If you are knowledgable about COBRA...
RunningGal900
member
I am planning to use COBRA continuation of benefits for the delivery and then will be added to DH's current policy (I have verified that we can do this mid-year). Here's my question, and maybe this is idiotic...
According to my COBRA benefits summary, I am covered for a set period of time or until I am covered on another insurance policy. According to our new insurance, me being added to the plan is retroactive to the date of the baby's birth. Does that mean that my COBRA coverage would automatically terminate whenever he is born because I would have new coverage that day? Or would the coverage last until the end of the month we've paid for? I'm not sure who to call to ask about this - the COBRA people or the DH's HR.
Note: I don't want to be added to his policy now as their maternity coverage requires me to pay 10% which could be pricey and the COBRA policy covers everything at 100%. At the same time, I don't want to continue COBRA for the entire year because that is a very high-end policy.
Re: If you are knowledgable about COBRA...
It's a COBRA question... "will they refund a partial payment if you cancel your plan mid-month." You are surely not the first person with this kind of life event, so it shouldn't be too hard for them to answer.
The insurance cynic in me is afraid that once you pay for a month, you bought the whole month. I'd love to hear that they will refund you a partial month though. Would love it if they do!
GL!
Sorry, just reread your OP... looks like you'll be find, but I wouldn't assume the COBRA coverage will terminate automatically.... there's gotta be some phone calling and paperwork involved... there always is.
Sorry, just reread your OP... looks like you'll be fine, but I wouldn't assume the COBRA coverage will terminate automatically.... there's gotta be some phone calling and paperwork involved... there always is.
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Okay here is what happened in MY situation. It is hard for me to advise other people on insurance questions cause if you make the wrong move you can be screwed.
I was eligible to be on Cobra for 24 months under the terms I left my last job. This started when I was 14 wks pregnant. MH and I got married a little over 2 wks ago and I am not going to go on his policy until the baby is a few months old because i can't have Kaiser on his policy.
Member services at Kaiser Cobra told me that my policy would NOT terminate if I went on DH's policy earlier as long as I kept paying Cobra. However we were advised that if our policy was different, ie not Kaiser, and was a pay % type policy, having TWO policies can actually be worse cause then they argue about who covers what when a big expense comes up.
Kaiser isnt like this because they are an HMO and cover absolutely everything under my plan. It is only ever an issue of paying if you go to an outside Kaiser hospital.
Hope that helps. I know it can be confusing. Medical coverage can be almost like a full time job! It is so screwed up in the country. My dad recently had to pay 26,000 out of pocket when my stepmom developed a blood clot after a routine surgery. Their insurance only pays 80% of expenses.
Lurking from 2nd trimester, I am an HR manager and handle our benefits...
Your baby will more than likely be under your insurance until the end of the month. People seem to think they have 30 days, this is usually not true. You need to check with your policy to see how it is written. Make sure to ask, "If I have the baby on the 28th of the month, does coverage end for him on the 30th/31st?" You can do a couple of things with your husbands coverage. You can have them put the baby on immediately or have them do it at the first of the month. Insurance run month to month. I usually tell my staff not to worry about putting the baby on (worrying about signing paperwork etc) until the end of the month, unless the deliver at the end of the month. Does this make sense? So, no..the baby's coverage under you does not end when he is born even if he goes on your hubby's insurance. He could have dual coverage, but this can be tricky if you have Kaiser and your hubby has something else.
We don't have Kaiser (I don't actually even know what that is, though I've seen it mentioned before). Here's my question though (and maybe it's a really dumb one because the guy at our plan administrator had no idea what I was talking about). I am going to go off COBRA as of the end of April (baby is due April 7, so we should have no problem making delivery by the end of the month) and will be added to DH's policy then (already confirmed this is okay). According DH's policy paperwork, whenever I am added it is retroactive to the date of the baby's birth. According to my COBRA paperwork, I lose COBRA coverage as soon as I gain coverage under another plan. So, if my new insurance technically becomes active let's say April 7, does that mean they can terminate my COBRA coverage as of that day as well? I'm not concerned about the baby - I know he'll be covered. I want to make sure that my delivery will be covered. DH thinks this question makes no sense and apparently so did our plan administrator so maybe I am just overthinking things :-)
Insurance runs month to month...so if you paid your premium for the month of April thru COBRA you are covered thru the end of the month. The baby is the only one who can go on mid month because of a birth. Your coverage with COBRA would end on April 30th. Your coverage for yourself on your husband's would start May 1.