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my ex employer stuck me with OCARE on COBRA!

by seasoned
6 replies
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OK, OK, Well YEAH!

You kept telling me I was wrong, people were lying(which includes "healthcare.gov", the insurance companies, etc...)

Try THIS on for size! A vendors billing department wanted to talk to me, and they said my deductible on my insurance was "SKY HIGH". Over $6000! SO, in order to break even on cobra, I would need to have over $12,000 of bills, assuming they were ALL "IN NETWORK" SO, I now find myself having to search for a decent deal.

I called up my regular insurance company, and they said that, as of this year, they no longer provide health insurance.

Steve
  • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
    Hmmmm, I thought Obamacare was for people taking out there own insurance, not for companies to take advantage of?
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

      Hmmmm, I thought Obamacare was for people taking out there own insurance, not for companies to take advantage of?
      All I know is that it is like OCARE! The price is about the same, perhaps even including the amount the employer supposedly gets as a discount, and the deductible is the same. I spoke with one guy that turned out to be a hack for those plans, and he said that cobra counts as ongoing insurance, so until I lose it, by absolute incapability to pay, or deadline, I can't even replace the monstrosity, until "the open period".

      With my old insurance, I paid less and could conceivably find it a decent deal. With THIS one, NO WAY! The copays are often worse TOO. Tomorrow I am going to try to look for less traditional options.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author David Beroff
    Steve, when I left my day job, I declined COBRA. The original intent was to select my next provider and have the new insurance ready to go before my old one was terminated, but since they couldn't get their act together in time, I got short-term private health care to cover the gap. I was a bit miffed when my original choice finally activated themselves, and "helpfully" backdated coverage, (so as to avoid any gap), which meant that I had to pay for retroactive duplicate coverage for about two weeks. On the other hand, the short-term insurance offered to make their termination date effective immediately, so they actually sent me a check for half of the first month's premium that I had paid earlier, i.e., the duplicate coverage didn't have to go for a full month.

    Bottom line: COBRA can (and should) be terminated as soon as you have alternate coverage. You can do as I did, and get a short-term solution in the private market to replace COBRA tonight, until you figure out your next longer-term step.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by David Beroff View Post

      Steve, when I left my day job, I declined COBRA. The original intent was to select my next provider and have the new insurance ready to go before my old one was terminated, but since they couldn't get their act together in time, I got short-term private health care to cover the gap. I was a bit miffed when my original choice finally activated themselves, and "helpfully" backdated coverage, (so as to avoid any gap), which meant that I had to pay for retroactive duplicate coverage for about two weeks. On the other hand, the short-term insurance offered to make their termination date effective immediately, so they actually sent me a check for half of the first month's premium that I had paid earlier, i.e., the duplicate coverage didn't have to go for a full month.

      Bottom line: COBRA can (and should) be terminated as soon as you have alternate coverage. You can do as I did, and get a short-term solution in the private market to replace COBRA tonight, until you figure out your next longer-term step.
      Well, I don't know if the laws changed, or the people I spoke to lied fully. I KNOW they lied in part because they took my email address to know where to send QUOTES to, and had an insurance company send me to them simply based on zipcode. The "new law" would NEVER be accepted, so they told lies and half truths, and it started in 2014 with the FULL INTENT to change it, and it changed in at least a couple respects in 2015. They ALSO pay people to VIOLATE LAWS! The "navigators" actually become a vehicle to frustrate searches for alternatives and by their nature violate hipaa and state insurance laws. It is kind of ironic because HIPAA ALSO promised a better system although the primary thing noted are secrecy rules.

      The people I spoke with said I could NOT cancel cobra because it was insurance and since I am outside of a NATIONWIDE "open period", I must wait until 60 days before the termination of my ability to have cobra. The only exception is some event like a marriage.

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author David Beroff
        I'm certainly no expert here, Steve, and it sounds like you need one. I seem to recall that you were transitioning away from a larger company, which would imply that they have competent HR people, (who would also be relatively free from being in a conflict of interest). If that's the case, I strongly recommend that you speak with them, maybe with the head of the local HR department or whatever.

        Also, I realize you have a lot of strong views, and that's fine on a personal basis. But when you're trying to find actual answers to "what's best for Steve" -type questions, I'd recommend that you drop all of the politics and other baggage when you speak with these HR people. They can't change the law, or tell you how to get around it, so all they can do is give you correct answers within the confines of the law. Put a different way, I'd skip that entire first paragraph (of post #5 immediately above), because it will not change anyone's answer to your questions, and will only serve to make them uncomfortable in helping you. Just trying to help; please don't take this as personal commentary.
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by David Beroff View Post

          I'm certainly no expert here, Steve, and it sounds like you need one. I seem to recall that you were transitioning away from a larger company, which would imply that they have competent HR people, (who would also be relatively free from being in a conflict of interest). If that's the case, I strongly recommend that you speak with them, maybe with the head of the local HR department or whatever.
          I thought I was lucky to even get on cobra. They never even told me I lost insurance until I asked about it. With the OLD laws at least many insurance companies could exclude anything related to a circumstance that was recognized before a 90+ day gap in your insurance. With the new laws, you will be subject to a fine if you allow a given gap to exist. Frankly, I don't want anything more to do with my ex employer.

          Also, I realize you have a lot of strong views, and that's fine on a personal basis. But when you're trying to find actual answers to "what's best for Steve" -type questions, I'd recommend that you drop all of the politics and other baggage when you speak with these HR people. They can't change the law, or tell you how to get around it, so all they can do is give you correct answers within the confines of the law. Put a different way, I'd skip that entire first paragraph (of post #5 immediately above), because it will not change anyone's answer to your questions, and will only serve to make them uncomfortable in helping you. Just trying to help; please don't take this as personal commentary.
          "what's best for steve"? OK, I DO need coverage in the US(as opposed to a local network, or state). But shouldn't US insurance be able to handle that? In my first professional job, I got an HMO. I believe even THEY made allowances for being elsewhere, but it was good and cheap. A relative had them, and had a bad heart attack, and it was handled fine. As for the premium/deductible ratio being so out of whack, the FIRST word on that stupid bill IS "Affordable". Why are SO many of those bills given names that are the OPPOSITE of what they are? The premium/deductible ratio only makes sense if you have a catastrophic problem. They at least USED to have insurance for that. It had a LOW premium, and a high deductible, and was for cases like what once happened to me, where the operation was major. But that IS unlikely to happen, so the premium was low. And YEAH, a person with a pre-existing ailment may not be able to get it. But HEY, if you had 3 major vehicle accidents recently, coverage would be hard to get and expensive. If your credit is bad, getting loans is harder and costs more, etc....

          HEY, there is sanctioned, and "LEGAL", sexism in the US! If you are a teenager, AND MALE, car insurance costs MORE! If you are male, life insurance costs more!

          As for politics? The way things are going, I likely won't be able to speak about the color of my home, or holes in the street, because that is POLITICS! IMAGINE! healthcare and insurance is now POLITICAL! COMPUTERS have become political to a degree, and will only become MORE so. The INTERNET is political, and they are trying to make it more so. And DON'T get me started about the different ways streets are repaired in Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles California! If you speak about that in LA, be sure there are no road workers there. They may want to tan your hide! In LA, it can take MONTHS(NOT KIDDING!), and there are complex detours. In TO, it can take a day(NOT KIDDING!), and there is little disruption. In LA, I am shocked people tolerate it, etc.... In TO, I am shocked it works so well and fast. It is STRIKING!

          HECK, a newscaster was talking about a statement from the local fire department. They said they were going to go to female venues to get more female recruits. The idea of sex and "diversity" now TRUMPS the actual historical goal of the FIRE DEPARTMENT! What if the requirement is 150 pounds, a woman lifts 151 pounds, and a man lifts 225. There is ONE spot, so they hire the WOMAN for "diversity". What if she comes to YOUR aid, and you end up losing a limb, because she had trouble with something that the man WOULDN'T? And NO, I am saying nothing against women. I am only saying that employment is based on LUCK, so employers should pick who they consider the BEST. They should NOT have to deal with arbitrary and meaningless factors. If a woman is the best candidate available for an open spot, HIRE HER! But don't hire her merely because she is different. HECK, I just got a new car. Did I get all the features I wanted? NO! Did I get the color I wanted? NO! Did I get the terms I wanted? NO! I got the best I could based on what was available. I got my last computer the same way. HECK, they called the color of my new car "beige"! YUCK!!!!!! I STILL got it because I perceived it as a nice GOLD color!

          I have a feeling 1984 is going to end up DEAD ON! The ONLY mistake was that it probably didn't go far enough, and they implied it happened in 1984. I heard that is because the book was written in 1948. They merely switched the last two digits.

          Steve
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