, although $1300 is extremely daunting. What I would worry about is whether I would be stalled on rejoining if pregnancy was considered a pre-existing condition, which I've heard of happening. I don't understand the new health care reform enough to know if that might still be a problem now after the law has started to be enacted. If you do forego it, I would make absolutely sure that you would be able to join the new insurance without any hitches.

[taramoon13]

you are absolutely right about the whole pre-existing condition thing. i plan to confirm this, but i'm pretty sure that since dh's insurance is through a company group plan that they can't reject you for pre-existing conditions. i think that usually only happens when you try to get insurance on your own.

[rockycrop]

We're in the same situation, DH changed jobs and COBRA was an ungodly amount (about as much as he makes in a month). He has 3 months "probation" at his new job until he can get insurance through them.
I'm 21 weeks and without insurance for now. I tried applying for Medicaid, but apparently we make too much money. Although after all of our bills are paid we have $150 (a month) left for gas for the car and anything extra. That's close!
So yeah, wish I wasn't, but I'm uninsured for now. This system is ridiculous. You would think as a society we would be able to take care of the people that needed care without fear of bankruptcy.

[nova22]

We used COBRA for part of my 2nd pregnancy and the birth because DH was laid off. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have done it differently. We ended up paying more for COBRA than we would have paid out of pocket for the entire birth.

BTW, if you do end up paying out of pocket, ask for itemized bills. We were billed for things we didn't use (e.g. $5 for a pacifier that we refused and handed back to the nurse, over $100 for a screening test that we had waived, etc.). They were clearly highly annoyed that we came back to the financial office and refuted a dozen little charges and a couple big ones, but at least we didn't have to pay for things we didn't use. When you have insurance paying for your birth it's easy to look over things like that but when you're paying out of pocket it adds up!

[taramoon13]

dh just informed me that we should be able to go ahead and get on his new insurance without having to wait until jan. i'll just cross my fingers & hope it works out.

[HRJ]

My dad has changed jobs a lot in Corporate America, and they have always used COBRA for the gap b/c of the preexisting conditions. So I would really do your research b/c I think that even private companies can pull that (though I don't know how that has changed wtih Obama). But the difference may be that private insurance companies can refuse to cover you at all b/c of preexisting conditions whereas the private companies might be able to just refuse to cover things related to that condition.

Also, keep in mind that any gaps in coverage can affect your ability to buy private coverage down the road. So even though you may not be buying your own insurance now, it could affect things for you in the future if you ever needed to buy insurance.

[dakotablue]

Originally Posted by HRJ

Also, keep in mind that any gaps in coverage can affect your ability to buy private coverage down the road. So even though you may not be buying your own insurance now, it could affect things for you in the future if you ever needed to buy insurance.

I think I would pay, even though its so so so high, because the what if that far along is a BIG risk and gaps in coverage can affect coverage ability down the road, but also rates are sometimes higher if you've ever had gaps in coverage (though you would think 1 month wouldn't matter but technically is a coverage gap)

[Cassaba]

If I remember right, you have 30 or 45 days to make a COBRA election. So you could wait and see. If it's 45 days, that might take you into January. If you had no claims, then you wouldn't elect. But if you had some claims, you could make the election after the fact and they'd be covered. As far as pre-existing conditions, last I knew you had to be without group insurance for something like 63 days before they could deny coverage. Does your husband have an HR manager who you can talk to about all these nuances? I don't want you to just rely on my word, but I think there's a way you can try to avoid paying but not put yourself at great financial risk.

[JudiAU]

No, no way. I wouldn't risk it. Fill out that COBRA paperwork. But wait a bit to send the check!

Are you SURE your pregnancy will be covered under DH's insurance. I would want to see it in writing before I let my COBRA option expire.

[cyncyn]

Originally Posted by Cassaba

If I remember right, you have 30 or 45 days to make a COBRA election. So you could wait and see. If it's 45 days, that might take you into January. If you had no claims, then you wouldn't elect. But if you had some claims, you could make the election after the fact and they'd be covered. As far as pre-existing conditions, last I knew you had to be without group insurance for something like 63 days before they could deny coverage. Does your husband have an HR manager who you can talk to about all these nuances? I don't want you to just rely on my word, but I think there's a way you can try to avoid paying but not put yourself at great financial risk.

I think you can activate COBRA retroactively for a period of time. I would check all the current deadlines carefully. I have gone without several times temporarily with dh's jobs (only once while early in pregnancy), as the COBRA is so expensive. I would check with HR to get the specifics, but avoiding a coverage gap is wise. Good luck and hopefully it will all come together with the new job sooner rather than later!

[gemasita]

When I got laid off, I couldn't afford COBRA but I got temporary insurance through State Farm, or one of those companies. It was just for catastrophic situations but it was cheap and kept me from having a laspe in coverage. You can get it for a month, couple months, maybe up to a year?

[tzs]

is dh going to be unemployed for any amount of time....even a couple weeks? if so i would apply for medicaid the first day of "unemployment" and maybe you'd qualify without his income?

[ASusan]

In pregnancy - especially late pregnancy - there is no way I would go without insurance - either cobra or as a PP suggested, a temporary policy. My primary concern would be a premature birth with a long stay in the NICU. I cannot fathom how much that would cost.

[JollyGG]

Originally Posted by Cassaba

If I remember right, you have 30 or 45 days to make a COBRA election. So you could wait and see. If it's 45 days, that might take you into January. If you had no claims, then you wouldn't elect. But if you had some claims, you could make the election after the fact and they'd be covered. As far as pre-existing conditions, last I knew you had to be without group insurance for something like 63 days before they could deny coverage. Does your husband have an HR manager who you can talk to about all these nuances? I don't want you to just rely on my word, but I think there's a way you can try to avoid paying but not put yourself at great financial risk.

That's the way I understand it as well.

[goldingoddess]

If you have anything to lose, i.e. a house, or money in the bank, I would get insurance.

[gummibears]

I wouldn't. I've gone these 13 weeks with a 20/80 insurance, which isn't great. Now I have another one to back up what our first one didn't cover. Should make life easier, but no, I'd never even think of going any time at all without insurance because that one doctor bill without it could ruin us financially for years to come.

[Lady Lilya]

You have 30 days to retroactively select cobra. So, if something happens during December, you can fill out the paperwork and pay and be covered for anything that happened during the whole month. So, I say don't do it unless something happens that costs you more than $1300 out of pocket.

[JollyGG]

Originally Posted by Lady Lilya

You have 30 days to retroactively select cobra. So, if something happens during December, you can fill out the paperwork and pay and be covered for anything that happened during the whole month. So, I say don't do it unless something happens that costs you more than $1300 out of pocket.

This is how I understand COBRE to work as well.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Originally Posted by cyncyn

I think you can activate COBRA retroactively for a period of time.

This!! Check into this for sure.