Health insurance question
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Anonymous
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Can you still buy catastrophic health insurance plans? I need something as just a safety net for 2 weeks.
Backstory: I am a fed and my family decided to switch back to federal health insurance this year after trying a plan through my husband’s employer for a year. I didn’t look closely at dates and just realized last week that Federal health benefits don’t start until January 14, 2024 but our old insurance ends on December 31. I’ve never been without health insurance and the idea that something could happen in those two weeks makes me really nervous. |
Anonymous
| Oh my. There are so many people without health insurance. Nothing is going to happen. Fly to Europe and they fix you up for pennies on the dollar. |
Anonymous
| Wouldn't COBRA cover you retroactively for those two weeks? |
Anonymous
| Why is there a 2 week gap? |
Anonymous
| Call HR today. I think you are covered for those 2 weeks retroactively. |
Anonymous
Federal health benefits don't start until the beginning of the first 2024 pay period, which is January 14 this year. It's really weird because vision and dental benefits do start on January 1. |
Anonymous
ARe you sure about that? Insurance starts January 1. Even though first pp starts on the 14th. |
Anonymous
I've emailed with HR and they were less than helpful. They just repeated the enrollment date. I checked the website for my plan and it says that our coverage starts in 23 days (Jan 14). It just seems like I must be missing something. And I know that it will probably be fine, but it is making me really anxious. |
Anonymous
| Can you buy the cheapest ACA plan with enrolllment starting Jan 1, then cancel at the end of Jan? Reason for special enrollment time being, you are losing your health coverage |
Anonymous
Your old insurance will carry you until then. Remember you already paid (thru payroll deduction) for that period. |
Anonymous
| the safety net is cobra. you probably wont get the forms until the fed benefits actually start, since i think you have 45 days to elect cobra. |
Anonymous
| I don’t think we are eligible for cobra because my spouse is still employed. His work is on the opposite biweekly pay, so there will be a lapse. |
Anonymous
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Do not sign up for a gap plan. Sometime in January, your husband will get COBRA paperwork. Save that for now.
If there is an emergency, you go to the doctor/urgent care/ER/whatever and seek treatment. Tell them you are waiting for your COBRA paperwork. They know what to do with regard to the bill. For smaller things, you might be asked to pay out of pocket, and get reimbursed (remember, your deductible will reset). Or they will send to your insurance and your insurance will wait to see if you pay the COBRA premium before adjudicating the claim. Should you seek treatment, pay the COBRA premium (unless it’s more cost effective to just pay the doctor out of pocket). I’ve done this several times when changing jobs/insurances that don’t align. You’ll be OK. |
Anonymous
COBRA is for when you lose your insurance. I just switched my kids off my employer’s plan to their dad’s employer’s plan and got a COBRA package for them. I am still on my employer’s plan. |
Anonymous
Any chance you know where this is written? The information on Cobra qualifying events that I see are losing a job, reduction in hours, divorce, etc. |