Help with Cobra and job loss, HR stuff

[pattieice]

I need help with navigating Cobra.

He lost a job in May, we paid for Cobra for 2 months before we bought our own family plan. He started a new job in September and had to wait 90 days before we qualified for group coverage. So as of January 1 we (DH, myself and 2 dependents) have been covered through his employer. He lost his job on January 26. I don't know all of the details, but the office closed and everyone at that location was fired.

So I am trying to understand my options for health insurance. I went to our house this week to collect the mail and try to start this process. The only piece of mail that I found related to his job and/or our health insurance was an "Acknowledgement of Receipt or Continuation of Benefits Letter And Election/Waiver Form." It states that DH had until February 26 to continue any of the group health benefits. And that if the coverage is waived or the election is turned in past the deadline, then coverage will be terminated as of February 1. There was no mention of Cobra. I honestly don't know how many employees this company had.

So I obviously missed the deadline of February 26 and when I logged into our provider's website it does say terminated February 1.

Do I have any other options? I live in Georgia if that helps. According to the Cobra website:

Specific notice requirements are triggered for employers, qualified beneficiaries and plan administrators when a qualifying event occurs. Employers must notify plan administrators within 30 days after an employee's death, termination, reduced hours of employment, entitlement to Medicare. Multiemployer plans may provide for a longer period of time.

Am I totally screwed because I missed the February 26 deadline that I just learned about last night? Thankfully the children and I are healthy and do not have chronic illnesses and none of us take medicine regularly. Since February 1, my kids have seen a pediatrician once for sickness and a check up, I've been to a minute clinic for a sinus infection and I have seen my therapist weekly. Worst case scenario I will have to pay for all of these services OOP?

Any guidance would be appreciated! I have been dealing with ALOT in the past month or so. I am barely keeping it together most days. I will ask to delete all of this eventually.

[whitemerlot]

Can you buy insurance through the exchange since you have a life change qualifying event?

I'm so sorry. Very stressful.

[lime]

I'm so sorry Pattie. Big hugs to you for dealing with all of this.

Can you look into ACA? Or try to get a private policy such as BCBS? Both of those might be cheaper than COBRA.

[pattieice]

Yes to both of your questions. When he lost the job in May we went through an insurance broker who shopped us through ACA (we did not qualify at the time) and through a number of others and eventually bought a plan through Humana. But we still had the option to do Cobra for a month until we figured things out.

This time around since Cobra doesn't appear to be an option, getting a new policy effective April 1 won't help me with coverage for February or March.

[alleinesein]

You can purchase through the exchange. You had a qualifying event (job loss) and therefore you do not have to wait for open enrollment.

www.healthcare.gov/unemployed/cobra-coverage/

Q8: How long do I have to elect COBRA coverage?
If you are entitled to elect COBRA coverage, you must be given an election period of at least 60 days (starting on the later of the date you are furnished the election notice or the date you would lose coverage) to choose whether or not to elect continuation coverage.
Each of the qualified beneficiaries for a qualifying event may independently elect COBRA coverage. This means that if both you and your spouse are entitled to elect continuation coverage, you each may decide separately whether to do so. The covered employee or spouse must be allowed to elect on behalf of any dependent children or on behalf of all of the qualified beneficiaries. A parent or legal guardian may elect on behalf of a minor child.
www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html

[niemand88f]

Health insurance is so stressful, I'm sorry you have to deal with that on top of everything else.

My company shut down in December and we had no COBRA options, since no company = no health plan = no COBRA. But it was our entire company, not just one office shutting down. I bought insurance through the marketplace, and you are eligible with the qualifying event of using losing coverage. But like you said it wouldn't begin until 4/1 if you sign up in March. I am not sure how it works if you just buy a plan from a company, but I imagine there would be some kind of processing time that still doesn't help Feb/March coverage.

You should be able to search and compare plans from different companies here to get an idea what's out there if your state uses this (and also estimate if you might get a subsidy): www.healthcare.gov/see-plans/

[pattieice]

I am bumping this for the morning crowd.

[lmdbww]

Mar 5, 2015 22:35:58 GMT -5 niemand88f said:

My company shut down in December and we had no COBRA options, since no company = no health plan = no COBRA. But it was our entire company, not just one office shutting down. 

This is the first thought that popped into my  head... No company = No cobra option.

Does your state offer a low cost something or other for your kids that you can get asap?  PA has CHIP, not sure what state your in or what an option there may be. Just a thought, and something to get you by until you find a more perm solution....