No more cobra!!

[JoiseyMom]

Yes, I just made my last COBRA payment!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BeccaGrace]

Congrats...we just made our last one too! DH's benefits kick in starting Saturday, and not a moment too soon. I don't think we could have handled another $1500 payment for the privilege of his old insurance's crazy high co-pays.

 

[Dictator]

Cobra Commander Rules!
Long Live Cobra

 

[mum4jenn]

We will start paying COBRA in November. However, since my Dhs job was lost because of business going to Mexico and China we only have to pay 20% of the cost. It will be cheaper than taking it out at my employer and we casn have it for 9 months. So I have almost a year left before I have to take out insurance from my job.

 

[Normangirls]

We will start paying COBRA in November. However, since my Dhs job was lost because of business going to Mexico and China we only have to pay 20% of the cost. It will be cheaper than taking it out at my employer and we casn have it for 9 months. So I have almost a year left before I have to take out insurance from my job.

Under the new ARRA subsidy, laid-off workers have to pay 35% of the COBRA cost. You may just want to check to be sure what your cost will be.

And make sure your insurance (at your job) will allow you to sign up after you drop COBRA voluntarily (the subsidy only runs for nine months, but COBRA eligibility runs for 18 months, so technically you will be dropping COBRA coverage voluntarily). Some plans only allow you to sign up during an annual open enrollment, or if you experience a qualifying event (and dropping COBRA voluntarily may not be a qualifying event).

Anyway, sorry about DH's job. Good luck!

 

[fey_spirit]

Congratulations!

Yes, I just made my last COBRA payment!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Under the new ARRA subsidy, laid-off workers have to pay 35% of the COBRA cost. You may just want to check to be sure what your cost will be.

Agreed!



I guess paying your last bit means there's a job with insurance around? Congrats!


We've only had to do COBRA for a month, and that month ends tomorrow, but we have yet to be ABLE to pay for July! There is something seriously wrong with their system...we've tried to do a checking account payment online, found out 10 days later it didn't work, tried it again on the phone, found out 8 days later it didn't work...hubby called them this morning and they said we're still OK b/c it's our first payment and there's more leeway, so we sent a physical check in today...at the same time we're mailing them the official "cancel it as of tomorrow" letter! Crazy.

So I'm kinda jealous of those of you who have been able to pay for it, b/c their system hasn't yet worked for us!

 

[JoiseyMom]

Agreed!



I guess paying your last bit means there's a job with insurance around? Congrats!


We've only had to do COBRA for a month, and that month ends tomorrow, but we have yet to be ABLE to pay for July! There is something seriously wrong with their system...we've tried to do a checking account payment online, found out 10 days later it didn't work, tried it again on the phone, found out 8 days later it didn't work...hubby called them this morning and they said we're still OK b/c it's our first payment and there's more leeway, so we sent a physical check in today...at the same time we're mailing them the official "cancel it as of tomorrow" letter! Crazy.

So I'm kinda jealous of those of you who have been able to pay for it, b/c their system hasn't yet worked for us!

Yup..new job and new insurance. Higher co-pays, now need referrals, had to switch pcp for me and DH, and a few other things..but I will just go with the flow... hopefully it will stil come out cheaper every month!

It never ceases to amaze me all the different options out there!! I think if there would be less options/choices then their administrative costs would go down, and coverage would be cheaper in the long run!! These companies are not efficient at all, and the bonuses the higer ups take home are enough to make you want to puke!!

 

[luvthatdisney]

Congrats!

I wish we were in your shoes! We are in the total opposite position

Our DS19 has lost his insurance under our family plan since he is not going to college after high school. We are letting him lead his own life and it is hard to see him not want the same things that we want for him, but that is life!

The reason we have to take Cobra is that he has melanoma. No insurance company will sell an individual policy to someone with this cancer. I have tried all I could find. It is very sad! DS does not have a full time job yet and even if he did there is a high probability that there would be a pre-existing period for the melanoma and associated mental treatment he has received.

We are having to pay $427 a month to continue his medical and dental (dental is only $27 a month). The only alternative is our states high risk pool which provides medical coverage to those that do not have any other alternative. The cost is not as high would be about $266, but the benefits are not near as good and many of his physicians do not participate with it. That is why we stuck with Cobra.

The only good thing is that he can keep it for 36 months since he aged out of the family plan. So I am hoping he can find a decent job soon that will provide insurance for him.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but this is a big thing in our lives right now. I just wish we were on the happy end of it

 

[bumbershoot]

Yup..new job and new insurance. Higher co-pays, now need referrals, had to switch pcp for me and DH, and a few other things..but I will just go with the flow... hopefully it will stil come out cheaper every month!

It never ceases to amaze me all the different options out there!! I think if there would be less options/choices then their administrative costs would go down, and coverage would be cheaper in the long run!! These companies are not efficient at all, and the bonuses the higer ups take home are enough to make you want to puke!!

It is indeed amazing how many choices there are. Before we decided to go with COBRA (not knowing that hubby would be offered a direct-hire position with his old company not a month after starting a contract position, after being laid off by the old/new company...confusing!) I looked into individual insurance, and it's amazing! Amazing how just adding maternity shoots things through the roof.

Of course, if we had gone with the individual insurance, the choices would have been good, because I pretty much don't go see anyone and really only want catastrophic, but hubby will be taking an expensive medicine for about 2 years along with MRIs and regular endocrinologist visits, so he really does need nice coverage. It all evens out with the group plan through his new (old) company b/c my lack of use (and my son's) balance out hubby's full use! Kinda funny to think about it that way; I'm subsidizing hubby.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but this is a big thing in our lives right now. I just wish we were on the happy end of it

 

[mum4jenn]

Under the new ARRA subsidy, laid-off workers have to pay 35% of the COBRA cost. You may just want to check to be sure what your cost will be.

THe employees that have been laid off from where DH worked only have to pay 20%. Maybe the company is paying some of that.

 

[JoiseyMom]

It is indeed amazing how many choices there are. Before we decided to go with COBRA (not knowing that hubby would be offered a direct-hire position with his old company not a month after starting a contract position, after being laid off by the old/new company...confusing!) I looked into individual insurance, and it's amazing! Amazing how just adding maternity shoots things through the roof.

Of course, if we had gone with the individual insurance, the choices would have been good, because I pretty much don't go see anyone and really only want catastrophic, but hubby will be taking an expensive medicine for about 2 years along with MRIs and regular endocrinologist visits, so he really does need nice coverage. It all evens out with the group plan through his new (old) company b/c my lack of use (and my son's) balance out hubby's full use! Kinda funny to think about it that way; I'm subsidizing hubby.

I know what you mean. In NJ though we didn't have may choices. I contacted the individual insurance companies and the polices offerred was only one, and it SUCKED. For our needs it made more sense to stick with the expensive COBRA. I had 3 ER visits this year with DS...I love those 50.00 copays!! Looking at what the bills would have been .

Good luck to those still doing COBRA! Hopefully you guys won't need it very soon!