DH let go/ no insurance

smashton14th · January 2014

My DH was going to leave his company after the baby came. This was because we needed the insurance since i was pregnant and could not get another insurance. Well, today they told him they will have to let him go sooner. (Next month.) So we need to figure out what to do about insurance. This is so stressful!
Does anyone have any ideas what to do for insurance coverage? We might be able to qualify for Medicaid once he switches jobs. (New job doesn't pay very much at first.) I just worry how long it will take to kick in once we put in an application. Also, i thought about COBRA but that costs a lot of money every month and was wondering if it just would be better to self pay.
Sorry this post is so long! I am just confused. TIA!

Rrrrrachel · January 2014

I know if yore moving from a group plan to a different group plan they can't refuse to cover your pregnancy. I'm not sure how that works if you just went self pay. I assume with the new aca stuff if you just went out and got a plan they would have to cover your pregnancy, too. Have you gone on the exchange for your state to look?

rockstarlaw · January 2014

COBRA is definitely the safer option. Self pay....yikes. What if something unforeseen happens? Not a risk I'd want to take. Or look into Obamacare.

ksulli · January 2014

I second @eme520. Also, as expensive as cobra is, I think that's often the best value even if it is pricy.

smashton14th · January 2014

I wouldn't be going to another group plan. This new job doesn't include insurance so we would have to do an individual plan.

That is what i was thinking about COBRA.

Rrrrrachel · January 2014

Yeah I think even with an individual plan, now, they have to cover you. But I'm not sure.

maelic · January 2014

You definitely, definitely, definitely need insurance as soon as your DH's runs out, be it COBRA or an individual plan. Those expenses pale to what, god forbid, a kid in the NICU for a couple of weeks would do to your long term finances.

redjellybean128 · January 2014

i know in my state (CT) you don't have to worry about pre-existing conditions as long as you have had coverage within the last 90 days (I think). I would talk to an insurance agent and price out your individual options and compare it to what the COBRA costs would be.

Hope your DH can find another job soon!

Pandamom14 · January 2014

Check into your state exchange. Get some sort of coverage. As others mentioned - if ANYthing goes wrong at all it could bankrupt you. Good luck!

Stace0616 · January 2014

Have you paid anything so far for medical costs during this benefit year? COBRA may be the best (albeit expensive) option if you've already paid towards the deductible. Do NOT do a self-pay plan--it would kill your bank account. Your state may have a separate health insurance plan that would be cost-effective as well? After all, you can always change plans after having the baby, but right now there is just soooo much that could happen in the next few months that staying with COBRA may be worth it.

boxerbabylove · January 2014

apply for COBRA, you can always drop it if you find a better coverage plan. This way there won't be a gap in coverage and your pregnancy shouldn't be considered a non-coverable preexisting condition (pregnancy is an exception the ACA preexisting condition rule). Then go on the ACA\healthcare.gov exchange and find yourself a plan that will cover your pregnancy.

It sucks to lose your insurance but that COBRA, expensive as it is, is really worth it at times like these. Paying out of pocket for your prenatal appointments and delivery can cost you upwards of $10K for a non C-section delivery.

Mport90 · January 2014

I would look into cobra because the Obama care plans are ridiculous. Can not believe the prices and for horrible deductibles. Do a comparison between the two see which one will be better, just for a few more months.

pdilly2b · January 2014

I think there is some sticker shock with Obamacare for some people because they aren't filling out the whole form to see how much of a subsidy they qualify for. If you think you may be close to the Medicaid allowance amount, I would assume you would qualify for a hefty subsidy for a private plan through Obamacare (www.healthcare.gov). But you need to put in your financial info to find out - don't only look at the no-subsidy amount.

natpirt · January 2014

I would look into medicaid now, it can take up to a month to get it all squared away from application to appointment to verification of information. Typically once they know you are pregnant the process moves faster.

RocksInTheWater · January 2014

Sounds like you have some helpful advice from others here so just wanted to say sorry you are dealing with this stress and I hope you figure out something soon that will work for your family.

LittleLady77 · January 2014

DO NOT SELF PAY, that could be a disaster you regret for the next 20 years. Your options are Obama Care, a state run program or COBRA. Here in California they have a "healthy babies" program and every expecting mother is covered. You can look for something like that if you need to.

Rrrrrachel · January 2014

The cost if plans available under aca vary wildly depending in where you live, sometimes even county to county. You really have to check for yourself. Even a 3k deductible is better than self pay, especially if something goes wrong.

smashton14th · January 2014

We have looked a lot online for Florida programs but haven't found any programs except for Medicaid.

BiggerinRealLife · January 2014

I don't have any advice better than what you've gotten but just wanted to say I'm sorry you're dealing with this, and I wish you good luck!

scarles · January 2014

Try the exchange (obamacare). This is cheaper than COBRA in most cases. Do not do self pay. That would be awful! Medicaid is your best option if you qualify.

Bluebird2318 · January 2014

rockstarlaw said:

COBRA is definitely the safer option. Self pay....yikes. What if something unforeseen happens? Not a risk I'd want to take. Or look into Obamacare.

maelic said:

You definitely, definitely, definitely need insurance as soon as your DH's runs out, be it COBRA or an individual plan. Those expenses pale to what, god forbid, a kid in the NICU for a couple of weeks would do to your long term finances.

These, absolutely. Please do not even consider self-pay. God forbid anything unexpected happens, but you can't take that risk without coverage. I was 23 and completely healthy, but still ended up with early pre-eclampsia and a 67-day NICU stay for DD that amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars (I want to say in the $300,000-$400,000 range), and then my own care which was something like $15,000 (again, I can't remember exactly). With insurance we only paid a total of $2,200 for both DD and myself combined. Get whatever you possibly can.

leighbball · January 2014

No advice just wanted to say hugs!

tamaraaaa · January 2014

FOR SURE check out your state exchange and go through the process. If the cost is crazy, you don't have to sign up, but it will give you multiple plans at different price points. If you enter your income, you can get a subsidy and the costs are much more realistic. We went from paying $500+/month through DH's work to $240 through the ACA and the insurance is much better (lower deductibles, still able to see all the same doctors and this was the most expensive plan we could get through the exchange). The process was all online and very, very easy. We were covered within a few weeks, and you can put in the date you need to start. If you have problems, there are people that can walk you through it in person also. Lots of people are scared to try it, but it's worth checking out for sure.

nicole mackenzie · January 2014

redjellybean128 said:
i know in my state (CT) you don't have to worry about pre-existing conditions as long as you have had coverage within the last 90 days (I think). I would talk to an insurance agent and price out your individual options and compare it to what the COBRA costs would be.

Hope your DH can find another job soon!

This is true in my state as well. As long as there is not a gap in coverage longer than 90 days they cannot deny coverage.

I would try Medicaid, then affordable care act insurance, then cobra. Cobra may be expensive but better than not having insurance and hitting complications. I don't believe you can be denied coverage for pregnancy through obamacare. ( or any pre-existing condition)

Sisimama10 · January 2014

We have Medicaid here in Illinois. We also have a healthy moms, healthy babies program that covers a larger number of women that may not income qualify for Medicaid.

CBJmommy · January 2014

Cobra, for sure. Keep in mind you should also be covered for the rest of this month with his current policy.

nicole mackenzie · January 2014

What was your original plan for when DH quit? You'll need insurance for after baby is born too, not just to pay for the pregnancy stuff.

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