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May 2014 Moms
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Vent- Might lose health insurance in 2 weeks

madelined633madelined633 member
in May 2014 Moms
My husband and I have health insurance through his work. He had an interview today for a new job and is one of 3 final candidates. He will find out tomorrow whether or not he got it.

We'd be super excited if he did, but the only drawback is that they will not pay health insurance for the first 6 months (probationary period). Which, as you all know, would take us through delivery.

If he gets the job tomorrow, then he will give two weeks notice to his current job, then the insurance is gone. It freaks me out having to find insurance in two weeks, while pregnant! I don't want to pay a fortune upfront for it, but I also don't want to pay out the ass for delivery. And with all the changes and glitches with Obama care, it makes me uncomfortable that something won't go right. Ah! Just a vent! happy about job opportunity, but worried about healthcare. Thanks!
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Re: Vent- Might lose health insurance in 2 weeks

  • cbrustcbrust member
    edited January 2014
    apply for Medicaid ASAP. If you are pregnant, in most states, if you do not have other coverage you will be coverage under medicaid or a similar program in the meantime

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  • megmegsmegmegs member
    sweetky_06 said:
    What about COBRA benefits through his current employer? You have to pay for the whole cost, but at least it's insurance. https://www.cobrainsurance.com/

    You can only get Medicaid if you qualify from an income perspective, it is not a given.
    I second checking out COBRA; I had to do this for a few weeks when I was switching jobs. It can get a bit expensive, but it's coverage.
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  • IBackBevoIBackBevo member
    edited January 2014
    I got new insurance under the ACA and have had no problems.  I got my new coverage within about a week of applying.  Literally, applied on the 23rd and it started on the 1st. Got my card a couple of days ago and before that got my account number and other things off of the provider's website.

    Also, the price won't be sky high.  Because of the ACA (i.e. Obamacare), they now cannot deny you for being pregnant (a pre-existing condition) or even raise your rates due to the pregnancy.   We now pay $800-something a month for all three of us for a super low deductible plan. If we wanted a high deductible plan, it would have been much less. Prior to the ACA, we paid over $1400 for a plan that was not as good.

    However, prior to the ACA, you probably would have been screwed...at least that was my experience. I could not even get maternity insurance or a policy with maternity AT ALL in Texas as a person looking on the private market...and that was not even when I was already pregnant!!!
    IF DX: DOR & Fragile X pre-mutation carrier
    2011: FSH 13.3 & E 99; AMH 0.54 2nd FSH 6.2 E 40's AFC: 8
    BFP from Clomid/IUI ~ Pre-e and IUGR during pregnancy ~ DS born 9/4/12
    Feb./March 2013: AMH less than 0.16 (undectable) and AFC = 4;
    BFP from supps ~ DS#2 due May 2014

    May 2014 January Siggy Challenge:
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  • IBackBevoIBackBevo member
    I second (or third) COBRA as an option, but my experience was that it was absurdly high.
    IF DX: DOR & Fragile X pre-mutation carrier
    2011: FSH 13.3 & E 99; AMH 0.54 2nd FSH 6.2 E 40's AFC: 8
    BFP from Clomid/IUI ~ Pre-e and IUGR during pregnancy ~ DS born 9/4/12
    Feb./March 2013: AMH less than 0.16 (undectable) and AFC = 4;
    BFP from supps ~ DS#2 due May 2014

    May 2014 January Siggy Challenge:
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  • sweetky_06sweetky_06 member
    IBackBevo said:
    I second (or third) COBRA as an option, but my experience was that it was absurdly high.
    It's going to depend on the benefits that your employer provided and what % of premiums you paid, because COBRA basically extends you existing benefits at your cost.  ACA will result in you being able to compare what COBRA can offer versus what you can buy on the private market, and as was previously mentioned you are eligible for pregnancy and L&D coverage now!
    Married 08.06
    Started TTC 05.08
    Me: Stage II endo, borderline high FSH
    DH: perfect
    1 lap, 5 IUIs = 4 BFNs and 1 c/p
    2 IVFs, 2 FETs = 1 BFN, 1 c/p, 1 ectopic and finally a sticky BFP in May 2011!

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  • IBackBevoIBackBevo member
    edited January 2014
    sweetky_06 said:
    IBackBevo said:
    I second (or third) COBRA as an option, but my experience was that it was absurdly high.
    It's going to depend on the benefits that your employer provided and what % of premiums you paid, because COBRA basically extends you existing benefits at your cost.  ACA will result in you being able to compare what COBRA can offer versus what you can buy on the private market, and as was previously mentioned you are eligible for pregnancy and L&D coverage now!
    All I know is what my experience was.  Under COBRA, we paid over $1400 for coverage before for three people.  Our deductible was higher and our OOP max was higher than our new ACA plan.  I think I ended up paying about $5k out-of-pocket for the birth of my last son under my old policy.

    Under my ACA policy, we pay $860 a month for three people and I will pay no more than $2500 out-of-pocket as that is my max...and that max even includes the deductible.

    One was BCBS and the other is CIGNA.  I could have gotten a similar BCBS policy (to my cigna policy, not my BCBS policy as my new policy is better than my old COBRA policy) for about $900 with BCBS. 

    For us, the ACA has been a huge cost savings compared to what COBRA was.

    I also had COBRA back in about 2002 and I think I paid over $700 a month for just myself.  It was absurd. It was also BCBS.

    Also, we make way too much for any tax benefits, so it isn't like I am getting a break because of that...the rates are simply cheaper now because you are being put in a huge pool of other people.

    And I know I am not alone in this.  One of my husband's employees was paying over $500 a month for private insurance.  She got an inexpensive HMO plan under the ACA and now pays about $80 a month.
    IF DX: DOR & Fragile X pre-mutation carrier
    2011: FSH 13.3 & E 99; AMH 0.54 2nd FSH 6.2 E 40's AFC: 8
    BFP from Clomid/IUI ~ Pre-e and IUGR during pregnancy ~ DS born 9/4/12
    Feb./March 2013: AMH less than 0.16 (undectable) and AFC = 4;
    BFP from supps ~ DS#2 due May 2014

    May 2014 January Siggy Challenge:
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  • cchild101010cchild101010 member
    edited January 2014
    I 4th/5th/6th COBRA. It is terribly expensive, but it will cover you ASAP. Then, I would look into an insurance exchange. When I was laid off 4 years ago I went on COBRA at first. It cost me about $500/mo but it was PPO, low deductibles etc. Then I found a health insurance plan that fit my needs for about $170/month that was also PPO and fit my budget and needs at the time. 

    I would also have your husband talk to HR and or the person who is hiring and see if he can't negotiate something to get you on health insurance in 3 months in exchange for something else maybe?!?! Depending on the company sometimes things can be negotiated. 

    Good luck! I hope your hubby gets the job!
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  • madelined633madelined633 member
    Awesome! Thank you for your responses! I will check in to Aca and cobra if he gets the job tomorrow.

    -meanwhile, another vent. I just waited from 9-12 for the cable tech to come to my house for that appointment window. Talk about wasting my day! I've got errands to run, grocery shopping, etc to do. No show and no call, so I called the company again and they had the appointment listed as cancelled, but they could reschedule the appointment for 3-5 tonight? Umm hell no, I've just wasted 3 hours waiting for you, I'm not going to waste my whole day because you can't get your sh!t together! Arrrg!!
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  • IBackBevoIBackBevo member
    I think @cchild101010 makes an excellent point. If you have to get the COBRA just for a month and use that month to try to find something on the private market or in the exchange...if you can't find anything cheaper, keep the COBRA.  I think you can pay month-to-month on COBRA.
    IF DX: DOR & Fragile X pre-mutation carrier
    2011: FSH 13.3 & E 99; AMH 0.54 2nd FSH 6.2 E 40's AFC: 8
    BFP from Clomid/IUI ~ Pre-e and IUGR during pregnancy ~ DS born 9/4/12
    Feb./March 2013: AMH less than 0.16 (undectable) and AFC = 4;
    BFP from supps ~ DS#2 due May 2014

    May 2014 January Siggy Challenge:
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  • cchild101010cchild101010 member
    You should be able to pay month to month with COBRA. I did 
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  • spinsoffresonancespinsoffresonance member
    Definitely don't go without coverage while pregnant. Get cobra or find private insurance. My hospital bills when I gave birth to DD (csection) totaled over $60k. However expensive Cobra is for 6 months, it's still cheaper than 60k. I was only responsible for $1000, which is my max out of pocket.
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  • MimalooMimaloo member
    Do you have a job that offers health insurance?  If so, you should be able to get it even though it's not open enrollment time.  Your situation should be considered a QLE.
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  • HedgessmHedgessm member
    I have nothing helpful to add other than that sucks and good luck!!
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  • delatldelatl member
    I could be TOTALLY wrong on this point so do your own research, of course, but I believe with COBRA, you can actually sign up retroactively. I have no idea how this works in practice, but the times I've been on COBRA, I've been told something to that effect. Meaning, if it takes a week or two to get on a new insurance plan, you just want to have the paperwork ready to sign should you need it for an emergency. Again, I hesitate to even write this since I'm not totally sure, but it's something to investigate.
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  • KBowen715KBowen715 member
    COBRA.
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  • IBackBevoIBackBevo member
    delatl said:
    I could be TOTALLY wrong on this point so do your own research, of course, but I believe with COBRA, you can actually sign up retroactively. I have no idea how this works in practice, but the times I've been on COBRA, I've been told something to that effect. Meaning, if it takes a week or two to get on a new insurance plan, you just want to have the paperwork ready to sign should you need it for an emergency. Again, I hesitate to even write this since I'm not totally sure, but it's something to investigate.
    ^^ This was true for me, too.
    IF DX: DOR & Fragile X pre-mutation carrier
    2011: FSH 13.3 & E 99; AMH 0.54 2nd FSH 6.2 E 40's AFC: 8
    BFP from Clomid/IUI ~ Pre-e and IUGR during pregnancy ~ DS born 9/4/12
    Feb./March 2013: AMH less than 0.16 (undectable) and AFC = 4;
    BFP from supps ~ DS#2 due May 2014

    May 2014 January Siggy Challenge:
    image
    image
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  • madelined633madelined633 member
    Thank you all for the responses. I will check it out tomorrow if he gets the job!
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