Help! Health Insurance!

[cnktruitt]

Hey DISers,

In about 1 month my husband will be taking a disability retirement. There is no way we can afford the cobra payments. Anyone know of a great health insurance company that won't charge a gazillion dollars ..... We are a family of 5 with some severe allergies, 3 with asthma and 2 with aspergers. Yes, we're a mess.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[becky1960]

If you have two with Aspergers you might try getting them on SSI disability, we have one..

 

[rpbert1]

 

[stemikger]

In New York we have something called child health plus which would cover the kids if you can't afford COBRA.

I just don't get COBRA. I'm not sure what the purpose is because it is so expensive that if you get laid off or lose your job, it is useless because you can't afford it.

Not to make this political, but I think the government should provide health care for people who can't afford it or who lose their jobs.

Look into what programs your patricular state may have, they may have a program similiar to the one in New York.

Good Luck.

 

[msmayor]

In New York we have something called child health plus which would cover the kids if you can't afford COBRA.

I just don't get COBRA. I'm not sure what the purpose is because it is so expensive that if you get laid off or lose your job, it is useless because you can't afford it.

Not to make this political, but I think the government should provide health care for people who can't afford it or who lose their jobs.

Look into what programs your patricular state may have, they may have a program similiar to the one in New York.

Good Luck.

The true purpose of COBRA is to ensure continuity of coverage, VITAL in making sure that pre-existing conditions can remain covered under health insurance.

When someone loses their job suddenly, insurance generally stops immediately or by the end of the full month in which the job stops. That is often NOT enough time to secure outside coverage to pick up the moment the existing coverage ends. ANY BREAK in coverage...ANY time that you go without health insurance...means that the new insurer can disallow coverage for any health issue they deem pre-existing.

So, have bad allergies that you require treatment for regularly and have a break in coverage? Guess what...the new insurer can specifically exclude coverage for your allergies as pre-existing.

Yes, COBRA is expensive. But its a stop-gap...available for up to 18 months...and it gives folks time to evaluate other policies without the time-pressure to simply choose anything.

 

[JoiseyMom]

In New York we have something called child health plus which would cover the kids if you can't afford COBRA.

I just don't get COBRA. I'm not sure what the purpose is because it is so expensive that if you get laid off or lose your job, it is useless because you can't afford it.

Not to make this political, but I think the government should provide health care for people who can't afford it or who lose their jobs.

Look into what programs your patricular state may have, they may have a program similiar to the one in New York.

Good Luck.

Yes it's expensive, but you do realize that the cost of COBRA is the actual cost your employer was/is paying for your health insurance. I know when I priced outside insurance plans, the cost was almost or as much as what my COBRA would have been, for much less coverage.

The cost of Cobra and health insurance is nuts..that is why there is this hugh fight going on right now with the government trying to help.

 

[Chicago526]

Don't forget that the governement will now cover 65% of your COBRA costs for the first few months your out of work. Google it to find out how to apply. This will give you time to either find a new job with covereage or to arrange to buy insurance on your own.

I think other posters here have recommended ehealthinsurance.com to help you search for policies from a variety of carriers.

 

[PinkRhombus]

You can just elect COBRA coverage on just him if it will help. Take out a major medical insurance policy on you if you're in reasonably good health.

 

[annagirl]

Doesn't his disability insurance allow for health coverage? Or is this not through his work???

 

[cnktruitt]

Doesn't his disability insurance allow for health coverage? Or is this not through his work???

It is through his work & they will continue to cover him for his disability however there is a slew of companies which deny coverage related to aspergers. So it is more about my children. I had considered major medical as a just in case. Also we are in a
"unfriendly" state. To qualify for DDD the condition has to be autism not asperger. I will however look into SSI as suggested.

Thanks for all the input....keep it coming

 

[PatsMom]

Don't forget that the governement will now cover 65% of your COBRA costs for the first few months your out of work. Google it to find out how to apply. This will give you time to either find a new job with covereage or to arrange to buy insurance on your own.

I think other posters here have recommended ehealthinsurance.com to help you search for policies from a variety of carriers.

It is worth looking into the COBRA subsidy but I don't believe that retirement due to a disability constitutes an involuntary termination under the provisions of the act that created the subsidy. I read the IRS notice when the law passed and haven't reviewed it since so my recollection might be off.

With your pre-existing conditions, you absolutely must avoid a break in coverage! You could elect the COBRA coverage while you check on what is available. Good luck!

 

[katlas&kids]

Don't have break in your coverage. I know as we havn't been able to get coverage since Jan 07! Ours are also mental health issue and that seems to freak insurance company's out. Hubby & 2 kids. My oldest is on SSI, so he thankfully is covered (brittle bone disease, one med is 1000.00 a month!!!) Hubby is disabled on Social Security disability but no health insurance for 2 years for adults. Next April.....

Watch Cobra also. they screwed us by us not getting paperwork in time and wouldn't cover us by the time it was resent.

Rule of thumb.. Check everything, keep copies of everything and write down what is said. SSI went back 3 years on my son and you should have seen the scramble on my end finding stuff from that long ago!

If you find something, insurance wise, let me know!

Prayers & blessings, kat

 

[SKWDW]

Have you tried Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCS)? http://www.azahcccs.gov/Default.aspx

AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid agency that offers health care programs to serve Arizona residents. Individuals must meet certain income and other requirements to obtain services, so you might qualify if DH is only getting disability. It doesn't look like their plans exclude Asperger’s from coverage.

Good luck!

 

[goofydebi]

I totally understand your worries, my son will not be eligible for under our policy when he turns 22 next month. I have just about went nuts for the past year, he has cystic fibrosis. We tried SSI and medicaid, since it's a terminal disease he automatically qualifies, so they say when you walk in but after all the paperwork is filled out, they turn him down. So I am hoping that we will be able to get cobra until something else comes along, it is really going to be hard to pay it but just his enzymes to eat is $3900.00 a month. So cobra will be a help. Dang insurance company fights paying for them all the time though. Hoping Obama will do SOMETHING to help us all. I wish you all the luck and will say a little prayer for you all.

Debbie

 

[bumbershoot]

Don't forget that the governement will now cover 65% of your COBRA costs for the first few months your out of work. Google it to find out how to apply. This will give you time to either find a new job with covereage or to arrange to buy insurance on your own.

Only for those who were laid off this year (and a bit into last year). I don't think it has anything to do with this situation.

 

[mamalle]

no it does help those that are not laid off. we have a lady that moved since her hubby found a job out of state. she is under cobra now and the govt pays a partial of her cobra. she has cancer and cannot afford to have a lapse of coverage.. she initially took retirement at age 62 and was working just enough to keep her under the allocated amount you could make- had a reoccurance of cancer and her hubby lost his job- she had to come back fulltime to have the benefits to cover her medical bills and now they have moved to another state.

 

[lillygator]

oh my.....

are you working? if so you should be able to pick up insurance through your employer.

 

[cnktruitt]

If you have two with Aspergers you might try getting them on SSI disability, we have one..

Hi Becky,

Could you tell me how you began the process? I've been all over the website but am now quite confused I'm also worried I'll be directed to someone who doesn't care and or doesn't know the right answers if I call in.

Unfortunately it looks like we are not eligable for the COBRA stimulus as DH was not laid off.

I started the ball rolling with a online comparison group. He stated very clearly that he would have to do some research to see if DH & both DS would even be coverable The only plus is that he said it was a very good thing I called with enough time before DH is retired to do some real scouting.

Some difficult stories out there.....I'll keep everyone in my prayers.

..........just breathe.........

 

[blondietink]

To qualify for DDD the condition has to be autism not asperger. I will however look into SSI as suggested.

Thanks for all the input....keep it coming

Just an FYI .... getting SSI for any child is almost impossible. The child needs to have a severe disability, such as Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc.. Also, SSI will count any income received by the parents when figuring what the child's payment through SSI will be.

 

[3boymthr]

I totally understand your worries, my son will not be eligible for under our policy when he turns 22 next month. I have just about went nuts for the past year, he has cystic fibrosis. We tried SSI and medicaid, since it's a terminal disease he automatically qualifies, so they say when you walk in but after all the paperwork is filled out, they turn him down. So I am hoping that we will be able to get cobra until something else comes along, it is really going to be hard to pay it but just his enzymes to eat is $3900.00 a month. So cobra will be a help. Dang insurance company fights paying for them all the time though. Hoping Obama will do SOMETHING to help us all. I wish you all the luck and will say a little prayer for you all.

Debbie

As a dependent losing coverage your DS will definitely qualify for COBRA and with a disability he should qualify for at least 27 months.

But...

Double check your policy and check with the insurance company. Read your provisions - ask for the plan document, not the summary plan description and read it in detail. I used to work for a local HMO, as well as working for a TPA and for an MGU - I've worked on, with many an insurance policy (17 yrs in the insurance industry as a medical underwriter). Most commercial policies (probably 90%) have a provision whereby a child who is 100% disabled thus 100% dependent upon the parent for support even past school age is unlimited lifetime coverage. Usually, if he works at all then he won't qualify, but if he can't support himself then he would qualify. You would have to recertify him each year. The process can be lengthy but worth it. I've seen the provision at work. We covered a dependent with Down's syndrome who was 39 and another with CP who was 27.